Rising Popularity Of Rent-A-Womb Industry Emboldens Pedophiles To Buy Proximity To Kids

/0 Comments/in , /by

Surrogacy is problematic for a whole host of reasons. It makes procreation and pregnancy transactional, creates morally and ethically reprehensible conundrums, hurts women and babies, has strong overlap with human trafficking, and reeks of corruption.

Arguably, the most alarming consequence that comes from the increasingly popular practice of renting wombs, however, is that surrogacy can be easily exploited by pedophiles and abusers to gain proximity to children.

One such example surfaced this week after internet sleuths discovered that one of the two men seen in a viral video celebrating a baby’s monthly milestones by kissing the boy’s face is a convicted pedophile.

Less than 10 years before Brandon Mitchell bought his son via surrogacy, the then-high school chemistry teacher earned himself several criminal charges for attempting to solicit images from a male teenage student. Subsequent investigation by law enforcement yielded more than 12,000 texts between the teacher and child as well as several pieces of sexually explicit media.

Mitchell was quickly convicted and sentenced to nearly two years in prison. After just two months, however, Mitchell was paroled on the condition that he would “have no unsupervised contact with minors.”

Thanks to unregulated fertility and surrogacy industries, however, Mitchell now has custody of a baby boy without so much as a required background check. (Read more from “Rising Popularity Of Rent-A-Womb Industry Emboldens Pedophiles To Buy Proximity To Kids” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Independence Day Sounds So Much Better Than ‘Fourth Of July’

/0 Comments/in , /by

As of Friday this week the United States is 249 years young. Do it the honor of marking our country’s birthday as “Independence Day,” rather than the far more common and clunky “Fourth of July.”

I’m not sure when I started caring to explicitly and exclusively refer to the holiday by it’s official name, but it’s something I’ve grown militant about. Not in a sanctimonious way, like a person who wants to flex his superior patriotism or knowledge on proper titles. But there are two reasons for it.

First, I’m a writer (a real one, not the fake Charles Blow kind). I pay attention to the way phrases sound and flow, always self-editing to make expressions concise and breezy. That’s both in print and speech. “Independence Day” includes one long word, but it sounds nice and is easy to say. “Fourth of July” by contrast is three short ones that when said aloud together are the audible equivalent of watching John Fetterman lurching forward in strap-on heels. It’s a plodding phrase with each syllable landing on the eardrum with a dull thud. I hate it. Further, Independence Day connotes a date of significance, with its own distinguished name. “Fourth of July” is simply the number of a day belonging to a summer month. It’s a phrase that also exhibits a lot of lip action, first biting the lower one to say “fourth” and then pursing them both for “July.” Ugly! The month itself isn’t even a pleasant one to say and I’m shocked it hasn’t yet been deemed as anti-Semitic by Jonah Goldberg. (Read more from “Independence Day Sounds So Much Better Than ‘Fourth Of July’” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

This Independence Day, Ditch the DNA Test and Learn More About Your American Ancestors

/0 Comments/in , /by

In recent years, Americans have become obsessed with learning about their ancient heritage. Only a few years ago, companies such as 23andMe and AncestryDNA celebrated their tens of millions of customers, whom they encouraged, in ridiculous commercials, to travel the world to find and develop deep connections with their far-flung roots. Then 23andMe — possessing all manner of private genetic and medical information — went bankrupt and was sold on July 1 to a nonprofit organization run by the company’s former CEO.

Nothing is inherently wrong with wanting to know about one’s ancestors — everyone should want to know from where and from whom they come. But the excessive interest in “the mother country” (or countries) often comes at the expense of learning about, and taking pride in, one’s American lineage. This Fourth of July, Americans should rekindle a knowledge and appreciation for how their family story plays into the greater American narrative of freedom and opportunity.

Remember, Your Ancestors Came to America

One irony of Americans’ interest in their roots from Europe, Asia, or Africa is that it tends to elide the fact that our ancestors chose to come here. Many immigrants came to America not because they hated their home country, but because they were fleeing something, such as religious persecution, political oppression, or poverty. However, many also believed the United States (or her predecessors — the colonies) offered something uniquely exciting and promising: freedom, opportunity, advancement. (Read more from “This Independence Day, Ditch the DNA Test and Learn More About Your American Ancestors” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Trump Enters His ‘Golden Age’ as Bill Passage Caps Long List of ‘Remarkable’ Accomplishments — Wowing Even Critics

/0 Comments/in , /by

President Trump is at the height of his political power following Thursday’s passage of his “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” — capping a remarkable two-week streak of domestic and foreign policy feats that even Democrats are calling impressive.

Trump, 79, will sign the bill fulfilling his major campaign pledges — including to cut taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security benefits — at a pre-fireworks Independence Day party on the White House lawn.

B-2 stealth bombers will fly over the celebration in recognition of their role in the Trump-ordered June 21 US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program, which was followed two days later by an equally unprecedented Trump-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Iran.

The commander-in-chief, riding high on that diplomatic coup, strong-armed NATO nations at the alliance’s annual conference to boost military spending to 5% of their GDP by 2035, after complaining for years that US allies were freeloading off American taxpayers.

He returned home to good news from the Supreme Court, which handed him wins on deporting illegal immigrants to third countries and restricting nationwide injunctions by district court judges — while CBS’s parent company agreed to fork over $16 million for purportedly deceptively editing an interview last year with Trump’s election rival, then-Vice President Kamala Harris. (Read more from “Trump Enters His ‘Golden Age’ as Bill Passage Caps Long List of ‘Remarkable’ Accomplishments — Wowing Even Critics” HERE)

What Does The Bible Really Say About Who The True Israel Is?

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Some months ago, the Christian doctrine of “ordo amoris” (the order of loves) made its way into mainstream discussion after J. D. Vance invoked it in an interview on the immigration issue. Now, something similar is happening with another Christian doctrine, God’s covenant with Israel, after a Ted Cruz interview with Tucker Carlson.

The issue is this: Is the modern nation state of Israel theologically and prophetically significant? Who are the covenant people of God today? Cruz invoked Genesis 12:3 to claim we are biblically obligated to support Israel if we seek God’s blessing — and we will be cursed if we do not support Israel, militarily and otherwise. But is that really so? Is the modern nation state of Israel the subject of Genesis 12:3? The question is not as straightforward as it might seem. After all, the apostle Paul says in Romans 9:6 that “not all who are Israel are Israel.”

Cruz’s views have been shaped by a school of theological thought called dispensationalism. While dispensationalism does not enjoy nearly the widespread acceptance it once had among American evangelicals, it is still very popular and has certainly made its mark on American foreign policy. Dispensationalism is a relative novelty in terms of church history — it only traces back as far as the 19th century, when it was first systematized and promoted by John Nelson Darby and the Plymouth Brethren. Its popularity is a distinctly American phenomenon, accelerating especially after the modern nation of Israel was established in 1948.

Dispensationalism became hugely influential through study Bibles (Scofield and Ryrie especially), end times charts, and the Left Behind book series. As a theological system, dispensationalism is defined primarily by maintaining a sharp distinction between Israel and the church. God has distinct plans for Jews and Gentiles. He has an earthly people with land promises (Israel) and a heavenly people with spiritual promises (the church). In dispensationalism, the church is a kind of “plan B,” a parenthesis unforeseen from the perspective of Old Testament prophets. Dispensationalism is a form of Zionism, holding that the Jews are the key to God’s purposes, and it is vital for Israel to be in the land promised to Abraham.

Dispensationalism was a significant departure from the more historic view of Israel’s relationship to the church, known as covenant theology. Covenant theology has been most fully developed in the Reformed tradition and teaches that Old Covenant Israel stands in fundamental continuity with the New Covenant church. The Bible tells one story, from beginning to end; God has one people sharing a common salvation; and the unity of God’s saving plan is found in Christ, who unites Jew and Gentile in Himself. Covenant theologians claim the church is the new and true Israel — the “Israel of God,” as Paul puts it in Galatians 6:16. Covenant theologians point to passages like Romans 4 and Galatians 3 to demonstrate that those who trust in Christ are the true children of Abraham. (Read more from “What Does The Bible Really Say About Who The True Israel Is?” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

If Trump Doesn’t Reject Judicial Supremacism, His Presidency Is Finished

/0 Comments/in , /by

Since returning to office, President Trump has faced what can only be described as a judicial coup. Through the use of overreaching nationwide injunctions, predominantly Democrat-appointed judges have gleefully granted requests from left-wing activists to block enforcement of the agenda 77 million Americans voted for last year.

Yet, despite this egregious affront to America’s constitutional framework, Trump and his administration are neglecting to stop it.

The latest example of the administration’s refusal to uphold separation of powers is its ongoing battle with a Massachusetts-based federal judge over the president’s deportation of illegal aliens to so-called “third countries.” After District Judge Brian Murphy placed a sweeping injunction blocking the policy’s enforcement, the administration appealed to the Supreme Court, which temporarily stayed the Biden appointee’s order on Monday.

In a stunning act of rebellion against the justices, Murphy — seemingly believing his power usurps that of SCOTUS — issued a separate edict hours after the high court’s ruling in which he declared his initial order “remains in full force and effect.” The judge further claimed, “The District Court’s remedial orders [were] not properly before the [Supreme] Court because the Government has not appealed them, or sought a stay pending a forthcoming appeal.”

So, what did Trump and his administration do?

While U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer correctly characterized Murphy’s power grab as a “lawless act of defiance,” the administration continued to grant the rogue judge’s order legitimacy it doesn’t have. Instead of implementing the president’s policy and telling Murphy to pound sand, team Trump went running back to SCOTUS to ask the justices to “clarify” their Monday stay on the judge’s initial injunction. (Read more from “If Trump Doesn’t Reject Judicial Supremacism, His Presidency Is Finished” HERE)

Whatever Happens Next, Iran Doesn’t Need To Be Made Safe For Democracy

/0 Comments/in , /by

Now that President Donald Trump has decided to bring the United State into the Iran-Israel war by striking Tehran’s major nuclear facilities, our goal should be to ensure Iran remains a non-nuclear power that’s unable to threaten the United States or its allies anywhere in the world.

What that goal doesn’t require, however, is a regime-change war with the aim of toppling the ayatollahs and imposing democracy in Iran. The American interest is not served by toppling regimes and nation-building — especially not in the Middle East. Whatever the wisdom of striking Iran’s nuclear facilities at this particular time, on the heels of Israeli strikes on Iran, President Trump’s aim now should be to limit escalation and avoid plunging the U.S. into a years-long quagmire in Iran.

Unfortunately, many people in Washington were hoping that Trump would strike Iran precisely because it might make room for the kind of escalation that would lead to a regime-change war. We still don’t know what Iran’s response will be to these strikes, and it might well lead to unavoidable escalation on our part. But that escalation should serve the purpose of rendering Iran harmless — not free, or democratic, or even stable. The internal politics of Iran are of no concern to us.

One hopes the president understands that, even as he acts to ensure that Iran cannot acquire nuclear weapons or carry out a major retaliatory attack on the U.S. Initially, there was reason to think he did understand. “Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror,” Trump said Saturday night from the White House.

But on Sunday, Trump posted a disturbing comment about how it’s not politically correct to use the term “regime change,” “but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!” (Read more from “Whatever Happens Next, Iran Doesn’t Need To Be Made Safe For Democracy” HERE)

Neocons Use Accusations of ‘Appeasement’ to Morally Blackmail People Into Supporting Forever Wars

/0 Comments/in , /by

Bad World War II analogies appear to have become a dime a dozen in today’s political discourse. In just the past few months, I’ve excoriated Russell Moore for his ridiculous reference to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in response to President Donald Trump’s push toward a peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine and pilloried Max Boot’s baffling comparison of Ukraine’s recent attack on Russia’s bomber fleet to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Now, Mark Levin, in his zealous crusade to push the United States into directly joining Israel’s strikes against Iran, has invoked the most tired and most misconstrued talking point related to the Second World War: appeasement.

Levin’s screed (it’s far too light on substance to be called an op-ed), titled “Isolationism is the same as appeasement — and it’s keeping Trump, Netanyahu from transforming the Middle East,” does little more than launch ad hominem attacks and provide a masterclass in projection. It’s amazing to read sentences like these: “They’re too self-righteous in their ignorance to realize how absurd they sound. … In fact, they’re so blind and self-important that they don’t see the new foreign policy taking place in real time, right in front of their eyes!” and not even detect even a hint of self-awareness from a man who is advocating for the United States to become stuck in yet another Middle East quagmire.

Remember how all those other times our attempts to “transform” the Muslim world worked out so well?

Afraid that his readers won’t be convinced by merely insulting the intelligence of so-called “isolationists,” Levin tries to morally blackmail any potential skeptics by blowing the appeasement dog whistle as loudly as he can. “There’s nothing new or good about isolationism, which, in a word, is appeasement. It’s old and promotes war, such as World War II,” he writes bluntly.

It seems like whenever very reasonable people object to yet another forever war, neocons crawl out of the woodwork to screech “appeasement!” to try to cow their foreign policy opponents into embarrassed silence. If you don’t agree with the neocons’ next regime-change project, you’re no better than British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who meekly gave in to Adolf Hitler in 1938 and emboldened Nazi aggression — thereby unleashing all of the devastation that ravaged Europe. If you don’t believe in toppling tinpot dictator No. 12, installing an American puppet state, and sacrificing untold amounts of American blood and treasure, you, specifically, are setting the stage for another World War II, another Holocaust. At least, that’s the implication. (Read more from “Neocons Use Accusations of ‘Appeasement’ to Morally Blackmail People Into Supporting Forever Wars” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Karmelo Anthony Is No Civil Rights Icon and Never Will Be

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Two months have passed since high school senior Karmelo Anthony allegedly fatally stabbed Austin Metcalf at a track meet in Frisco, Texas. The killing sparked national outrage and reopened difficult debates — about race (Karmelo is black, Austin was white), school safety, and the crisis among young men in America.

Also justice. While the Metcalf family mourns — and has to contend with being swatted — Anthony’s bond was reduced and quickly paid. He now awaits trial from the comfort of a new home, funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from supporters. He was even allowed to graduate on May 22, though he did not attend the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Anthony’s family and legal team have mounted a public relations offensive. In an outrageous press conference, they blamed Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf, the Frisco Independent School District, and even systemic racism for Anthony’s predicament.

The strategy is clear: Rebrand Karmelo Anthony as a victim. They want the public to believe he was a mostly peaceful teen forced to act in self-defense after being told to change seats.

No new evidence has emerged in the case, but the existing facts undermine Anthony’s claim of self-defense. He allegedly brought a knife to the event, provoked the confrontation with Metcalf, fled the scene after the stabbing, and later asked a police officer whether he could plead self-defense. His actions — before, during, and after the incident — suggest intent, not fear. (Read more from “Karmelo Anthony Is No Civil Rights Icon and Never Will Be” HERE)

Unpopular but True: The Wisdom Young Americans Need to Hear Right Now

/0 Comments/in , /by

Dear class of 2025: You’ve already won. You’re the largest high school graduating class in America’s history. It’s all downhill from here — for America’s population. The number of graduates will decline every year going forward.

But now that you’re emancipated, you’re not going to move downhill. You’re going to move uphill into a life of purpose and significance.

Young adults often ask me, “If you could go back in time, what would you tell your 18-year-old self?” If I could, I would tell myself four words: service, calling, wisdom, and truth.

1. I need to serve

When asked this question — “What is more important for you: achieving at a high level, happiness, or caring for others?” — 80% of young adults said that achievement and happiness are most important.

But what they don’t know (or forget) is that achievement and happiness come through service. The people most likely to succeed in life are those who serve others best. Similarly, the happiest people are those who serve others rather than demand to be served. (Read more from “Unpopular but True: The Wisdom Young Americans Need to Hear Right Now” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr