Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Obama Enrages Israel on Way Out the Door - Refuses to Veto UN Vote
Dec 26th, 2016
CommentaryGARTH KANT/WND.COM
Categories: The Nation Of Israel

With the U.S. taking the extraordinary move of abstaining, the Security Council unanimously passed the resolution, which also calls for the limiting of the Jewish state to the borders it had before the 1967 war.

The resolution declares the Israeli settlement policy has "no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law."

Critics say the move effectively strips Israel of any bargaining power in any future peace negotiations by forcing the state to forfeit its biggest bargaining chip.

The resolution was approved 14 to 0, with the United States abstaining. To pass, a U.N. resolution requires approval by 9 out of 15 members of the Security Council, and no vetoes by any of the 5 permanent members, including the U.S.

By not using the United States' veto to prevent it from coming up for a vote, Obama effectively endorsed the resolution. As Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz put it, "an abstention is a vote for the resolution."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement that said, "Israel rejects this shameful anti-Israel resolution at the U.N. and will not abide by its terms."

"At a time when the Security Council does nothing to stop the slaughter of half a million people in Syria, it disgracefully gangs up on the one true democracy in the Middle East, Israel, and calls the Western Wall ‘occupied territory.'"

Netanyahu said Obama's administration "not only failed to protect Israel against this gang-up at the U.N., it colluded with it behind the scenes."

The Israeli leader added, "Israel looks forward to working with President-elect Trump and with all our friends in Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, to negate the harmful effects of this absurd resolution."

After the resolution passed, President-elect Trump tweeted, "As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th."

Republicans responded to the resolution by threatening to cut off funding for the U.N.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in a statement, "[T]he consequences of this disgraceful U.N. resolution should be severe. I look forward to working with Sen. Graham, and with the incoming Administration of President-elect Trump, to significantly reduce or even eliminate U.S. funding of the United Nations, and also to seriously reconsider financial support for the nations that supported this resolution."

He added, "For eight long years, the Obama administration has worked systematically to undermine the nation of Israel. They actively worked to defeat Prime Minister Netanyahu, and illegally used U.S. taxpayer funds to do so. Never has there been a more anti-Israel Administration, and today's United Nations vote is the culmination of their systemic agenda to weaken Israel and strengthen its enemies."

But, Palestinian leader Mustafa Barghouti jubilantly proclaimed,"This is a victory for the people and for the cause, and it opens doors wide for the demand of sanctions on settlements."

Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement, "We cannot in good conscience stand in the way of a resolution at the United Nations that makes clear that both sides must act now to preserve the possibility of peace."

"President Obama and Secretary Kerry are behind this shameful move against Israel at the U.N.," charged an Israeli official before the vote, calling it "an abandonment of Israel which breaks decades of U.S. policy of protecting Israel at the U.N."

Critics such as Dershowitz call Obama's gambit "unprecedented" because, even though the U.S. officially opposes the West Bank settlements, it has always opposed consequential votes in the U.N. against Israel.

Making Obama's decision even more consequential is the fact the incoming Trump administration cannot overturn a U.N. resolution.

Dershowitz accused the president of acting to "selfishly try to burnish his personal legacy at the expense of our national and international interests," and charged, "Obama is determined – after 8 years of frustration and failure in bringing together the Israelis and Palestinians – to leave his mark on the mid-East peace process."

The issue has been a source of frustration for U.S. administrations ever since Arabs attacked Israel in 1967, only to lose the West Bank and Gaza, then demand the return of the territories. Israel gave back Gaza but its government maintains the tiny Jewish state needs to retain the West Bank and allow settlers there in order to maintain a buffer zone against terrorists and any future invasion.

Most establishment politicians in the U.S., and most world leaders, consider Israel's control of the territories to be the major obstacle to peace between the Palestinians and the Jewish state, and the so-called two-state solution.

But the man President-elect Trump has designated to become the next U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, doesn't believe Israeli control of the territories is the obstacle to peace. He believes the problem is Palestinian intransigence.

Friedman has said he "doesn't see much opportunity for progress until the Palestinians renounce violence and accept Israel as a Jewish state."

Even though not yet president, Trump had intervened to stop the resolution by persuading Egypt to withdraw it. But several other sponsors, Venezuela, Malaysia, Senegal and New Zealand, went ahead and introduced it on Friday, allowing the resolution to come up for a vote.

After abstaining from the vote, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power explained the Obama administration's position that, "This resolution reflects trends that will permanently destroy the two state solution if they continue on their current course."

But Israel's U.N. ambassador, Danny Danon, was livid at the Obama administration's role, saying, "It was to be expected that Israel's greatest ally would act in accordance with the values that we share and that they would have vetoed this disgraceful resolution."

Dershowtiz, a Democrat and generally a supporter of Obama, previously detailed to WND his sharp disagreement with the president on the Iran deal and his deep concern it would threaten Israel's security.

The Harvard law professor was particularly scathing in his criticism of Obama and the U.N. resolution in an editorial published on Friday morning just before the U.N.vote, saying, "The United States was trying to hide its active ‘behind the scenes' roll by preparing to abstain rather than voting for the resolution."

Dershowitz blasted "President Obama's lame duck attempt to tie the hands of his successor" as "both counterproductive to peace and undemocratic in nature."

The Democrat also defended Trump.

"The effect, therefore of the Obama decision to push for, and abstain from, a vote on this resolution is to deliberately tie the hands of President Obama's successors, most particularly President elect Trump. That is why Trump did the right thing in reaction to Obama's provocation. Had the lame duck president not tried to tie the incoming president's hands, Trump would not have intervened at this time."

Dershowitz portrayed Obama's move as a strategic blunder and an obstacle to peace because passage of the resolution "would disincentivize the Palestinians from accepting Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu's invitation to sit down and negotiate with no preconditions."

"And," he added, "a Security Council resolution siding with the Palestinians would give the Palestinians the false hope that they could get a state through the United Nations without having to make painful sacrifices."

The Democrat concluded with a particularly blistering summation of the president's legacy.

"One would think that Obama would have learned from his past mistakes in the mid-East. He has alienated the Saudis, the Egyptians, the Jordanians, the Emirates and other allies by his actions and inactions with regard to Iran, Syria, Egypt and Iraq. Everything he has touched has turned to sand."

Obama Betrays Israel At the United Nations - is America's Reprieve Now Over?
Dec 26th, 2016
CommentaryMICHAEL SNYDER/ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG
Categories: The Nation Of Israel

Barack Obama actually did it.  Despite enormous pressure from the government of Israel, President-elect Donald Trump and members of his own party in Congress, Barack Obama decided to stick a knife in Israel's back at the United Nations.  

On Friday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution that calls for a "two-State solution based on the 1967 lines" and that shockingly states that "the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity".  

This resolution was approved by a vote of 14 to 0, and the U.S. abstained from voting.  But essentially the outcome of the vote was going to be determined by Barack Obama.  

For decades, the U.S. veto power on the UN Security Council has shielded Israel from these types of resolutions, but this time around Obama decided to betray Israel by allowing this vote to pass.  Needless to say, this vote is going to have enormous implications for Israel, for the United States, and for the entire globe.

Just five days ago, I published one of the most important articles that I have ever written.  It was entitled "The Real Reason Why America Has Been Given A Reprieve", and in that article I explained why the U.S. has experienced a season of blessing since blocking a potential UN Security Council resolution that France wanted to introduce that would have formally divided the land of Israel in September 2015.  

As I stated in that previous article, it is my contention that the reason why things have gone so well for the United States over the past 16 months is because Barack Obama made the right decision in September 2015 and chose to protect the land of Israel from being divided.

But now that Barack Obama has reversed course and has greatly betrayed Israel, is America's reprieve now over?

For months, I have been warning that Barack Obama may do something like this at the UN during the waning days of his presidency.  You can see some examples of my previous warnings here, here and here.  And I have also been warning about the severe consequences that the United States would face if our government did ultimately decide to betray Israel.

This UN Security Council resolution that was passed on Friday was originally going to be put up for a vote on Thursday.  But after enormous pressure from the government of Israel and from President-elect Donald Trump, Egypt decided to withdraw the resolution that they had proposed at the last moment.

When that happened, it looked like everything was going to be okay.

However, temporary members of the UN Security Council New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal immediately objected to Egypt's move, and they indicated that they would submit the resolution for a vote if Egypt would not.

So on Friday a vote took place, and Obama did what many had been fearing.  The following comes from the New York Times...

Defying extraordinary pressure from President-elect Donald J. Trump and furious lobbying by Israel, the Obama administration on Friday allowed the United Nations Security Council to adopt a contentious resolution that condemned Israeli settlement construction.

The administration's decision not to veto the measure broke a longstanding American tradition of serving as Israel's sturdiest diplomatic shield.

President-elect Trump publicly said that he would have vetoed this resolution, but now it will be virtually impossible for him to reverse it.

Another vote of the UN Security Council would be necessary to reverse it, and the votes simply would not be there.  And even if they were, either Russia or China could use the veto power that they possess to block it.

So this resolution is going to be permanent, and it is considered to be legally binding on both Israel and the Palestinians.

It seems fitting that Barack Obama is vacationing in Hawaii while all of this drama is playing out.  Perhaps while he is on the golf course he is enjoying a good laugh about how he really stuck it to his long-time nemesis Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Needless to say, the Israeli government is absolutely furious that Obama has betrayed them.  The following comes from U.S. News & World Report...

An Israeli official on Friday accused President Barack Obama of colluding with the Palestinians in a "shameful move against Israel at the U.N." after learning the White House did not intend to veto a Security Council resolution condemning settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem the day before.

"President Obama and Secretary Kerry are behind this shameful move against Israel at the U.N.," the official said. "The U.S administration secretly cooked up with the Palestinians an extreme anti-Israeli resolution behind Israel's back which would be a tail wind for terror and boycotts and effectively make the Western Wall occupied Palestinian territory," he said calling it "an abandonment of Israel which breaks decades of US policy of protecting Israel at the UN."

You can read the full text of the UN Security Council resolution that was just adopted right here.  These are some of the highlights that I pulled out of the document...

-It refers to Israel as "the occupying Power"

-It calls for a "two-State solution based on the 1967 lines"

-It speaks of a Middle East "where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders"

-It demands "the dismantlement of all settlement outposts erected since March 20013

-To me, the following is the key paragraph in the entire resolution...

Reaffirms that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace

-It stipulates "that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem"

-It states that the UN Security Council "will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations"

-It expresses a belief that "the cessation of all Israeli settlement activities is essential for salvaging the two-State solution, and calls for affirmative steps to be taken immediately to reverse the negative trends on the ground that are imperilling the two-State solution"

-It calls on all UN member states "to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967.

This is the most anti-Israel resolution that the UN Security Council has ever passed, and it never would have happened without Barack Obama's approval.

The Israeli government and the Obama administration have had a very strained relationship for years, and this moment represents the culmination of tensions that have been building for a very long time.

But does this resolution actually represent the "division of the land of Israel" at the United Nations that so many have been waiting for?

I don't know if I have a definitive answer to that question for you today.  The language of this resolution does not directly give formal recognition to a Palestinian state, but it does speak of a "democratic state" of "Palestine", and it does speak of "Palestinian territory".  

It calls Israel "the occupying Power", and it does say that all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem are illegal.  And on top of everything else, the UN Security Council clearly stated that it "will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations".

So it seems clear that the UN Security Council has affirmed three major points that we have been watching for...

#1 A Palestinian state exists.

#2 The 1967 ceasefire lines represent the borders between the state of Israel and Palestine, but future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians could alter these borders.

#3 East Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinians.  This resolution does not refer to East Jerusalem as the future capital of Palestine, but that is obviously what is intended.

But perhaps another resolution will come later which will give official UN Security Council recognition to a Palestinian state.

At this point, we just don't know.

However, what we do know is that for decades whenever the U.S. has taken steps toward dividing the land of Israel it has resulted in dramatic consequences for our nation.

It is my contention that this betrayal of Israel at the United Nations by Barack Obama represents a major turning point.  

I believe that America's reprieve is now over, and that many of the things that people have been anticipating since September 2015 will start happening.

Barack Obama just made the worst decision of his entire presidency, and from this point forward nothing is ever going to be the same again

Let the Headlines Speak
Dec 26th, 2016
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines

Fed Up With United States Trickery, Netanyahu Takes Drastic Actions
In what may be an unprecedented stage in Israel-US relations, Netanyahu placed the bulk of the blame on the United States. Specifically, on outgoing President Barack Obama who used the opportunity to take a parting shot at the Israeli Prime Minister.  

Keith Ellison Backs Out of Radical Muslim Conference
Minnesota congressman Keith Ellison cancelled his scheduled appearance the Muslim American Society’s annual conference, where he was slated to deliver the keynote address. Ellison’s name and picture, which were previously featured prominently on the convention website’s homepage, have been removed completely. He was also removed from the full list of convention speakers.  

World War 3 tensions rise as China sends WAR FLEET towards Taiwan
MILITARY tensions have been raised after China sent a fleet of warships towards Taiwan in what it called a “routine exercise” in the South China Sea.  

Netanyahu: ‘According to UN, Maccabees Did Not Liberate Jerusalem, They Occupied Palestinian Territory’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lit the second candle on Chanukah Sunday night at the Western Wall, saying he hadn’t planned to be at that place at that time, but “in light of the UN resolution, I thought that there was no better place to light the second Chanukah candle than the Western Wall.”  

Israel to approve 100s of new homes in East Jerusalem in defiance of UNSC resolution – reports
The Jerusalem Local Planning and Construction Committee is expected on Wednesday to approve permits to build 618 apartments in Jewish neighborhoods across the Green Line, Haaretz reported. According to other Israeli media reports, the Committee might approve as many as 5,600 homes in response to the United Nations Security Council resolution which condemned Israeli settlement activities and called for a halt to illegal construction.  

Israel Recalling U.S. Ambassador
In response to the United States’ decision to abstain from a controversial U.N. vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday summoned his country’s U.S. ambassador back to his country. Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Dan Shapiro has been called back to Israel....  

Trump Receives Standing Ovation At Christmas Eve Church Service
President-elect Donald Trump and future first lady Melania Trump received a standing ovation Christmas Eve when they arrived unannounced at a 10:30 p.m. church service. Trump attended a Christmas Eve church service at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, a historic church just a short drive from his Mar-a-Lago Estate in South Florida.  

Remembering North Korea's Christian martyrs
Christmas is a time of great celebration for the world's two billion or so Christians. In one part of the planet, though, the lights are out. There is not be a flicker of recognition of the festival in North Korea - or not in public. It may be celebrated secretly, particularly as 2016 is the anniversary of a great Christian martyrdom on the banks of the Taedong river in Pyongyang.  

Man Easily Enters Germany Dressed As ISIS Fighter
A masked man holding an Islamic State flag took a video of himself entering Germany to show just how non-existent border controls are in the country.  

U.N. watchdog exposes secret concessions in Obama’s Iran deal
President Barack Obama, in addition to allegedly financially empowering Iran and setting them up for future development of nuclear weapons, also apparently stood behind...“secret exemptions” contained in the...Iran Deal. ...The International Atomic Energy Agency...posted documents revealing...exemptions in January that permit the country to stockpile uranium in excess of the 300 kilogram limit set by the nuclear deal, experts said.  

Berlin plans ‘center of defense against fake news’ ahead of elections – report
The German government is seeking to create a center of defense against disinformation ahead of next year’s elections, in the wake of ongoing “fake news” and "Russian hackers" hysteria... The Federal Press Office in the Chancellery, which has a staff of over 500 professionals, will take the leading role in establishing the fake news defense center...  

Revealed: British councils used Ripa to secretly spy on public
Councils were given permission to carry out more than 55,000 days of covert surveillance over five years, including spying on people walking dogs, feeding pigeons and fly-tipping... A mass freedom of information request has found...two-thirds of the 283 that responded – used the government’s Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa) to gather evidence via secret listening devices, cameras and private detectives.  

China's 1st aircraft carrier sails into South China Sea
China's first aircraft carrier and five other warships passed by Taiwan and sailed into the contested South China Sea on Monday, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said. The ships, led by the Liaoning, sailed past the Pratas Islands, also known as the Dongsha Islands, a Taiwan-controlled atoll in the northern part of the South China Sea, according to the ministry.  

Death knell sounds for Obama doctrine as Aleppo falls to Assad loyalists
The fall of the rebel-held Syrian city of Aleppo to Russian- and Iranian-backed forces loyal to President Bashar Assad sounds the death knell for the outgoing Obama administration’s hands-off counterterrorism doctrine, analysts say. The final batches of anti-Assad fighters vacated formerly rebel-held areas of eastern Aleppo on Friday, officially bringing the city...under the regime’s control.  

Iran says will only pay half price for new Boeing planes
Iran's official IRNA news agency is reporting the deputy transport minister as saying that his county will only pay half of the announced price for 80 new Boeing planes... Iran announced earlier this month that it had finalized the deal, which was made possible by last year's landmark nuclear agreement.  

Fighting back: How Indonesia's elite police turned the tide on militants
As the world battles a spike in assaults and plots by Islamist militants, Indonesia's anti-terrorism unit is drawing praise for stemming a wave of bloody attacks in the sprawling Muslim-majority nation. Indonesia has foiled at least 15 attacks this year alone and made more than 150 arrests, disrupting plots ranging from suicide attacks in Jakarta to a rocket attack from Indonesia's Batam island targeting Singapore.  

Rabbi uses National Menorah lighting to trash Obama UN move
The rabbi in charge of the National Hanukkah Menorah lighting used the ceremony...to criticize the Obama administration's decision to allow the United Nations to pass a resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank and portions of Jerusalem as illegal. Rabbi Levi Shemtov...turned an Obama administration official's speech about "fighting darkness with light" on its head...  

Australia flood: Uluru national park closed after huge rainfall
A record amount of rainfall has led to the closure of Australia's famous national park at Uluru. Waterfalls appeared all over the landmark, also known as Ayers Rock, at the heart of the park in central Australia. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) described the massive Christmas storm as a twice-a-century weather event.  

Former US envoy to Israel: 'Nasty' language directed at Obama 'unacceptable'
The harsh language being levied from Jerusalem against the Obama administration in the wake of a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements is "unprecedented" and "unacceptable,"... In an interview...Dan Kurtzer, who severed under...George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005, said that it should be "no surprise to people that the international community...has strong opposition to what Israel is doing in the West Bank."  

France's Le Pen Promises to Withdraw from EU and NATO if Elected
I'd like to be able to say France withdrawing from the EU is a potential downside catalyst for stocks. However, these days nothing matters. Stocks would go up if nuclear war was initiated wordwide. There's literally nothing that can stop stocks from heading higher. But in the event you're still nostalgic about news, France's Le Pen wants stronger ties with Moscow, out of the EU and NATO -- in an effort to make France great again.  

Kim Jong-un bans Christmas, makes North Korea worship grandma
Kim Jong-un is the Grinch who stole Christmas. North Korea’s tubby tyrant wants the few Christians in the hermit state to spread cheer only to celebrate his grandma, Kim Jong-suk – not the birth of Jesus.  

Berlin plans ‘center of defense against fake news’ ahead of elections – report
The German government is seeking to create a center of defense against disinformation ahead of next year’s elections, in the wake of ongoing “fake news” and "Russian hackers" hysteria generated during the election cycle in the United States. The Federal Press Office in the Chancellery, which has a staff of over 500 professionals, will take the leading role in establishing the fake news defense center, Der Spiegel reported quoting a note from an anonymous Interior Ministry staff member.  

A&E Cancels KKK Docuseries Following Criticism
A&E has pulled the plug on its upcoming docuseries centered on the KKK. The network announced their plans to scrap the project, which was intended to serve as a close look at anti-hate extractors focused on helping people leave the Ku Klux Klan, in a statement released Saturday.  

Is California splitting away? Group believes California should form its own nation
California’s been described as a nation unto itself. Could it be? “Yes California,” a pro-secession group, filed paperwork with the state attorney general in November for a proposed 2018 ballot measure to strike language in the state constitution binding California to the United States.  

World Pakistan Threatens Nuclear Attack On Israel
Concern about the effects of fake news racheted up a notch Sunday with a tweet from Pakistan’s defense minister threatening nuclear war with Israel on the mistaken belief Israel’s defense minister had threatened Pakistan if it sent troops to Syria.  

Evangelicals and Assisted Suicide: Playing God is Always Wrong
Dec 26th, 2016
Daily NewsERIC METAXAS/BREAKPOINT.ORG
Categories: Contemporary Issues

If it's right to oppose the killing of human beings at the beginning of life, why do so many evangelicals say it's okay near the end of life?

Evangelical support for the pro-life cause is both well-known and extensive. The Pew Research Center says a full 75 percent are still willing to tell a pollster that "having an abortion is morally wrong."

But there's disturbing news when it comes to evangelicals and another pro-life issue: assisted suicide. According to Lifeway Research, 38 percent of those who profess to be evangelical--nearly four in ten--agree with the following statement: "When a person is facing a painful terminal disease, it is morally acceptable to ask for a physician's aid in taking his or her own life."

In other words, physician-assisted suicide is okay--at least in some circumstances. So how in the world is that "pro-life"?

Yes, a majority--62 percent--of evangelicals oppose euthanasia. But as BreakPoint This Week co-host Ed Stetzer says, it's not nearly good enough.

"A shockingly high number of evangelicals believe that it is now okay for people to take their own lives when they see fit," Ed notes. "When we filter the biblical truth that God gives and God takes away, that God creates and God ends, this 38 percent is quite disturbing."

Disturbing indeed. How did we get here? For one thing, Lifeway's Scott McConnell says too many Christians are not thinking like Christians. "Traditional Christian teaching says God holds the keys to life and death," Scott says. "Those who go to church or hold more traditional beliefs are less likely to see assisted suicide as morally acceptable. Still, a surprising number do."

It might be that the desire to avoid suffering at all costs--one of the cornerstones of today's post-Christian worldview--trumps any and all biblical considerations.

No wonder that in November, Colorado voters gave the thumbs-up to Proposition 106, also known by its Orwellian title: "The End of Life Options Act." 

Among many of its problems, Proposition 106 does not require psychiatric evaluation for patients requesting suicide--this despite the fact that many suicidal people are suffering from depression and could be helped!

What makes all this even more troubling is that so many evangelicals and other Christians have imbibed this secular outlook. It certainly is not Christian. 

"Let me be clear," Ed says: "No one wants to suffer. It is a result of our fallen world. All of creation, indeed, all of humanity, groans under the weight of sin and death .... Of course, we don't run toward pain and suffering, willing it upon ourselves. But neither shall we flee from it as though it has no use."

Ed then goes on to quote scriptures that show how God wills suffering in our lives to build character, endurance, and hope--and he reminds us that we can agree with the apostle Paul that "the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

This fallen world cannot provide what only heaven offers. Nor should it. Richard Baxter, the great eighteenth century Puritan pastor, reminds us that our sufferings and extremities can glorify the God who allows them in our lives in ways that few other things can. 

"If our rest was here," Baxter said, "most of God's providences must be useless. Should God lose the glory of his church's miraculous deliverances... that men may have their happiness here?"

As difficult as it is to suffer or to watch our loved ones suffer, playing God is always wrong, whether at the beginning of life--or at its end. There can be purpose in pain. And there is hope, for today and tomorrow.

As Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians, Jesus "was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but ... we will live with him by the power of God."

Culture Wars: Colleges Abandon Open Debate to Create Leftist Safe Spaces
Dec 26th, 2016
CommentaryPNW STAFF
Categories: Contemporary Issues

University campuses used to be places for open discourse and intellectual debate, but this is no longer true thanks to a chorus of voices on the left.

Calls for "safe spaces" where students won't be emotionally "triggered" by ideas with which they disagree have multiplied and the number of violent protests, overwhelmingly against conservative speakers, have exploded in the past year. 

Classes that previously taught political philosophy, rhetoric, debate and moral philosophy are either closing or finding it difficult to continue under student pressure to censure thinking that doesn't lean left.

The most recent example of leftist student groups issuing demands to mold universities into safe echo chambers is the 64 point list of demands issued to the University of Maryland. 

A coalition of 25 student organizations is pushing for a wide range of demands, e.g. #1 requiring diversity training to all Greek organizations, and #45 one room in each major building designated for Muslim prayer.

Demand #55 stipulates a "full-time undocumented-student coordinator" who would "advocate, advise, represent and protect undocumented students". 

Demand #34 mandates faculty training for inclusion of "queer folks" and number 20 requires that the university verbally acknowledge at every event that the campus is built on indigenous land, whatever that is supposed to mean. From the random mixing of roommate genders (#35) to opening classes that counteract negative images of Islam (#48), the list goes on.

According to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, (FIRE), the number of speakers who were uninvited after being invited to speak at campus events reached a record high of 46 in 2016.

Students on many campuses have not been satisfied simply to publish lists and peacefully ask for their leftist utopias either.

Violent incidents doubled between 2015 and 2016, with 42 incidents reported on universities, which beats the previous yearly record of 34 set in 2013. 

Of those 42 incidents in 2016, fully 35 of them were caused by left-leaning students and the majority of the speakers who were turned away after securing an invitation were right-leaning.

In one case, John Derbyshire had his invitation to speak at Williams College canceled by its president, Adam Falk, due to fears that Derbyshire's speech could be offensive to Black students. 

Yet it was the Black community, through African-American student Zach Woods, who had invited the speaker as part of the "uncomfortable learning series" that brings controversial speakers to campus.

Ari Cohn, the director of FIRE's Individual Rights Defense Program was quoted as saying, " The increasing unwillingness to allow anyone on campus to hear ideas with which one disagrees poses a grave risk to students' intellectual development. 

Rather than seeking to banish controversial or offensive ideas from campus, students would be far better off if they confronted, grappled with, and rigorously debated the views that they find disagreeable."

The teaching itself at many universities has been stifled and warped by leftist censorship that is anything but liberal, in the classical sense. It was at the University of Texas at Austin in 2011 that Professor Daniel Bonevac canceled his popular philosophy class "Contemporary Moral Problems" because students refused or were afraid to apply classical philosophy to consider both sides of a debate.

The extremely popular class, which had run for 20 years to groups of 600 students, used the philosophical works of Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, Kant, Mill, Rawls and others, as well as contemporary thinkers to approach moral issues from multiple perspectives. 

Bonevac and his students grappled with such hot-button issues as drug legalization, sexual behavior, the environment, abortion, capital punishment, war, economic equality, affirmative action and immigration. 

That was until several students began to shut down discussion and intimidate other students into silence.

Bonevac would often present one side of an issue on a Monday lecture, providing it with the best support available, and then reverse that position and present its opposite on the Wednesday class. 

Bonevac explained, "Teaching the course successfully requires presenting a fair balance of arguments, treating each side respectfully but also critically, and exposing students to the best arguments I can find on each side."

Students have come to see their own familiar views as boring and those of their opponents as dangerous, and debate was shut down as students feared being labeled as racist, misogynist or any number of other terms.

Demanding "safe places" free of opposing views and condemning debate for fear it would "trigger" emotional responses is incredibly destructive to intellectual development. 

Through this trend from the left, higher education is being robbed of the ability to engage critical thinking, expose students to a change of views and allow healthy debate on campus.