Tag Archive for: Christmas

AOC likens Palestinians to Jesus in Christmas message, calls Israel a violent, occupying force

As a purveyor of the most hateful anti-Jewish propaganda, AOC goes to such an extreme that she has forgotten that Jesus was a Jew from the house of David, and that the region of Judea wasn’t renamed “Palestine” until a century after the time of Christ. Also, as it is succinctly put in a Jerusalem Post article: “Jesus’s homeland is under attack by Islamic terrorists.”

AOC slammed over Christmas message about Israel-Hamas war: ‘Jew hate’

by Melissa Koenig, New York Post, December 25, 2023:

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez likens Palestinians to Jesus while describing Israel as a violent occupying force in an online Christmas post, prompting critics to slam what they call her blatant “Jew hate.”

In her Instagram story on Christmas Eve, the lefty New York Democrat shared a photo of a child in rubble in the Gaza Strip and said she is praying “for the peace and protection of the innocent in Gaza and the occupied territories.

“In the story of Christmas, Christ was born in modern-day Palestine under the threat of a government engaged in a massacre of innocents,” she wrote.

“He was part of a targeted population being indiscriminately killed to protect an unjust leader’s power. Mary and Joseph, displaced by violence and forced to flee, became refugees in Egypt with a newborn waiting to one day return home.

“Thousands of years later, right-wing forces are violently occupying Bethlehem as similar stories unfold for today’s Palestinians, so much so that the Christian community in Bethlehem has canceled this year’s Christmas Eve celebrations out of both [fear for their] safety and respect,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote.

“And yet, also today, holy children are still being born in a place of unspeakable violence — for every child born, of any identity and from any place, is sacred. Especially the children of Gaza,” AOC said…..

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EDITORS NOTE: This Jihad Watch column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Don’t ‘Paint Over’ the Truths of Christmas

The painting “Belezaire and the Frey Children” depicts three white children in their 19th century finery. Painted in about 1837, for generations, the “Belezaire” of the portrait was missing.

Then, a few years ago, a restoration of the painting uncovered a slender African American youth of about 15, arms folded and looking into the distance, resting against a tree. Records show that Belezaire remained in slavery, eventually living in New Orleans. When that city surrendered to federal forces in 1861, Belezaire disappears from history.

Why was Belezaire’s figure painted over? We will never know why, even as we are unlikely to know what happened to Belezaire. But reading about the portrait has made me wonder about the things we might “paint over” in our walks with God, things we think we can hide from Him or other matters we simply choose not to contemplate because they are too painful.

Maybe it’s a problem with substance abuse or an addiction to pornography. Or it could be that the smiling face of Sunday morning masks depression or loss. Trauma, too, can haunt us, arising in our minds unexpectedly and grimly. We force ourselves to squeeze it from our thoughts even as we know that storing it away doesn’t remove it.

God’s word gives us the promise of healing from our pain and strength and wisdom to deal with habitual sin. There are many resources that can help us access the grace that Jesus promises is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).

Yet I wonder if there’s something else we sometimes “paint over” — the reality of Christ Himself. The majesty of the angels’ announcement to men tending their flocks, the sweetness of a baby in a manger, lying in a bed of hay surrounded by animals and shepherds, a loving virgin mother and devoted adoptive father: There’s nothing wrong with thinking about these things.

But if we stop there, we forget the purpose of His coming. “Bound up in the Christmas message of the incarnation is the Easter message of the atonement,” wrote the late theologian J.I. Packer. “For if Jesus was not God made man, then we remain in our sins.” These are tidings of comfort and joy, of mystery and severity, of the cruelty of the cross and the resplendence of the resurrection. As the Puritan John Owen wrote, “The depths of this mystery are open only unto Him whose understanding is infinite, which no created understanding can comprehend.”

At Christmas, we dare not leave the baby swaddled in the feeding trough. The beauty of His coming and the majesty of eternal God clothing Himself in human flesh join with so much more. His youth as a skilled laborer, the power and compassion of His ministry, miracles unlike any before or since, the temple guards exclaiming, “No one ever taught like this man!” (John 7:46). He spoke like no one else, with wisdom, bravery, truth, and love; as Peter said to Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).

The Australian pastor Adam Ramsey has written, “The meaning of Christmas goes miles deeper than family traditions, pretty lights, and a chance to refresh your depleted stockpile of socks.” Christians know this, but do we take time to meditate on what Christmas does mean? If Christmas busyness is keeping us from taking a bit of time to quietly and calmly turn our hearts and minds to the fulness of Jesus, His life and redemption and promised return, then we’re simply too busy.

Jesus said that if we seek first His kingdom and righteousness, the things we need will be provided (Matthew 6:33). That doesn’t mean that the presents you want to give will just magically appear under the tree or that meals will prepare themselves. It means that if our primary focus is on gifts and events and the effervescent “happiness of the season,” we are idolizing things that don’t last. The best gift we can give our loved ones is a life in which the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Christ is present.

We don’t know what happened to Belezaire, but we know the One Who came to die and rise and live and come again. This is the glory and the gladness of Christmas.

AUTHOR

Rob Schwarzwalder

Rob Schwarzwalder, Ph.D., is Senior Lecturer in Regent University’s Honors College.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2023 Family Research Council.


The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

The True Meaning of the 12 Days of Christmas

During Christmas season many listen to the song the “12 Days of Christmas” but they do not truly understand the meaning of each of the gifts given to each and everyone of us during those 12 days.

The song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is an English Christmas carol. From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the Church.

Christianity.com explains that, The 12 days of Christmas in Christian tradition signifies the time between the birth of Christ and the arrival of the three wise men, also known as the Magi. It starts on December 25, which is celebrated as Christmas Day, and lasts until January 6, which is the Epiphany, also referred to as Three Kings’ Day.”

Twelve Days of Christmas Carol with Lyrics & They’re Meaning

Here are the 12 Gifts from God depicted in the 12 Days of Christmas:

1. A Partridge in a Pear Tree

The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on the first day of Christmas. Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge, the only bird that will die to protect its young.

2. Two Turtledoves

These twin birds represent the Old and New Testaments. So, in this gift, the singer finds the complete story of the Christian faith and God’s plan for the world. The doves are the biblical roadmap that is available to everyone.

3. Three French Hens

These birds represent faith, hope, and love. This gift hearkens back to 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter written by the Apostle Paul. It also represents the Holy Trinity: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

4. Four Calling Birds

One of the easiest facets of the song’s code to figure out these fowl are the four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

5. Five Gold Rings

The gift of the rings represents the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch.

  1. Genesis
  2. Exodus
  3. Leviticus
  4. Numbers
  5. Deuteronomy

6. Six Geese a-Laying

These lyrics can be traced back to the first story found in the Bible. Each egg is a day in creation when God “hatched” or formed the world.

  1. God created the heavens and the earth
  2. God created the sky and seas
  3. God created the land and plants
  4. God created the sun, moon, and stars
  5. God created fish and birds
  6. God created land animals and man

7. Seven Swans a-Swimming

It would take someone quite familiar with the Bible to identify this gift. Hidden in the code are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:

  1. Prophecy
  2. Ministry
  3. Teaching
  4. Exhortation
  5. Giving
  6. Leading
  7. Compassion

As swans are one of the most beautiful and graceful creatures on earth, they would seem to be a perfect symbol for spiritual gifts.

8. Eight Maids-a-Milking

As Christ came to save even the lowest of the low, this gift represents the ones who would receive his word and accept his grace. Being a milkmaid was about the worst job one could have in England during this period; this code conveyed that Jesus cared as much about servants as he did those of royal blood. The Eight Maids represent the 8 Beatitudes, from Matthew 5:3-10:

Blessed are…

  1. the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  2. Those who mourn:  for they shall be comforted.
  3. The meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
  4. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness:  for they shall be filled.
  5. The merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
  6. The pure in heart: for they shall see God.
  7. The peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God.
  8. They which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

9. Nine Ladies Dancing

These nine dancers were really the gifts known as the fruit of the Spirit. The Fruits of the Spirit include:

  1. Love
  2. Joy
  3. Peace
  4. Patience
  5. Kindness
  6. Goodness
  7. Faithfulness
  8. Gentleness
  9. Self-control

10. Ten Lords a-leaping

This is probably the easiest gift to understand. As lords were judges and in charge of the law, this code for the Ten Commandments was fairly straightforward to Christians.

  1. Thou shall have no other gods before me
  2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
  3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
  4. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy
  5. Honor thy father and mother
  6. Thou shalt not kill
  7. Thou shalt not commit adultery
  8. Thou shalt not steal
  9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
  10. Thou shalt not covet

11. Eleven Pipers Piping

This is almost a trick question, as most think of the disciples in terms of the dozen. But when Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, only eleven men carried out the gospel message. Therefore, the Eleven Pipers Piping signify the 11 Faithful Disciples:

  1. Simon (whom He named Peter)
  2. Andrew
  3. James
  4. John
  5. Philip
  6. Bartholomew
  7. Matthew
  8. Thomas
  9. James, son of Alphaeus
  10. Simon, who was called the Zealot
  11. Judas, son of James
  12. Judas Iscariot was later replaced with faithful Matthias.

12. Twelve Drummers Drumming

The final gift is tied directly to the Catholic Church. The drummers are the 12 points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed.

  1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
  2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
  3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
  4. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
  5. He descended into hell. On the third day, He rose again.
  6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
  7. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
  8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
  9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,
  10. the forgiveness of sins,
  11. the resurrection of the body,
  12. and the life everlasting.

©2023. Christianity.com. All rights reserved.

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The “Christmas Thing”

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” — John 3:16 KJV

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” —  Isaiah 9:6, KJV, Handel’s Messiah


It’s Christmas, with all the joy and frenzy and shopping, and food, and family gathering, and it’s the Celebration of our Savior’s birth. Can you say Hallelujah! I love Christmas…I simply love it!

Christmas Cookies

Most folks know I own a wholesale commercial bakery and I’m very busy this time of year.  In August I start baking Christmas cookies to be shipped all over the country the Monday after Thanksgiving.  It is the part of my business that I enjoy the most.  I love creating the cookies, buying the boxes, ribbon, and ornaments for packing, and sending them to all the folks that look forward to them every year.

It’s a labor of love, and I enjoy this part of the Christmas preparations the most.  That might sound crazy to some of you, but my great-great grandfather was a restaurateur, confectioner, and amazing baker in Philadelphia, PA.  He also owned an ice cream shop along with his three restaurants.  G. Byron Morse actually developed the pinafore bread that became the Hoagie bun.  So, the baking gene runs in my blood.  This, however, is not what Christmas is all about…yet, it too is a part of the joyous celebration and the joy of giving.

Christmas Cards

Christmas cards are special for me.  Every year, the local Christian bookstore runs a 60% off sale on Christmas cards the day after Christmas.  Since I’ve lived all over the country, we send out over 100 cards every year, and we want them to express the truth of why we celebrate the birth of Messiah.  So, I’m there at 7 a.m. the morning after Christmas.

My sweet friends in Florida sent us a beautiful Christmas card this year that I want to share with you.  Like the cards I choose, this one relays the essence of Christmas…it was the Christ child, born for us, to die on a cross for our sins, so we could approach the throne of God with the blood of Jesus having washed away our sins, gone, not just covered over, but gone.  This card was so lovely in its message, I simply had to share it.  So here it is:

Just a Little Donkey

Just a little donkey, but on my back, I bore, the one and only Savior, the world was waiting for.

Just a little donkey, but I was strong and proud–I gladly carried Mary through the chaos of the crowd.

I brought her to a stable where she made a tiny bed…A place for Baby Jesus to lay His little head.

I pray the world remembers that special Christmas night, when just a little donkey carried Heaven’s Precious Light.   Rita S. Beer

I hope the sentiment in this card touches your heart as it touched mine. It is the story of the King of Glory who humbled Himself to come to earth as a baby, to die on the Cross for all of us.  The cards are special greetings to those we know and love who are brothers and sisters in the faith, and they are a part of Christmas, but not the full essence, just a part of the whole celebration of the King’s birth.

Decorations

There are not many places in America bereft of Christmas decorations, except perhaps Dearborn, Michigan. Many of the yards and windows of homes are adorned with lights and wreaths put up around Thanksgiving.  Holley Gerth wrote about the wonderful Christmas Wreath:

“The Christmas wreath is more than just a decoration…it’s a special reminder of Jesus, the reason for our celebration.  The circle of a Christmas wreath is a never-ending ring, a reminder of eternal love from our Lord and King.  The Christmas wreath is a sign of welcome, inviting all to enter in… a reminder of Christ’s invitation for all to come to Him.  The middle of a Christmas wreath is a bare and empty space, a reminder of what life would be without Christ’s love and grace.  So, each time you see a Christmas wreath hanging from a door, may your heart rejoice in the One that Christmas is truly for!”

When I was a child, my mother and I would get on the train and go into Chicago to see the decorated store windows on State Street: Marshall Fields, Wieboldt’s, Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company, Goldblatt’s, and so many more.  In the 1950s, there were amazing crèche displays in the store windows…and of course Santa and the reindeer.  The crowds were enormous.  Decorations were everywhere.

When I see all the homes alight with decorations, I think of them as candles on the Savior’s birthday cake.  This is another part of the celebration of Messiah’s birth, and it speaks to believers and non-believers…”We have lighted up our homes to celebrate the birth of the Saviour of the World.” 

Shopping

Then there’s the shopping.  Since I have owned my bakery for 23 years, my shopping has to be finished before Thanksgiving and ready to ship to out-of-town family the Monday after Thanksgiving.  I really don’t like to shop during December, especially on the weekends, and I don’t do Black Fridays…not ever.

Having said that, the joy of the celebration is in the majority of stores.  The time goes quickly for employees when it’s busy and they all seem to be smiling and happy and saying, Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas.  Of course, I prefer Merry Christmas, but Happy Holidays is from the original, Happy Holy Days. So, when I’m wished “Happy Holidays,” I always answer them with, “Merry Christmas to you and Happy Holy Days!”

This is the south and we’re in the buckle of the Bible Belt, so most everyone smiles!  Shopping is the part of Christmas where we buy gifts to give to our family, friends, and those less fortunate, to share the love of the Christ child whose birth we celebrate.

One of my wonderful Christian cyber buds sent me a short email of vast import.  When you’re out doing the hectic last-minute shopping thing, remember this story,

“Who Started This Christmas Stuff?”

A woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable; and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything, they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many feel during the holiday season time of the year – overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don’t forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened, and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed, she couldn’t take it anymore and she stated, “Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot.”

From the back of the car, everyone heard a quiet, calm voice respond, “Don’t worry, we already crucified Him.”

For the rest of the trip down in the elevator, it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. This year, don’t forget to keep “the One who started this whole Christmas thing” in your every thought, deed and words. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.

It’s not simply the baking and cooking, it’s not the cards, or the decorations, it’s not the shopping, or the family gatherings, it’s all of these things!  It’s because this is the month of the birthday celebration of the King of Glory, the Messiah.

Ahh, yes, the “Christmas thing.”  The “Christmas thing” is Christ.  The “Christmas thing” is the Saviour of the world. The “Christmas thing” is that He came and died for all of us. The “Christmas thing” is the joy in knowing that we have everlasting life because the perfect, sinless, creator of the world shed His blood for us. The “Christmas thing” is that God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for us.  The “Christmas thing” is that we are to celebrate His birth with joy, love, peace, kindness and gentleness.  And we’re to share our reason for that joy!

So, for the month of December…you might want to answer those who say Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas with a resounding, “Happy Birthday Jesus!”

That’s the “Christmas thing!”

©2023. Kelleigh Nelson. All rights reserved.

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‘Bah Humbug’: Pa. School Districts Warns Bus Drivers against Christmas Decorations

A Keystone State school board is banning school bus drivers from putting up Christmas decorations. On Friday, just over a week before Christmas, the Wallingford-Swarthmore school district in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, issued a memo to school bus drivers saying, “If you have decorated your bus with anything specific to the Christmas Holiday or any other decorations relating to a specific religion, please remove them immediately.”

The memo concludes, “In addition, employees are instructed not to wear clothing related to Christmas or any other religious holiday.” According to the memo, school district leadership “has been receiving complaints from parents concerning District employees displaying ‘Christmas’ themed decorations and/or wearing clothing of the same nature.” A note adds that the policy is not specific to school bus drivers but “APPLIES TO ALL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES.”

According to reporter Chris O’Connell of Fox 29 Philadelphia, who shared the memo on social media, school bus drivers have responded to the memo with variations of “Bah humbug.”

In comments to The Washington Stand, Meg Kilgannon, senior fellow for Education Studies at Family Research Council, asked, “Are there drivers with Pride flags? BLM flags? Culturally sensitive flags of other nations? Just what kinds of personal expressions are okay in the school district?” She further noted, “When even the commercialized and virtually-religion-free Christmas observance is disallowed, we have lost all sense of identity as Americans and certainly Western civilization. Woe to the bus driver who tries to create an atmosphere of joy, peace, and love for the children on his or her bus.”

Joseph Backholm, FRC’s senior fellow for Biblical Worldview, told TWS that the ban on Christmas decorations is “an issue of people in leadership who always follow rather than lead.” He said, “The school district apparently received a complaint from someone that a bus driver was spreading too much Christmas cheer, and instead of telling that parent they encourage every bus driver to be as festive as possible, they decided it was their job to protect the emotionally fragile.” Although “Christmas” is named explicitly in the memo, Backholm noted that the inclusion of “any other religious holiday” was “certainly done on the advice of their lawyers, because it would be illegal to just ban Christmas displays and clothing.”

“There’s nothing illegal about employees who wear holiday clothing at work, which is why we see it all the time. But in this case the school district decided to side with the complaints of the few against the joy and celebrations of the many,” Backholm explained. “We now live in a world where some people are looking for reasons to be offended and they often find reason to be offended in the joy of others. The public square will once again be open once we stop pretending people have a right not to be offended by things.”

According to Fox 29 Philadelphia, the school district clarified Friday night that their intent was “not clear” and reversed the ban on holiday decorations and clothing, emphasizing instead a need for bus drivers to create “an inclusive environment.”

“The parents who want to remove the decorations should spend a week on the bus to see what kind of environment their children and the bus drivers experience daily,” Kilgannon said. “Parents know that in many school districts bus discipline is nonexistent and enforcing any behavioral norm is often punished — by just this kind of complaint. Taxpayers on the other hand who have no kids in school have no idea that this kind of situation is funded by their generosity.”

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S.A. McCarthy 

S.A. McCarthy serves as a news writer at The Washington Stand.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2023 Family Research Council.


The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

Pro-Hamas Demonstrators Increasingly Target Christian Symbols

This is because this is a larger conflict than one between Israel and Hamas. This is a jihad. The jihad is against all non-Muslims, not just Jews.

The Leftists who are joining in hate the Judeo-Christian as well, and don’t realize that their friends will one day turn on them.

Pro-Palestinian Radicals Target Symbols of Christianity

by Joel B. Pollak, Breitbart, December 10, 2023:

Radical pro-Palestinian demonstrations appear to have developed a new tactic: they are targeting Christmas tree lightings across the country, and other Christian symbols, in addition to symbols of Israel and Jewish institutions.

The latest example was Friday’s protest in Los Angeles, where pro-Palestinian radicals marched from a fundraiser for President Joe Biden to an area where there are several synagogues. They sprayed anti-Israel graffiti on the walls opposite the synagogues, and also vandalized a local church.

Prior to that, pro-Palestinian activists disrupted the Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center in New York City, clashing with police. Governor Gavin Newsom was forced to move California’s Christmas tree lighting indoors due to the threat of protests. And in Michigan, pro-Palestinian protesters tried to drown out a children’s choir at a Christmas tree lighting in Ypsilanti last month….

The question is why pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel activists have targeted Christmas, and Christian symbols, in addition to their pattern of targeting Jewish institutions (which has been condemned as antisemitic). There are Palestinian Christians, and some radicals insist that Jesus, too, was Palestinian (though he was a Jew who lived in Israel before the word “Palestine” was invented).

One answer is that pro-Palestinian protests have become increasingly Islamic. At Friday’s protest in Los Angeles, for example, Muslim participants held prayers during the demonstration outside the Biden fundraiser. Christians have faced persecution from Muslims in areas run by the Palestinian Authority, such as Bethlehem, and may have been marginalized within the movement.

Many evangelical Christians are seen as pro-Israel, so that may also make churches targets of hatred, alongside synagogues….

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EDITORS NOTE: This Jihad Watch column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

With riot season coming, here’s what red states should be doing

From Christmas tree lightings and Thanksgiving Day parades to your daily commute, it is now impossible to ignore that the left has opted to replace the traditional politics of constitutional government with the revolutionary politics of “disruption.” Whether the topic is the Israel-Hamas war, election fraud, climate change, gun control, policing, or the latest transgender craze, the left is convinced it can win the day with strikes, blockades, occupations, and — when necessary — “mostly peaceful” low-intensity violence, sabotage, and intimidation.

This is the politics of “civil resistance,” a series of organizing strategies researched and identified for the purpose of overthrowing governments in places like Serbia and Burma, featuring protests, strikes, boycotts, and other actions intended to look like they represent a popular majority, when in fact they constitute only a minuscule percentage of the population.

But don’t take my word for it. Pay attention instead to Paul Engler, author of “This Is an Uprising” and one of the founders of Momentum Strategies, a left-wing organizing school that is, as Vice News reported, “training every movement that matters.”

“In the monolithic model,” Engler wrote, “if people without privileged political access want to affect the behavior of government in a democracy, the best they can do is try to elect a candidate more sympathetic to their views. … Needless to say, this process often ends in disappointment for voters.”

Engler then added: “Because noncooperation can command the attention of otherwise unresponsive politicians and business leaders, many tactics from the civil resistance canon are relevant across different political contexts.”

In other words, for people who regularly spout the phrase Our Democracy™, elections don’t need to have consequences. They intend to get their own way on every policy and political issue, and they’re prepared to drag the country through hell — by disrupting the safety, security, and day-to-day life of regular citizens — until the mob gets what it wants: a tyranny of the minority.

Prepare for trouble in 2024

As the 2024 presidential election comes into focus, the tempo and pitch of these disruptions are going to get worse. You can be assured that left-wing organizers are already preparing to lay the groundwork for “civil” resistance in the event a GOP candidate should come out ahead on election night, as they have openly admitted they were prepared to do in 2020.

They have only increased their capabilities since.

What can red-state elected leaders do about the rising use of intimidation to replace republican constitutional government, which, as elected officials, they are sworn to uphold?

In the coming session of state legislatures, many of which Republicans hold with large or even supermajorities, they should work to pass a suite of legislation directly aimed at the illegal protest tactics of these revolutionaries. This requires studying their illicit tactics in order to successfully draw up lawful countermeasures.

State legislators should consider the following:

  1. Strengthen penalties for rioting. Several states, including Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Iowa have already done so.
  2. Consider strengthening penalties for the deliberate, unlawful blockading of streets and thoroughfares, with sentence enhancements if the blockading is done while carrying weapons or while wearing masks. Not only are illegal street blockades a favored tactic of Antifa types, but these incidents can result in the death or injury of protesters and innocent drivers.
  3. Where they do not exist, write laws prohibiting the picketing of an individual’s home with the intention to harass or intimidate. Such ordinances were used when Antifa-linked Shutdown D.C. attempted to torment the wife of U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) outside their Virginia residence.
  4. Pass laws prohibiting the malicious doxxing of law enforcement officers, judges, district attorneys, and other officers of the court.
  5. Toughen penalties for trespassing on property defined as “critical infrastructure.” Blockading trains and ports and the sabotage of electrical, communications, and other infrastructure are hallmarks of left-wing radicals.
  6. Be prepared to enforce historic anti-Klan laws, which many states have on the books and which prohibit a variety of mob and lynching-type activities intended to intimidate citizens. Such laws often contain prohibitions against conducting mass gatherings and protests while wearing masks.

Red-state executive leaders should also be prepared to deal with potential internal dissension from mob-sympathetic bureaucrats refusing to follow orders or uphold laws. Creating the appearance of defection or dissension among leaders is an essential element of the “civil” resistance playbook.

Enforce the law; maintain order

Where possible, red-state leaders should make clear that appointed officials and government employees — including chiefs of police within deep blue urban areas — will be held accountable for failing to maintain order. They must also be prepared to use state assets to uphold the law, as Texas Governor Greg Abbott was forced to do in the left-wing stronghold of Austin, after the city government essentially abandoned policing in response to Black Lives Matter protests.

State legislatures can also consider laws that would terminate or deny state and local government employment for anyone convicted of engaging in rioting, particularly at state universities and in the public school system, which are frequently bastions of radicalism.

Attorneys general in red states should consider launching investigations into the various networks of radical left-wing nonprofits and especially the bail funds that support rioters financially. Georgia showed the way earlier this year with its indictment of more than 60 people for conspiracy to commit domestic terrorism, money laundering, and charity fraud. Those charges stemmed from the ongoing riots and sabotage orchestrated by the Atlanta Forest Defenders against a planned police training center.

Of course, the appearance of heavy-handed or unlawful repression will be used by the revolutionaries to further stoke the chaos. While red-state governments crack down on unlawful and criminal acts, it’s crucial that they remain fully committed to supporting and protecting the free speech rights of all citizens. But the message should be clear: Lawful marches and protests are just fine and will receive all appropriate assistance. Acts of criminality and disorder will be shut down swiftly.

As Lincoln said in his Lyceum Address, there is no greater threat to republicanism than the spirit of mob politics, which dominated his time much as it now dominates ours.

While, on the other hand, good men, men who love tranquility, who desire to abide by the laws, and enjoy their benefits, who would gladly spill their blood in the defense of their country; seeing their property destroyed; their families insulted, and their lives endangered; their persons injured; and seeing nothing in prospect that forebodes a change for the better; become tired of, and disgusted with, a Government that offers them no protection …

The only way out is for well-meaning leaders to fortify the law, lest the anarchists go without punishment. That’s how to disrupt the disruptors.

AUTHOR

Kyle Shideler

Director and Senior Analyst for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.

EDITORS NOTE: This Center for Security Policy column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

NEW YORK CITY: Videos of pro-Hamas Riot at the Christmas Tree Lighting

Islam and leftists are really capitalizing on the Gaza war now. Remember George Soros’ tactic of “reflexivity”. They know how organizations and peoples will react to a stimulus. So they do the stimulus with full preparedness to use the predictable response to work towards their own goals. A kind of mass-Judo tactic. Use the enemy’s inertia collectively against them.

The most obvious example would be how terrorists will use half their resources to launch an attack, and then use the other half to go after the first responders. This makes the attack for more effective both from a damage and fear inducing point of view.

The October 7th attack on Israel could be seen as a scaled up example of the same. the left and Islamic nations funded the most barbaric attack on Israel they could think of, knowing they would not achieve a strategic goal in the traditional sense, but they would achieve one in the reaction to the reaction.

They knew Israel would wage war on Gaza, which is why they took hostages. The hostages in their estimate means Israel won’t do any significant damage to Hamas because Israel values the life of its hostages. Meanwhile, Hamas can play victim to the return fire on Gaza and the left and Islamic nations can fund massive demonstrations all over the world, all appearing to be about justice in Palestine, which of course is the last thing Islamic nations or Leftist groups want. Using the word “justice” in the usual sense that is. Once you look at the word in a communist or Islamic sense, its another matter.

Remember, the overall goal is the global communist revolution. And they are using imputed and manufactured victim narratives of the Palestinians based on the Israeli response to their attacks to give them the breathing room they need to attack everything Western. Like the tree lighting ceremony in NYC.

Anyone who has ever watched a Col. Kemp video knows that Israel has done more to protect the civilians in target zones than any army in the history of the world. They would also know that Hamas, who the Palestinians voted for at something like 70%, puts civilians in harms way on purpose for the dual win of either preventing an Israeli strike on military assets, which often works, or a lot of dead women and children, which makes for great PR while Hamas leadership yuks it up in world-leading luxury.

1. Could this LARPER, this COSPLAY Commie not have found a larger cross?

2. A patriot faces off with the protestors as they grab his flag, while he asks them why they are in America if they hate it so much. Why not move to Iran or Iraq?

3. Multiple videos of the scene

POST ON X:

EDITORS NOTE: This Vlad Tepes Blog column posted by Eeyore is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Biden White House Warns American Consumers Of Empty Shelves Come Christmastime

American consumers should expect to see higher prices and even some empty shelves during their holiday shopping this year, President Joe Biden’s White House told Reuters on Tuesday.

The warning comes as the Biden administration works frantically to push back on skyrocketing inflation and strained supply chains across the country. Economists predicted earlier this year that the final months of 2021 would see total consumer prices rising 3.2% over 2020.

“There will be things that people can’t get,” a senior White House official told Reuters on Tuesday. “At the same time, a lot of these goods are hopefully substitutable by other things. … I don’t think there’s any real reason to be panicked, but we all feel the frustration and there’s a certain need for patience to help get through a relatively short period of time.”

A Sept. 29 study from Salesforce predicted that retail prices could rise as much as 20% compared to 2020. Women’s clothing, jewelry and watches had already risen 11.9% and 12.9% respectively as of August.

“Barriers at ports and skyrocketing costs of containers, two major pressures shaping holidays, should cause consumers to be concerned about product availability,” Salesforce warned.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki and other administration officials have repeatedly insisted that the inflation is “transitory” and will normalize sometime in 2022. The White House has repeated the line numerous times since worries over the economy began to outpace COVID-19 in polls across the U.S.

“What is the White House’s message to average Americans, including those who are on limited income though who are experiencing higher prices right now for food and clothing and other goods and services? You mentioned it’s expected to die down next year, but what is your message to them in the meantime, is it simply just to wait it out?” a reporter asked Psaki during a press briefing in July.

“That’s certainly not what I’ve ever said,” Psaki responded. “Our message is that we understand the threat that inflation poses. We will be vigilant about any responses needed. It’s important for Americans to know and understand that these impacts are temporary, and some of these price increases are a result of the economy turning back on.”

Some experts have disagreed, however, arguing that the inflation is here to stay “for years” thanks to Biden’s unprecedented spending programs.

“The 100% cause of inflation is the government,” Peter Schiff, the chief economist and global strategist at Euro Pacific Capital, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “It’s when the government spends money that it doesn’t collect in taxes and then the Federal Reserve monetizes the resulting deficits by printing money.”

COLUMN BY

ANDERS HAGSTROM

White House correspondent. 

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EDITORS NOTE: This The Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

I Saw Mommy Beheading Santa Claus: Another Precarious Christmas in the Age of Jihad

Another Christmas is upon us, and it’s the same old story: in Muslim lands, Christians are oppressed and in constant danger of violent jihad attacks. And in the lands once known as Christendom, jihadis threaten new jihad massacres.

And so it was no surprise when International Christian Concern reported Wednesday that “security forces in Pakistan reportedly stopped a major terror attack planned to take place on Christmas Day in Peshawar. In a raid on a house in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber district, four terrorists, including the leader of a banned militant outfit, were arrested.” Among those arrested was Zakir Afridi, the commander of the jihad terror group Lashkar-e-Islam.

“Along with the terrorists,” International Christian Concern reported, “security forces seized three suicide jackets and six improvised explosive devices.”

If this plot wasn’t inspired by a call from the Islamic State to murder Christians on Christmas Day, it certainly had the same goal in mind. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reported that “on December 12, 2020, online supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) distributed an audio clip of a new nasheed (Islamic religious chant) titled ‘Coldly Kill Them With Hate And Rage.’” The jolly folks who “released the song on Telegram included a poster featuring a Christmas tree with a bomb attached to it, and the caption: ‘Just Terror 2020. Here are their holidays at your doorsteps, and we are here too! And we are about to enter them with you!’ The post also includes the hashtag #MerryChristmas, suggesting it be used on social media to disseminate the song.”

The charming ditty includes these lyrics: “They fought Islam day and night/Killed many Muslims all in one time/Vengeance fill the hearts and minds/Coldly kill them with hate and rage/Stab them, shoot them or a blast/Make their media cry and broadcast/The khilafah [caliphate].” Well, it ain’t exactly “The First Noel,” but at least they tried.

Meanwhile, OpIndia reported Monday that an old video from the renowned Islamic apologist Zakir Naik has gone viral this year. In it, Naik, who has been accused of ties to jihad terror activity, answers a young man’s question about whether or not it is permissible for Muslims to wish Christians a merry Christmas: “To reach your goals, you cannot use wrong means, brother. What is Haram [forbidden] to them is also Haram to you. When you are wishing Merry Christmas to them, you are agreeing that he is the son of God and that is Shirk [the grave sin of associating partners with Allah in worship]. Because they believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Irrespective of whether they are practising Christians or not, they celebrate the day because of His birthday…Is saying Merry Christmas wrong? I am telling you it is wrong. It is 100% wrong according to me….If you don’t know what Christmas stands for and happen to wish someone, Allah may forgive you. If you drink alcohol, mistaking it for Pepsi, Allah may forgive you. But if you are doing it to build a relationship after knowing what Christmas stands for, you are building your place in Jahannam (Hell). Therefore, for reaching good means, you never have to follow bad means. You have to follow the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah (literature based on life and deeds of Prophet Muhammad).”

In a similar vein, the German-language site Philosophia Perennis site reported Saturday that another old video has gone viral there, featuring a Muslim preacher, Abu Maher, declaring: “Christmas is an insult to Allah!” The video was published by the Deutschsprachige Muslimische Gemeinschaft e.V. (“German-speaking Muslim Community, DMG) which describes itself as “an association in Braunschweig that has existed for many years” and states that “we represent Islam according to the understanding of the first three generations after the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and want to convey Islam – based on the Qurân and Sunna (path of the Prophet) and its pure message – to our fellow human beings and society. It is important to us to enable all interested parties to get to know the values ​​and norms that Islam imposes on people.” The DMG adds: “As a Muslim community, we represent a part of the local society. We respect the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, but at the same time insist on our basic rights, such as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, and want like every citizen and let every citizen live and live in peace and mutual tolerance.”

In light, however, of its denunciation of Christmas, its call for peace and tolerance appears to be in reality a call for peace and tolerance on the basis of the submission of non-Muslims to Muslims.

None of this is new, or surprising. It’s just another Christmas in the age of jihad.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Jihad Watch column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Gaza: Internal Hamas government memo calls for ‘activities to reduce interaction with Christmas’

Once again, anger and fear resurface among Christians living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, who also are preparing to celebrate Christmas amidst the restrictions due to the Covid19 pandemic.

However, their concerns are not because of the spread of coronavirus, but rather because of a letter (which was made public on social media and other Palestinian websites) that was sent to the government of Hamas in Gaza regarding the upcoming celebrations of Christmas.

The letter, entitled “Activities to reduce interaction with Christmas during the next two weeks,” was sent by the Director-General of the General Administration of Preaching and Counseling of the Palestinian Endowment Ministry in Gaza.

In what appeared to be an official correspondence between Palestinian officials, the letter discussed the steps taken during “an emergency meeting” that was held in Gaza on December 15. It included the issuance of “awareness and guidance” that needed to be implemented by 10 departments within the Islamic Waqf ministry.

The main goal behind this campaign would include “issuing fatwas [to prohibit Muslims from participating in Christmas], releasing videos, and requesting some preachers” to talk about the great sins of celebrating their holidays with the Christians.

It is worth noting that the number of Christians still living in Gaza may not reach 1000, while the Orthodox and Catholic churches continue to provide parish services to the remaining families, in addition to two schools whose students are mostly Muslims.

After Hamas gained full control of the Strip, the Baptist Church in Gaza, which had operated since 1950, was soon almost shattered. In October 2007, Rami Ayyad, one of its active members in Gaza, who managed its Christian bookstore there, was kidnapped, tortured, and then killed.

After Ayyad’s assassination, seven church leaders left for the West Bank, while Hanna Massad, the church’s pastor, moved to Jordan with his family.

Since Hamas installed Shari’ah law in Gaza, which fomented further threats against the remaining Christians from Islamic extremists, Christians in general feared gathering in groups. They no longer wear crosses, while women dare not move around freely by themselves or be unveiled.

Hamas has always prohibited the Christians from holding public celebrations during Christmas and New Year, ever since its usurpation of power in 2007. This time, it intends to socially isolate them as well.

In the West Bank, the situation of the Christians may seem relatively better, but the fear of Islamic jihad remains a ghost haunting them.

The number of Christians in Bethlehem, which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas, is rapidly dwindling. Christians today make up merely 15% of what was once known as a Christian-majority town. The violent military actions taken by Fatah militants wreaked havoc on the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ after the outbreak of the so-called Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000.

Palestinian Christians singing Christmas carol near the Church of the Nativity

A few years ago, a visa clerk at the US consulate disclosed to this writer that Palestinian Christians who met the US tourist visa requirements often decided to overstay their visit to the United States, and eventually applied for political asylum because of fear of growing Islamic jihad activity within the Palestinian society. Those applicants share with the USCIS in secrecy their valid stories of persecution at the hands of “their Muslim brethren.”

On the other side of the country, Christians inside Israel tell a completely different story. They increasingly are incorporated in all walks of life, and their numbers are growing. It is worth noting that their academic achievements rival those of the majority Jewish population.

The head of the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association recently posted on his Facebook page an appeal to the Likud, the main party of the current Israeli government. “We call upon the Likud party which is the [ Israeli] government to open up for appointing Christians and to work on integrating our Christian community and our youth into the state of Israel. This is the responsibility of the members of the Likud party today.”

The Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic, recited by Shadi Khaloul, head of the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association

In Jordan, where Christians have lived so far in peace and safety and enjoyed opportunities that secured them access to both the public and the private sectors, the picture has begun to change.

Yesterday, The Students’ Union of the College of Sharia at the University of Jordan issued a statement expressing its refusal to erect a Christmas tree and light inside the university courtyard. It added that what the university did is a matter that does not appease God in a country whose religion is Islam.

Muslims, in general, are living in a crisis because the image of Islam has worldwide been shaken. I am not surprised that they seek to defuse their anger in the remaining Christian minorities.” George Abu Kova, a Palestinian Christian who lives in the United States commented on Facebook in reply to Hamas’s letter against Christmas.

Samir Qumsiyeh, a former advisor to the Orthodox and Catholic Patriarchs in Jerusalem, expressed his dismay and anger to the letter in a post on Facebook, saying, “Hamas’s positions are well known. Have you forgotten that Ismail Haniyeh [Hamas Prime Minister] congratulated Erdogan for turning the Hagia Sophia Church into a mosque and thus ignored the feelings of Christians in general and the Christian Palestinians in particular? Then you hear from them that we are one people within all its components.” Unfortunately, our reality is painful and we have no future.

COLUMN BY

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EDITORS NOTE: This Jihad Watch column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

VIDEO: American Combat Veterans play Christmas Songs with their AR-15 rifles — Merry Christmas!

A group of combat veterans use their AR-15 rifles to play Christmas songs. Among these expert marksmen, who turned their rifles into bell ringers, is Matt Best a former U.S. Army Ranger.

Watch this cool video sponsored by the veteran owned and operated Black Rifle Coffee Company:

Merry Christmas to all of our veterans and their families!

Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) Mission Statement

Black Rifle Coffee Company will provide premium products, deliver the highest quality customer experience, and serve as the premier coffee company to the conservative customer; while honoring those who protect, defend, and support our communities and our country. Learn more about BRCC.

VIDEO: The Todd Starnes 2016 Christmas Show

Celebrating the reason for the season! FOX News Radio presents Christmas performances by Jason Crabb, Meredith Andrews, The Mylon Hayes Family, and the Bellevue Singing Christmas Tree Choir from Memphis Tennessee!

The Todd Starnes Christmas Show is sponsored by “The Case for Christ” in theaters April 2017, and Brim’s Snack Foods.

VIDEO: Merry ‘Endangered’ Christmas

Christmas reminds us of the Savior who died for mankind. But some would like to eliminate it!

Why are Muslims Banning Christmas?

Somalia and Brunei have both just banned Christmas celebrations in their respective countries, citing Islamist justifications. The bans mirror similar restrictions placed on Christianity in other countries that implement sharia as state law. For example, in Saudi Arabia public practice of Christianity or any religion other than Islam is banned. There are no Churches permitted in Saudi Arabia.

But why do Islamists want to target those of other faiths?

The answer lies in a doctrine of supremacy, which holds that Islam must be the dominant religion. This dominance was upheld in previous eras when Islamic empires such as the Ottoman Empire imposed jizya, a special tax on recognized non-Muslim faiths, termed ‘people of scripture.’ These specifically included Christians, as well as Jews and Zoroastrians. Those groups entered into dhimmi, a pact of protection, in which the subjugated groups paid a protection tax and recognized the supremacy of Islam in return for exemption from conscription and the protection of the Muslim state.

These dhimmis were also subject to a host of other restrictions.

In Brunei and Somalia non-Muslims resident in the country for whatever reason will be able to quietly observe Christmas in their homes, but public expressions of their faith will be forbidden.

It is based on these theories of supremacy which date back to eras in which Islamic empires reigned over their non-Muslim subjects in a similar way to the subjugation of non-majority-Christian groups in Europe prior to the modern era.

Many Muslims oppose the subjugation of non-Muslim groups in Muslim majority societies. Some theologians believe that the institutions of jizya, dhimma and the associated restrictions and humiliations are inappropriate and not applicable in the modern age.

Islamic Scholar Sheikh Usama Hasan, of the UK’s Quilliam Foundation, has conducted extensive research in this area and presented the various approaches in his report From Dhimmitude to Democracy. He charts the development of Islamic thought towards a model of equality between all faith groups.

As we see from the news, there are many Islamist leaders who disagree with that model and would prefer to return to one of subjugating non-Muslims.

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EDITORS NOTE: The featured image is by © Jason D’GReat Creative Commons.