This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Despite Donald Trump's stunning re-election victory, America remains engaged in what amounts to an ongoing civilizational war. A war not merely political in nature, but cultural, ideological, psychological and ultimately spiritual – a long-term struggle between forces of decency, morality and sanity on one side and astonishing deception and evil on the other.
And to jump right down to the bottom line: It is the Christian church in America that will either win or lose this war. After all, while their numbers have somewhat declined in recent years – casualties of the ongoing war – fully two out of every three Americans today, 68%, identify themselves as Christians.
But that statistic itself forces troubling questions:
If the overwhelming majority of Americans are Bible-believing followers of Jesus, how then can it be legal in such a de facto Christian nation to amputate the breasts and sexual organs of literally thousands of confused children who are being encouraged, from many directions, to believe they're "trapped in the wrong body"? How can it be legal to butcher thousands of beautiful, sacred, fully formed, pain-feeling human babies only weeks before they would have been born? How can "After School Satan Clubs," sponsored by an explicitly satanic organization, be permitted within public schools across the land? How can the nation's toddlers be subjected to "drag queen story hour" events at public libraries, during which they're required to sit at the feet of demonically possessed men dressed as women – and sometimes dressed as demons – who seduce and corrupt these innocents by regaling them with exciting tales of heroic homosexual and transgender youths?
While Christians are winning a few crucial battles – most critically, the life-or-death re-election of Donald Trump – they are losing most others. In truth, many Christians are either entirely absent from the battlefield, or worse, have sided with the enemy.
In her recent book, "Shepherds for Sale: How Evangelical Leaders Traded the Truth for a Leftist Agenda," journalist Megan Basham documents how many of today's churches – both leaders and congregations – have been seduced and bought off by leftist forces in the ongoing battle over America's future. Chapter by chapter, Basham reveals how leftwing nonprofits pretending to carry the Christian torch have persuaded many evangelicals to embrace a radical climate change agenda under the seductive banner of "Creation Care," to support suicidal illegal immigration policies by repackaging and gift-wrapping them with Bible verses as "Welcoming the Stranger," to champion Marxist critical race theory by vowing to "decolonize discipleship from whiteness." Even to adopt the radical and blatantly unbiblical LGBTQ agenda under the pretext of "challenging the promotion of narrow or hateful interpretations of religious doctrine." And so on – essentially conning Christians into embracing every major leftwing ideological and moral attack on Western civilization and Christianity itself.
This seduction of the church, however, is not an entirely new phenomenon. Far from it.
Four decades ago, shortly before he died, theologian and author Francis Schaeffer, widely regarded as one of the most influential evangelical thinkers of the 20th century, published a book with the spine-straightening title, "The Great Evangelical Disaster." In it, he reflected on the culture wars raging across America – and why Christians were so absent from the struggle.
"Most of the evangelical world has not been active in the battle," Schaeffer lamented, "or even been able to see that we are in a battle. And when it comes to the issues of the day, the evangelical world most often has said nothing; or worse, has said nothing different from what the world would say."
Concluded Schaeffer: "Here is the great evangelical disaster – the failure of the evangelical world to stand for truth as truth. There is only one word for this – namely accommodation: the evangelical church has accommodated to the world spirit of the age."
And remember, Schaeffer was writing about evangelicals, who generally are more conservative, as opposed to so-called "mainline" Protestants who tend to be more liberal-left.
Regarding the latter, some of the flat-out Marxist influences on mainline denominations are explored in "The Marketing of Evil" by WND Managing Editor David Kupelian:
"Many churchgoing Christians scratch their heads and wonder why America's mainline denominations so frequently seem to support leftist organizations. It's because many of these mainline churches, at least at the leadership level, have virtually become leftist organizations! Front and center is the notoriously radical umbrella group, the National Council of Churches, which represents three dozen denominations, including the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Episcopal Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
"How can an organization supposedly championing the interests of tens of millions of Bible-believing Christians be so passionately, obviously – indeed, almost comically – supportive of hardcore leftist causes? Writer Jacob Laksin explains in 'The Church of the Latter-Day Leftists':
Founded in 1950, the New York City-based NCC has, for more than half a century, remained faithful to the legacy of its forerunner, the Communist front-group known as the Federal Council of Churches. At one time an unabashed apostle of the Communist cause, the NCC has today recast itself as a leading representative of the so-called religious Left.
Adhering to what it has described as "liberation theology" – that is, Marxist ideology disguised as Christianity – the NCC lays claim to a membership of 36 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox Christian denominations, and some 50 million members in over 140,000 congregations.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the NCC has soft-pedaled its radical message, dressing up its demands for global collectivization and its rejection of democratic capitalism in the garb of religious teachings. Yet the organization's history suggests that it was – and remains – a devout backer of a gallery of socialist governments.
So egregious has been the faint-heartedness and "accommodation" documented by these and other authors that Eric Metaxas' recent bestseller "Letter to the American Church" likens the Christian church in today's America with that of 1930s Germany when Hitler's Third Reich was rising. With the exception of a relatively few courageous souls like Lutheran theologian Deitrich Bonhoeffer, most German church leaders did and said little or nothing about the rise of Nazism, until eventually the overwhelming evil – from the death camps and crematoria to Hitler's military invasions of surrounding nations – became far too massive for them to effectively oppose.
Yet Metaxas says the American church of today is eerily reminiscent of most churches and pastors in Germany during Hitler's steady rise to total power and the unspeakable evil that resulted from their failure to stand for truth.
What's really going on?
Those on the "far left" – a euphemism for straight-up Marxists – have long been obsessed with subverting and radically transforming Christianity, not merely because they are at war with pretty much everything the God of the Bible actually demands, from biblical sexual morality to the rest of His commandments. But also because, politically, they simply must undermine and redefine Christians' biblical value system as a means of redirecting their huge voting influence, or else the left will lose every election.
If claiming the left is "at war" with the commandments of God sounds wrong or over-stated, consider that the Democratic Party's top priorities today are: unrestricted abortion ("Thou shalt not kill"), total sexual freedom ("Thou shalt not commit adultery"), redistributing wealth ("Thou shalt not steal"), lying nonstop about their opponents ("Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor") and forever plotting new ways to appropriate other people's wealth, freedom and success ("Thou shalt not covet"). Winston Churchill encapsulated all this by describing socialism as "the gospel of envy."
It should be clear, then, that Donald Trump was absolutely right when he claimed to supporters throughout the campaign season, "In the end, they're not coming after me. They're coming after you – and I'm just standing in their way."
Truly, the real enemy of the far left is Christian America.
And that's tragic, because the Christian religion has been hands-down the most powerful, consequential and benevolent force in human history – not only for the salvation of souls, but for the well-being of entire societies. America was founded almost entirely by serious Christians – indeed, the original settlers came to these shores for the very purpose of being able to practice their Christian faith without being persecuted for it. The United States of America's eventual system of government and founding documents, from the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution, were based implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) on biblical principles. Indeed, the entire Western concept of freedom, dignity, equality and "God-given individual rights" is rooted entirely in the conviction that man, as affirmed in the Book of Genesis, is created "in the image of God."
Yet today, America's huge Christian population finds itself at a historic crossroads. Consider Billy Graham's assessment, made a few decades ago:
As in the last days of Rome, Christianity to many people today has faded into mere form, lost its relevance to life and holds no central allegiance in our lives. When a nation loses its faith, it loses its character. When it loses its character, it loses its purpose for living. And when it loses its purpose for living, it loses its will to survive.
I am convinced that America stands at the crossroads of her national destiny. One road leads to destruction, and the other leads to prosperity and security. Most are going down the broad road that leads to destruction. We are going the way of Rome rather than the way of the cross.
Many will blame the Republicans or the Democrats. But it is the American people as individuals that should take the blame. We backslide as individuals before we begin to decay as a nation.
So, what about the 224 million Christians currently populating America (millions of whom do not even bother to vote)? It's a staggering number of people that claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.
Some so-called believers are obviously fake – "mere form" as Billy Graham put it – with the label "Christian" just serving as the necessary social garb they must wear to get what they want. For example, most American politicians, even the most corrupt or deranged, claim to be serious Christians, from Barack Obama to Nancy Pelosi to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. President Joe Biden, who defends abortion up to the very moment of birth, claims to be a "devout Catholic."
But for the millions of sincere Christian believers who make up most of the American population, it turns out – at least during today's ongoing culture war playing out on a thousand different battlefields across the nation – that attending church and listening to sermons and praying and singing hymns and fellowshipping and living a moral personal life (and perhaps even evangelizing) is not enough. That's likely what all the good church folk did in 1930s Germany. The problem is that, with few exceptions, their church leaders insisted that they and their flock "stay in their lane" (to use today's vernacular) and preach the Gospel, and not "pollute" themselves with politics and other "worldly" affairs. After all, they affirmed to each other, they're citizens of Heaven, not of this transient, broken world. We're only here for a short time. Don't get involved in the evils that play out in this life; instead focus on the eternal world to come.
And that's how they got Hitler.
As Eric Metaxas writes at the outset of his "Letter to the American Church": "… I am convinced the American Church is at an impossibly – and almost unbearably – important inflection point. The parallels to where the German Church was in the 1930s are unavoidable and grim. So the only question … is whether we might understand those parallels, and thereby avoid the fatal mistakes the German Church made during that time, and their superlatively catastrophic results. …
"The German Church of the 1930s was silent in the face of evil; but can there be any question whether the American Church of our own time is guilty of the same silence? Because of this, I am compelled to speak out … to make plain where we find ourselves at this moment, at our own unavoidably crucial crossroads in history."
Exploring this "crucial crossroads" in America's history, which will determine whether the greatest nation in history is reborn thanks to widespread spiritual and civic revival – or continues down the path of cultural, spiritual and moral insanity that has increased exponentially during recent decades – is the focus of December's Whistleblower Special Report, published monthly by WorldNetDaily.
It's headlined "CHRISTIAN AMERICA AT THE CROSSROADS: Will the freest nation on earth embrace spiritual revival … or death?"
Issue highlights include:
* "Christian America at the crossroads" by David Kupelian
* "Letter to the American Church: 'Bonhoeffer' author warns of haunting similarities between today's American church and the German church of the 1930s. Echoing Deitrich Bonhoeffer's prophetic call, Eric Metaxas exhorts his fellow Christians to repent of their silence in the face of evil before it is too late" by Eric Metaxas
* "Pope Francis condemns those who 'repel' migrants as guilty of a 'grave sin': Sides with open-border globalists over sovereign nations" by Jim Hoft
* "Absence of Christian worldview responsible for massive level of 'mental illness,' says top researcher: 'Adults who consistently adopt liberal or progressive positions on current issues are more likely to endure bouts of anxiety, depression and fear than are those who consistently adopt conservative positions'
* "Religious belief at the polls: Who voted which way? 'Voters unaffiliated with any religion are by far the largest number who support Democrats' by Laura Hollis
* "Why an estimated 32 million Christians didn't vote in November's election"
*" Young evangelical Christians are increasingly abandoning Israel: 'One of the biggest reasons Jewish people do not believe in Jesus is the conduct of the Church, which at times offered Jews baptism or death, among other horrors'" by David Kupelian
* "Top 10 biblical prophecies of Jesus's nativity and Israel's restoration: Bible passages reveal amazing details about Messiah's birth" by Joseph Farah
* "Will recent campus revivals spill over to the nation? 'We are clearly in great need of national revival. America was born in part through the revival that swept through the colonies. We call it now the First Great Awakening'" by Jerry Newcombe
* "'Sign of great hope': Religious leaders see a 'fourth Great Awakening' as Americans flock to Christianity: November 5 election 'was a repudiation of the ersatz civic religion that Democrats had used to re-found the country'" by Jaryn Crouson
* "It's revival and awakening … or America dies: 'Do we really think that the right political candidate or the latest social program will solve our problems and cure our ills? Not a chance'" by Dr. Michael Brown
* "Good News! Bible sales are increasing: 'The question – what is the purpose of life? – can only be answered by the Author of life'" by Jerry Newcombe
* "Jesus' fearlessness defined modern free speech: 'It is simply impossible to exaggerate the importance of Christianity's liberating power'" by Hanne Nabintu Herland
* "Rejoice always? Really? Maintaining personal peace even when the world is spinning out of control" by Greg Laurie
* "Messiahs false and true: A wild ride through outer and inner space in search of the Savior of mankind" by David Kupelian.
"Many good Americans might be tempted to just kick back and relax, now that Trump has been re-elected president, thinking they can simply watch in awe and wonder as he expertly defeats every political, cultural, ideological, and spiritual attack on America. Unfortunately, they're dreaming," said bestselling author and Whistleblower Editor David Kupelian. "With the Nov. 5 election, God graciously granted us a reprieve. But the battles will continue to rage, and every right-thinking, God-fearing American needs to stand for truth with courage and dignity – to do their part to make America once again 'a shining city on a hill,' as President Ronald Reagan liked to put it."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden still has another four weeks until he leaves office, but he has pardoned or commuted sentences for some 1,500 people. There are sweepstakes for what the total number of will be, but there is one person – not even an American citizen for whom the Democrat's largesse and clemency might fundamentally change a country.
The move came following the first U.S. diplomatic visit to Syria since 2012. Barbara Leaf, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, told reporters she had informed Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, whose nom de guerre is Abu Mohammad al-Julani, and who is leader of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS group which led Assad's overthrow, the United States would not pursue a $10 million terrorism bounty on him for his role as the head of a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist group, reported the Jewish News Syndicate.
Seth Frantzman, Adjunct Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, who is a seasoned watcher of things Syrian and covered parts of the civil war on the ground said "once al-Julani took over Damascus and the Assad regime was gone, he was no longer just the head of some militant group. Furthermore, he has made himself very publicly available and he has had meetings with both Turkish and EU diplomats.
To keep the bounty would be impractical and it has outlasted its usefulness. Ultimately, it looks like the U.S. would like to give him and his organization a chance to moderate, and engage with the West. It is an incentive either to him personally or HTS in general to not be what he or they used to be, which is known as an off-shoot of al-Qaida."
Lt. Col. (res.) Sarit Zehavi, who is the founder and president of the Alma Research and Education Center told WorldNetDaily al-Julani's rehabilitation as an accepted statesman and de facto Syrian leader was "a bad lesson for terrorists to learn. It shows them that if they want to be seen as legitimate all they have to do is take over a state and suddenly the terrorist designation is canceled."
Frantzman said there is recent precedent for groups labeled as terrorists to be removed from the terrorism watchlist. And in the case of the Houthis to be put back on it. "In February 2021, Biden removed the Houthi from the terrorism watchlist. It was done in the hope the group would moderate. It was returned to the list earlier in 2024, when it became clear it hadn't changed its spots."
The current U.S. position reflects its diminished influence in the Middle East, and perhaps the decision to remove the bounty from him is not simply realpolitik, it might act as a counterweight to balance countries that might want to radicalize al-Sharaa.
It is worth noting a Trump administration would also likely have entered into dialog with al-Sharaa. "[Former Deputy National Security Adviser] James Jeffrey and his team – although it never openly met with HTS – was receptive to HTS being a positive force," said Frantzman.
"He and his team were quite close to Ankara, they were on good terms. Now there are people such as Richard Grenell – who will return to the Trump administration, and Nikki Haley, who will not, who have recently made positive remarks about Turkey. The incoming Trump team will likely be flexible on who the government in Damascus is composed of, with one provision being if the Israelis are in favor or not. Trump has made it clear he wants an end to the wars, and his administration will rely on Israel as one of the pillars of this policy. There are people who want Syria to return as a normal, functioning state."
Zehavi described Israel's wiping out of the Syrian Army's material and much of the chemical weapons stockpile, which Assad amassed, as a crucial step in creating a little breathing room. She also surmised it was an action, which would likely not have been accepted pre-Oct. 7, telling WND: "We cannot allow radical moments to have access to lethal, strategic weapons; it was very important to not allow al-Julani access to those stockpiles."
The developments in Syria, especially with what looks like the replacement of one putative hegemon, Shia Iran being replaced by Sunni Muslim Brotherhood-run Turkey, will need to be carefully watched.
"This is something the West ignores at its peril," Zehavi said. "In the short term it may appear like good news, especially for Israel, but in the long term it could be very problematic both for Israel and the West."
There is no doubt Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has designs on reconstituting the Ottoman Empire and a recent speech saw him openly calling for the conquering of Jerusalem.
For Zehavi, Erdogan has never really hidden his agenda, saying: "As an official member of the Muslim Brotherhood, his intention was always the Islamicization of Turkey. He was even imprisoned for reading an Islamic poem in public. Twenty five years ago it was a secular country, but Erdogan has turned it into a religious state. He successfully neutralized all bases of secular power, until he took over the presidency himself."
It is language such as this, which might put Ankara and Jerusalem on a collision course, regardless of who sits at the head of the government in Damascus.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The Constitution's concept of free speech has won in Arizona, where the Goldwater Institute fought a requirement by the bar association that lawyers pay for its lobbying activities, even if it involved speech with which they disagreed.
The institute has announced it has "scored a victory for attorneys' First Amendment rights."
The Arizona State Bar had been "forcing its members to pay for lobbying activities as a condition of practicing law."
However, a campaign was launched and just days ago the state supreme court said it was amending the rules "to eliminate the State Bar's authority to levy membership dues for non-regulatory functions—i.e., activities that have nothing to do with the regulation of the legal profession."
The institute said it had launched a petition to the court urging the justices to bring their rules in line with constitutional speech protections.
"After all, both the U.S. Constitution and Arizona Constitution protect the freedom of association, ensuring the government cannot compel anyone to fund ideologies they oppose as a condition of earning a living," the institute said.
"Yet numerous states force lawyers to join bar associations and to pay dues that subsidize the bar's activities, which often are politically slanted and unrelated to the practice of law. For example, the State Bar of Arizona spends significant time and money on a magazine called Arizona Attorney, which publishes issues dedicated to the arts and general wellness. The Bar has also engaged in lobbying activities and has taken positions on legislative proposals."
The new provision now will ban the bar association from "engaging in any lobbying activities," the report said.
"It may only conduct activities 'necessarily or reasonably incurred to regulate the legal profession or improve the quality of legal services available to people of the State of Arizona,'" according to the court's changes.
The institute noted, "Focusing the bar on regulatory functions will help improve the quality of legal services and access to justice for all Arizonans."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The death of George Floyd while in police custody in May of 2020, fueled by the hateful rhetoric of racial activists, led to extensive civil unrest and violence across the country. The massacre of 1,200 Israelis during the Oct. 7, 2023, raid by Hamas, initiating Israel's war into Gaza, has led to the hateful anti-Semitic rhetoric we now hear on college campuses, also causing endless waves of civil unrest and violence across the country.
We are living in a time when we must examine whether existing limits on free speech while sufficient are simply being ignored, preventing us from snuffing out the anger, violence, death and destruction fuse that has proven to be easily lit by such hateful rhetoric – or whether additional restrictions need to be applied.
Let us take a brief look at where the law of the land stands on this issue.
A great jurist in American history was Oliver Wendell Holmes – an associate justice on the Supreme Court of the United States for three decades (1902-1930). A committed defender of the First Amendment, he was known for formulating the "clear and present danger" doctrine in the 1919 Schenk v. United States case that held the U.S. government could only restrict free speech when it posed such a danger to the national interest.
In a nutshell, the focus of the case was whether socialist Charles Schenk had a right to violate a U.S. law (Espionage Act) during World War I by distributing leaflets claiming the draft violated a constitutional ban against involuntary servitude, encouraging peaceful insubordination and seeking to obstruct recruitment. Schenk defended his actions, asserting he had a First Amendment right to do so. In a unanimous opinion, Holmes denied Schenk's defense.
Holmes rationalized that the Espionage Act was an appropriate exercise of congressional wartime authority, even though constitutional rights were at stake, and that courts owed greater deference to our government in times of war.
Articulating the doctrine for the first time, he concluded that the First Amendment does not protect speech that seeks to create a "clear and present danger" of an evil Congress has the power to prevent. Schenk's leaflet distribution effort sought to disrupt the conscription process necessary for the U.S. to fight a declared war. Holmes famously compared Schenk's effort to one who falsely shouts "Fire!" in a crowded theater – an act which, also, is impermissible under the First Amendment.
Even Holmes acknowledged later that a stricter standard should be developed to ensure adequate First Amendment protections. It would take 37 years after Holmes retired from the high court at age 90, for that standard to be found, abrogating the Schenk standard.
The 1969 Brandenburg v. Ohio case involved a KKK leader speaking at a Klan rally who made numerous derogatory racial slurs, adding, "It's possible that there might have to be some vengeance [sic] taken."
What is now known as the Bradenburg test found the government may ban speech promoting force or criminal actions only if it meets a two-part test:
1. The speech is "directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action," AND
2. The speech is "likely to incite or produce such action."
What this two-part test tells us is that the government may forbid certain speech aimed at inciting listeners but only if it meets the two-part test above. Thus, inciting a mob to act imminently to attack a nearby target can be banned but inciting it to take action at some future unspecified time is not.
In light of the Brandenburg decision, it would seem the administration of President Joe Biden overstepped its limits with its persecutions under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. The focus of the FACE Act is to protect those seeking access to reproductive health care clinics, and the providers therein, from force, threats of force and physical obstruction. It has been used – and abused – by Biden to charge those simply standing in front of such facilities peacefully praying for those seeking access to an abortion, hoping, in the end, they will choose not to abort their unborn children.
It is hypocritical that while free speech enables purveyors of hatred and violence to do so simply because their content lacks immediacy of action, peaceful prayer in front of an abortion facility can trigger federal prosecution. Thus, a legal loophole for hateful rhetoric still exists as long as one promotes violence by not encouraging the mob to do today that which it can do tomorrow.
Holmes once noted, "A man's mind, stretched by new ideas, may never return to its original dimensions." It is something we need to reflect upon today. In bestowing the First Amendment upon us, the "original dimension" of our Founding Fathers' collective mind was to ensure that, by exercising it, we would never fall victim to those seeking to harness their power over us. However, that original dimension of mind concerning the First Amendment is stretched by the reality today it is being used aggressively by some activists to impose violence upon society.
Holmes recognized a government ban on speech was in our national interests as deference had to be given to the fact that America was at war. While we are not at war today, with all the domestic divisiveness we see, major fears exist we may be on the brink of another civil war.
Consideration needs to be given to tightening up the Brandenburg test, perhaps by deleting the immediacy requirement. Despite a speaker's call for future violence, as we witness today, it takes little to create an unsafe environment in which the mob opts to act now rather than later – effectively yelling "fire" in a crowded theater.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Democrats were enraged because local Republicans in Fountain Hills, Arizona, used an open forum at a community center to put up a Christmas tree featuring Donald Trump flags responded with their own offering, a mask of Donald Trump's severed head inside a Christmas wreath.
It didn't go over well.
The fight erupted after the community center invited various groups to put up Christmas trees. An animal rescue group put up a tree, as did the sheriff's office and the town's public works department. The Republican club also did.
The Arizona Sun Times reported the Fountain Hills Democratic Club demanded the Republican tree be removed, but it wasn't because of the First Amendment.
So then the group posted "a severed mask of Donald Trump's head inside a wreath."
"The town refused to take the tree down, citing the First Amendment, so in protest, the Fountain Hills Democratic Club (FHDC) put up their own 'inappropriate' replacement, a severed mask of Donald Trump's head inside a wreath," the report said.
Fountain Hills Councilman Allen Skillicorn told the publication, "While I defend the Fountain Hills Democratic Club's free speech, I am shocked by the inappropriate and out-of-touch behavior by FH Dem Club members. The Grinch appears to reside in their hearts. The people of Arizona and Fountain Hills have rejected their sex toy ideology and devotion to confusing children. I defend their right to not believe in Christianity and the Holiday of Christ's birth, but does that mean they should mock the faith of others? I invite the FH Dems to enjoy some eggnog and twinkly lights, but leave the Bah Humbug at home, behind closed doors."
A social media post said the head was on display only a few hours, and then was taken down.
The post said, "We have removed the offensive mask out of respect for all Democrats. A statement was made, if only for a few hours."
Tania Brown, who is part of the group that reportedly complained about the Republicans' tree, said, "Please tell me y'all didn't?? How does this truly serve the community at Christmas? How do you feel guests from all over the world are going to feel? How does this represent the Fountain Hills Democratic Club? Is this what you want to be known for? I'm saddened by the response y'all chose. I feel it's in very poor taste and now you've matched them. Please be better and do better. PS. The wreath was absolutely beautiful! I was so proud of y'all. Not so much anymore."
The town leans heavily Republican and voters ousted a leftist mayor this fall. Conservative Gerry Friedel was elected. Conservatives gained a strong 6-1 majority on the town council.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief
Candace Owens named StopAntisemitism campaign's 'Antisemite of the Year'
Commentator Candace Owens has been designated 2024's "Antisemite of the Year" by watchdog organization StopAntisemitism, following a poll which garnered more than 30,000 votes.
The announcement marks a significant shift in Owens' public trajectory, from conservative media personality to a figure increasingly isolated from former allies. StopAntisemitism cited a pattern of concerning statements and positions taken by Owens, including her July 2024 comments dismissing documented medical experiments conducted on Jewish victims during the Holocaust, which she claimed were "too absurd" and "must be propaganda."
The remarks, coupled with her March 2024 allegations about "secret Jewish gangs" in Hollywood and their supposed control over the entertainment industry, have drawn sharp condemnation from Israeli historians and Holocaust research institutions. The controversy has extended beyond academic circles, with Owens having faced entry restrictions from several countries, including New Zealand and Australia.
Israel shuts down Dublin embassy in protest at 'extreme' position of Irish government, opens mission in Moldova
In an unprecedented move, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced the closure of Israel's embassy in Dublin on Sunday, citing Ireland's "extreme anti-Israel policies."
The decision follows escalating tensions, including Ireland's recent decision to join South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing the state of genocide.
"Ireland's actions and rhetoric are rooted in delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state, accompanied by blatant double standards," Sa'ar said. "Ireland has crossed every red line in its treatment of Israel. We will redirect our resources toward strengthening ties with nations that respect Israel."
IDF continues to pound Syrian weapons stores
The IDF conducted a wave of airstrikes in Syria overnight Sunday, with local media reporting the attacks were so powerful that they triggered minor earthquakes.
Israeli fighter jets bombed military targets of the deposed dictator Bashar Assad in the port cities of Latakia and Tartus, according to the reports, with Russian media, citing Syrian sources, reporting that the target of the attack in Tartus was an air defense base and a surface-to-surface missile depot.
IAF pilots use their planes' contrails to create a 'ribbon in the sky' above Israel to symbolize call to release Israeli hostages in Gaza captivity
A plane flying over Israel early on Monday, painted ribbons symbolizing the call for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
The gesture was made by one or more pilots whose identity is not yet known and the symbol was seen from north to south, as the dawn skies turned red and the sun came up. The military was looking into the incident as those responsible were not given permission to use their plane for this purpose.
Israeli defense minister warns of threats from Syria, despite rebel assurances
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Sunday that the threats posed by Syria remain significant despite the moderate tone adopted by the rebel leaders who overthrew President Bashar al-Assad a week ago. Speaking to officials reviewing Israel's defense budget, Katz emphasized the heightened risks stemming from recent developments in Syria.
"The immediate risks to the country have not disappeared, and the latest developments in Syria increase the strength of the threat – despite the moderate image that the rebel leaders claim to present," Katz said.
Will long-awaited hostage deal hit Hamas snag of releasing too few captives?
Conflicting reports have emerged as to the likely implementation of a hostages-for-prisoners deal between Israel and Hamas. Some outlets have proffered the hope a deal can be struck by the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (which coincides this year with Christmas), while others suggest a major sticking point is apparently Hamas' new insistence on releasing fewer of the hostages than it recently said it would.
Students in Iran give school principal pulsating middle finger after chanting 'Death to Palestine' instead of 'Death to America, Israel'
In a viral video posted on various social media accounts on December 14, 2024, Iranian high school students can be heard chanting "Death to Palestine!" in response to the school administrator trying to lead chants of "Death to Israel!" and "Death to America!" The students can be heard laughing as an administrator attempts to set a makeshift Israeli flag on fire.
U.S. State Dept., U.K. Foreign Office previously met with Syria's new government-in-waiting, Turkish-backed HTS
Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and his U.K. counterpart Foreign Secretary David Lammy, both admitted their respective governments have been in 'diplomatic contact' with so-called rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS which recently overthrew the Assad regime in Syria, even though it is a proscribed terrorist organization.
Tel Dan Stele, earliest reference to Bible's King David, arrives in New York
The Tel Dan Stele, a stone fragment long held exclusively by the Israel Museum, is on view at the Jewish Museum on the Upper East Side, New York, until Jan. 5.
A 12-by-13 inch chunk of basalt, the Tel Dan Stele is a 9th-century B.C. stone document acknowledging the military victories of a person whom scholars believe to be King Hazael of Aram, an area in contemporary Syria that includes what is today Damascus. One of those victories was over a descendant of David, the king of ancient Israel.
When it was discovered in northern Israel in 1993, the Tel Dan Stele became the earliest evidence beyond the Bible that King David was a real figure.
Trump talks with Netanyahu, discuss 'completing Israel's victory, bringing hostages home'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he discussed with US President-elect Donald Trump ongoing efforts to bring back the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, as Israeli officials indicated a deal could be reached in less than two weeks despite sticking points in negotiations.
The prime minister said he and Trump spoke "at length about the efforts we are making to free our hostages," but declined to go into specifics. "We are working all the time, without rest, to bring our hostages home, the living and the fallen together," he said, but added, "the less we talk about it, the better — that way, with God's help, we will succeed."
Israel's justice minister revives controversial, divisive judicial reform
Justice Minister Yariv Levin announced his intention to revive the controversial judicial reform, which was suspended at the start of the war against Hamas on October 7, 2023. In a long message posted Saturday night, he accused the Supreme Court of having "left him no choice" after it ordered him to appoint a new president within a month.
"The government acted responsibly by suspending everything related to reform at the outbreak of the war," Levin said. "The Court, with unprecedented irresponsibility, decided to take advantage of this to continue to seize the powers of the Knesset and the government."
Hamas official to Saudi media: 'Oct. 7 attack ruined us'
The 37th anniversary of the Hamas terrorist organization's founding on Dec. 10 came during a period of decline due to defeats in Gaza and the broader region, a senior Hamas official based in Turkey told Saudi media.
"Hamas is suffering from a genuine leadership crisis," the official said. "The Al-Aqsa Flood [Oct. 7, 2023], attack backfired on us, submerging us in a sea of blood and crises. The most recent blow was the fall of Bashar Assad's regime in Syria, with which Hamas had been attempting to rebuild relations."
Columbia professor who praised Hamas attacks to teach course on Zionism
Professor Joseph Massad will be teaching an undergraduate course, History of the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskala) in 19th century Europe and the development of Zionism.
The course also covers a "current peace process between the state of Israel and the Arab states and the Palestinian national movement."
Sen. Ted Cruz accuses State Department of influencing U.S. airlines to suspend Israel flights indefinitely
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is accusing the State Department of potentially becoming "inappropriately entangled in deliberations over safety" which influenced U.S. airlines' continued refusal to fly to Israel.
Cruz, the incoming chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, told Jewish Insider that he "welcomes a full investigation of these issues" after more than a year of airlines refusing to resume regular service to the Jewish state.
"The Biden-Harris administration was lax in pursuing why some airlines will not fly to Israel. Indeed, they may have been worse than lax, and the State Department may have become inappropriately entangled in deliberations over safety and subverted the FAA," Cruz's statement reads.
Israeli, Jordanian security officials in secret meeting over Syria fears
Senior Israeli officials reportedly held secret talks with Jordanian military brass late last week on the fallout that arose from the ousting of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad from power, as regional powers sought to address worries of rippling instability in the wake of the lightning overthrow of the regime.
The meetings held in Jordan on Friday largely revolved around possible threats posed by the jihadist force that pushed Assad out and took over Syria, as well as countering Iranian attempts to smuggle weapons overland to Palestinian terror groups.
Dutch Parliament votes to phase out UNRWA funding over terrorism ties
The Netherlands became the first European Union member state to vote to phase out funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. The motion passed after incontrovertible evidence was presented as to the U.N. body's complicity with terrorism, particularly in relation to the barbarism unleashed on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The phasing-out path ensures that the contribution to UNRWA will decrease from €19 million to €15 million in 2025, decreasing annually until 2029, when only 1 million euros will be granted.
Turkey mediates agreement between Ethiopia Somalia, sidelines Egyptian influence
Turkey recently announced it mediated what President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called an "historic agreement" between Ethiopia and Somalia, ending a nearly decade-long rivalry between the two African neighbors. The agreement states it would grant Ethiopia "reliable, safe and sustainable" access to the sea under Somali sovereignty. Turkey has a military base in Somalia and backed Ethiopia's current president during the civil war.
Ethiopia irked Somalia earlier in the year when it reportedly reached an agreement with the breakaway republic of Somaliland to lease a coastline for a port and military base in exchange for diplomatic recognition.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The physical birth of the divine Spirit God named Jesus, meaning "Salvation," into His human form is one of the most well-known and inspiring portions of the entire Bible.
But is there something millions of believing Christians are missing when they read the accounts in the New Testament?
The answer is a resounding yes, according to the author of a best-selling book revealing hidden messages secretly embedded by God into Scripture.
Appearing on the popular Bible program "Shabbat Night Live," Joe Kovacs, author of "Reaching God Speed: Unlocking the Secret Broadcast Revealing the Mystery of Everything," explored not just the historical events surrounding Jesus' birth, but the phenomenal additional meanings that become obvious when we open our "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" on the metaphoric, Spirit level of parables.
Noting that Jesus "did not tell them anything without a parable" (Matthew 13:34 CSB) and that He is constantly "declaring the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10 KJV), telegraphing the conclusion of the story right from the start, Kovacs focused on the shepherds who famously visited Jesus on the night of his birth in Bethlehem, and then returned afterward with the glorious good news to spread.
He explained that singular event clearly reveals not only the incredible events of that night, but also what has been happening since then and will happen again in the future kingdom of God.
"The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told" (Luke 2:20 CSB).
Kovacs said the shepherds of the ancient past actually represent anyone who is shepherding people to the knowledge of God, even the spiritual shepherds of today.
Kovacs said, "So, the shepherds are going to return. Not just in the event in the past, the shepherds are going to return in the future," he told host Scott Laird. "Because anyone who shepherds God's people is a teacher of God's people. And the shepherds are going to be resurrected."
"The Bible talks about this in Jeremiah 3:15. Again, part of God speed and getting up to the spirit level is connecting the dots from all over the Bible. It's 'here a little, there a little' (Isaiah 28:10), and you have to put the pieces together to understand the big jigsaw puzzle that the Bible is. You know, the Bible doesn't tell you everything in one spot. God is a good Author. He makes you read the entire book to be able to put the book together."
"The Book of Jeremiah says … 'I will give you shepherds who are loyal to me, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and skill' (Jeremiah 3:15 CSB).
"'I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them.'" (Jeremiah 23:4 CSB)
Kovacs then jumped back to the New Testament story of Jesus' birth to connect the dots and unlock the prophecy.
"So these shepherds then 'reported the message they were told about this child' in Luke 2:17."
The Gospel of Luke states: "They reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them" (Luke 2:17–18 CSB).
"So this is really a prophecy for the FUTURE. God is going to raise up people from the grave to shepherd other people who didn't understand the message in the first round. And all they that HEARD – you gotta finally hear the message of God with your ears to hear – you're going to wonder at those things that were told. It's amazingly good news when you learn that you can live forever and not die.
"Everyone's afraid of death right now. That's why the world is in the state we're in. Everybody's panicking. 'Will I have enough food? Will I have enough money to pay my bills and all that?' Because we're afraid of dying. But when you're not afraid of dying, that's where the victory comes. The victory has already been won by Christ. He has been raised from the dead, and He is the Captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10). He is the Forerunner, so that WE are going to be raised from the dead too."
"So once the shepherds return [in the future], they're going to broadcast the message to the world, just as [other previous shepherds] did 2,000 years ago to all these physical people. We're gonna do it again in the future." WATCH THE INTERVIEW:
In "Reaching God Speed," the author writes: "The shepherds (all leaders of God's people in this current time) are going to return in the future, to glorify and praise God for all the things they had seen and heard. This return will take place when they are resurrected from the dead and raised to immortal life to report the message again, instructing people a second time on how to receive eternal life!
"The good news given to the shepherds of the past is also the good news about the shepherds of the future. Those shepherds are anyone and everyone who believes the message of God, repents of their sin (the breaking of God's laws) and allows Jesus – the true food, the true bread from heaven found in the house of bread in the city of the beloved – to fill their own body and literally become part of them."
"Thus, the glorious end of our story has been declared from the very beginning of Jesus' physical life," he adds.
The author, perhaps best known for his "Shocked by the Bible" series, also explains why the Bible makes such a big deal out of the Son of God being placed in a manger.
"A manger is simply a feeding box for animals. It's where the food is," Kovacs says. "Even in basic French class, one of the first verbs we all learn is 'manger,' which means 'to eat.'
"And why is this significant? Because when we connect the dots from other parts of Scripture, we realize that this child lying in a feeding box in Bethlehem (which means the 'house of bread' or 'house of food') is more than just a typical baby. He is our true food, the real bread from heaven, as is stated numerous times in the Gospel of John. We don't get eternal life unless we feed on and follow His teachings."
Endorsed by Chuck Norris and other Christian champions, "Reaching God Speed" is nothing short of a breakthrough work, as it probes God's hidden messages embedded in popular movies, hit songs from (Adele and the Beatles to Frank Sinatra and Led Zeppelin), the stories we tell our children, everyday phrases we all say, historic news events, famous commercial campaigns, nature itself, and typical life activities such as such as inhaling every breath you take, sleeping, waking up and many more.
It features a myriad of stunning biblical revelations, as the book:
The book rocketed to the #1 position in several Amazon categories both before and since its official release.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
In a move that is being mocked online over its obvious points of failure, leftist food workers in the Washington, D.C., region are promising to punish Republicans in the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Fox News caught the announcement, that "TAKING OUR POWER BACK: Food workers in Washington, D.C., are pledging to refuse service and cause other inconveniences for members of the incoming Trump administration when they dine out over the next four years."
A report at Twitchy warns, "These Kamala-loving food workers say they will do nasty things like making members of his administration have to wait 20 extra minutes for their food or providing even worse service than they normally do."
But it pointed out a gap in the logic of the agenda: "We don't have problems with Democrats self-sabotaging themselves, but their employers may not care too much for it. If these whiny workers' ignorance starts costing them money and losing customers, these service-slackers will be fired."
Among social media comments were:
"Seems that now might be a good time for some conservatives to open restaurants in the DC area."
"It will be a pleasure to see you go out of business."
And, "Then they won't have jobs when nobody visits these establishments."
A member of the community pointed out another failing: That Republicans are better tippers, and are lower maintenance customers, too.
And not that it would impact a leftist agenda, but it's actually illegal in D.C. to discriminate on the basis of political party, commenters pointed out.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Joe Biden, who just days earlier had delivered a special get-out-of-jail-free card to his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted on multiple gun charges and pleaded guilty to a list of tax felonies that could have put him in jail for years, has announced another 39 pardons and the commutation of sentences for almost 1,500 people.
Joe Biden's earlier pardon of Hunter was the result of his own stunning flip-flop on the issue. He repeatedly had promised the American people he would abide by the decisions of the judges and juries in Hunter Biden's criminal cases.
He apparently lied, however, delivering an unprecedent grant of pardon for any and all crimes committed by Hunter Biden over the course of more than a decade.
The move prompted immediately speculation that Joe Biden now will issue pre-emptive pardons to other personalities in Washington who have launched vicious attacks on President-elect Donald Trump, sometimes edging over into what could be described as illegal behavior, such as members of ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's partisan January 6 committee who destroyed evidence following their campaign against Trump.
Specific names brought up in the pardon speculation game include Adam Schiff and Liz Cheney, former members of the U.S. House who repeatedly used their offices and power to launch unsupported attacks on Trump, and Anthony Fauci, who manipulated the American public with his demands during the COVID pandemic.
The White House Biden also promised more announcements.
The latest move issues pardons for 39 people "convicted of non-violent crimes."
The clemency for 1,500 was the "most ever in a single day."
Those people, the White House charged, have "shown successful rehabilitation and a strong commitment to making their communities safer."
Those individuals had been placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Together, these actions build on the president's record of criminal justice reform to help reunite families, strengthen communities, and reintegrate individuals back into society," the White House statement claimed.
The White House comments continued: "He is also the first president ever to issue categorical pardons to individuals convicted of simple use and possession of marijuana, and to former LGBTQI+ service members convicted of private conduct because of their sexual orientation. In the coming weeks, the president will take additional steps to provide meaningful second chances and continue to review additional pardons and commutations."
The statement boasted that those receiving relief include: "A decorated military veteran and pilot who spends much of his time helping his fellow church members who are in poor health or unable to perform strenuous tasks."
But there was no mention of the offense committed.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A U.S. congressman dropped a bombshell Wednesday concerning the source of mystery drones flying over New Jersey, saying they're being launched from an Iranian "mother ship" off the eastern seaboard of the United States, a claim being denied by the Pentagon.
"From very high sources, very qualified sources, very responsible sources, I'm gonna tell you the real deal," said U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J.
"Iran launched a mother ship probably about a month ago that contains these drones. That mother ship is off … the east coast of the United States of America. They've launched drones is everything that we can see or hear and again these are from high sources. I don't say this lightly."
Van Drew, a member of House Judiciary Committee, told Harris Faulkner of Fox News: "Iran made a deal with China to purchase drones, mother ships and technology in order to go forward. The sources I have are good. They can't reveal who they are because they are speaking to me in confidentiality.
"These drones should be shot down whether it was some crazy hobbyist that we can't imagine or whether it is Iran. I think it very possibly could be. They should be shot down. We are not getting the full deal and the military is on alert with this."
Realizing the gravity of Van Drew's statement, Faulkner responded:
"Look, you've given us some pretty dire information just here. And I want to make sure that our viewers are digesting this. Iran has the capability to pull up along our eastern seaboard and launch drones the size of an S.U.V. into the skies of several states, particularly New Jersey, where we know the incoming president has a large home. Also in the same county or nearby where some of these drones in New Jersey have been seen.
"That capability exists. It's possible some of those drones are here. So I have two questions. How are they fueling them? They have to land somewhere, drones don't fly forever. Why don't they close down the airspace? Yes it's inconvenient, yes, it's the holidays. Shut it down! But if you start shooting things and you don't know how they are fueled, that's gonna be mass explosions. This isn't like one spy balloon. Congressman, this is serious!"
Van Drew replied: "We've got to bring them down and we've got to find a way to bring them down. I don't know exactly where they are landing, obviously.
"I have some information and again, this isn't just Jeff Van Drew, oh let's get on Harris Faulkner's show and say something outrageous. I'm telling you the straight deal from very high-positioned individuals who are telling me this.
"And the bottom line is they're launching 'em. They are across the country. We don't even have anything like this. Our government and also certainly our hobbyists don't. So think about it. Not only do I have the information, but it's also common sense."
"We've got to get them down, we've got to determine how they function, what they do, make sure that we can get them and, you are right, in a safe way," Van Drew continued.
"When I say shoot them down, get them down any way that you can, but right now they are probably extracting information. This is a clear and present danger to the United States and to our president-elect and it's a serious business."
The U.S. military was asked about Van Drew's claim at a briefing Wednesday afternoon, and completely denied it.
"There is not any truth to that," said Sabrina Singh, deputy press secretary for the Pentagon.
"There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and there's no so-called 'mother ship' launching drones towards the United States."