CTM
ISSN 2639-7714 (PRINT)
ISSUE 27 | FEBRUARY 2019
ISSN: 2639-7730 (ONLINE)
Christian Times Magzine
To Help You Become a Leader Who Hears Well Done
Now
Bible In All US Schools Pg 9 18 QUESTIONS WITH
KEN GOSNELL FEATURING STORIES
The Culture of Death in America
Toxic Vs. Real Masculinity
President Trump: His Enemies Have Not Learned Their Lesson
IN U.S. THEATERS NOW FOR TICKETS
https://www.theleastofthese.movie
The remarkable true story of Australian missionary Graham Staines, who, in 1999 met an unexpected fate in India while serving the leper population. Seen through the eyes of a fictional young journalist who goes undercover for a newspaper in hopes of exposing Staines as illegally proselytizing leprosy patients, he instead surprisingly finds a man who has given himself completely and unselfishly as a missionary to those patients. A humanitarian who unfortunately becomes a martyr and through his family shows the world what true forgiveness is upon his death. Shot on location in India, The Least of These beautifully illustrates the power of love, hope and forgiveness to overcome hate.
Honorary ads
www.menswearhouse.com
ADVERTISEMENT
Anil Anwar CEO / Editor In Chief Editorial Member Charles Lingerfelt Raven Youngblood David Clarke Contributors Charles Lingerfelt Christopher Grahn Howard Matthew Snape David A. Colbert Christienah Robertson Travis Steven P. Ray Scott Cahill Katherine Schoonover Joann H. Buchanan Paul McCabe David A. Colbert
www.ceoexperience.com
CHRISTIAN TIMES MAGAZINE
ISSUE
27
Published in United States of America Copyright Š 2019 by Christian Times Magazine (CTM) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, For permission requests, www.ctimesmag.com 972 - 533- 3804
Please be aware that all the articles published in Christian Times magazine are the personal views of writers / columnists and not necessarily the views of Christian Times Magazine, or CTM is not responsible to anything written by writers / columnists.
www.ctimesmag.com Tel: 972 - 533- 3804
Inside YOUR GUIDE TO ISSUE NO.27
18 QUESTIONS WITH KEN GOSNELL
14
09
ARE THE DEMOCRATS SERIOUS ABOUT BORDER SECURITY? By Christienah Robertson Travis
AS TRUMP FAILS TO ARTICULATE HIS BELIEFS, WHO WILL COMMUNICATE WITH THE LIBERTARIANS? By Matthew Snape
22
18
PRESIDENT TRUMP HIS ENEMIES HAVE NOT LEARNED THEIR LESSON By Steven P. Ray, former Iowa GOP gubernatorial candidate
Inside YOUR GUIDE TO ISSUE NO.27
THE TAKING OF ROGER STONE By Scott Cahill
THE CULTURE OF DEATH IN AMERICA
25
3 REPUBLICANS WALK INTO A BAR
29
TOXIC VS. REAL MASCULINITY
By Charles Lingerfelt
THE HUMBLE CHRISTIAN By Joann H. Buchanan
A GOVERNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE By David A. Colbert
35 40
26
By Katherine Schoonover
By Christopher Grahn Howard
HERE COMES THE CLOWN CAR By Paul McCabe
32 38
AFFORDABLE FREEDOM FOR THE KURDS By Charles Lingerfelt
42
Advertisement
AVAILABLE AT
Scan The Barcode
And Get Your Copy
$19.99 Page 28
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
KEN GOSNELL Hi, Ken thank you to give for your time for the Interview. i would like to ask you first, You and your team work with Christian CEOs. Why Christian executives ? KEN: Christian CEOs have the potential to be the most amazing leaders because they both impact the world today and the Kingdom of God for all eternity. God has placed these special leaders in businesses that have the opportunity to make a difference through their influence while doing that, bring salt and light into the world that points people to God who is in heaven. How do you work with Christian CEOs? KEN: CEO Experience works with CEOs with five pathways. We offer CEO Retreats, excursions, coaching, team development and tools. One tool that we use is the CXP CEO Executive Guide. This is a monthly publication that is one part magazine, one part personal journal, and one part executive coach. The guide is designed specifically for Christian CEOs and is filled with business insights based on biblical business principles. It is an amazing journal that our CEOs love to receive each month. Page 9
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
application related to the business principle, vetted and researched resources that can help a leader to deepen their study of the topic, a next level leader pull out to share with their team, bonus materials, and CEO tools for strategic planning. Where do you get your information or ideas for your executive guide? KEN: Ideas for the guide can come from various places. One of our favorite places is from our subscribers and members. Members recommend topics and ideas that they believe will be helpful in growing their business. The guides are fresh and current and deal with practical business issues and business skills to enhance a leader's performance. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? KEN: I have always loved books and enjoyed reading. I experienced firsthand the power of a book through reading the Bible and then several other key books that changed my life. Books such as "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie and "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. When I started my consulting practice, I knew that I wanted to become both a speaker and a writer. Each month my company CEO Experience (www.ceoexperience.com) publishes a monthly CEO Executive Guide for Christian CEOs. This guide is a 36 page publication that is focuses on a biblical principle and businesses practices that will help leaders learn faster to lead further.
How long does it take you to write the CXP CEO Executive Guide? KEN: Each guide is a labor of love and takes several weeks to produce. Each guide starts in prayer and then several hours are spent reviewing various ideas applied to one of the business biblical principles. Then over the next several weeks, each aspect of the guide is written and rewritten with the Christian executive is mind. Each guide is comprised of devotion, a review of a biblical business principles, ideas of business Page 10
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating of the executive guide? KEN: We learned the power of biblical business principles. Biblical business principles are not just good ideas, but they are essential to building a great business. Successful businesses still practice biblical business principles like "develop a second-mile mentality,""know the order of things," and "grow profit with a purpose." God's principles are good principles and every Christian CEO, and leader should strive to master the principles that make a difference and will help those leaders hear the words "Well done good and faithful servant." Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say? KEN: Yes, we strive to keep a close relationship with subscribers of the guide. The readers report how impressed they are with the publication. They love the pictures in the guide and the quotes that they can share on their social media platforms. Members report how the guide encourages them each month to explore new ideas and new concepts to enhance their businesses and their performance.
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
Which author (living or dead) do you think is most underrated? KEN: I think Dale Carnegie is one of the most underrated authors. He books "How to win friends and influence people" and "how to stop worrying and start living" are filled with inspirational stories and practical leadership applications. Those books are life-changing, and everything that he wrote is grounded in biblical principles. I also like Norman Vincent Peale's books. His book entitled "The power of positive thinking" should be read by every leader. These books are powerful and can often be overlooked for something new and different, but these books have stood the test of time. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? KEN: I have been blessed with many great mentors and been given great counsel through the years. One of my favorite pieces of advice is "experiences matter." This piece of advice is what led me to name my company CEO Experience. I want to help CEOs and business leaders have experiences that matter to their life and their leadership. What type of topics do you discuss with business owners and what material ends up in the guide? KEN: CXP partners with business owners as a second set of eyes on the business. We look at many different aspects of businesses but we do it through the lens of biblical principles. The Bible gives insight and is the best leadership book ever written. The writing in the guide is authentic and real. We try to live out the principles so that we know that they are tested and true. We believe that only authentic writing is what resonates and influences. Each guide is filled with practical how to’s for business but those how to’s are built on biblical business principles. These principles have been proven through time and have proven to be successful and significant. How, in your opinion, should we measure a guide’s success? Page 11
KEN: I measure success based on influence and change of actions. Books that inspire are those that are applied. People can read a lot of information, but if that information is not applied, then the guide has made little difference in the life of the reader. The CEO Experience executive guide is not designed to give all the answers. I believe that the leaders whom we write for have the answers inside of them, but our guide is designed to help the reader find their answers and then implement their responses. What makes a Christian Business? KEN: Christian businesses are those that have an impact on the kingdom of God. Many people can be a Christian in their business but never really make an impact that pleases or honors God. The Christian business owner knows that they are making an impact when they hear the words well done. This can be done through practical steps such as giving away Bibles, promoting Christian community events, bringing people to salvation, or Bible studies in the workplace. It can also be done through unique ways such a kingdom perspectives letter or in the owner sharing their testimony on their website. CXP believes that the marketplace is a place for the movement of God and He has called business owners and leaders to make an impact through their leadership. We are passionate about helping these leaders make their impact. What was the best money you ever spent as a writer? KEN: To hire a good editor. Writers need a good team around them. An editor can ask great questions and help to bring clarity to a piece of written work. I have several people review written work before it is produced, but one key person and the best money that has ever been spent is on a good editor who understands what you are trying to write and create.
What does literary success look like to you?
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
KEN: Literary success is when something that you have written influences over time. When a reader tells me about something that changed their life, and it was written in a different time and space, I know that I have experienced literary success. We develop our executive guides to last however we never repeat material like that is done in other CEO groups. We believe the Bible is fresh and speaks to the times and so should the CXP material.
in the world. I am excited to use this resource and be associated with an organization to highlights Christian values in their writing and publication. Thank You So much Ken and We believe God using you for HIS work. I hope many Christian CEOs and Leaders get benefits from your CXP CEO Experience Journal. Thank You once again to give us time to talk with you. God Bless You
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? KEN: Writers are great researchers. I am always researching. I research before I write something and I research while I am writing something. What do you edit out of the executive guides?” KEN: We take out many pages of content each month to keep the guides readable and usable. We ask questions such as (1) is this useful; (2) is the information able to be implemented by the busiest of leaders; (3) and is it reflected and can this principle be supported by the Bible? When the material does not meet that criteria, it is eliminated.
What do you read on the New Year holiday? KEN: I love the beginning of each new year. I select several books that I want to read in the next year. These books are by the best thinkers of the world. I also develop a Bible reading plan as I know that the Bible is the source of all knowledge and wisdom.
Would you like to say something about Christian Times Magazine? KEN: I am impressed with Christian Times Magazine. Christian leaders need to pay attention to what is happening in the world around us; this is true in life and business. The Bible reminds the Christian leader to be a person of influence, and one of the ways to be influential is to know what is happening Page 12
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
The Intimate Place By Evangelist Nodella Sacajawea Jordan Paid Advertisement
Copies can be purchased online at www.nsjministries.com
Only $9.99 Available in paperback and eBook: Amazon (Kindle), Apple iTunes, Xulon Press, and Barnes and Noble (Nook)
Are the Democrats Serious About Border Security? Christienah Robertson Travis
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speak on Capitol Hill in response President Trump's prime-time address on border security on Tuesday. PHOTO BY ALEX BRANDON AP
The amount of rhetoric surrounding the Border Crisis has been dizzying. The moment that the Government Shutdown took a pause, the banter only got worse. Reasons why America should have a border wall are all sensible arguments, but it became clear long ago that this is about more than a border wall. This is a political cold war. This is a war for America. It isn't like anyone is surprised really. Everyone from both sides were expecting tension on some level despite hopes the parties would try to work together when the Democrats took the House. Instead, America witnessed a play for power that brought our nation down to its knee's in one single Page 14
month. The shutdown cost America $3 Billion in permanently lost revenue for that same month according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office which actually would have made up a little over half of the budget that Trump has been proposing for the Border Wall. Making this more audacious was the prior voting by Democrats for a Border Wall in 2006, so what is really going on here? Having a border wall should be a very logical step to take considering current risk factors spreading globally including diseases that require quarantine. Diseases that are untreatable, deadly and highly contagious. On January 27, 2019 several outlets
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
reported that an illegal immigrant male was detained in a remote area of New Mexico near the border. He complained of a growing rash that turned out to be a Flesh Eating Virus. You contract it when it is given access to minor cuts and scrapes. Other serious medical issues crossing our border include, but are not limited to a rise in lice, measles, chicken pox, HIV, scabies, rabies and an incredible variety of drug resistant sexually transmittable diseases. The arguments for a Border Wall are factual and extremely alarming such as sexual trafficking of women and children, drugs, deadly criminals and terrorists, but none of this seems to matter even though there has been a record rise in immigration caravans in the last four months. What would cause an entire group of American leaders to put their own nations welfare at risk over other countries? Power.
AP PHOTO
The people of the United States felt the sting of the pins and needles put off by the dispute. Many voiced hope that somehow the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump would begin to work together. Fears of hunger, homelessness of the elderly in nursing homes grew and Food Banks opened up for families that usually never need them. Flights were becoming more and more delayed. Credit was being destroyed. It was also apparent that the majority of American's have not been heeding warnings to grow their own food or to prepare for grid failures due to extreme climate and forecasted disastrous seismic anomalies when SNAP food funding was threatened. Already shifts in the Earth's climate
Page 15
have manifested growing zone shifts limiting supplies of produce globally. The climate issues are only going to get worse according to many sources. American's were even divided as a hate agenda for Trump led to the persecution of Catholic Covington
students who received death threats. On what normal day would it be acceptable to threaten children? It is a sign of a hurting people looking for someone to blame. A true mob mentality. Fortunately for the students, the truth set the record straight soon after the media smear. Just as the situation was beginning to look like our nation was about to crumble before our very eyes, an initial forward step began to turn everything around. President Trump declared a temporary end to the Government Shutdown with a February 15th deadline to reach a suitable agreement. Speaker Pelosi responded in kind and invited the President to deliver his State of the Union on February 5th. President Trump promptly accepted the invite.
President Donald Trump announces the temporary end to the longest government shutdown in history. (Washington Post YouTube)
"It is my great honor to accept. We have a great story to tell and yet, great goals to achieve."President Donald J. Trump
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
At the very same time, Border Patrol arrested 242 migrants looking to cross over into Arizona. With no serious barrier between America and the migrants, they merely had to walk 100 ft and navigate with minor resistance to surrender to Border Patrol agents. The Texas Secretary of State is reporting that 58,000 of the non-US citizens that have voter registration cards in that state alone have used them.During the month of January 2019, there were many speculations about the true motives of the Democrats in the face of serious southern border issues. Theories ranged from a Presidential Coup to outright Communism and a desire for fraudulent votes. It was even rumored that Pelosi would try to have the President and Vice President assassinated, because she is third in line for the position. There was even a foiled assassination plot uncovered just as Speaker Pelosi was encouraging the President to delay his State of the Union address due to security concerns. American's were becoming unsure if the Democrats really care as much about the American people as they do the immigrants. Riots and rumors of future riots were taking to the streets. It became clear that it wouldn't take much more for the spark to erupt into something unstoppable. Social Underground media talked openly about the possibility of martial law in these cases. In fact, around January 23rd, there was a nationwide mobile Presidential Alert Test. Many of the users did not get the text, but read the message of uncertainty very clearly. The nation wondered if Trump would call a National Emergency. That option was not off the table of the temporary shutdown if negotiations did not go well. As of late, Democrats had not been as serious about border security as they had been standing their own ground. The reasoning can only be speculative despite the hollow words Nancy Pelosi has spoken about immorality and the wall. If actions can give us any clue, it would appear that she wanted to send Trump a message that she will not be pushed and that Democrats badly needed to feel a type of perceived win in their favor. Considering how important the Border Crisis really is, we are left wondering how much will she be willing to work in the future for true progress in the United States of America. Can both sides put aside the online bickering and continue to move forward? We can only pray. Besides that, we now have to wonder which side of Border Security she really stands on.
Page 16
Is it for a Border Wall as in the past or is she truly convinced that more drone technology will be sufficient? The decision to send Schumer and McConnell in to break the ice of negotiations was necessary considering the rooted stand off between the Speaker and the President. Was the stand off really worth it? Was it, because Nancy's own plans were being unhinged that she finally came to the table? I would like to think that the timing of Martin Luther King Day inspired a more peaceful approach for the two opposing sides. Reverend Martin Luther was a man of peaceful protest rather than rioting and violence. He believed that people from everywhere could learn to work together for the common good. That hate destroys hope and burns bridges. A divided nation is what we have become. Full of labels that take away from the fact that we are the "United" States of America. Hard times come. It's how we get back up that matters and it's time to get up. It's time for a healing to take place in this land and in the hearts and the minds of the people. For this, we need strong and committed leadership to recognize that the type of political warfare that has been displayed is unacceptable. They all need to recognize that they are tearing American families apart and; therefore, this nation apart with their politics. These are real people. Real voters and taxpayers. The games are more than just political. They are life and death. This nail biting shutdown over border security managed to present America with a new record for the longest government shutdown in United States history. Even the heavens graced Washington DC with a Super Blood Wolf moon during the crisis. It doesn't take an expert on omens to understand that Washington DC is skating on thin ice. Is this what America wants everyone to see? This dangerous game for control sent us into uncharted and very dangerous territory. Border security continually seemed to play a secondary role to the political agenda. Somehow, American citizens became collateral damage believing, because of propaganda, that we should be abusing each other too. Whatever the reason is that this has happened, the future of how we choose to respond should take every consideration for consequence and the bigger picture. As citizens and as politicians. In the end there are no party lines. Only American's.
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
CHRISTIAN TIMES MAGAZINE CTM was established in 2016 as a must-read title with key figures in American government, journalism, policy making, business, entertainment and fashion. American people turn to CTM for the ideas and trends behind the headlines and for a contrarian view of topics. Its depth sets it apart.
Each issue brings together the sharpest minds on the news events and ideas that define the modern world. What results is an entertaining, informative and open minded magazine that mixes compelling argument and clear headed analysis with elegance and vitality in design. Since 2016, readers have relied on CTM as a trusted source of progressive news and analysis.
CTM OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMPANIES, SMALL AND BIG BUSINESSES ADVERTISE IN CHRISTIAN TIMES MAGAZINE TO PROMOTE THEIR BUSINESSES, PROGRAMS, BOOKS, MOVIES AND PRODUCTS.
300,000 ACTIVE MONTHLY READERS 54.5 % Male 45.5 % Women
Page 17
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
As Trump fails to articulate his beliefs, Who will communicate with the libertarians? By Matthew Snape
In 2016, the USA had the chance to elect a president who was different to the political mainstream, and they did. Whilst Donald Trump may not be a libertarian, he played on people’s dissatisfaction with the American political class. Among his ideas were some traditional conservative principles, like slashing taxes for individuals and corporations to their lowest levels ever and building a wall to stem the tide of immigration. Though many conservatives oppose the idea of a wall, they believe in curbing immigration, nonetheless. The problem with Trump is that we know what he is against, but not what he is for. His policies are reactions to problems that have been plaguing the US for a considerable time. These include excessive government, his predecessors breaking their campaign promises, China crippling American jobs and businesses, and the idea that Washington politics needs to be drained. He does have a vision for making America ‘great again’, but it is unclear what his ideology or end goals are. With Thatcher and Reagan, they both wanted a genuine free market, low taxes, an entrepreneurial economy and the spread of democracy throughout the world. But with Trump, he is treating the presidency as if he is operating a large corporation. He is behaving as if he has been hired to transform a failing business. Clearly his supporters agree that
Page 18
Washington politics is broken, that the swamp needs draining, that the size of government needs to shrink. His followers will vote for him no matter what. But what does he believe in? Is he a conservative? A libertarian? A populist? This is what he struggles to articulate to people. Once America has been made ‘great again’, what happens after that? Will it have a free market? Will the US have its superpower status restored? Will the government be smaller? Will individuals have more freedom than before? Many conservatives are appalled by his tariffs against other nations, as they believe in free trade. For example, former House Speaker Paul Ryan disagreed with them. But if the President could explain that they are only a temporary measure to encourage other nations to lower their tariffs in return and generate free trade, they might understand what he is doing, instead of labelling him as a protectionist. Trump even tweeted that he believes in fair trade, not ‘stupid’ trade. So why doesn’t he say that? There seems to be no narrative with the current President. This is the same with his foreign policy. He is doing an amazing job with North Korea. Their regime has not fired a single nuclear missile since, and another meeting between the President and Kim Jong-un is on the cards. With Iran, he has rightfully ripped up the
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
deal Obama signed with them, which represented a monumental failure to curb the nuclear ambitions of a dangerous Islamic regime. But what will be in its place? And what will happen to North Korea in the longer term? Will it become a free society like many Eastern European countries did after the Cold War? What will a new Iranian deal look like? And why is Trump doing all this? Is it to restore America’s place in the world?
admitting his presidency was an embarrassing failure. Libertarianism has been growing in popularity since the end of the 2000s. It is an ideology that advocates lower taxes and smaller government. In 2009, a libertarian movement called the Tea Party emerged in response to Obama’s plan to provide financial aid to bankrupt homeowners. Their name originates from the Boston Tea Party event of December 16, 1773 that
REUTERS Patriotism is a rallying call for many on the right, but the President struggles to explain that he is a patriot. Again, because Obama failed to tackle North Korea and Iran, he is sorting out these problems because the previous boss left them to him instead of incorporating his foreign policy into a larger vision for the US. He uses every opportunity he can to criticise his predecessors without explaining why he is achieving what they did not. If one calls themselves a libertarian in American politics, it would be hard to know who to vote for. The Republican Party has been hijacked by a man who is there to tidy up the mess of his predecessors, with no ideology whatsoever, and the Democrats are sinking further to the left. If you look at who is contesting the Democratic candidacy for 2020, they are candidates who are on the left of the party and who lack substance. Elizabeth Warren, who claims she is of Native American descent, has quickly become a laughing stock. She claimed she was establishing a committee to investigate standing for president without declaring that as her intention. This made her look as dishonest as every other politician Trump criticises.She posted an embarrassing video on social media of her drinking. Even the President mockingly refers to her as ‘Pocahontas.’ California senator Kamala Harris has thrown her hat into the ring, but few people know anything about her. She believes she can fight the Republicans with her racial background and lead a coalition of millennials and minorities against the President. Yet few people knew about Obama before he ran for president and look at how disappointing he was. The New York Times published an article
Page 19
JoshuaPundit - Blogger.com launched the American Revolution two years later. They made an impact on American politics by leading the 2009 Taxpayer March on Washington and they influence the way the Tea Party Caucus votes in Congress. This represents how dissatisfied many conservatives have become with the direction of both the main parties. They are willing to take matters into their own hands, and rebel against the political mainstream. In 2012 and 2016, the Libertarian Party fielded a candidate in former Republican governor Gary Johnson. When two candidates from America’s largest parties have the lowest polling numbers in history, 2016 should have been an ideal election for a third-party candidate to emerge. Yet Johnson betrayed the libertarian cause by proving to be a terrible candidate. He will forever be remembered for his ‘What is Aleppo’ remark during an interview. It made him look terribly out-of-touch with American foreign policy at a time when the US needed to lead the world again. Texas Congressman Ron Paul’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns for the Republican Party nomination were largely libertarian. Paul was affiliated with the libertarian-leaning Republican Libertarian Caucus and founded the Campaign for Liberty, a libertarian lobbying organisation. Ron’s son, Rand, is the only Republican continuing the libertarian tradition, albeit in a moderate way. Gallup conducted a series of polls over the last 13 years and found that 17-23 per cent of the electorate refer to themselves as libertarians. 511,277 voters are registered as libertarians. These voters could make a difference in many swing states. These people include former Republicans, Democrats and independent voters. Yet this is still a large segment
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
of the electorate who probably feel ignored. The Libertarian Party may have failed to come close to obtaining the presidency, but they will act as a voice for those who are angry at the main political parties for betraying their core voters. Johnson and his running mate, Bill Weld, received a record percentage of 3.28 per cent of the popular vote. This equates to 4,488,919 voters, who could have swung it either way for Trump or Clinton if either of them spoke to these people. Though they represent a small proportion of the population, that does not mean they should be locked out of the political process. This is especially true when Johnson’s support has increased since the 2012 election, where he received 1,275,821 votes. With the Libertarian Party standing no chance of winning the presidency in the future, the Republicans must start speaking to their former supporters who have flocked to this party. Whilst Trump may have legislated lower taxes and speaks out against the Washington elite, he does not proclaim to be a libertarian and he could have curbed the Libertarian Party’s increasing popularity if he did. After eight years of big government from Obama, America desperately needs a leader who will cut taxes further for millions of ordinary Americans and prevent the government from interfering in their lives. These are voters Trump needs to speak to if he hopes to stop the Democrats from reclaiming the White House. Instead of marginalising libertarians, it is time to start listening to them. Their influence has grown since 2009 and the Tea Party acted as the only effective voice against the Obama administration during this time. Trump is missing out on a trick by failing to communicate with them or articulate a vision like theirs. The Democrats will not speak to them as they move further to the left. It is time someone did before they continue to challenge the political mainstream.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Page 20
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
JOURNEY INTO FAITH AND PATRIOTISM By Charles Lingerfelt
Advertisement
A common, ordinary Man born in Tennessee, Becomes a Texan in 1969, and as a Teacher / Principal/Coach
Advertisement
Helps Organize a School in Northern Iraq (Kurdistan) Because He Wants to Make a Difference With His Life. And, Now He is Senior Columnist and Associate Publisher at Christian Times Magazine Christian Times Magazine.
$19.99 Get Your Copy
Page 28
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
President Trump His Enemies Have Not Learned Their Lesson By Steven P. Ray, former Iowa GOP gubernatorial candidate
President Donald Trump’s remarks Wednesday to the Women’s Empowerment Panel showcased his freewheeling approach to history. | Getty
Can the leader of the greatest nation on earth ever catch a break these days? It does not appear as though his political detractors, hateful constituents, nor the plethora of political elite in Washington, D.C., (including some within his own administration and party) are willing to give-up their all-out assault on President Donald J. Trump.
evolve, I have never witnessed such a well-orchestrated effort to attempt to destroy the policies, purpose and real successes of a sitting president. Not even the dark days of Watergate seemed to team with as much vitriol for a chief executive as this past year and half has with the enemies of President Trump pulling every lever trying to bring him down.
In my lifetime of self-interest in watching politics
And, for what? There has been not one shred of
Page 22
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
evidence to suggest President Trump has done anything illegal. Nothing past, present or an attempt to do so in the future. Special Prosecutor Robert S. Mueller III has utilized his office, under the auspices of the United States Department of Justice, to persecute those with ties, or perceived close-ties, with the president both during the 2016 campaign, or after the president assumed office. So far, Mueller has indicted several individuals, reached a plea deal with one of them to avoid a trial, with none of these probes ending in findings to support the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government during the 2016 presidential election against Hillary Rodham Clinton. Not a shred of evidence in what the president has continually described as “the most expensive Witch Hunt in American history.” President Trump is so right
Getty Images
to be frustrated and angry. Why are there so many political tentacles coming out to try and surround and bring down Trump? The answer is so simple: the political elite in our nation’s capital don’t like Trump and, in fact, they just plain hate him. This is what it has come to, my friends. If we hate someone who is elected by the people to be our president, we just keep going after them with all the despise-filled might one can muster to bring them down, even when there is no reason other than self-satisfaction in doing so. How much more sad can this be? How is it possible that the American political system has come to this? As I write this article, the federal government is now opening again after 5 weeks of being shut-down with it being the longest federal government shut-down in history. Critics said it was unnecessary and blamed Trump the whole time, ignoring the fact that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sat on their hands and offered zero element of compromise to end the shut-down and provide some level of funding the president sought for a national emergency that is our lack of secure and proper border security. The president stayed at the White House all through the holidays waiting for the Democrats to come and meet with him. They chose to
Page 23
vacation, or take junkets to Puerto Rico over New Years instead. Some conservative, Republican pundits have bashed the President for“giving-in” on border security funding while negotiating an end to the shut-down. How soon they all seem to forget the “Art of the Deal” maker always has an ace up his sleeve. Trump did not negotiate away border security by agreeing to sign legislation to stop-gap federal funding to February 15, 2019. In fact, it would be downright silly for anyone to think Trump has weakened his position. If anything, he made it even stronger for his supporters and for the safety and security of the American people. President Trump knows, regardless what his enemies dispel, that he is the Commander-in-Chief and he will put the security of the United States ahead of any public relations campaign spearheaded by Democrats and their liberal sympathizers. Trump is well-aware that he leads from the top and, while it can be lonely, it is the ultimate duty he is obligated to under the constitution of the United States and he is not lost in that obligation whatsoever. I squarely blame the political elite within the Washington, D.C., establishment for all the continuing troubles President Trump experiences in his tireless effort to move forward in his agenda for the American people. The establishment is comprised of hardened government insiders who have feared and balked at a former candidate and now President Trump for his ideas and vision at taking back the United States from the brink of disaster and making it great once again. These power insiders never wanted their bloated federal budgets and sweetheart deals they manifest all the time to be questioned or brought to light. The behind-the-scenes powerhouse-hungry individuals never before feared a president that calledout things in government that were simply stupid and wasteful and was willing to hold anyone accountable for it. President Trump changed all that for them and it has angered them. President Trump was elected by the people to fulfill his promised agenda, and a great agenda and initiave it was for our nation. Who can balk at the economic numbers we have today? The successes we have achieved with other nations finally realizing the United States won’t be branded a sucker anymore. . That the United States will fulfill our obligations to the world, but others will need to pay their fair share as well. How can anyone argue this is not an impressive move by a billionaire, antiestablishment president who didn’t even need this job or headache to try and do what is right for the American people and our nation as a whole? And so it goes without saying that this is where President Trump’s enemies have forgotten once again who they are up against. President Trump is a leader with fire in
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
his belly for what is good for our country and righting all the wrongs of decades of politics gone badly. He will never give-up this fight and he is the best person right now to counter the offensives to his continuing domestic and foreign policies. Border Security is a true national crisis. It is NOT manufactured and the deteriorating situation is reaffirmed by border security agents and law enforcement professionals all across the United States, especially along the Mexican border. This emergency has been ignored for many years now, even when Democrats were, not too long ago, calling for something to be done and the humanitarian issues dealt with accordingly, including former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Now, they use border security to demonize Trump for trying to fix it. Just who are the real “deplorables” after all? The American people need to realize that President Trump will not give-up on his quest to achieve real, comprehensive and strong border security. If the Democrats, within a bipartisan congressional committee, fail to come-up with funding by February 15, 2019, to help the president fix a national border emergency, then President Trump has the absolute right to declare an emergency and secure his own funding through the military to do so. I hope it does not have to come to this but, if it does, it leaves the president with little choice and I can say I would do the same because by this time every effort has been exhausted. Another shut-down only hurts the federal workers placed within this political pawn game and, ultimately, the American people. Let’s hope for a great compromise to avert all that and build a physical barrier needed to secure our homeland. One way, or another, this president will do what is right for our country. So, to all the Democrats following Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer, please do not discount the leadership and integrity of President Donald Trump. To counter Senator Schumer’s remark when the president agreed to re-open the federal government last week, know this: all of you have failed to learn YOUR lesson on dealing the Donald Trump. If it is right for the United States of America, he will see that it comes true. The American people will witness that your roadblocks are nothing but instruments of hate and disdain for the president and that will get you nowhere, particularly in 2020.
Advertisement
Page 24
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
The Taking of Roger Stone By Scott Cahill
early hours of the morning. Now it is our FBI. When we hear these stories many of us say that we would never let such things happen in our neighborhood. Then we look across the street at the blue and red lights, a sixty-six year old man, two dogs and a wife terrorized, him taken from his home by more than twenty men with rifles and handguns, a swat team for a single man accused of no violent crime, with a history of no violent crime, a man who has held clearances and positions of responsibility to know and to befriend many presidents. As he is dragged from his home, do we take to the streets with guns? Do we scream in the streets for justice? No - we close the drapes.
Roger Stone. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Roger Stone is a political mechanic. He has the ability to raise money, find a message, and to construct campaigns for those who seek office. He is not an angel. He works for good people, and he probably has worked for bad people, too. It is not his job to evaluate the person nor their fitness for office, but to represent them to the best of his ability or to pass on the project. Roger has worked for many people. He is very good at his job. Politics is a messy business. Saturday Night Live depicted Mr. Stone as a slippery liar, Steve Martin donning round glasses and mocking him as we did the Japanese during the days before Pearl Harbor. It is the thing to be done, to allow the propaganda machine to divide him from us, so that he can be destroyed without us seeming threatened, because he is different. This is how you destroy men’s reputation, their business, even take their lives. When the Jews were rounded up in Germany it was tolerated by the non-Jew because they, too, were so demonized. They were stripped of their humanity by Joseph Goebbels’ propaganda machine. The same thing happens now, before our eyes, men being destroyed for their association. Families taken by force at the point of a gun in the night. Then it was the SS or Gestapo raiding the homes of the suspected Jew, pulling the screaming children into the street in the Page 25
They come for Roger Stone, you see, like the Jews in Nazi Germany, he is “different” he dared to represent the “wrong” Presidential candidate. His punishment is not ours. We hide. We defend our cowardice by explaining the differences that were so carefully constructed for us, disseminated by the media who conveniently were there to record the entire event. If we are quiet, they will not see us, we hide, like the cowards that we have become. Let them take Roger Stone. Let them lie about what he did. Let him die in prison or be destroyed and made fun of. We will laugh with the crowds as a good and honorable man is stripped of his life. We are exactly as were the Germans in pre-war Germany, frightened, cowardly, disgustingly impotent and going along with things that no man should tolerate. It is easier to hide than it is to confront. It is easier to stay quiet than to speak and draw the fire of the ire of those who take men in the night. It is easier to be a subject, a slave, than to be a free man, for the slave is protected. The free man must stand on his own feet. God help America. We are getting what we now deserve. Shame on America and the men who stand idly by in the night as men are dragged from their homes. Today it is Roger Stone. Tomorrow it shall be me or you.
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
3 Republicans Walk Into A Bar… By Katherine Schoonover
Everywhere they look they are told what they should be thinking, saying, and doing by authorities they trust. They are victims embracing a virtual reality of false truths being built all around them. They are told not to believe their own eyes or to question if what they are being taught is true. They want to be loved and accepted so they put blinders on and obediently memorize what they are told they should think, repeat what they are told to say, and do what they are told to do. Social acceptance is important in life, but is living in an enticing fantasy worth the cost of doing what you know to be wrong, or would know if you chose to think for yourself ? All you would have to do in order to determine that something is wrong is to stop and think through your choices to recognize the immorality and anticipate the damaging consequences of your words and actions. Do you really think that taking peoples’ money or destroying their lives and businesses is moral? Do you really think that it is moral to hunt down political opponents in the streets ? How do you live with yourself when you eventually realize that something was wrong, but you did it anyway or did nothing to stop it ?
While out with friends the other night, after leaving a political event, I met a young man whose comments just broke my heart. I have not been able to stop thinking about what he said to us, what it meant for him, and what other people are going through. We have all seen the videos that people post online. They document their every thought and activity as they desperately seek a connection with humanity, meaning in their lives, and usually the hope of fame and fortune.
“they obediently memorize what they are told they should think, repeat what they are told to say, and do what they are told to do” Page 26
Following the crowd and being praised for it can be very seductive. I suppose most people choose not to contemplate whether or not something is wrong if it does not appear to be in their best interests at the time. I thought about all of these things after we met the young man that night. He did not seem to feel that he had the right to have his own thoughts, even in his own mind. I find that shocking, particularly in the United States of America. We are supposed to be able to think, say, and do what we believe to be right here. That is rather the point of freedom, and you either have freedom or you do not. Today you can find yourself in the news or even in court for exercising what are supposed to be basic American rights that cannot be taken away from you. And yet we are losing those rights, because we are choosing to give them up. Some people consider the loss a positive Progression towards a twisted version of world peace, but that is a lie cloaked in selfrighteousness that would be nothing short of hell on earth if it were ever achieved.
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
My two friends and I are fairly average Republicans in reality, although, not according to the most vocal political faction of society. Those who believe in identity politics think that we do not exist, or should not be allowed to exist. They have unilaterally decided that we are all now required to conform with their radical political beliefs, accept the labels that they are forcing upon us, and the categories that they alone have decided that we must identify with. All of this comes with a tyrannical and ever-changing ideology that overnight the whole world must observe or face ruinous social and legal repercussions. Our actual beliefs, that are reflective of classical liberalism and the Enlightenment, that are the foundation for the entire free world, are now nothing short of heresy. But we are not the minority that many think we are. We are everywhere, in spite of the fact that we do not all “take to the streets” en masse every time someone uses a straw in California or there is a hot day in the middle of summer. I myself am a white, moderate Republican woman, often accused of being a “RINO” (Republican in name only), who typically votes for incumbents, has a college degree, does not hate black people, homosexuals, women, etc., and I voted for Donald Trump. One of the friends who was with me, let us call him Charles, is a black, ultra-conservative, Republican, man, who constantly wears a red “Make America Great Again” hat, has a college degree, does not hate black people, homosexuals, women, etc., and he voted for Donald Trump. Our other friend, let us call him Stephen, is an extremely conservative Republican man, who is very pro-gun rights, who always looks to me like he would rather be hunting, who has a college degree, does not hate black people, homosexuals, women, etc., and he also voted for Donald Trump. Theoretically, we cannot possibly exist, and yet the three of us walked into a bar together, in the middle of a Democratic stronghold, one wearing a gold MAGA hat, another wearing a red “Make America Great Again” sweatshirt, and the third an NRA hat, and no one got hurt. It is probably fairly shocking to some to see people like us out in public individually, but particularly shocking to see us as a group. We are supposed to feel like we must hide our pro-American, pro-freedom opinions as we slowly succumb to the social pressure to conform and transition into Progressives. However, quite obviously, we are not exactly the kind of people who succumb to social pressure.
Page 27
As the reality of all of that sinks in, let me tell you the story that I have been telling people for weeks now, to stunned silence, of a young man who was so afraid to say what he thought that he desperately sought out three strangers in a bar because they not only dared to exist but dared to come out in public.
“some of the people who live there might never have actually seen a Republican in real life” “It was a dark and stormy night” in a city considered such a Democratic Party stronghold that some of the people who live there might never have actually seen a Republican in real life. As we walked from our event across the street through the door of the bar, jaws dropped all around us. Women and black people are not allowed to be Republicans or to support Donald Trump, and no one is allowed to support gun ownership. And yet, there we were.
“jaws dropped all around us” Not long after we arrived, a young man approached us. He did not smile, seem entirely sober, or give any impression of being happy to see us. He looked stern and at first did not look anyone in the eye but Charles. His entire focus was on Charles. He sat down in front of us, as though we had an appointment to meet with him, and he began to ask Charles pointed questions. Quite honestly, after seeing the shocked looks and hearing the whispers as we walked through the bar, my first thought as he approached us, was that we were probably going to end up on YouTube as the racist Republican Trump supporters who were attacked by an angry mob of social justice warriors. When he sat down, the first question the young man had for Charles was what he identified as. Charles calmly told the young man that he considered himself to be black, as that was clearly what the young man wanted to know. The young man began to talk at length about his thoughts and concerns about race. I struggled to remain silent because he was so focused
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
on race and none what he said seemed to sound healthy. Eventually, I could not hold it in anymore, and I just blurted out, “Who cares about race?” and that “Race is completely unimportant!” He looked over at me, seemingly shocked by what I said. I do not know if it was because he did not expect me to say it, if he considered me rude for interjecting my thoughts into the conversation, or what. His demeanor began to change somewhat, and he spoke about his feeling that he could not speak his mind. He was afraid to tell people that he did not care about race, or agree with the required political positions that he was told he should have as a black man. He did not feel that he was even allowed to have his own opinions. He did not feel comfortable telling anyone his thoughts about his own race and was even afraid to tell his family that he had discovered that they were 55% white. The idea that a young man was so afraid of being ridiculed and shunned for agreeing with about one half of the nation (which he probably was unaware of) is shockingly tragic, particularly in the U.S. How did we get to the point where people are so afraid to have their own opinions that they feel that they have to lie to pollsters about who they are going to vote for, and that a young man is afraid to even think his own thoughts. It is as though we have stepped through the looking glass into a George Orwell novel. Orwell had seen into our future and predicted what is beginning to happen now, and happening much faster than I ever thought it could. We began by prohibiting speech, recently we Progressed to requiring speech, and now we have reached a point where we are essentially prohibiting thoughts. Here was a young man, so afraid to think his own thoughts for fear of committing a thought crime, that he had become a prisoner trapped in his own mind having been bullied and shamed into silence.
“he had become a prisoner trapped in his own mind” He ended up shaking our hands and thanking us for having the courage to have our own opinions and to admit them publicly. If we do not put an end to this attack on what we think, say, and do now, while we still can, it will only become harder and more dangerous to stop it, and we will lose a great deal that we never can get back.
Page 28
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
The Culture of Death In America By Charles Lingerfelt
Recently, the lawmaking bodies of the state of New York sent a “Full-term Abortion bill” to the desk of the governor for his signature; thereby, with his signature, the Bill would become law.
AP Photo
Those two lawmaking bodies were the state house legislature and the state senate of New York. The governor of the state of New York, Mario Cuomo(D), signed the bill and it became law. The Bill advocated and approved abortion in the state of New York up to the birthdate of a baby. Opponents of the bill have said that it goes well beyond that and legalizes late-term abortions until the moment of birth. The truth, unsurprisingly, is more complicated. The state Reproductive Health Act, which is what it’s called, continues to garner national headlines and stir social-media debate.
Page 29
President Donald Trump recently accused the Democrats of becoming "the Party of late term abortion" and Vice President Pence faulted the Governor for lighting the World Trade Center pink to celebrate the bill's passage.
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
Governor Cuomo signed the measure into law on Jan. 22 after the Democrat-led Legislature approved it earlier in the day.
trimester - even on the date of birth. I believe it is a stench in the nostrils of God and won’t be tolerated very long. I believe that God will have to act upon this extremely dangerous culture of death in America or he will not be any more counted upon as “a merciful God. I pray that God will help us, and forgive us as a nation for the awful sins we have committed. Heretofore, I am not blaming everyone in America for the awful sins of abortion; for many of us have stood against it and we have hated it since it’s very beginnings. But when the judgment hand of God falls upon a nation and has its effect upon everyone.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks about updating New York's laws for abortion
But as the Bible has recorded many times, before the hand of God falls upon a nation in judgment he always prepares a remedy for the people of God. I pray that we the children of God will remain faithful unto the end.
rights during an appearance Jan. 7, 2019 at Barnard College in New York.
In faithfulness, we serve God,
(AP Photo/Kathy Willens) AP (Kathy Willens)
In the eyes and minds of many Christians in this nation, the United States of America, we view this law as an abomination in the sight of God and it strikes a blow against all forms of common sanity and everything that speaks well for the sanctity of marriage and humaneness.
Charles Lingerfelt, Associate Publisher CHRISTIAN TIMES MAGAZINE P. O. Box 360722 Dallas, TX USA 75336 972.533.3804
We Christians in this nation believe that the radical left is unleashing ‘the culture of death’ upon our society and the end-effect could be a wide ranging effect upon the world. Personally, I believe that it could “stir up” the wrath of God upon this nation. Since Roe v. Wade In the early 1970s, more than 65 million abortions have occurred in America. But most of those have been in the first trimester of pregnancy.
And now this new law passed into effect by the state of New York is allowing late-term abortions in the third
Page 30
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
www.menswearhouse.com
Toxic Vs. Real Masculinity By Christopher Grahn Howard
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. “I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid-a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same of them.” ― Glendon Swarthout, The Shootist “Strength, Courage, Mastery, and Honor are the alpha virtues of men all over the world.” –Jack Donovan “A man’s got to have a code, a creed to live by, no matter his job.” –John Wayne You're a man, you're stuck with it. You'll find yourself standing your ground and fighting' when you oughta run, speaking' out when you oughta keep your mouth shut, doing' things that seem wrong to a lot of people, but you'll do them all the same. You're going to spend the rest of your life getting' up one more time when you're knocked down, so you better start getting' used to it. John Wayne in The Train Robbers. There appears to be a real war on manhood. Why? I am not sure. The new catch phrase being, Toxic Masculinity. While most scholarly articles draw a distinction between masculinity and toxic masculinity, the media tends to link toxic with the male. The war on men, manhood and all things masculine appears to be full on. This war will not produce positive results and will not benefit women. This is not a zero-sum game where women will advance by tearing down men. Toxic masculinity, as I would define the term, is a matter of an underdeveloped, unmentored, raw masculinity without discipline, purpose, or understanding. Grown boys display this toxicity. Young boys are still learning. There is a school of thought that believes this toxicity is a matter of the anti-feminine. I would disagree.
Page 32
and women share many of the same traits of toughness, courage, strength, and purpose. To be clear, nothing that follows should be interpreted as an attack, dismissal or lessening of the role, influence or value of women. Any real man will know that. So, what is a real man? Better yet, what does a Godly man look like? I have often said that only a gentleman could tell you. I reject the idea that any woman can really tell you. The best they can do is tell you what their individual ideal man is or is not. Which is ok, unless they are trying to help a boy become a man. Honestly, I believe that most of the issues we have
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
today with toxic sexes (yes both of them) is a matter of the breakdown of the nuclear family and what has led to that breakdown. Having positive role models of both Men and women, mothers and fathers matters.
Children of divorce or abandonment or both suffer greatly. Children who lose a father suffer many issues. Not the least of which is a lack of a role model. Both boys and girls must look elsewhere for the example. Sadly, TV/movies and pop culture provide these examples. These examples are rife with excess, undisciplined, narcissistic, and unrepentant socialites. Many of these people may try to champion causes to demonstrate their truth, but often they simply betray a total lack of guiding principles. Children will model behavior. A strong, disciplined and caring father will demonstrate these traits to their children. In recent times movies and tv shows ridicule fatherhood. Yes, I know, there is and can be plenty to laugh at. I love a good farce when I see one. However, as adults, we know that is true in some of these, but this is not a constant state of good Fathers. Children are not so aware of reality. In addition, boys see this and must ask themselves why they would go down that path. Why choose a path of ridicule and shame, as portrayed ? In an age where many young women are clamoring for men who are willing to commit, willing to step up and be fathers; willing to be grown, mature and faithful men…why would they support this type of depiction? For that matter, why would they engage in this war on men, to begin with? Are they angry at the past of their own lives and wish to take it out on all? I say this not to denigrate or even belittle the sins of men who have abused, harassed, attacked, belittled or even taken unfair advantage. I believe no real man, no gentlemen would. It is little wonder women are waiting longer or even looking for alternatives to traditional marriage.
Page 33
Jesus painted a very strong picture of mature masculinity. First, Jesus was Love. To be Love, one must have love, feel love and express love. The expression of love is also a masculine trait. Toxic masculinity would suggest that men can not or even should not express love. Somehow the idea of being emotionless became manly. Simply not true. Having control over one’s emotions is not being emotionless or repressing them. Jesus was the expression of love, caring, compassion and sacrifice. All positive masculine traits. In addition, justifiable anger and standing up to those who would do wrong are masculine traits demonstrated by Jesus. Throwing people out of the temple and overturning tables was a justified action and warranted. Unchecked anger, unnecessary viciousness, and brutality for its own sake are NOT qualities of a man. Violence is not good or bad. Violence in the defense of the family, person or even idea can be good. Violence for violence sake, to attack the weak or due to uncontrolled temper is evil. It is unpopular to say…Men and Women are different. They share qualities, traits, and virtues. Men and women manifest these differently…most of the time. Let me tell you that difference is wonderful. Women have amazing strength, courage, brilliance, compassion, and passion. So, do men. God made us different for a reason. Same traits variant manifestations of those traits. Both the feminine and masculine have the ability for purity and toxicity. There is no need for a war on men. Rather the need is for a reclaiming of those masculine and feminine variations of these pure traits that make better people, better mothers, and fathers, and most of all make our society stronger.
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
The Humble Christian By Joann H. Buchanan
Should The Bible be taught in Public School?
Mark 16:15 and he said to them, Go into the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Patrick Henry once said, “The Bible is a book worth more than all other books ever printed.”
There is a global movement going on right now for the right to teach the Bible in public schools. Teach the Bible in School has launched a full scale campaign with this in mind. They state the Bible would be taught from a purely academic, objective point of view. Page 35
The question becomes, should the spiritual infrastructure of western civilization be taught from an entirely academic point of view? If so, will it reduce the absolute importance of Jesus Christ and the foundation of Christianity? God said the word Proclaim. Proclaim, to announce officially or publicly. To declare something one considers important with due emphasis. “ “Go into the world and PROCLAIM the gospel,” meaning speak of the importance of the gospel. Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. The fact is that an understanding of the Bible is an understanding of how the great thinkers of the past viewed the world whether they were for or against the teachings of Christianity. Since the dawn of Christianity, it has brought about the Dark Ages, been ripped apart, launched the Renaissance and eventually the modern day society we live in. The Bible as a whole has affected art, literature, love, loss, and even politics. In teaching the Bible in public schools, society is exposing the youth to the real word of the gospel. By exposing the youth of today to the stories of courage, faith, history, art and literature we are allowing them understand… and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through society. The opposite can also be said. If we take a look at history, this is where spiritual belief goes to die. For example, Greek Mythology. Once upon a time there was a religion based on many gods and goddesses. Names like Zeus and Apollo were among some of them. Civilization worshipped them with offerings and prayers. Fast forward to day, their religion is now taught as mythology. It has been replaced by the religion of Christianity. When we take away the spiritual aspect of the Bible, and teach our children that the word of God ranks among the mythology of the Greeks, then are we taking away the power of the Holy Spirit ? Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. In essence, the answer is no; we are not taking away the power of the Holy Spirit. We are in effect allowing the Word of God to work through our society and doing exactly what the Bible said to do. We are PROCLAIMING the gospel. We are witnessing. It is up to those who take the class to accept. We are opening a door to the possibility for them to be saved. One could look at it like this. By offering the teachings of the Bible on a public level in public schools we are proclaiming the gospel to the world. Is it unconstitutional? What about the separation of church and state? There are 2 cases that have formed the basic foundation that involves teaching the Bible at a public school. They are 1962 Engel v. Vitale and 1963 Abington School District v. Schempp.
Page 36
The following excerpts are taken from oyez.org. The 1963 case of Abington School District v. Schempp: Under Pennsylvania law, public schools were required to read from the Bible at the opening of each school day. The school district sought to enjoin enforcement of the statute. The district court ruled that the statute violated the first amendment, even after the statute had been amended to permit a student to excuse himself. The court consolidated the case with the one involving Maryland atheists who challenge city rule that provided for opening excesses in the public schools consisted primarily of reading a chapter from the bible and the Lord’s Prayer. The state’s highest court held exercise did not violate the First amendment. The religious character of the exercise was admitted by the state. The question is did the Pennsylvania law requiring public school students to participate in classroom religious exercises violate the religious freedom of students as protected by the first and fourteenth amendments? [End quote] Basically it boiled down to this. No state is allowed to “force” students to participate in any kind of prayer, recite or read any religious context. The key word to all of this is forced.No one can be forced into any religion in our country. While the first and fourteenth amendments protect our freedoms, they do not state that a religious viewpoint is not allowed. While maintaining the separation of church and state, the opposite can also be said. We are using the very foundation this country was built on to oppress our people’s rights to their religious viewpoints. The exact wording of the first amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. “CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW respecting an establishment of religion. Question. Isn’t that what we are doing when we as Christians allow our freedoms to be taken by the very court meant to protect us? I’m going to repeat this because it’s important. No government can force a particular religion onto the people. That doesn’t however mean that we can be oppressed into silence simply because an anti-religion group of people don’t
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
agree with us. We should be allowed to study the bible, adhere to our spiritual and religious viewpoints without fear of reprisal. And yet time and time again we are. Do I think it is important to allow the Bible to be taught in the public school system on a voluntary basis? You bet I do. Do I think it should be required? No. The Bible says proclaim. By teaching God’s word in a public school system we are in fact proclaiming. The court says you can’t force a religious viewpoint. By allowing students to decide if they are going to take the class as an elective, we are giving them the chance to say no. The laws of God have been obeyed as well as the law of the land. While it may seem that this article has two viewpoints, the truth is that it is a journey to find the balance in a very hot button topic. Personally I think it is completely up to each individual as to how they accept the word of God. I myself prefer to take a leap of faith and believe. This is a perspective taken from someone who lives in the quote fly over states. We are generally the ones who are ignored or thought of as ignorant and racist. You name it the Conservative has been called it. And that is what Christian and Conservative has in common. We are the silent majority who ushered in the biggest upset in Presidential election history. We are the ones who voted for Trump. This column is dedicated to providing an understanding of the way we think and why we think it. Every single column will provide a biblical viewpoint on the positions taken. Welcome to The Humble Christians.
Page 37
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
Here Comes the Clown Car By Paul McCabe
The undistinguished J. Castro, who achieved little as Obama’s Secretary of HUD, was next, smiling and chanting socialist garbage in San Antonio Texas where he was once the mayor for five years. His parents never married; his mother was a founder of the leftist ethnic group La Raza Unida (“The United Race) and his twin brother Joaquin is in Congress now. Like a Democratic parrot, he supports gun control, undocumented aliens, and the Paris climate accord. Voters may not be ready for a President who looks like a Texas field hand with a $100 haircut. Fatuous.
Now that the holidays are over, the clown car is already crowded with a variety of Democrats elbowing each other out of the way to get the nomination. None of these dark horses want to make America great again. In fact they wish to rush like Leninist lemmings in the opposite direction. The Democratic party has taken a sharp veer to the left, away from the average voter. Party leaders and candidates are all afflicted with TDS – the Trump Derangement Syndrome. Blinded by the media –also infected with TDS -- they forget that they are a bi-coastal minority pushing to raise taxes to pay for expensive socialist programs from sea to shining sea. The best analogy for all of them is the little character Mini-Me from the Austin Powers movie series. The first to announce was the strident Senator E. Warren (Bolshevik-Mass.) also known as Pocahontas.A screechy rich leftist who falsified her background as a Cherokee Indian, she recently said that her campaign style is to “nerd out”. Pocahontas has long been a foe of the key financial sector and brings to her speeches her offbeat and out-of-touch ideas – like a “wealth tax” -- imported directly from the ivory tower of Harvard. Voters laughed in January when she made a video in her kitchen and told us that she was “gonna get me a beer”. The acting was dull and pretentious – guaranteed to turn off anyone who viewed it. Eyes glaze over when she discusses at length the intricacies of bankruptcy and trust regulations and policies. Loony.
Page 38
Senator K. Gillebrand, who by appointment replaced crooked Hillary of New York, oddly made her own announcement on a leftist late-night comedy show. In 2000 she worked for Hillary’s Senate campaign and later inherited the seat: a nice deal. Her positions favor a federal jobs guarantee, abolition of ICE, and the stunningly expensive Medicare-for-all plan ($32 trillion with a T). Once a member of the Congress’ conservative/moderate “Blue Dog Coalition”, she has rapidly moved to adopt leftist views in line with the recent headlong rush in the Democratic party. Flaky. The haughty K.Harris of California, who has been in the Senate two whole years, picked the ABC morning show to tell us all in her nasal ingénue voice that she too was running. Her racist brand of identity politics seems to be based on her own life: her mother was a south Indian Tamil, her father was from Jamaica, and she grew up in Montreal Canada. Harris’ rise in California politics was swift during a long extramarital affair with the then-Speaker of the State Assembly Willie Brown. She was 29, he was 61.The junior senator embraces sanctuary city and state policies, abortion rights, and the jobs-killing “Green New Deal” -- whatever that is. She showed her nasty claws and pure hostility during the contentious hearings for Judge Kavanaugh last September. On January 15, she appeared to have smoked marijuana just before going on TV with her “Mood Mix” video, in which she smilingly waved her arms around and sang “One nation under a groove, getting down just for the funk of it.” No, I am not kidding.The media wasted no time in declaring her “the front runner” 23 months before the election, a bad bet. Her name in Sanskrit means “lotus”.Peculiar.
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
J. Delaney was until January the Congressman from Maryland’s mainly rural 6th district. He won his seat from a 10-term Republican Congressman only after the state legislature re-drew the district lines to favor the Democrats in that area. Unlike the other midgets running he has a business and finance background. He is an unknown outside of his own area. Too local. T. Gabbard is a horse of a different color. She has been in Congress for three terms and is one of two representatives in Congress of the tiny state of Hawaii with four electoral votes. She claims to be both a Samoan and a Hindu – a sure vote-getter in a national election stretching from Anchorage to southern Florida. Ms. Gabbard has made clear her support of cruel President Assad in Syria and endorsed the antiIsrael policies of the Obama administration. She personally took part in the raucous demonstrations to block the vital Dakota Access oil pipeline. An oddball. J. Buttigieg also threw his hat into the ring in the small town of South Bend Indiana, where he used to be mayor of 101,000 people. In June 2018, he married a man from Chicago that he met via a dating website.Are the 3142 counties of the United States ready for that? Inane. The latest entry was the vicious freshman Senator C. “Spartacus” Booker of New Jersey, a vegetarian and a bachelor. During his term as mayor of Newark, unemployment and murder rates reached new highs. A theatrical camera hog, heis known to be part of the "Hell-No Caucus" – a strong opponent of President Trump's nominees for Cabinet posts and administration jobs. Like other leftist Democrats, he supports affirmative action, abortion “rights”, taxes on carbon, and single-payer healthcare. Weird. Waiting in the wings are more midgets, like elderly perennial candidates J. Biden who once upon a time seemed to be Vice President (76), and the pompous shrieking nutcase B. Sanders (who will turn 78 this year).Bernie is the ideological twin of Pocahontas so they split the small socialist/communist vote in the blue states. Which of these will carry forward the glorious red banner of Stalin, Mao, and Maduro? There is widespread speculation in the mainstream media about a few dozen other egotistical officials or ex-officials entering the race to the bottom.These include:
Former New York mayor, turncoat, and billionaire M. Bloomberg
Page 39
Ohio Senator S. Brown (Who?) former Colorado governor J. Hickenlooper(Who?) Obama’s criminal attorney-general E. Holder Washington governor J. Inslee(Who?) Minnesota Farm Party Senator A. Klobuchar former New Orleans mayor M. Landrieu(another unknown) former Virginia governor and DNC chair T. McAuliffe, a real party hack and crooked Hillary’s attack dog Last and least there is a former punk-rocker and Texas congressman – a darling of the leftist press -the strangely-named “Beto” O’Rourke. Someone should tell him that if he can’t win a Texas Senate race, then he can’t win the country either. His arrest record includes DUI and burglary charges. Bizarre. About these possible candidates time will tell. Surely we need no more melodramatic mayors and supercilious senators vying for the party’s blessing? Democratic disunity will lead to defeat, as it has in the past. Howard Schultz, the billionaire Democrat and former CEO of Starbucks got a lot of attention in January after he said he may run as a centrist independent candidate. It took about five minutes for the regimented leftist Democrats and the media to criticize him bitterly because they all know that he would take away many votes. This exact phenomenon took place in the Republican party when Ross Perot ran on the right in 1992 and won 19% of the national vote. This allowed the liberal B. Clinton (with 43%) to beat the moderate President Bush (with 37%). That means that 56% of the vote was moderate/conservative. This split made Clinton the President the first minorityvote president since Nixon in 1968. The hubris involved in all these efforts is astonishing. Only two Senators were ever elected President: Kennedy and Obama. Only one member of Congress was ever elected President and he was John Adams’s son. And mayors of small towns? Never. We are seeing real chutzpah here as the mice try to nibble at the feet of the giant in the White House who got 63 million votes across the country. Voting data from 2016 shows that if California and New York are left out, President Trump won by a 4.15 million vote majority and in 31 states.It is apparent that none of the new midget candidates can count that high. The crowded field of disputatious Democrats means that it will be a dog-eatdog kind of long-term fight, where each of the dwarves will seek to differentiate himself/herself from the large pack of howling hounds. Such a bitter internecine struggle can only make easier the President’s second victory in 2020. It will be, in the memorable words of circus promoter P.T. Barnum, “the greatest show on earth”.
“But where are the clowns? There ought to be clowns Well, maybe next year. Send in the clowns Don't bother, they're here.” Stephen Sondheim (1973)
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
A Government For The People And By The People (From the Gettysburg Address Does Not Exist In American Government Today)
By David A. Colbert people born with the right skin tone or good breeding, whatever that means. What does for the people and by the people mean anymore? The only thing I see is government official jockeying for position. It has been a long times since the words government for the people and by the people has meant anything. The people in our government leadership never seem to be affected by any negative thing that they place into law for the people. The everyday people are not been represented in our government for many, many years. There are some who claim to represent the people, but when you look beneath the surface all see is self-seeking politicians rallying for votes. I believe President Trump really cares about the American people, but he does not really understand people like me. I am an older American. I went back to school at age 49 and graduated at age 52 with a bachelor’s degree In the Science of Business Management. I maintained a 3.49 G.P.A. throughout my time at Hallmark University in San Antonio, Texas. I found out I worked hard for my Degree; just to be discriminated based on my age. I was not happy. I went back to school to open new doors of opportunity. It opens some doors, but not the ones to take me where I desired to be. I am happy to be writing though, because it is one of my great loves. I am now the recipient of over of over $70,000 dollars in Student Loans debt at age 60 in Business for myself trying to make ends meet. I am not trying to be judgmental, but I don’t see my Senator or any other Senator or Government representative having my issues. I applied for disability. I went through the process, but like most Americans. They make you fight for own Social Security so called disability. The people depending on Social Security are barely getting by while our government representatives and some officials are set for life when they retire. Obamacare or the affordable care act is a farce. It does not help everyday people. It only offers higher deductibles for a lower premium, sound familiar? Health insurance is now like auto insurance. Thank you, Democratic Party and Mr. Obama, for your great insight, lol. I tried the marketplace and still I have no health insurance, because I cannot afford even the smallest premium they offer. The affordable care act is a joke. Government for what people and by what people, that is the question? Maybe for the
Page 40
I hope I live to see the Bill of Rights lived out in our government that should be for the people and by the people. The only thing I see at present are men and women who have been in government for most of their adult lives, receiving paychecks that far exceed the average American Citizen’s paycheck. If I was one of the people in our government who earn those high dollars. I would not be struggling trying to payoff student loans. I could pay off my loans and live the good life. I worked hard to obtain my degree, but it means very little when you cannot obtain employment equal to your investment in yourself and your future. I think the government should forgive student loans especially for those older Americans who worked hard for their degrees but are discriminated because of their age in the Job Market that still discriminate based on a person’s age, color or sex. Yes, it’s still happening. I am expected to pay back a loan to a government who has lost touch with what the citizens of this country go through, trying to obtain the American Dream. The American dream is only for a chosen few, at least that is what it seems like. Please forgive me I have suffered a lot of discrimination in my life as an African American Male. I don’t dwell on it, but I was not just imagining it. I went back to school because I believed the hype. I found out for me that was all it was, hype. In order to make anything happen, I had to go into business for myself. It is good being your own boss, but it is very hard work, especially if you are over 60 years old with health issues. Please forgive me for going on and on, but I am still waiting on a government that understands my plight. The Trump Administration has given me some hope, but with the Democrats controlling the House, my optimism is somewhat curbed. The roller coaster moves on. I love my country, don’t get me wrong, but I feel our government needs a revamping and redefining of term limits. We have a President that only get two 4-year terms, I think it should be that way with all government elected offices. I believe at some point those who are in office too long lose touch with the present state of events or sometimes reality. I don’t care how good they are at their jobs, things get stale.
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
When term limits are not set or controlled, we lose touch with the people. If the peoples change then the representation for the people need to change, both in the House and the Senate. People ask me why I support President Trump. It is because even though he is very wealthy he is trying to do this nation right. He is one of the people. He does not behave like an everyday politician or wealthy man. He behaves more like the people he serves, and that is the way it should be. I believe he get the for the people and by the people. I know it sounds strange, but I BELIEVE HE GETS IT. It is not about President Trump, The Senate or The House of Representatives. It is about the people.
servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, what is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? 20. Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore, we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem. This sounds like the problem we are having today in our government, not exact but close. Thank you for reading this Column. God Bless America and The World Pastor David A. Colbert
The Democrats deceive poor American citizens by promising more and more crippling handouts to get their votes. They place the tax burden on the poor and then pretend it is the Republican party’s fault. Let us talk about the wall for a moment. I thought the Democrats for it until President Trump asked for fund without placing the tax burden on the American people. I don’t know how many Democratic party supporters miss that. I think they enjoy being made fools of by the Lawyers, who collect fees in the form of taxes from the American people. Democratic Party supporters please wake up and smell the coffee. We talk about tax refunds in this country as though it is a great thing for someone to take your money use it to gain interest and return a small portion back to you like they are doing us a favor. They are also getting rich off the interest and penalties they charge, if you don’t pay taxes to them on time as well. Don’t get me started. We need to curb the power of the IRS. They have been given too much power by the Democratic Party to hurt American citizens that are law abiding. I recall that in the Holy Bible someone wanted to build a wall and met with opposition. I will close with this scripture. Nehemiah 2:17 – 20 (The Republican President Trump) 17. Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. 18. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. (The Democratic Party) 19. But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the
Page 41
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
Affordable Freedom for the Kurds By Charles Lingerfelt
I first started coming to Kurdistan in 2006 when
settled here and are living in the encampments
Don English and I came here to start Kurdish
in the area. They are the displaced ones who
American School
have migrated here from Syria due to the
in the city of Dohuk.
elongated timeframe of the Civil War and strife in Syria.
Dohuk is located in the Northern part of Iraq near the border of Syria and Turkey. It is a large
That war in Syria has produced hardships on
city in the mountainous region of Kurdistan,
almost every country in the Middle East. It has
and its population today is considered to be
greatly affected the peace and order for the
approaching 2 million people. This number
Kurds and the Kurdistan Regional autonomy.
includes the large number of people who have
Yet, the people of Kurdistan have successfully
Page 42
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
dealt with this problem as smoothly as they
of liberating Iraq from the terrible dictator,
possibly can, and with the help of the United
Saddam Hussein. Saddam’s reign of terror
Nations they are “making a go of it!”
came to a screeching halt with his arrest and prosecution of his terrible crimes against
The Kurdish people are a people of love and
humanity. Through his trial which was
compassion for others; it is proven by their
supervised by three Kurdish judges, he was
nature and their actions. The Kurds are one of
found guilty and hanged for his sinful deeds. It
the most Indomitable groups on the face
now appears to me that the only groups of
of the earth. Through oppression from other
people who were liberated in those years were
countries and nations in the area, gassing,
the people of Kurdistan: the Assyrians, the
killings and murdering of their very own people
Kurds and the Yazidi. The Sunni and the
from dictatorships and oppressors at
Shi’a have both rejected the help of Western
every turn, the Kurds still remain a sound group
nations to solidify the country of Iraq and this
of loving, compassionate people who are
region of the Middle East. Since then, there
always willing to ‘love and serve’ their
have been good times of prosperity and
neighbors. And they do so with kindness and
financial successes for many people in the
generosity. When we place an emphasis on the
Kurdistan region. However, since the highly
people of Kurdistan, it is worth mentioning here
successful Vote of Referendum on 25
that there are a lot of non-Kurds who have
September 2017, and when the Iraqi
made this place their home and have
Prime Minister, al-ABADI, along with his
contributed to each local community as well.
Iranian counterparts decided to prevent the
There are people from many nations in the
Kurds from obtaining independence, times have
world who now call Kurdistan their home. And
been extremely tough here in the region. The
they all live here in this region at peace with
economy has “bottomed out” and it is very
each other and with love and friendliness to all.
difficult for Kurdish families to be successful and have a good living for themselves. They
As I write this article, I am sitting in the lobby
struggle on a daily basis to make a living and
of a hotel here in the city of Erbil. This
provide for their families.
particular trip I am on is my 20th trip since 2006. I am quite accustomed to the
It appears to me that the future for Kurdistan is
culture, the community, the people and their
all ‘in the hands of Baghdad’ and those Iranian
living habits. I am as well, appreciative of their
Shiites who have moved into the country to
fine cuisine and meals which are now
“advise” Al-Abadi and Baghdad. The Iranians
known around the globe. Two dynamic meals,
are seeking to control, manipulate and dominate
which everyone knows about and loves very
every single country in the Middle East. The
much, are Dolma and Beryani. I have been in
ONLY one country who stands in the
many Kurdish homes here in the region and
way of them doing so is Israel - and the Iranians
have eaten these meals with them and they
have threatened to wipe Israel from the face of
are some of the best food one could ever enjoy.
the earth! If somehow, it becomes possible for
Our American troops came here in 2003, along
Kurdistan to gain its independence and become
with troops from other nations, for the purpose
a New country in the Middle East, that would
Page 43
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine
be some serious help for Israel in hopefully
fruition of independence to my wonderful
maintaining some balance and order in
friends in this beautiful ‘land of the Kurds.’
this region of the world. But most folks would
I pray that God will allow me to live long
say I am just “dreaming.” But I would rather
enough to see ‘The Affordable Freedom’ come
dream BIG and hope for the future of Kurdistan
to pass and the Independence of The Kurds in
with the help of many Western nations than to
their wonderful ‘Land of The Kurds:’
live in doubt and see such a beautiful people,
Kurdistan.
The Kurds, simply existing with No hope or brightness for their dreams and aspirations. Such is a miserable and terrible position for anyone.
Since 2003, I have witnessed varying degrees of freedom in this ‘land of the Kurds.’ I have seen some freedom, much freedom, and I have seen as well, the fruits of this freedom throughout this beautiful land. When people live in freedom and liberty, it is easy to plan, work, live and learn from successes and failures. It becomes easy for people to dream and hope and enjoy the fruit of their hands and labor when they enjoy the personal efforts and values of freedom. If the United Nations would “step in” and redraw the borders for Kurdistan here in the Middle East, and order all other countries to leave the Kurdish Region, declaring Kurdistan an independent nation like all the other nations, It would be an awesome opportunity for a degree of “fresh air“ for the people of Kurdistan,and for the region here as well. This is the right thing to do, and it is a very good thing to do for the preservation of a beautiful and lovely people who have carved out a certain niche for themselves and their posterity throughout the ages of time. It is the affordable thing to do as well, for the moment, because the longer we wait the more human bloodshed is wasted upon the sands of this terrain in Northern Iraq. I have made it the full intent of my desire and soul to pray, and to work toward this end of bringing forth the
Page 44
www.ctimesmag.com
Christian Times Magazine