b'lieve that the first time the undersigned has cited to Christianity Today. b'lieve that the first time the undersigned ever read anything in Christianity Today.
Friday, December 20, 2019
Trump Should Be Removed From Office
(Christianity Today)
In our founding documents, Billy Graham explains that Christianity Today will help evangelical Christians interpret the news in a manner that reflects their faith. The impeachment of Donald Trump is a significant event in the story of our republic. It requires comment.
The typical CT approach is to stay above the fray and allow Christians with different political convictions to make their arguments in the public square, to encourage all to pursue justice according to their convictions and treat their political opposition as charitably as possible. We want CT to be a place that welcomes Christians from across the political spectrum, and reminds everyone that politics is not the end and purpose of our being. We take pride in the fact, for instance, that politics does not dominate our homepage.
That said, we do feel it necessary from time to time to make our own opinions on political matters clear—always, as Graham encouraged us, doing so with both conviction and love. We love and pray for our president, as we love and pray for leaders (as well as ordinary citizens) on both sides of the political aisle.
Let’s grant this to the president: The Democrats have had it out for him from day one, and therefore nearly everything they do is under a cloud of partisan suspicion. This has led many to suspect not only motives but facts in these recent impeachment hearings. And, no, Mr. Trump did not have a serious opportunity to offer his side of the story in the House hearings on impeachment.
But the facts in this instance are unambiguous: The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president’s political opponents. That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.
The reason many are not shocked about this is that this president has dumbed down the idea of morality in his administration. He has hired and fired a number of people who are now convicted criminals. He himself has admitted to immoral actions in business and his relationship with women, about which he remains proud. His Twitter feed alone—with its habitual string of mischaracterizations, lies, and slanders—is a near perfect example of a human being who is morally lost and confused.
Trump’s evangelical supporters have pointed to his Supreme Court nominees, his defense of religious liberty, and his stewardship of the economy, among other things, as achievements that justify their support of the president. We believe the impeachment hearings have made it absolutely clear, in a way the Mueller investigation did not, that President Trump has abused his authority for personal gain and betrayed his constitutional oath. The impeachment hearings have illuminated the president’s moral deficiencies for all to see. This damages the institution of the presidency, damages the reputation of our country, and damages both the spirit and the future of our people. None of the president’s positives can balance the moral and political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character.
This concern for the character of our national leader is not new in CT. In 1998, we wrote this:
The President's failure to tell the truth—even when cornered—rips at the fabric of the nation. This is not a private affair. For above all, social intercourse is built on a presumption of trust: trust that the milk your grocer sells you is wholesome and pure; trust that the money you put in your bank can be taken out of the bank; trust that your babysitter, firefighters, clergy, and ambulance drivers will all do their best. And while politicians are notorious for breaking campaign promises, while in office they have a fundamental obligation to uphold our trust in them and to live by the law.
And this:
Unsavory dealings and immoral acts by the President and those close to him have rendered this administration morally unable to lead.
Unfortunately, the words that we applied to Mr. Clinton 20 years ago apply almost perfectly to our current president. Whether Mr. Trump should be removed from office by the Senate or by popular vote next election—that is a matter of prudential judgment. That he should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments.
To the many evangelicals who continue to support Mr. Trump in spite of his blackened moral record, we might say this: Remember who you are and whom you serve. Consider how your justification of Mr. Trump influences your witness to your Lord and Savior. Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump’s immoral words and behavior in the cause of political expediency. If we don’t reverse course now, will anyone take anything we say about justice and righteousness with any seriousness for decades to come? Can we say with a straight face that abortion is a great evil that cannot be tolerated and, with the same straight face, say that the bent and broken character of our nation’s leader doesn’t really matter in the end?
We have reserved judgment on Mr. Trump for years now. Some have criticized us for our reserve. But when it comes to condemning the behavior of another, patient charity must come first. So we have done our best to give evangelical Trump supporters their due, to try to understand their point of view, to see the prudential nature of so many political decisions they have made regarding Mr. Trump. To use an old cliché, it’s time to call a spade a spade, to say that no matter how many hands we win in this political poker game, we are playing with a stacked deck of gross immorality and ethical incompetence. And just when we think it’s time to push all our chips to the center of the table, that’s when the whole game will come crashing down. It will crash down on the reputation of evangelical religion and on the world’s understanding of the gospel. And it will come crashing down on a nation of men and women whose welfare is also our concern.
(Christianity Today)
In our founding documents, Billy Graham explains that Christianity Today will help evangelical Christians interpret the news in a manner that reflects their faith. The impeachment of Donald Trump is a significant event in the story of our republic. It requires comment.
The typical CT approach is to stay above the fray and allow Christians with different political convictions to make their arguments in the public square, to encourage all to pursue justice according to their convictions and treat their political opposition as charitably as possible. We want CT to be a place that welcomes Christians from across the political spectrum, and reminds everyone that politics is not the end and purpose of our being. We take pride in the fact, for instance, that politics does not dominate our homepage.
That said, we do feel it necessary from time to time to make our own opinions on political matters clear—always, as Graham encouraged us, doing so with both conviction and love. We love and pray for our president, as we love and pray for leaders (as well as ordinary citizens) on both sides of the political aisle.
Let’s grant this to the president: The Democrats have had it out for him from day one, and therefore nearly everything they do is under a cloud of partisan suspicion. This has led many to suspect not only motives but facts in these recent impeachment hearings. And, no, Mr. Trump did not have a serious opportunity to offer his side of the story in the House hearings on impeachment.
But the facts in this instance are unambiguous: The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president’s political opponents. That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.
The reason many are not shocked about this is that this president has dumbed down the idea of morality in his administration. He has hired and fired a number of people who are now convicted criminals. He himself has admitted to immoral actions in business and his relationship with women, about which he remains proud. His Twitter feed alone—with its habitual string of mischaracterizations, lies, and slanders—is a near perfect example of a human being who is morally lost and confused.
Trump’s evangelical supporters have pointed to his Supreme Court nominees, his defense of religious liberty, and his stewardship of the economy, among other things, as achievements that justify their support of the president. We believe the impeachment hearings have made it absolutely clear, in a way the Mueller investigation did not, that President Trump has abused his authority for personal gain and betrayed his constitutional oath. The impeachment hearings have illuminated the president’s moral deficiencies for all to see. This damages the institution of the presidency, damages the reputation of our country, and damages both the spirit and the future of our people. None of the president’s positives can balance the moral and political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character.
This concern for the character of our national leader is not new in CT. In 1998, we wrote this:
The President's failure to tell the truth—even when cornered—rips at the fabric of the nation. This is not a private affair. For above all, social intercourse is built on a presumption of trust: trust that the milk your grocer sells you is wholesome and pure; trust that the money you put in your bank can be taken out of the bank; trust that your babysitter, firefighters, clergy, and ambulance drivers will all do their best. And while politicians are notorious for breaking campaign promises, while in office they have a fundamental obligation to uphold our trust in them and to live by the law.
And this:
Unsavory dealings and immoral acts by the President and those close to him have rendered this administration morally unable to lead.
Unfortunately, the words that we applied to Mr. Clinton 20 years ago apply almost perfectly to our current president. Whether Mr. Trump should be removed from office by the Senate or by popular vote next election—that is a matter of prudential judgment. That he should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments.
To the many evangelicals who continue to support Mr. Trump in spite of his blackened moral record, we might say this: Remember who you are and whom you serve. Consider how your justification of Mr. Trump influences your witness to your Lord and Savior. Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump’s immoral words and behavior in the cause of political expediency. If we don’t reverse course now, will anyone take anything we say about justice and righteousness with any seriousness for decades to come? Can we say with a straight face that abortion is a great evil that cannot be tolerated and, with the same straight face, say that the bent and broken character of our nation’s leader doesn’t really matter in the end?
We have reserved judgment on Mr. Trump for years now. Some have criticized us for our reserve. But when it comes to condemning the behavior of another, patient charity must come first. So we have done our best to give evangelical Trump supporters their due, to try to understand their point of view, to see the prudential nature of so many political decisions they have made regarding Mr. Trump. To use an old cliché, it’s time to call a spade a spade, to say that no matter how many hands we win in this political poker game, we are playing with a stacked deck of gross immorality and ethical incompetence. And just when we think it’s time to push all our chips to the center of the table, that’s when the whole game will come crashing down. It will crash down on the reputation of evangelical religion and on the world’s understanding of the gospel. And it will come crashing down on a nation of men and women whose welfare is also our concern.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Kendrick Nunn: Hit Man.
Kendrick Nunn marked rematch with Sixers on his calendar after Heat lost first game by 27
The Miami Heat defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday behind 26 points from rookie Kendrick Nunn. Miami snapped Philadelphia’s 14-game home winning streak.
The Heat lost to the Sixers by 27 points back in November and Nunn struggled mightily. The Chicago native scored just six points on 3 of 10 shooting from the field.
Nunn marked the rematch with the Sixers on his calendar because he was eager to redeem himself.
“110 percent. I marked it on my board,” Nunn told Michael Lee of The Athletic. “That’s one of the games that I remembered. And I wanted to play better. We a no-excuse organization. I watched the film. I found solutions for it and I executed. Those type of things I love. When adversity hits, I find ways to get better, fight through and overcome it.”
https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-kendrick-nunn-marked-rematch-with-sixers-on-his-calendar-after-miami-lost-first-game-by-27/
Can you believe that? An undrafted rookie marking one of the best teams in the NBA for a hit! And he did it. Jimmy Butler is the soul of the Miami "Heat"; Kendrick Nunn owns this team now.
We Love You, Jimmy
Jimmy Butler has found his soulmate in Miami, and it's the Heat
USA TODAY
Published 3:13 p.m. ET Dec. 19, 2019
Jimmy Butler found the Miami Heat. The Heat found Butler.
The Heat love competitors. Butler loves to compete. The Heat want hard workers. Butler works hard. The Heat and Butler have high standards. The Heat are miserable when they don’t win. So is Butler. The Heat accept, if not embrace, conflict. So does Butler.
“He should’ve been in a Heat uniform long ago,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It feels like he’s about what we’re about, and we’re about what he’s about.”
“I really enjoy playing for this coach, for this organization with the guys that I’ve got riding with me,” Butler said. “And I’m constantly smiling because I am happy. I’m home and everything about this organization fits me. Everything about the guys on this roster fits me."
Doesn't get any better than that. God bless Jimmy Butler.
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Bells and whistles, this Miami basketball team is fun to watch. They are an extraordinary team. I watched almost ten minutes of highlights. They are so young, so quick, so unselfishness. Bam Adebayo has to be, at 22 years young, one of the best passing big men in the NBA already. This is the position-less basketball that Erik Spoelstra saw in his wet dreams. They all do everything, and they all do everything well. There is no star, not the transcendent LBJ, but they do have a go-to man. No, it is not Jimmy Butler. It is Kendrick Nunn. He is a quiet, cold assassin. Time and again tonight Kendrick would take the shot with the clock about to buzz, and time and again he made it, threes too, daggers, so sharp you don't feel them going in and have to turn around and ask "Who did that to me?" Bam. I'm tellin' ya, that big, young fella can pass. Know how rare that is to have a "play maker" at center? Again, it's position-less basketball that works. That is just an extraordinary team. Spoelstra's got the pieces now. It's hard to envision a star coming into this team, a ball hog. The machinery of the team just works so well it hums, it purrs, it is relentless, it runs noiselessly and fast.
They need a star. I know they need a star. I guess they need a star. In my mind's eye I try to picture LBJ, the supernova, on this team because that's the star I know, and no, I don't see it. It would be a better team, indubitably, but it would be a different team. All of LeBron's teams are made different by him, and better, they're better, every team is made better by him, the supernova, and I saw that once close up, and I liked it, I thrilled to it, but I don't want to see that again, this team is more fun. This team is star-less and position-less and this team doesn't have a supernova distorting the fabric of space-time. This team is Everyman's team, it is every player's team, it is star-less, position-less, balanced, noiseless, not distorted by a super-human, not as good, I must be honest with myself, as a team led by a super-human, but, being honest, I cannot help it, I enjoy this team more. If you love basketball, as I certainly do, this is the best, most enjoyable to watch basketball being played today and this is the best, most enjoyable to watch basketball team.
They need a star. I know they need a star. I guess they need a star. In my mind's eye I try to picture LBJ, the supernova, on this team because that's the star I know, and no, I don't see it. It would be a better team, indubitably, but it would be a different team. All of LeBron's teams are made different by him, and better, they're better, every team is made better by him, the supernova, and I saw that once close up, and I liked it, I thrilled to it, but I don't want to see that again, this team is more fun. This team is star-less and position-less and this team doesn't have a supernova distorting the fabric of space-time. This team is Everyman's team, it is every player's team, it is star-less, position-less, balanced, noiseless, not distorted by a super-human, not as good, I must be honest with myself, as a team led by a super-human, but, being honest, I cannot help it, I enjoy this team more. If you love basketball, as I certainly do, this is the best, most enjoyable to watch basketball being played today and this is the best, most enjoyable to watch basketball team.
Culture Defeats Process 108-104
Kendrick Nunn had the biggest game of his young career in the biggest game of Miami's season. The undrafted first-year player had a game high 26 points on 9/18 shooting including 4/8 from range. Philadelphia lost on its home court for the first time this season. Miami found its defensive nous holding the "76'ers" to 42.2% shooting.
As startling a revelation as Nunn has been this season, tonight he showed that he is Miami's main man in a big game. This is Kendrick Nunn's team now.
As startling a revelation as Nunn has been this season, tonight he showed that he is Miami's main man in a big game. This is Kendrick Nunn's team now.
HT Miami "Remarkables" 56 Philadelphia Seven-Foot Sixers 48
"Heat" D scorching in the first half. Philly shot only 37%. Philly has better players than Miami does, though. Can the "Heat" keep them at bay on the road?...Oh my goodness, the "Heat" got off to a cold start, they trailed 29-19 after the 1Q. They then lit up Philly 37-19 in the 2Q! I did not expect that in the box score. It's now 71-62 Miami with 6:04 left in the 3Q. "Sixers" on a full time out.
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
That’s what you are too, a Madam! And the “House” you preside over is a House of Ill Repute! You have cheapened the importance of a very ugly word, Trump! You have a “Squad” of illegal immigrant Mud People and Muslims with blood coming from their mouths, blood coming from their wherever, who you prostitute…Hold on, I’m over the Twitter maximum characters…
…including Congressmullah Rashida Tlaib who said “We’re going to go in there and we’re going to impeach the motherf----r.” Who is she talking about, I never f---ed my mother! Why don’t they go back to their own Shithole countries and impeach their own dictators? You have shifty Fagan Schiff, pimping for you!
You are violating your oaths of office, you are breaking your allegiance to the Constitution, you are declaring open war on American Democracy, you are just copying me! I am the one who does the interfering in elections. I am the one who does the subverting of democracy. I am the one who does the Obstructing of Justice. I am the one inflicting pain and suffering for my own selfish, personal, political, partisan and financial gain. It’s all about ME!
You dare to invoke the paranoid, parricidal, mentally ill Founding Fathers to undo my election-nullification scheme—yet your spiteful actions display unfettered contempt for Amerika 2.0’s paranoid, parricidal, mentally ill Founder: ME!
Everyone, you included, knows what is really happening. Your chosen candidate won the election in 2016, in a popular vote landslide (2,868,686 votes) and you and your party have never gotten over that it was stolen from you. And you know who stole it: ME! You view Russian-style democracy as your enemy!
Speaker Pelosi, you miserable wizard sleeve c---, one hundred years from now, when even YOU may be dead, when people look back at my affairs, I want them to understand them and learn from them, so that it never happens again: another president like ME!
The overall defensive metrics remain reasonable, with the Miami Heat 11th in the NBA in defensive rating.
But over the last 10 games, Erik Spoelstra's team ranks 19th in the 30-team league.
Over the past five, 20th.
And over the last three, which have included a pair of losses, 24th.
So, no, this is not trending in the right direction as the Heat turn their attention to the final stop on this three-game trip — Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Good "Why?" piece by Ira. That about answers it all, doesn't it? Well, okay, you could ask a deeper "Why?", why have they slipped like that? My reaction last night, "Very disappointing performance for Miami tonight, very disappointing. Not down on them! These games happen.", is my answer tonight. They've played twenty-seven games. It's a looong season. "Heat" Culture and Coach Spo demand "100% 100% of the time," over eighty-two games. They should. That's the standard. It is no humanly possible.
But over the last 10 games, Erik Spoelstra's team ranks 19th in the 30-team league.
Over the past five, 20th.
And over the last three, which have included a pair of losses, 24th.
So, no, this is not trending in the right direction as the Heat turn their attention to the final stop on this three-game trip — Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Good "Why?" piece by Ira. That about answers it all, doesn't it? Well, okay, you could ask a deeper "Why?", why have they slipped like that? My reaction last night, "Very disappointing performance for Miami tonight, very disappointing. Not down on them! These games happen.", is my answer tonight. They've played twenty-seven games. It's a looong season. "Heat" Culture and Coach Spo demand "100% 100% of the time," over eighty-two games. They should. That's the standard. It is no humanly possible.
Monday, December 16, 2019
Turnover Memphis. Miami must score, preferably a three...Bam travels, Memphis ball, 1:15 left. Isn't going to be a comeback for Miami tonight. Still 115-108 now just :21.6 left. An obese female singer has taken he floor and is shooing "Heat" players away. Appropriately so. The game's over. Miami falls to 19-8, Memphis "rises" to 10-17. Very disappointing performance for Miami tonight, very disappointing. Not down on them! These games happen.
Miami has come all the way back. The have taken their first lead of the game 105-104. Memphis has collapsed embarrassingly. Still time for tem and of course for Miami.
And Memphis does punch back. Now they lead 111-107, 4:02 left, Miami full TO.
Miami's biggest lead was 107-104. Memphis on a 7-zip run. 9-0, now 115-107, time now a factor 2' left. 11-0 Memphis run. That should do it.
And Memphis does punch back. Now they lead 111-107, 4:02 left, Miami full TO.
Miami's biggest lead was 107-104. Memphis on a 7-zip run. 9-0, now 115-107, time now a factor 2' left. 11-0 Memphis run. That should do it.
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