by Michael Foust | Nov 8, 2019
The movie ‘Midway’ (PG-13) opens in theaters this weekend, telling the true story of a pivotal World War II battle that took place merely six months after Pearl Harbor.
Dick Best is a cocky Navy bomber pilot from New Jersey who
has never met a challenge in the air he didn’t face with bravado.
As one of his superiors says, Best “doesn’t care” that he
might die during training or battle—nor
that his recklessness might jeopardize others.
But Dick Best’s gusto just might come in handy if the United
States is to win the Pacific against Japan.
The year is 1942, and the American military is still
recovering from Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor that killed more than 2,400 and
destroyed 18 ships.
The U.S. is planning a major counterattack, and Best and his
squadron could play a key role. The goal: lure the Japanese Navy to an area 1,000
miles northwest of Hawaii—known as the Midway Atoll—for an ambush.
There, the U.S. can deliver a crippling blow to Japan’s
heretofore superiority in the Pacific and, hopefully, turn the tide. Otherwise,
the Japanese will win and use Midway Atoll as a base to eye North America.
“If we lose, then they own the Pacific,” Best tells his
wife. “Then they raid the whole West Coast.”
The movie Midway
(PG-13) opens in theaters this weekend, telling the true story of a pivotal
World War II battle that took place merely six months after Pearl Harbor and
virtually assured Japan would not advance to California.
The Japanese lost four carriers to America’s one at Midway
and twice as many aircraft, too—and operated from a defensive position the
remainder of the war.
Midway stars Ed Skrein (Alita: Battle Angel) as Best, Woody Harrelson
(The Hunger Games series) as Chester
W. Nimitz, and Dennis Quaid (I Can Only
Imagine) as William ‘Bull’ Halsey.
Despite the name, the movie’s plot involves more than just
the famous battle. The film opens in 1937 and then jumps ahead to the morning of
Dec. 7, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was attacked. We then follow Best and his
friends as they mourn their friends’ deaths and prepare for a series of
counterattacks—including another important battle, Coral Sea—leading up to
Midway.
Thanks to spectacular special effects and characters based
on real people, Midway is
ultra-realistic. By the time the credits roll, you just might want to stand up
and cheer for the men and women who were dubbed the “Greatest Generation”—the
generation that won a war on multiple continents thanks to courage, hard work
and self-sacrifice.
Still, Midway is
far from being a family-friendly flick, and is marred with excessive language that
might cause many moviegoers to stay away.
Warning:
minor/moderate spoilers!
(Scale key:
none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Moderate/extreme. Midway has multiple battle scenes—of ships
sinking, planes exploding and men dying—but it lacks the blood and gore found
in many other war movies. Even so, it might trouble those who have served in
the military. We see lifeless bodies—a few of them charred—after the attack on
Pearl Harbor. We see a room full of body parts that are covered with blankets.
A Japanese pilot performs a kamikaze mission as his plane was hit. Japanese
planes fire at a field of farmers. The film likely has dozens, if not a few
hundred, explosions.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
Minimal. A man makes a joke about “chasing tail.” Men and
women dance at a club. We see one or two pinups (in the background) of scantily
dressed women.
Coarse
Language
Extreme. H-ll (24), d–n (10), GD (7), b—-rd (6), a– (6),
s–t (6), SOB (4), misuse of “Christ” (2), misuse of “Jesus” (2), f-word (1).
We also hear two or three ethnic slurs about Japanese people.
Other
Positive Elements
Dick Best is married and has a young daughter. Despite his
bravado, he is a loving father and husband who cares for his family. (One scene
shows him kissing her goodnight.)
An intelligence officer references his workload when he says
of his wife, “When the war is over, I plan on spending the rest of my life
making it up to her.”
Other Stuff
You Might Want To Know
Smoking is prominent. We see men and women drinking alcohol.
A man says, “I don’t believe in God.” (Although, later in the film, we hear
someone say, “God bless those boys.”) Midway, unfortunately, includes few
faith-centric elements.
Life Lessons
Family is
essential: Best,
despite his brashness, misses his wife and daughter. At one point, he tells a
friend he wants to survive the war so he can watch her grow up.
War isn’t
glamorous: Too
often, we romanticize war. But as Midway
shows, war should be avoided at all costs. People die. Children grow up without
a parent—and husbands and wives without a spouse.
Courage is a
virtue:
Wars couldn’t be won without soldiers who are willing to die. At the Battle of
Midway, there were thousands of brave men who were ready to put their lives on
the line.
Worldview/Application
War is horrible. Before the Fall, it didn’t exist.
Sometimes, though, war is necessary. Indeed, World War II is
often seen as the best modern example of a just war. Hitler killed 6 million
Jews. The Japanese killed between 15 and 20 million Chinese civilians. How far
would these two regimes have gone if they weren’t stopped?
In the middle of this, the U.S. was attacked.
Tom Brokaw called this group of men and women the “Greatest
Generation.” They defended freedom. They fought the embodiment of evil.
And they did it with traits grounded in Scripture: courage,
self-sacrifice, selflessness and perseverance.
Midway largely avoids the topic of faith.
But it rightly characterizes these men and women as regular people who put
their lives on the line to save a world in peril.
What Works
The story. The special effects.
What Doesn’t
The film has too much language—and not enough faith.
Discussion
Questions
1. What made the Greatest Generation so great?
2. Is war ever necessary? Explain your answer.
3. What are the limits to a just war?
4. How would the world be different today if the U.S. had
remained neutral?
5. List five positive character traits of the Americans in Midway.
Entertainment rating: 3.5 out of 5
stars. Family-friendly rating: 2 out
of 5 stars.
Rated PG-13 for sequences of war violence and related images, language and smoking.
Photo credit: Lionsgate
by Ryan Smith | Nov 6, 2019
It has been
almost two weeks since rap artist Kanye West dropped his much-anticipated
album, “Jesus Is King.” The angst surrounding this release was virtually
unprecedented. Kanye is one of rap’s premier figures. As evidenced by his eight
previous number-one albums, the appetite for his music is rabid. West is also a
global figure in fashion, architecture, business and a variety of other
exploits. When Kanye speaks, for better or worse, people listen.
“Jesus Is King,”
however, was not reported to be simply another Kanye West album. The newly
professing Christian told fans that this was his first gospel album. A
Christian Kanye album sounded something like a new Little Debbie tuna-flavored
snack cake. Those things don’t go together.
However, despite
the anxiety in both Christian and rap communities, West remained undeterred.
Not only did his lifestyle take a 180-degree turn, his Sunday Services were
drawing thousands not only to hear music, but theologically-rich gospel music.
Not only were people hearing a sermon, but a doctrinally-sound call to
repentance from sin in light of a holy God.
Kanye was not
just sharing gospel music; he was sharing the Gospel.
But could Kanye West
actually understand and represent Jesus Christ? Would Christianity water-down
West’s edge and creativity?
“Jesus Is King”
is not your normal record. Foregoing traditional intros, outros and song
structures, the album jumps from track to track like interrupted thoughts. In a
way, the album gives us a look into West’s mind and personality. Amazingly, it
also gives us quite a glimpse into the restless soul of a new believer.
The album opens
with the gospel-choir anthem, “Every Hour.” It’s what one might associate with
a large choir on a gospel album. Yet as the organ begins to swirl on the second
track, “Selah,” the listener gets the first words from Kanye himself. What the
listener finds is not only a bold declaration of faith in Jesus Christ set to brooding
orchestration and pounding drums, but lyrics that stream like the first cries
of a new-born. Viscerally-pronounced Scripture references adorn the track as
Kanye exclaims:
John 8:36
To whom the Son set free
Is free indeed
He saved a wretch like me!
The album’s third
track, “Follow God,” openly displays Kanye’s struggles in walking the path of
righteousness with feet that are used to a much different soil. He admittedly struggles
with temper, entitlement and being called out when he is not acting Christ-like.
The frustration and desire are evident.
The next track,
“Closed on Sunday” has been featured on multiple media outlets and is likely
the best (if not the only) song you’ve ever heard on Sabbath rest. For a man
with such a rapid lifestyle, hearing him talk about laying worldly trappings
down and taking up hands to protect his family with prayer and careful doctrine
is not only refreshing, it’s challenging. He writes,
Stand up for my home
Even if I take this walk alone
I bow down to the King upon the throne
My life is His, I’m no longer my own
The album is full
of calloused Christian truisms inbreathed with new life by one now
understanding their significance. Not only are there solid Biblical truths and
moments of amazing discernment on the album, but there are also moments of
immaturity. However, these moments add to the genuineness of “Jesus Is King”
and remind the listener that Kanye is a work in process—as we all are.
Kanye covers an
array of topics at the forefront of any believer’s mind. He addresses purity
(“Water”), stewardship (“On God”), contentment (“Everything We Need”) and his
broken past (“Use This Gospel”).
As he has always
done, on “Jesus Is King” Kanye asks his questions out loud and makes his
statements with brash exclamation points. He is aware that his conversion is an
unlikely story, but as he continually points out, God writes unlikely stories.
Kanye’s past, his success, his future and his concerns are all as he says, “On
God.”
Is “Jesus Is
King” a good album? It depends on your definition of good. Rap critics have
both applauded and panned it. Christian critics have both praised and
disparaged it. Personally, I really enjoy the album. It’s eclectic, full of
catchy hooks, and puts the skills of one of modern music’s most celebrated
artists on display.
Yet none of those
things are what make “Jesus Is King” a good album. What makes this album great
is that it exalts and glorifies Jesus Christ. When I listen to it, I am led to
worship God for His unmerited grace and mercy toward sinners like me. I’m
reminded that the Christian life is hard. I’m reminded that following Jesus
requires conviction, rest, and brilliant shouts of wonder and praise.
Writer Jared
Wilson had the most pointed review of “Jesus Is King” and one we as Christians
should take to heart. He tweeted,
“Kanye’s album sounds like a new Christian
who hasn’t learned yet from the more ‘mature’ that you’re supposed to be more
embarrassed about your faith. It’s not cool. It’s only occasionally clever. But
there’s a purity to it, rough edges and all.”
Whatever one may
say about Kanye after listening to this album, one cannot deny the bold
emphasis of West’s message: Jesus Is King.
It’s easy to be
skeptical of Kanye West. Our shifting society and popcorn culture have left us
jaded and cynical. Kanye is an easy target for our calloused projection. It’s
also easy to get overly excited about the possibilities of having Kanye on the
“Christian Team.” His influence and profile are attractive. But both of these
truths put Kanye in the line of fire. So how should the Christian respond to “Jesus
Is King”?
As Kanye exclaims
in the song “Hands On,”
Yes, I understand your reluctancy
But I have one request you see
Don’t throw me up
Lay your hands on me
Please, pray for me
We should pray
for him. Amen and Amen.
by Chris Doyle | Nov 1, 2019
Greetings!
I’m excited to share with you my timely topics in this week’s Doyle Half Dozen, especially the first topic that I am reporting.
Thanks for reading!
1. Barry the deacon
A couple of weeks ago, Scott Patton contacted the Baptist Messenger, asking if he could
submit a story he wrote about one of his church members. Patton is pastor of
Indiahoma, First, located outside Lawton in the southwest part of Oklahoma.
I remembered meeting Patton and his wife Tami more than two
years ago, when I did a story about Indiahoma,
First offering a one-day program for kids since Indiahoma, at the time, was
observing four-day school weeks. The Pattons were overseers of this program
that used to meet on Mondays.
Patton is now serving as Indiahoma, First’s pastor, and with
the
story he gave to the Messenger,
his church, and especially a member of the church, is becoming known throughout
the country.
Barry Asenap is 51, living with Down syndrome and, according
to Patton, is “an absolute mainstay” in the church. Now he is an ordained
deacon of Indiahoma, First, after the church unanimously approved his
ordination.
The Messenger is
overjoyed that Patton allowed us to share his story about Barry. His story was
posted on our website on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 31, and within an hour, the
national news source Baptist
Press picked it up. Also, on the Messenger’s
Facebook page, as of the moment I am typing this, the story has been shared 37
times.
Praise God for what He is doing in Barry’s life and the
encouragement that is resonating with those who learn about Barry’s role as a
deacon.
2. Digital life after
death
What happens to social media accounts of people who die?
Have you wondered about this? I certainly have, for a few years now, as I have
seen friends of mine who have passed away still receive Facebook posts, such as
from friends who acknowledge them on their birthdays.
Emily Belz goes even deeper on this issue in her article “Digital life
after death.” You should check it out, especially if you have lost a loved
one, or if you want to know what to do after a loved one dies.
Belz covers legal aspects, as well as practical steps to
follow with Facebook on what to do with a loved one’s account.
She ends her report with how one person is sharing the
Gospel through Facebook with non-Christian friends of the deceased loved one.
3. Shawshank at 25
I used to go to the movies a lot when I was in my 20s. And there even were a few flicks I saw multiple times at the theater. Of course, this was when $1 movies were all the rage.
As I recall, The Hunt for Red October and A Few Good Men rank high on my list of theater viewing. I remember going to see Red October at least five times, and Few Good Men is about the same. If you don’t like watching movies with people who quote all the lines, don’t invite me over if you are watching either of these.
Believe it or not, the movie that surpassed all theater
stops on my list is The Shawshank
Redemption. I think I went to the theater at least 8-10 times to watch Shawshank, and there’s no telling how
many times I watched it on video or TV broadcasts.
This week I read Tim Briggs’ article “’Shawshank
Still Preaches, 25 Years Later,” which reminded me how old I am and
rekindled memories of when I first saw this movie. Without spoiling it, the
ending of Shawshank shocked me in my
original viewing, but there’s so much to the story that makes it so enjoyable
to watch over and over. Shawshank
even taught me that the bank will mail packages for you.
Check out Briggs’ analogy of how the story of Shawshank symbolizes the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
4. Piper advises
Sunday-working Christians
John Piper does a great job in giving practical advice for
living the Christian life. I read through the transcript
of his addressing a question from a nurse who regularly has to work Sunday
shifts.
Piper is very thorough in his answer, and I especially appreciate
his explanation of why Christians today traditionally celebrate “Sabbath” on
Sunday instead of Saturday.
The best thing I interpreted from Piper’s guidance is how
Christians should want to spend a day to celebrate the Lord with other
believers, and he discredited any legalistic application.
5. Kentucky Supreme
Court favors Christian print shop owner
I’m happy for Blaine Adamson, owner of Hands On Originals, a
screen printing operation in Lexington, Ky. that prints designed t-shirts.
Adamson won a legal case in the Kentucky Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of
his faith.
Baptist
Press (BP) reported Adamson’s victory after he was sued by a group
promoting homosexuality. Adamson refused to print shirts with messages that
went against his Christian beliefs. As BP reported, Southern Baptist leader
Russell Moore said this ruling is “good news for every American.”
“We need to live in the kind of country where we can be
free to seek to persuade one another, not bully each other into silence,”
said Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC),
in a news release. “Conservative evangelicals, secular progressives and
everyone in between ought to be able to agree on the idea that a state must not
act as lord over the conscience.
“My hope is that this decision is a sign that courts around the
country will continue to uphold conscience freedom and personal soul
liberty.”
I appreciate Moore’s wording of respecting a person’s
conscience.
6. Mohler on impeachment
process
I got word that Albert Mohler is going to be nominated next year as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. There is nobody among SBC leadership who is more respected and more deserving of the presidential role, and I am hoping he runs unopposed. Wouldn’t that be a great message of unity!
Mohler offered great commentary on many current issues this
week on The Briefing podcast. His Friday, Nov. 1
edition gives an excellent analogy of the recently announced impeachment
inquiry by the U.S. House of Representatives.
by Michael Foust | Nov 1, 2019
The biographical film Harriet (PG-13) opens this weekend, telling the story of former slave and heroic abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
“Minty” is a determined and smart Christian woman living in
1840s Maryland.
She’s also a slave. Her mother and father are slaves. Her
siblings are, too. During the day, they toil the field under the watchful eyes
of their owner, a wicked man who sometimes whips and beats them to maintain
“order.” At night, they recover and rest, preparing for the next day’s work
under the hot sun.
They sing spiritual songs to stay sane—songs about a future
Promised Land ruled by a loving God who blesses his people.
Minty, too, sings about the Promised Land, but she also has
an earthly goal in mind.
“I wanna be free,” Minty tells a friend.
She doesn’t have a plan to escape the plantation, yet she does have the resolve it will take to
get to Philadelphia, which is about 100 miles away and—for safety reasons—must
be accessed by foot.
Finally, on a dark and starry night while her master is
sleeping, Minty sets out on a long journey. Her pastor—a black man—tells her to
follow the north star to ensure she doesn’t get lost. He also gives her
spiritual advice—advice she takes to heart.
“Trust in God,” he says.
The biographical film Harriet
(PG-13) opens this weekend, telling the story of a slave named Minty who
escapes and changes her name to Harriet Tubman once she reaches the
anti-slavery society in Philadelphia. It stars Cynthia Erivo (Bad Times at the El Royale) as Tubman,
Leslie Odom Jr. (Murder on the Orient
Express) as abolitionist William Still, Janelle Monáe as hotel owner Marie
Buchanon, and Joe Alwyn (Operation Finale)
as Gideon Brodess, a member of the family that bought Tubman.
The film follows Tubman as she escaped, alone, by traveling
a secret route known as the Underground Railroad—a route filled with unsung
heroes who lived in slave states but worked to give slaves freedom. Eventually,
Tubman herself became a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad and headed back
to Maryland to free her family and other slaves. When the Civil War started,
she also served as a Union spy and the leader of an armed expedition.
Harriet isn’t a faith-based film in the
modern use of that term—its rough content proves that—but it nevertheless
includes more faith-based content
than you’ll see in most mainstream films. The movie depicts Tubman as a
Christian woman who was guided by her faith and who relied on prayer (and
sometimes visions) to determine God’s will.
When she arrives in Philadelphia and is asked who
accompanied her, she responds it was “just me and the Lord.” When she is
running away from slave catchers, she often pauses in the forest to pray. She
believed God supported her cause. She was right.
Warning:
minor/moderate spoilers!
(Scale key:
none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Moderate. A slave is hit with a gun, and we see a bloody gash
across his eye. Slave catchers use scent hounds to track slaves. We see scars
(from whippings) on the backs of Tubman and other slaves. Female slaves are
slapped several times in the film. A free black woman is beaten and kicked in
the head. A man is shot in the head and dies. Throughout the film, slaves are
treated like animals in what is perhaps the movie’s most disturbing
element.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
Minimal. Tubman and her husband kiss several times. It is
implied that Gideon previously had a sexual relationship with Tubman. We see
Tubman’s scarred back as she prepares to take a bath. (Nothing else is seen.)
We hear the word “brothel.”
Coarse
Language
Moderate. N-word (12), b–ch (4), h–l (5), d–n (2), GD
(1), f-word (1), OMG (1).
Other Stuff
You Might Want To Know
A slave catcher warns Tubman not to commit suicide.
Life Lessons
The Gospel
brings hope: Faith
was the source of strength for Tubman and other slaves. We see them sing
spiritual tunes and pray throughout the movie.
Scripture
can be twisted: The
slave owners told the slaves that God ordained slavery. Tubman and the other
slaves knew better.
Change
requires sacrifice: Slavery wouldn’t have been abolished in the U.S. without
heroes like Tubman—men and women who were willing to die for the cause.
Worldview/Application
The film opens with the scene of an outdoor church service—and
a black minister quoting the Bible to tell the slaves to obey their masters.
The minister, of course, was only following the orders of the white masters,
who sat in the background nodding their approval.
But Tubman and the others knew their Bible better than their
owners did.
The real-life Tubman knew that a Gospel based on grace,
mercy, freedom and salvation couldn’t—and didn’t—condone slavery. She knew that
in Christianity, there was “neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor
free, there is neither male and female” because we are “all one in Christ
Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). She read stories about God freeing the Hebrews from
slavery, and she knew God didn’t want people in shackles.
As she tells Gideon, “God don’t mean (for) people to own
people.”
What Works
The plot. The infusion of faith. Also, Cynthia Erivo is
impressive as Tubman.
What Doesn’t
The slave owners come across as being caricatures. During
some moments, it seems almost like a parody.
Discussion
Questions
1. What role did Tubman’s faith play in her desire to be
free? What role did it play in her rescuing of others?
2. What does the Bible say about slavery? What would you say
to someone who claims it supports slavery?
3. Name five positive character traits of Harriet Tubman.
4. How did Tubman stay encouraged when all hope seemed lost?
Entertainment rating: 3.5 out of 5
stars. Family-friendly rating: 3 out
of 5 stars.
Harriet is
rated PG-13 for thematic content throughout, violent material and language
including racial epithets.
by Chris Doyle | Oct 25, 2019
Greetings!
Happy rainy fall day to you!
Here’s six topics for you to read. Enjoy!
1. Rewinding Trevin’s
Be Kind article
One of my favorite bloggers shared a good one this week.
Trevin Wax gave commentary involving Ellen Degeneres’ remarks of being friends
with former President George W. Bush. Check out For
Jesus’ Sake, Be Kind.
Has W become the favorite among the former U.S. presidents?
On more than one occasion, he is seen being friends with Michelle Obama. He had
a silly moment with a raincoat during President Trump’s inauguration ceremony.
Now, he is seen at a Dallas Cowboys game eating peanuts and chatting with
Ellen.
By the way, I actually met President Bush a few years ago
and got my picture taken with him. It was at a dinner in Tulsa that I had the
privilege of being someone’s guest in attendance. Mr. Bush took pictures with
every attendee, myself included. When I went to introduce myself to him,
telling him my name is Chris Doyle, his response was, “Dole, how are ya?!”
2. Mohler warned by
Canadian government over his report on gender identity
Transgenderism continues in the world today and especially
as a major topic in the courts. This week, a Texas father was blocked by a jury
decision to prevent him from stopping his 7-year-old son from a “gender transition.”
The transgender issue is becoming troublesome. I suppose,
those who are of adult age, have become legally accepted today. My take is I
will be kind and respectful to all people, just what Trevin Wax was emphasizing
in DHD topic 1, and that includes transgender people.
I would even respect a transgender person to the point that
I would call them and refer to them by their desired pronouns and other words
that reflect gender (such as “ma’am” or “sir”). The point is to be kind even
when I may not support or agree. Kindness and respect can still be
demonstrated. And if such a person gains your trust through showing kindness,
who knows what the Holy Spirit may do.
Back to the Texas case, I am sad for this father. This is a
sad situation. Check out Albert Mohler’s Thursday edition of The Briefing
to get his take of this ordeal. He opens his report with the words “horrifying”
and “heartbreaking.”
And keep listening because Mohler said he was “contacted by
Canadian legal authorities and warned” that if he did not remove a transcript
of a previous Briefing report he gave about a transgender case in Canada, he
could face legal action.
3. Trillia’s take on Samaritan
Woman story
Trillia Newbill has a great article that goes along with
what I said in topic 2. Check out “The
Samaritan Woman and Our Barrier-Smashing Savior.”
“…Jesus didn’t follow the
prejudices of his day regarding gender and ethnicity. On the contrary, he
lifted up and honored those the culture marginalized. Surely this was part of
his appeal. People used to being dismissed, ridiculed, and rejected were suddenly
talking with someone who both saw them and loved them.”
4. Bible teaching helps
One of my favorite things I
do regularly is teaching my Bible study group on Sunday mornings. Jamie Dunlop
gives some great
tips for not being a boring Bible teacher.
Two of my favorite takeaways
from Dunlop’s article are:
1. “A good question
has multiple right answers, it’s clear, and it’s simple to ask (if it’s too
long for you to ask it without looking down at your notes, it’s too long). A
good teacher will include at least a few of these in a class, especially at the
beginning when people need to be lured into engagement with the material.”
2. Don’t be embarrassed if you can’t remember someone’s
name. “Model humility and ask them their name.” Unfortunately, I do this way
too often—forgetting someone’s name.
5. J.H. are important
initials
I heard this earlier this year, and I finding out that
Sooner fans find it as fascinating as I do. So I thought I’d share with you.
The University of Oklahoma claims seven national
championships in football. In four of these titles, the Sooners were led by a
quarterback with the initials J.H.
Jimmy Harris was the Sooner quarterback for the championship
years of 1955 and 1956. Jamelle Holieway quarterbacked the Sooners to the 1985
national championship, and Josh Heupel led OU to the 2000 national
championship.
In case you didn’t already know, OU’s current quarterback
this season is named Jalen Hurts.
6. Nationals
inspiration
I conclude with another sports-related topic. The Washington
Nationals have 2-0 advantage in the World Series, with Game 3 against the
Houston Astros happening this evening in D.C.
The Nationals have quite an impressive story this season.
They started poorly, with a 19-31 record. They also traded away the face of the
franchise, Bryce Harper, before the season. But now, the Nationals are in the
driver’s seat toward winning the World Series, possibly sweeping the Astros.
I wonder if the Nationals could inspire another professional
team in another sport that recently traded away its face of the franchise and
appears to not have a good start of the season.
In other news, I work my first regular season Thunder game
tonight.
by Chris Doyle | Oct 18, 2019
Greetings!
I’m covering two of the hottest topics in this week’s DHD.
The NBA-China issue, with specific points relating to LeBron James, and
churches and religious institutions losing tax-exempt status if they oppose
same-sex marriage.
Here we go!
1. NBA-China issue
timeline
In case you don’t have all the facts about this recent fiasco,
Aaron Mansfield offers a
great recap, detailing all the relevant events, including the Hong Kong
protest, Daryl Morey’s Tweet, China’s backlash, NBA’s response, LeBron’s
commentary.
Mansfield’s concluding paragraph is correct. NBA
Commissioner Adam Silver is in a “precarious position,” wanting China’s
business while also handling the powerful country’s social record.
Now, let’s look at some relevant commentary.
2. Tramel’s excellent
take
Berry Tramel did not hold back when he gave his perspective on the NBA-China issue. On Silver’s original comment on Morey’s tweet, Tramel said it was “the weakest bunch of crap anyone has written,” and he especially calls out the NBA’s protesting the City of Charlotte’s bathroom ordinances and threatening to not allow the city to host the NBA All-Star Game, proving the league’s hypocrisy when it comes to political issues.
Tramel also provided a lesson of how
China has a dictatorship-run government. I was impressed with Tramel’s article
and applaud him for being political, especially when he admits he doesn’t like
to be political.
3.
Lamenting LeBron’s loquaciousness
When it appears the NBA-China issue
may have subsided, the league’s most popular player heaped some coals on the
fire earlier this week.
LeBron James is taking a lot of heat
for criticizing Morey’s tweet. One comment in particular was James’ saying
Morey should have “waited a week” to post his support for Hong Kong.
USA Today published a sarcastic response to James with this conclusion: “Not supporting other Americans who exercise that same freedom because it might personally inconvenience you for a few days overseas, LeBron, is without question the most disgraceful moment of your career.”
As hard-hitting as that last comment is, the USA Today article doesn’t take the cake to what the Babylon Bee posted. If you’re not familiar with the Bee, it is a parody news website that offers humor (sometimes biting humor) relevant to current events.
The Bee was pretty bold in displaying this headline: “LeBron James says Rosa Parks’ Bus Protest ‘Could Have Waited a Week.” Ouch!
Finally, Albert Mohler gave his perspective in his Oct. 17
edition of The
Briefing, regarding James’ pitying how Morey’s tweet caused the all-star
and the NBA to pause its financial success involving China:
“The background of that is the fact that people are now suffering oppression in Hong Kong that the Chinese Communist Party in China is breaking its promises of semi-autonomy with Hong Kong, the fact that the Chinese regime is now abusing human rights at the scale of millions, evidently in the view of LeBron James, that pales over against any interruption in the business model of the NBA.”
4. Take away
tax-exemption
The next three DHD topics deal with the recent uproar that
was caused directly by presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke who declared
emphatically that churches and religious organizations that do not approve
same-sex marriage or adhere completely to LGBTQ standards should have
tax-exempt status removed.
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern
Baptist Convention offered a great explainer
this week about tax exemption for religious organizations.
The piece quotes Russell Moore who said about O’Rourke’s
declaration, “Tax exemption for churches is not a ‘reward,’ but a recognition
that the power to tax is the power to destroy. And, indeed, with these comments
Congressman O’Rourke threatens to destroy every church, synagogue or other
religious institution that does not adopt his viewpoint on sexual ethics over
and against their own traditions and authoritative texts. That is not the
American way.”
5. Mohler on
candidates and LGBTQ
The Tuesday, Oct.
14 edition of The Briefing is a required listening or a must-read when it
comes to understanding the ramifications of the push by the democratic
presidential candidates of tax-exemption removal for churches religious
organizations.
Every single point Mohler gives is important. He did a lot
of work in this presentation, especially the breakdown of each candidate’s
viewpoint on this issue. I especially appreciate how he calls out Elizabeth
Warren’s smugness and comments on her bold remark “If you don’t hold the view I
hold on same-sex marriage, you’re not even worthy of anyone marrying you.”
Mohler’s take on Warren’s antics and the support it drew
from those attending the event, “It should tell us a very great deal that that
is now an applause line with millions and millions of Americans. If you are not
in support of same-sex marriage, which after all has been around legally in the
United States for four years, then you are so backward that you don’t even
deserve to be married yourself. No one should want to marry you.”
6. Christian colleges’
response to threat tax-exemption removal
I have mentioned before that I appreciation Sarah Eekhoff
Zylstra’s writing. Every time I go to The Gospel Coalition’s website and find
one of her articles, I’ll read it immediately. She never disappoints me.
Zylstra did an excellent job in interviewing many Christian
college president to get their response to the possibility of their respective
institutions of higher learning facing no longer being tax exempted.
Check out her article “‘No
Obvious Answer’: How Christian Colleges Are Responding to LGBTQ Regulations.”
One of the best comments in the piece is from Covenant
College president Derek Halvorson:
“We aren’t going to
compromise on clear biblical direction with regard to matters like marriage and
sexuality. It’s important for students to see that, and to recognize there may
be costs associated with being faithful.”