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Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.
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from CNSNews.com (& MRC & NewsBusters)
RIGHT BIAS
These NFL Players Protested the National Anthem in Week 13
Nearly two dozen National Football League (NFL) players from ten teams protested the National Anthem in Week 13 of the season. While the Seattle Seahawks had, by far, the most players protesting during the playing of the Anthem, in most cases, only one player protested.
CEI’s Myron Ebell Comments on Trump's Proclamations Downsizing two Utah National Monuments
President Trump's announcement yesterday to downsize two National Monuments in Utah is a great step forward in redressing past abuses of the Antiquities Act, which has been used to lock up millions of acres of land for the federal government.
These NFL Players Protested the National Anthem in Week 13
Nearly two dozen National Football League (NFL) players from ten teams protested the National Anthem in Week 13 of the season. While the Seattle Seahawks had, by far, the most players protesting during the playing of the Anthem, in most cases, only one player protested.
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from Competitive Enterprise Institute
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS
President Trump's announcement yesterday to downsize two National Monuments in Utah is a great step forward in redressing past abuses of the Antiquities Act, which has been used to lock up millions of acres of land for the federal government.
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from The Daily Caller
RIGHT BIAS
Top Clinton Aides Face No Charges After Making False Statements To FBI
Top Clinton Aides Face No Charges After Making False Statements To FBI
The FBI agent who was fired from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation team for sending anti-Donald Trump text messages conducted the interviews with two Hillary Clinton aides accused of giving false statements about what they knew of the former secretary of state’s private email server. Neither of the Clinton associates, Cheryl Mills and Huma Abedin, faced legal consequences for their misleading statements, which they made in interviews last year with former FBI section chief Peter Strzok.
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from Daily Wire
RIGHT BIAS, MIXED, American news and opinion website
Walsh: Dear Liberal Christians, It's Not The Government's Job To Give To The Poor. It's Yours.
There are legitimate reasons to criticize the GOP tax plan. Here, on the other hand, is a very illegitimate reason I've heard countless times from liberal Christians: The Bible wants us to pay higher taxes in order to help the poor. By receiving a tax cut, we are taking money away from the poor. Especially by cutting entitlements, which is supposed to be the next step for Republicans in Congress, we are shirking our Christian responsibility to care for the least of these. This is the "Christian" argument for Socialism, and Christian socialists have been making it for decades.
Walsh: Dear Liberal Christians, It's Not The Government's Job To Give To The Poor. It's Yours.
There are legitimate reasons to criticize the GOP tax plan. Here, on the other hand, is a very illegitimate reason I've heard countless times from liberal Christians: The Bible wants us to pay higher taxes in order to help the poor. By receiving a tax cut, we are taking money away from the poor. Especially by cutting entitlements, which is supposed to be the next step for Republicans in Congress, we are shirking our Christian responsibility to care for the least of these. This is the "Christian" argument for Socialism, and Christian socialists have been making it for decades.
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from The Heritage Foundation
RIGHT BIAS, MIXED, think tank in Washington, D.C
The Senate Voted to Kill Obamacare’s Individual Mandate. Why That Was a Wise Call.
Obamacare’s individual mandate to buy federally standardized health insurance is a tax, courtesy of the Supreme Court’s elaborate exercise in creative writing: National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012). Legislators should judge a law by its results, not by good intentions. The record is clear: This particular tax is both unworkable and unfair. The Senate’s decision last week to repeal it is thus sound policy. The individual mandate tax is not working. Its policy objective is to increase enrollment in private coverage and deter un-insurance.
Why Congress Should Not Legalize DACA: The Myths Surrounding the Program
Congress should not provide amnesty to the beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program at this time. This effort is fundamentally flawed and would only encourage even more illegal immigration—just as the 1986 amnesty in the Immigration Reform and Control Act did. Congress should instead concentrate on enhancing immigration enforcement and border security to reduce the flow of illegal aliens into the country. The U.S. should not reward law breaking, incentivize criminal behavior, or provide benefits or preferential treatment to illegal aliens ahead of legal immigrants to the United States.
DACA Is Not What the Democrats Say It Is. Here Are the Facts.
Some members of Congress are threatening to block government funding unless Congress provides amnesty to so-called Dreamers—the illegal aliens included in President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which President Donald Trump is ending. Responsible members of Congress should not give in. Such an effort would be fundamentally flawed and would only encourage even more illegal immigration—just as the 1986 amnesty in the Immigration Reform and Control Act did.
As Christian Baker Heads to Court, Hundreds of Artists Speak Out to Defend Free Expression
The Supreme Court is gearing up to hear one of the most important cases of the 2017 term. In Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the Court will consider whether the state of Colorado may compel cake artist Jack Phillips to create custom wedding cakes for same-sex weddings in violation of his religious beliefs. The Court’s decision in this case won’t just affect Phillips. It will affect other artists who may want to decline to use their creative talents on projects that violate their own consciences.
Enforcing Tolerance Through Intolerance: Masterpiece Cakeshop, Free Speech, and Religious Liberty
Everyone ultimately benefits from robust freedom of speech and religious liberty. Both sides of the same-sex marriage debate can and should be accommodated. This accommodation benefits all Americans by promoting pluralism, respect for the First Amendment, and ongoing civil discussion on controversial issues. The overwhelming majority of businesses are willing to perform services and provide goods for same-sex weddings. But that does not mean that every service provider ought to be forced to provide customized goods or services in support of same-sex marriage when doing so would violate his or her sincerely held beliefs. Americans who believe that marriage is between one man and one woman should enjoy the same freedoms as other citizens—including the right to think with their minds, speak with their mouths, and work with their hands according to their beliefs. To protect the freedoms of expression and religion of all Americans, the Supreme Court must continue to distinguish between people and the ideas they espouse. The government can support respect for all without trampling individual consciences and chilling speech in order to compel conformity. The Constitution and the Supreme Court’s own precedents deeply respect the freedoms of all, even those whose opinions are unpopular.
“Protecting” Private Union Pensions with Bottomless Bailouts Is a Recipe for Disaster
A new bill in Congress, the Butch Lewis Act, would provide bottomless bailouts to private union pension plans. The bill would provide taxpayer-backed loans to insolvent private union pensions and also require taxpayers to provide direct bailouts if the loans are not enough to cover 100 percent of promised benefits. This would prop up reckless and declining unions and businesses while undermining and threatening the existence of more viable, responsible, and competitive ones. Instead of opening the door to multi-trillion-dollar pension bailouts, Congress should end its unfair treatment of union pension plans and reform the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to protect pensioners.
Strengthen the Budget Control Act, Don’t Abandon It
The Budget Control Act, passed in 2011, is one of the few mechanisms currently in place to control Congress’ appetite for spending. With the national debt projected to skyrocket over the next decade, now is not the time to abandon it. Congress should seize the upcoming budget debate as an opportunity to recommit to fiscal responsibility. Congress should reject any effort to increase the BCA caps and instead reform elements of the act and live within its overall limits. If Congress does decide to increase discretionary spending limits, those increases should be fully paid for with meaningful mandatory reforms, including interest. Congress has a spending problem. The BCA is one of the few tools in place that encourages fiscal responsibility, and it should not be abandoned.
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The Senate Voted to Kill Obamacare’s Individual Mandate. Why That Was a Wise Call.
Obamacare’s individual mandate to buy federally standardized health insurance is a tax, courtesy of the Supreme Court’s elaborate exercise in creative writing: National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012). Legislators should judge a law by its results, not by good intentions. The record is clear: This particular tax is both unworkable and unfair. The Senate’s decision last week to repeal it is thus sound policy. The individual mandate tax is not working. Its policy objective is to increase enrollment in private coverage and deter un-insurance.
Why Congress Should Not Legalize DACA: The Myths Surrounding the Program
Congress should not provide amnesty to the beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program at this time. This effort is fundamentally flawed and would only encourage even more illegal immigration—just as the 1986 amnesty in the Immigration Reform and Control Act did. Congress should instead concentrate on enhancing immigration enforcement and border security to reduce the flow of illegal aliens into the country. The U.S. should not reward law breaking, incentivize criminal behavior, or provide benefits or preferential treatment to illegal aliens ahead of legal immigrants to the United States.
DACA Is Not What the Democrats Say It Is. Here Are the Facts.
Some members of Congress are threatening to block government funding unless Congress provides amnesty to so-called Dreamers—the illegal aliens included in President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which President Donald Trump is ending. Responsible members of Congress should not give in. Such an effort would be fundamentally flawed and would only encourage even more illegal immigration—just as the 1986 amnesty in the Immigration Reform and Control Act did.
As Christian Baker Heads to Court, Hundreds of Artists Speak Out to Defend Free Expression
The Supreme Court is gearing up to hear one of the most important cases of the 2017 term. In Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the Court will consider whether the state of Colorado may compel cake artist Jack Phillips to create custom wedding cakes for same-sex weddings in violation of his religious beliefs. The Court’s decision in this case won’t just affect Phillips. It will affect other artists who may want to decline to use their creative talents on projects that violate their own consciences.
Enforcing Tolerance Through Intolerance: Masterpiece Cakeshop, Free Speech, and Religious Liberty
Everyone ultimately benefits from robust freedom of speech and religious liberty. Both sides of the same-sex marriage debate can and should be accommodated. This accommodation benefits all Americans by promoting pluralism, respect for the First Amendment, and ongoing civil discussion on controversial issues. The overwhelming majority of businesses are willing to perform services and provide goods for same-sex weddings. But that does not mean that every service provider ought to be forced to provide customized goods or services in support of same-sex marriage when doing so would violate his or her sincerely held beliefs. Americans who believe that marriage is between one man and one woman should enjoy the same freedoms as other citizens—including the right to think with their minds, speak with their mouths, and work with their hands according to their beliefs. To protect the freedoms of expression and religion of all Americans, the Supreme Court must continue to distinguish between people and the ideas they espouse. The government can support respect for all without trampling individual consciences and chilling speech in order to compel conformity. The Constitution and the Supreme Court’s own precedents deeply respect the freedoms of all, even those whose opinions are unpopular.
“Protecting” Private Union Pensions with Bottomless Bailouts Is a Recipe for Disaster
A new bill in Congress, the Butch Lewis Act, would provide bottomless bailouts to private union pension plans. The bill would provide taxpayer-backed loans to insolvent private union pensions and also require taxpayers to provide direct bailouts if the loans are not enough to cover 100 percent of promised benefits. This would prop up reckless and declining unions and businesses while undermining and threatening the existence of more viable, responsible, and competitive ones. Instead of opening the door to multi-trillion-dollar pension bailouts, Congress should end its unfair treatment of union pension plans and reform the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to protect pensioners.
Strengthen the Budget Control Act, Don’t Abandon It
The Budget Control Act, passed in 2011, is one of the few mechanisms currently in place to control Congress’ appetite for spending. With the national debt projected to skyrocket over the next decade, now is not the time to abandon it. Congress should seize the upcoming budget debate as an opportunity to recommit to fiscal responsibility. Congress should reject any effort to increase the BCA caps and instead reform elements of the act and live within its overall limits. If Congress does decide to increase discretionary spending limits, those increases should be fully paid for with meaningful mandatory reforms, including interest. Congress has a spending problem. The BCA is one of the few tools in place that encourages fiscal responsibility, and it should not be abandoned.
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from The Living Church
Magazine of The Living Church Foundation (Anglican)
The Vision Glorious
This week we begin to publish lightly edited versions of papers delivered at the conference “Anglo-Catholicism: Uncovering Roots,” held at Church of the Advent, Boston, November 15-16.
This lecture examines some of the principles that animated the leaders of the Oxford Movement and consider their relevance for contemporary opportunities and concerns. The title is inspired by one of the best presentations of the animating spirit of the Oxford Movement, The Vision Glorious: Themes and Personalities of the Catholic Revival in Anglicanism, by Geoffrey Rowell.
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from Mises Institute
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]If guilt is the best you have to offer a customer, you probably don't have that much to offer a customer.
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from Orthodox Christianity
Organization in Moscow, Russia
A great collection of photos of yesterday's Divine Liturgy at Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, that gathered primates and representatives from around the Orthodox world.
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from Orthodox Church in America
Religious Organization in Syosset, New York
On Saturday, December 2, 2017, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon was among the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches who addressed the Bishops Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Patriarchate and the Election of Patriarch Tikhon. Metropolitan Tikhon and a delegation from the Orthodox Church in America, at the invitation of His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, are participating in the special services and events marking these two historic events, the highlight of which was the celebration of the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy in Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral on Monday, December 4.
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from Psephizo
Community
What does a good sermon look like?
When I was teaching homiletics (preaching) in a theological college, I used to start by exploring the issue of what good and bad preaching look like. I did this indirectly—not by asking the question 'What does a good sermon look like?’ since this could easily have led to theoretical answers. Instead, I asked in turn for the group to think of a sermon that, for whatever reason, they would consider a ‘good’ sermon, and then to describe what that sermon was like, before quite separately asking them to think of a ‘bad’ sermon, and then describing what that one was like. (They were allowed, in either category, to think of sermons of their own or of others!)
What does a good sermon look like?
When I was teaching homiletics (preaching) in a theological college, I used to start by exploring the issue of what good and bad preaching look like. I did this indirectly—not by asking the question 'What does a good sermon look like?’ since this could easily have led to theoretical answers. Instead, I asked in turn for the group to think of a sermon that, for whatever reason, they would consider a ‘good’ sermon, and then to describe what that sermon was like, before quite separately asking them to think of a ‘bad’ sermon, and then describing what that one was like. (They were allowed, in either category, to think of sermons of their own or of others!)
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from The Spokesman-Review
Newspaper in Spokane, Washington
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