Tuesday, February 16th, in the year of our Lord, 2016.
By Kevin Swanson
President Obama has already signaled that he WILL submit a Supreme Court replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia for Senate approval. In the providence of God, Justice Scalia passed away over the weekend at a hunting lodge in Texas. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is saying that he will oppose confirming any candidate before the 2016 elections. The president will need 60 votes and at least 14 Republicans in the Senate to confirm the nominee. At the presidential debate over the weekend, Senator Ted Cruz says that the stakes on the next Supreme Court appointment are the highest they’ve ever been: “We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that will reverse the Heller decision, one of Justice Scalia’s seminal decisions that upheld the 2nd Amendment right to keep and to bear arms. We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that would undermine the religious liberty of millions of Americans, and the stakes of the election for this year—for the Senate, the Senate needs to stand strong and say, ‘We’re not going to give up the U.S. Supreme Court for a generation by allowing Barack Obama to make one more liberal appointee.’”
Christian legal defense organizations are acutely aware that the Hobby Lobby contraception mandate case was a 5-4 decision in favor of Christian liberties. One of those five majority votes was Justice Scalia. The future of Christian liberties lies in the balance. Mat Staver from Liberty Counsel issued a statement, in which he said, ”With the passing of Justice Scalia, the future of the High Court and the future of America is hanging in the balance.” Alan Sears, president of the Alliance Defending Freedom, called Scalia the “most vocal and passionate voice on the Supreme Court for religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and marriage and family over the past three decades.”
Come what may; know this . . . that Jesus Christ is “seated . . . far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And God put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church” (Ephesians 1:21-23).
As Jesus Christ said it, “A House divided against itself cannot stand.” Are the Republicans disintegrating? Last weekend’s contentious presidential debate has created a great deal of angst and unrest. Dr. Ben Carson referred to the fracas as “ugly, vicious, and not worthy of the American people.” Governor Kasich called it a “demolition derby, no way to pick a president.” Donald Trump made fun of Jeb Bush’s mother; Rubio and Cruz argued over who was fluent in Spanish; and nearly everybody called everybody else a liar. Trump attacked George W. Bush’s hawkish military policy. He is threatening to sue Ted Cruz, and he’s still hinting at an independent run.
Persecution.org reports that an illiterate Pakistani Christian man has been sentenced to death for allegedly sending a text message to a local imam that contained a blasphemous message. Shafquat Masih is languishing in prison. He has appealed the decision to the Lahore High Court, awaiting a decision in about a month.
Two hospitals and a school building were bombed in Northern Syria yesterday, and at least 22 people are dead, including women and children. The U.S. State Department blamed Syria, and others blamed Russia for the attacks.
Senator Ted Cruz announced his adamant opposition to the inclusion of wives and daughters in the military draft after the New Hampshire debate. Senator Marco Rubio had endorsed the idea, but now he wants to let Congress decide the issue. The majority of American women are still opposed to it, according to a recent Rasmussen poll. 52% are against the inclusion of women in the draft, and 38% support it.
Hebrews 9:27 says, “It IS appointed for men to die and after that the judgment,” and that does include atheists. The prominent atheist and writer Richard Dawkins has suffered a stroke from which doctors say he should recover. However, he was forced to cancel trips to New Zealand and Australia. Christians, pray for his soul.
After nearly three months of disruption to business, the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood opened yesterday for service . . . and yes, that includes abortions. Violence at the Planned Parenthood abortion mill on November 27th resulted in three adult deaths, along with many unreported deaths of infants aborted in the establishment. A pro-life police officer, Garrett Swasey, was killed that day, trying to protect human life from a gunman shooting into the strip mall parking lot.
An amazing story has come out of Nigeria, where a teenage girl kidnapped by Boko Haram refused to carry out a suicide bombing mission on a nearby refugee camp.
The UK Guardian reports that she ripped off the vest, and by God’s mercy she found help . . . saving herself and many others.
1 John 4:4 says, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
And that’s the World View in Five Minutes.