Thursday, September 24, 2020

Comparing the Democratic vs. Republican Party Platforms


Remember, when we vote for a President, we are not primarily voting for a personality but for an entire party's platform. 

Click to view the following documents from the Family Research Council:

Party Platform Comparison 2020

2020 Presidential Voter Guide




When we vote for a President, we don't just vote for a personality - but for an entire party's platform. Dr. Wayne Grudem writes, "The question now facing the nation is not, "Does Donald Trump have flaws?" The question is, "Which of the two package deals is better for the nation? There are no other choices." 

Rhett Wilson compares the platforms of the two parties.


Franklin Graham: Pray for Our Nation at This Critical Crossroads

 

As I write this letter, we are preparing for Prayer March 2020 in Washington, D.C.on Saturday, Sept. 26. I’m calling Christians from all over America to join me at our nation’s capital to walk and pray, from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol building. This is not a demonstration or a political rally—but it is a time for believers to join together, crying out to God on behalf of our land.


I urge you to join with me and thousands of other Christians in praying for our nation—whether or not you can attend the march in person. 
If you can’t come in person, join us on the live stream on my Facebook page or at PrayerMarch2020.com. I believe we are at a critical crossroads in our country, and I know that God hears the prayers of His children.

He tells us in His Word—while speaking to King Solomon and the people of Israel—that when their nation experiences great difficulty that if “My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14, NASB).

Read the entire article here by Franklin Graham.


Picture from BGEA


Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Trump and Supreme Court's future -- conservatives have been waiting for this moment for decades

 

"The passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg gives conservatives and


Republicans what they claim to have wanted since judicial activism became the norm in the 1960s.

From outlawing prayer and Bible reading in public schools to the infamous Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion, conservative Republicans have yearned for a time when a Republican president and Republican majority Senate might put supan end to judges making law and return to the day when Congress was the legislator. . . .

Senators who do not like President Trump's personality, but agree with many of his policies, should swallow their pride and vote to change the Supreme Court back to the role the Founders intended for it."

Read Cal Thomas' entire commentary here at Fox News.


Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Dems Considering ‘Total War’ If GOP Fills Supreme Court Seat, Want ‘Major Changes,’ New States

 

The Leftist controlled Democratic Party leaders continue to reveal their dangerous, self-absorbed, evil intent to dominate their worldview on this country:

“ 'Furious' Democrats are considering 'total war' next session if Republican press through and fill Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s vacant Supreme Court seat, Axios reports — and their plans may even include adding states to the union to ensure their permanent control of Congress.



Some Democrats, like Senate Judiciary Committee member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), have made clear that they believe no response is off the table if President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell follow through with plans to fill the seat with fewer than 50 days until the November presidential election. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) even noted Sunday that her caucus is considering pursuing impeachment, either a second round against Trump or a first attempt to oust Attorney General William Barr.

'Well, we have our options,' Pelosi said. “We have arrows in our quiver that I’m not about to discuss right now.”

Read the entire article by Emily Zanotti here at Fox News.


Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


4 Ways to Help America: Rhett Wilson

 


Americans are in the midst of a cultural civil war. The Left - as opposed to classic liberals and conservatives - has systematically worked for years to turn our nation into a godless one. 

It's time for Christians and conservatives to come out of hiding and re-engage the public square. Liberty is at stake. 

Here are 4 ways to influence your part of America.

Liberalism cannot bring itself to confront the reality of predators and evil

 

"Watching Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s agonizingly painful and humiliating press conference Sunday night, I was reminded that liberals simply have no capacity for dealing with reality when it comes to violence at home or abroad.


Here is a mayor who has presided over 90-plus consecutive nights of violence in the city which has the most active Antifa faction in the country. Stores have been invaded, buildings have been burned, police have been injured, while the Portland city government and the Oregon state government have been relentlessly incompetent and ineffective.

On Saturday, a supporter of President Donald Trump was killed by the left-wing activists. Apparent Antifa members there practically celebrated his murder."

Read the entire article by Newt Gingrich here at Fox News.


Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


The Left’s Moral Compass Isn’t Broken …

 

"All of my life, I have said that the left’s moral compass is broken.

And all of my life, I was wrong.



Why I was wrong explains both the left and the moral crisis we are in better than almost any other explanation."

Read the entire article here by Dennis Prager.


Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


Sen. Ted Cruz: After Ginsburg -- 3 reasons why Senate must confirm her successor before Election Day


"On Friday, our nation lost a historic Supreme Court Justice: Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was a brilliant justice, a legendary advocate, a careful lawyer, and, as only the second woman to ever serve on the Supreme Court, a trailblazer. She led an extraordinary life that shaped the lives of others and she leaves behind her an extraordinary legacy.



Much like the news in 2016 of the great Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s passing during an election year, Friday’s news was instantaneously followed by the question of when to fill the vacancy that now stands on the Court.

Here’s why President Trump must nominate a successor next week and why the Senate must confirm that successor before Election Day."

Read the entire article by Ted Cruz here at Fox News.


Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


Why Are They Capitalizing ‘Black’?

 

 As a professional writer, I (Rhett Wilson, Sr.) find it ridiculous that the Associated Press has decided to capitalize the word "black." It is yet another example of the Leftist mob pushing their agenda on the West.

Lawyer Dennis Prager agrees it is ridiculous . . .


"A few months ago, I noticed that my published column spelled 'black' 'Black.' As I had submitted the column with 'black' spelled with a lower case 'b,' I contacted my editor to find out why what I had written was changed. She responded that the syndicate was following the Associated Press’ rules of style, a common practice in journalism and book writing.

On July 20, 2020, the AP published 'Explaining AP style on Black and white,' in which it explained:

'AP’s style is now to capitalize Black in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense, conveying an essential and shared sense of history, identity and community among people who identify as Black, including those in the African diaspora and within Africa. The lowercase black is a color, not a person. AP style will continue to lowercase the term white in racial, ethnic and cultural senses.'

The AP explanation is drivel."

Read the entire article by Dennis Prager here.


Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


Monday, September 21, 2020

For the Sake of America Prayer Guide

 

Click here to see a 2-page prayer guide leading up to the 2020 election. This is based on the prayer guide from the Family Research Council's FRC Action. Their 8-page guide can be viewed here.




The "Billy Graham of Russia" Warns Americans

 


“Everything that’s happening today [in America] is almost like a movie I have already watched.
3

“I see a lot of parallels between the Soviet regime and things happening now because there was a time in history where they [the communists] closed churches completely, then they would reopen a little bit, and if the church was open there were certain ‘guidelines’ given to pastors.

“Don’t they realize what is happening now in America is exactly what happened to us in communist Russia? It started with ‘Don’t gather. Don’t sing. Spread apart. Listen to the government.’ Then it quickly turned into full-on persecution and the church did not wake up in time. I am here to beg you to call the church to wake up, stand firm, conquer!”4

“The system was more merciful towards murderers, pedophiles, and criminals than to Christians.

“First they took away freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, and [imposed] a very strict censorship and control of all media.”

See the entire article here by David Lane at the American Renewal Project.


Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


A Turning Point

 

"So let me get this straight - Speaker Pelosi is now talking about impeaching President Trump should he follow his Constitutional duty to nominate a Supreme Court Justice? This is one word: insane.

The left will stop at nothing to destroy President Trump and conservative voices across the country. They will make up Russian collusion, they will run sham impeachments, they will riot, they will loot, they will burn stores, and they will drag a good man’s name through the mud to try and stop him from serving on the bench.

Folks, we are truly at a turning point in history.

President Trump and Republican Senators, FILL THE SEAT!"

- U.S. Congressman Jeff Duncan




- 


Sunday, September 20, 2020

Survey: Evangelical teens shine in keeping the faith

 

"A recent poll reveals that teenagers raised in evangelical churches are 'far more likely' to carry on the religious identity of their parents than those who attend mainline Protestant churches with their parents.

The recently released Pew Research Center survey polled more than 1,800 American teens (ages 13-17) and found that 80% of them who are raised by evangelical parents keep the religious identity of their parents. In contrast, just 55% of teens whose parents attend mainline Protestant churches reflect their parents' religious views.



The same survey indicates that an almost identical percentage of Catholic teens (81%) remain more faithful to their parents' religious beliefs than those from mainline Protestant homes that attend the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church or United Methodist Church."

Read the entire article here by Michael Haverluck at NENews Now.


Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


Friday, September 18, 2020

‘No Police, No Peace’ Billboards to Reach 4 Million in New York, Atlanta, Dallas

 


"Six billboards declaring “No Police, No Peace” have gone up, two each in New York City, Dallas, and Atlanta, Heritage Action for America announced Monday. 

The move comes amid an increase in both violence in the streets and angry anti-police rhetoric.

Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies, ages 24 and 31, were shot and seriously wounded Saturday night as they sat in their patrol car. And in St. Louis, a 35-year-old police officer was wounded in the shoulder during a traffic stop, becoming the ninth officer to be shot since June 1."

Read the entire article here by Fred Lucas at the Daily Signal.   


Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


Kamala Harris: The Most Radical VP Nominee in History

 


"Sen. K
amala Harris is the most radical person ever nominated for president or vice president by a major party. Because of Joe Biden’s frailty, her potential to become president is much greater than for most vice-presidential candidates. 

Last month, Rasmussen Reports published a survey which indicted 59 percent of likely voters do not think Democratic Presidential Nominee Biden would finish his first term in office, if he is elected in November.  
 

Even nearly half (49 percent) of Democrats who were asked thought Biden would bow out before four years was up. This is a remarkable statistic and makes the 2020 election even more unique and important, because it means nearly half of Democrats believe they will actually be electing the vice-presidential candidate rather than the top of the ticket. Historically, voters do not heavily consider the vice-presidential candidate when voting, but in 2020, Biden’s clear weakness makes it essential to give Harris much more scrutiny than would normally be warranted."

Read the entire article by Newt Gingrich here. 


Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


Thursday, September 17, 2020

Top 10 Ways Liberalism Makes America Worse

 


Logic, facts, and reason - not just emotions.

30 Good Things President Trump Has Done for America

 

Excellent article by my favorite modern theologian, Wayne Grudem:

"President Trump receives non-stop criticism in the press. I agree that criticism is necessary when a president makes mistakes, but where are the voices expressing appreciation for the good things Trump has done? It’s unfair to always criticize and never recognize any of the good things a president has done.

It might be a refreshing change to recall some of the remarkable, nation-changing good things that Trump has accomplished for America. Here is my personal list. 

Because of space limitations, I have not given extensive arguments explaining why I think these actions are good for the United States. But more extensive arguments can be found in my books Christian EthicsPolitics According to the Bible, and The Poverty of Nations.



1. Judges: Trump has appointed two Supreme Court justices, 53 federal appellate judges, and 146 District Court judges (as well as two judges for the Court of International Trade) who have been confirmed by the Senate so far. In addition, 64 more have been appointed and are awaiting Senate confirmation. All of them are committed to interpreting the Constitution and laws according to the original meaning of the words, rather than according to what a modern liberal judge thinks the law should have said."

Read the entire article here at Townhall. 


Picture used by permission from Pixabay.



Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Seven Lies Americans are Believing – Rhett Wilson

 


The Left poses the greatest threat to liberty today in America. Leftists, as opposed to classic liberals and classic conservatives, use fear and deception to wield their power. 

Rhett talks about 7 lies of the current cultural narrative.


What is an Evangelical?

 


Evangelicals take the Bible seriously and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The term “evangelical” comes from the Greek word euangelion, meaning “the good news” or the “gospel.” Thus, the evangelical faith focuses on the “good news” of salvation brought to sinners by Jesus Christ.

Evangelicals are a vibrant and diverse group, including believers found in many churches, denominations and nations. Our community brings together Reformed, Holiness, Anabaptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic and other traditions. As noted in the statement “Evangelicals — Shared Faith in Broad Diversity,” our core theological convictions provide unity in the midst of our diversity. The NAE Statement of Faith offers a standard for these evangelical convictions.

Historian David Bebbington also provides a helpful summary of evangelical distinctives, identifying four primary characteristics of evangelicalism:

  • Conversionism: the belief that lives need to be transformed through      a “born-again” experience and a life long process of following Jesus


    Read the entire article here at the NAE.


    Picture used by permission from Pixabay.

    Tuesday, September 15, 2020

    Society Can't Fix Your Problems


     

    Character development was a primary focus in education until the 1960s. But now, with the ascent of left-wing ideas in schools, children are taught to blame America or "society" for their problems. The great tragedy of this, of course, is that if you think society is to blame, why would you take any action to help yourself?


    7 Milestones in BGEA's 70-Year History

     


    This week the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association celebrates 70 years of ministry.

    Monday, September 14, 2020

    Leftists Blame America. Decent People Blame Themselves.

     

    As long ago as the 1970s, I came to a major realization. While watching fellow students at Columbia University demonstrate not just against the war in Vietnam but against America — “Amerika,” as many spelled it, the “imperialist,” “colonialist,” “mass-murdering” country — I kept wondering what made these people so hostile to the freest country in human history.


    Then, one day, as a result of my having attended a yeshiva (an Orthodox Jewish day school) through high school, the reason became clear. Half of each school day was devoted to religious studies in Hebrew, and the other half was devoted to secular studies in English. This meant that I had been immersed in a religious worldview until college.

    Though it was Jewish, this worldview could also be called “Judeo-Christian.” Students at traditionally Christian schools were immersed in essentially the same worldview. We were all taught that the most important battle we need to wage in life was with our own nature. Jews and Christians learned from the same Scripture that “the will of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21).

    Read the entire article here by Dennis Prager.


    Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


    Friday, September 11, 2020

    Trump's Religious Freedom Record Is a Stubborn Fact

     

    "A litany of statements on the record and positions taken by both Biden and Harris clearly indicate they will block such religious freedom efforts if allowed to take office. While California Attorney General, Kamala Harris filed a brief against Hobby Lobby in the Supreme Court. As a senator, Harris was an original cosponsor of legislation that would block religious freedom for adoption providers, and introduced legislation gutting Religious Freedom Restoration Act claims. Harris was also an original co-sponsor of the Equality Act, which would be horrific for religious freedom, but which a Biden/Harris administration has pledged to make a priority in the first 100 days in office. As a senator, Harris also openly questioned judicial nominees about their religious beliefs. Add to this Senator Biden's votes against a constitutional amendment allowing voluntary prayer in school and barring federal courts from taking cases involving prayer in public schools, and we have a clear picture of the alternatives this November when it comes to religious freedom.



    The work of President Trump's DOJ on religious freedom is only one part of his policy accomplishments, but it's an important one. And it's one that certainly won't be around if he's not reelected in November."

    Read the entire article here by Travis Weber & Kaitlyn Shepherd of the Family Research Council's FRCAction.


    Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


    Friday, September 4, 2020

    7 Ways to Speak Up and Influence the Culture: Rhett Wilson

     


    In America, the Left is systematically using fear and force to take over the culture. 

    Many good Americans, both conservatives and liberals, realize they are losing our country to radicals. 

    Dr. Rhett tells us 7 ways we can speak up to bring change.


    Wednesday, September 2, 2020

    A Demagogue Named Barack Obama: His DNC Speech

     

    Obama: “This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that’s what it takes to win.”

    How has this administration shown that? Why didn’t Obama provide a single example to sustain this extraordinary charge? Anyway, it seems to many Americans that those who lie to the country for two years about Russian collusion with the Trump campaign, impeach a president solely for political reasons, dedicate all news reporting to the removal of a president, smear and lie about a decent man nominated for the Supreme Court, corrupt the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act system for political ends, and politicize the CIA and FBI are the ones who “will tear our democracy down if that’s what it takes to win.”

    Obama’s speech offered very little of substance about the man it was directed against, but it said much about the man who delivered it.

    Read the entire excellent article here by Dennis Prager.


    Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


    Police Go Where the Crime Is


     

    Are the police friend or foe? Are they necessary to preserve order, or are they unnecessarily intrusive? Do they have society’s best interest in mind, or are they racist and violent? Heather Mac Donald, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, analyzes the numbers behind these hot-topic questions.


    President Trump Sets the Stage for the Big Choice

     

    "The GOP convention prime time speakers were almost a decade younger on average than the Democrats’ a week earlier. The range of ethnic diversity was beyond anything any prior Republican convention had achieved. The number of everyday Americans – from lobstermen, farmers, industrial workers, small business owners, and police officials – was dramatically larger than any former Republican convention.

    The number of African American speakers who repudiated Democratic attacks alleging the president is a racist  — and championed his policies as having helped minority communities – was compelling. I think we will see significant support for the president in November because of it.



    Throughout the convention, the Trump children did a great job of personalizing their father and recognizing his accomplishments. Ivanka Trump perfectly set the stage for his acceptance speech.

    Finally, the President’s speech was more like a State of the Union than a traditional rah-rah convention speech. I think this made it more effective in the long run.

    This was an incumbent president sharing with the American people his understanding of what had been accomplished, what was worth fighting for, and what he would accomplish if re-elected. It was a serious, adult speech. What some reporters thought was flat or uninspiring I thought was Eisenhower-like in its calm, common sense language.

    This was a controlled, serious, thoughtful, and eminently presidential Trump – exactly what his critics had called for over the last three-and-a-half years. It confused them when they actually experienced it."

    Read the entire analysis by Newt Gingrich here.


    Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


    5 Ways Christians are Getting Swept into a Secular Worldview in This Cultural Moment

     

    We’re conflating empathy with agreement on action.

    There’s a huge emphasis right now on the need to listen to the experiences of people from marginalized communities, and that’s a really good thing. If you’re personally unaffected by the issues these communities face, it’s far too easy to live in ignorance and not feel the sense of urgency for change. I’ll personally acknowledge that the extent of the (peaceful) protests has raised my own awareness of just how much sadness, anger, and injustice simmers under our cultural surface. If we don’t take the time to listen, our ignorance will only deepen the wounds.

    It’s extremely concerning, however, when it’s implied that listening with empathy and compassion means 1) the listener has no further place in the conversation, and 2) truth is dictated by the experience of the person being listened to. When the call to listen with empathy and compassion turns to, “Be quiet (permanently) because you have no right to speak to an issue if you don’t fit a specific profile,” there is a major problem from a Christian worldview. Abortion, for example, doesn’t suddenly become morally acceptable just because a black person shares their experience of discrimination and injustice, then states that it’s oppressive to the black community to be pro-life (something I’m seeing a lot of online). This should be a simple matter of logic, if only because multiple people who have experienced discrimination and injustice can have different views on abortion (whose view wins?). But beyond this self-evident logic, Christians believe that objective truth exists—truth that applies to all people, regardless of their demographic profile or personal experience.

    Compassion doesn’t equal agreement on action.  

    Read the entire excellent, thoughtful article here by Natasha Crain.


    Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


    Six Reasons Your Pastor Is About to Quit

     

    "About one-third of you readers are laypersons. This article is for you. Of course, I know pastors and other vocational ministry leaders will be reading as well. Perhaps, more than my article, they will be reading your comments. They will be searching eagerly to see if anyone has a word of encouragement. They may be anticipating the responses will be a barrage of negativity they have become accustomed to receiving.


    Please hear me clearly. The vast majority of pastors with whom our team communicates are saying they are considering quitting their churches. It’s a trend I have not seen in my lifetime. Some are just weeks away from making an announcement. They are looking for work in the secular world. Some will move to bivocational ministry. Some will move to marketplace ministry.

    But many will move." 

    Read the entire article here by Thom Rainer, one of my former seminary professors.


    Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


    The Church’s Duty to Remain Open

     


    John MacArthur and the elders of Grace Community Church, in Sun Valley, California, announced July 24 on the “Grace to You” blog that the church intended to “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29) and thus would defy Gov. Gavin Newsom’s July 13 order closing indoor operations of churches, fitness centers, hair salons and several other types of venues in counties showing an increase in COVID-19 infections. The blog, which laid out the Biblical case for the church’s duty to gather, prompted county officials to threaten repercussions, but as of press time, the church was continuing to meet with both indoor and outdoor seating. The following is excerpted from the blog. 

    Christ is Lord of all. He is the one true head of the church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23; Colossians 1:18). He is also King of kings—sovereign over every earthly authority (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16). Grace Community Church has always stood immovably on those Biblical principles. As His people, we are subject to His will and commands as revealed in Scripture. Therefore, we cannot and will not acquiesce to a government-imposed moratorium on our weekly congregational worship or other regular corporate gatherings. Compliance would be disobedience to our Lord’s clear commands. 

    “The Biblical order is clear: Christ is Lord over Caesar, not vice versa. Christ, not Caesar, is head of the church.”

    Some will think such a firm statement is inexorably in conflict with the command to be subject to governing authorities laid out in Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2. Scripture does mandate careful, conscientious obedience to all governing authority, including kings, governors, employers and their agents—in Peter’s words, “not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable” (1 Peter 2:18). Insofar as government authorities do not attempt to assert ecclesiastical authority or issue orders that forbid our obedience to God’s law, their authority is to be obeyed whether we agree with their rulings or not. In other words, Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 still bind the consciences of individual Christians. We are to obey our civil authorities as powers that God Himself has ordained. 

    Read the entire article by John MacArthur here at Decision Magazine.


    Cissie Graham Lynch and Abby Johnson Urge Americans to Vote for Religious Liberty and Life

     

    Cissie Graham Lynch, daughter of Franklin Graham, and Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood director, urged Americans to consider religious liberty and the sanctity of human life when voting in November.


    “In the words of my grandfather Billy Graham,” Lynch said, “‘Let us stand for political freedom, moral freedom, religious freedom and the rights of all Americans. And let us never give in to those who would attempt to take it from us.’”

    Lynch reminded listeners of the first line of the First Amendment, particularly the phrase “free exercise of religion.”

    “That means living out our faith in our daily lives—at our schools and at our jobs. And yes, even in the public square,” she said.

    Read the entire article here at Decision Magazine.


    Picture used by permission from Pixabay.


    A Nation on the Precipice of Destruction

     

    "Throughout the country, we see a newly energized far Left political and cultural movement taking to the streets. I’m not talking about peaceful protests over such real problems as racial injustice. Instead, the violent behavior by anarchists who have hijacked the legitimate protests, using them as cover to destroy public property, threaten the safety of our cities and the very future of our republic. 


    Ironically, the current administration, consistently in the crosshairs of the media and many political commentators for its supposed racism, has done a great deal for people of color. As U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) recently said, while some of the president’s comments have been hurtful, he has helped the African American community in some very tangible ways. Scott cites the Opportunity Zone program, which provides tax breaks for companies that open stores or manufacturing plants in lower-income areas. He also noted the major revision of the 1994 crime bill, leading to substantial criminal justice reform. And he observed the Trump administration’s support for historically black colleges and universities through the United Negro College Fund, which this year, he says, 'is the highest level ever.' 

    But there is another reality we cannot ignore. Some news networks and publications are abetting a disorder that’s become much too common; the so-called 'cancel culture.' 

    This election is about stemming a tide of national self-destruction. It is no time to sit on the sidelines and bemoan what some see as two fatally flawed candidates. The reality is that one of them will be elected.”” 

    Read the entire article here by Tony Perkins at Decision Magazine.


    Picture used by permission from Pixabay.

     


    Confronting Racism and Police Violence

     

    United States Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) has been championing police


    reform legislation since 2015, following the killing of Walter Scott, a black man shot in the back by a white police officer in Sen. Scott’s hometown of North Charleston. The first African American senator from a Southern state since 1881, Scott convinced President Trump to include Opportunity Zones for distressed communities as part of the 2017 tax reform law. He recently spoke to 
    Decision about the racial and political unrest in cities like Atlanta, Seattle and Portland in the weeks following the killing of George Floyd; his vision for police reform that builds public trust while preserving a strong police presence; and the importance of the Christian witness in addressing racial justice issues.

    Q: First of all, how does your Christian faith shape your view of what law enforcement should be? 

    A: I think of law enforcement as a calling—that most people who go into law enforcement should not see it as a job or as a profession or even as a way of a life, but as a calling. I think of Romans 13 as it describes the role of government and officials who are given a weapon, a sword. That whole picture to me is a validation that law enforcement should be a minister to protect us. That means that you have placed yourself at the highest position of responsibility and accountability. 

    Through the lens of Romans 13, law enforcement officers should be character-driven people who seek to serve someone and something—country, city, community—above themselves. When that happens, we get a different outcome. And frankly, as we pursue that level of righteousness in law enforcement and in institutions of authority to include elected officials, I think we should expect that they are going to see their responsibility and the people whom they serve as a part of their calling. 

    Read the entire interview with Senator Tim Scott here.