I am very concerned about finding and acting on the Truth, as any reader of my recent posts will attest. As a student of Russian History who made my first visit to Leningrad in 1969 at the age of 22, I have always been aware of how the Soviet State bent “truth” to suit its needs. From big lies, like portraying their one-party, top-down, controlled elections as “democracy”, to the small lie that prices in their economy had anything to do with real costs or demand—all were fabrications to help...
I wrote the original version of the following story almost twenty years ago, as the second chapter in an anthology of short stories, Ten Lies and Ten Truths. I have rewritten parts of the story this week, to capture the new realities of History 2021 A Story Harrison Gillies sat alone in the teacher's lounge of a prestigious New England private high school grading English essays. Paintings donated by the Art Department, an oriental rug, and a couple of decades' accumulation of furniture lifted...
At age 72 I hope you don’t mind if I want to focus on what’s real and true, not on what’s false or BS. The BS is that we in the U.S. are suffering through a terrible time of oppression, inequality, dysfunction and major problems. Yes, problems exist in varying degrees, and always will. But read Steven Pinker’s book Enlightenment Now to be reminded that this is a remarkably great age for the world in general, and for the U.S. in particular, with the one exception noted in my earlier post. A...
Have you ever thought about how the most powerful and long lasting movements and institutions are each underpinned by a religious, secular or philosophical faith foundation, believed by many to be the Truth? In fact, without that faith foundation, these institutions would not survive. Virtually every such institution has been organized with power and authority flowing from the top down. The Divine Right of Kings and the Medieval Catholic Church were often at odds, but they were organized...
Our nation is continuing a process of discovering past wrongs, airing them, and seeking some kind of resolution/reconciliation. In the most egregious cases where laws were actually broken, appropriate punishment is of course also required. From the Judge Kavanaugh hearings to the ongoing allegations against powerful men (and some women) in the Me Too Movement to sexual abuse in the Catholic and Baptist Churches (and probably others) to the Virginia Governor’s Blackface/KKK picture in his...
If insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result, our nation is clearly insane. This month’s post may initially disturb some of my conservative friends. If it does, I ask you to read through to the finish. I am only seeking the truth. The War on Drugs is not just a failure. It is an outright cancer, an active force that is destroying individuals, families, institutions, and our culture. It has been doing so for almost fifty years. When are we going to...
How should we approach the upcoming mid-term elections? With a focus on today’s 24/7 headlines, or with a longer term perspective? Are the elections, as President Trump claims, all about him, or larger issues? As a Christian conservative with strong libertarian leanings, what are my guiding principles for voting? And, by the way, I know that there is only one true Savior, and he is not any politician, party or government. The founding document for our nation, the Declaration of Independence,...
A nation that fractures along identity politics boundaries is almost certainly doomed. When Lenin and Trotsky started their rebellion against the provisional government of Alexander Kerensky in St. Petersburg, Russia in November, 1917, they expected to be arrested and sent into exile, as had always happened before. Instead, a few days later, much to their surprise, they were in control of the capital and, soon, the nation. What happened? The Bolsheviks were prepared to use violence to get...
As many of you know, I recently spent several days in London with a group of wonderful Believers who are originally from Nigeria, at an event for Joshua's Army. We were joined by a pastor from Lagos, Nigeria, and by a pastor in the Nigerian community in London, both strong men of God. Our weekend discussion was about how husbands and fathers can better model Christ with our wives and children. While there were many beautiful facets to the weekend together, the one I want to focus on for this...
Our recent elections and subsequent events have left many of us slightly exhausted but cautiously optimistic about the future of our country. Conservatives now have a HUGE responsibility to govern creatively and well, from the White House to the majority of local counties. Many of us have asked and prayed for this opportunity for years, and now it is here. We must continue to pray, even more now, for those in office and for their advisers, that God will put men and women in positions of...
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