Showing posts with label evangelical Christian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label evangelical Christian. Show all posts

Sunday, March 3, 2019

Joel C. Rosenberg: NYT Magazine profiles Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State & an Evangelical Christian. Reports he reads my novels.

Pompeo-NYTimesMagazine

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

NYT Magazine profiles Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State & an Evangelical Christian. Reports he reads my novels. But then goes on odd eschatology tangent.

by joelcrosenberg
(Washington, D.C.) -- Aside from the Vice President, no member of the Cabinet has a closer working relationship with President Trump than Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
That's a good thing, especially given the high stakes of American diplomacy right now. Mr. Trump came to office with no military or foreign policy experience, and having said a number of unsettling things during the 2016 campaign.
Pompeo is a strong conservative and a devout Evangelical Christian. He graduated from West Point. Served as an officer in the U.S. Army. Was deployed in Europe during the end of the Cold War. Came back to Kansas. Built a company. Ran for Congress. Served on the House Intelligence Committee. Was tapped to be Trump's first Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Served there with distinction before becoming Trump's second -- and far more effective -- Secretary of State.
This morning, the New York Times Magazine has published an extensive profile of Pompeo, looking both at his relationship with Trump and his Evangelical faith. I'll let you be the judge of whether the reporter is genuinely curious about and respectful of Pompeo's religious beliefs, or trying to paint him as a nut.
When he explores Pompeo's faith, the reporter -- Mattathias Schwartz -- weaves me into the story. He notes that Pompeo and I met when he was in Congress. That we've stayed in touch over the years That we've met together from time to time, most recently in Egypt. And that he has read my novels for years. 
All of that is true. Indeed, I was more than happy to give the Secretary an advance copy of my forthcoming political thriller, The Persian Gamble, during one of our last meetings. 
Pompeo-Joel
But the implication in the article is that the basis of our friendship is End Times theology. That stunned me when I read the final version of the story because it's not true.
Pompeo and I have talked about a lot of interesting and important subjects over the years, including our shared Evangelical faith. But not once have we ever talked about eschatology. I would never shy away with discussing my views with him, or anyone else for that matter. But he's never raised the topic. Nor have I. We've had plenty of other things to focus on. 
When I met Schwartz in Egypt, we sat near each other at the American University in Cairo where Pompeo was delivering a major policy address. Then we rode together in Pompeo's motorcade to the massive new "Nativity of the Christ Cathedral," and then to the brand new mosque. Schwartz asked me a number of questions about my views of Pompeo and some questions about myself and my background. Yet he never asked me about whether Pompeo and I had ever discussed eschatology or shared the same views. 
Here's what has actually impressed my about Pompeo over the years:
Pompeo-Joel-Egypt
  1. Pompeo understands the nature and threat of evil. Too many in Washington do not. Yet as I have often said, "to misunderstand the nature and threat of evil is to risk being blindsided by it." Pompeo is unlikely to be blindsided. He came of age during when the Soviet Union -- the Evil Empire -- was at its zenith. He thus understands the  serious threat posed by tyrants like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. He also sees Radical Islamism -- not Islam as a religion, but Radical Islamism as a terrorist ideology -- as a force for evil that absolutely must be pro-actively confronted, contained, and dismantled.  
  2. Pompeo is a man of action -- not content with simply analyzing a problem, he wants to figure out how to solve that problem and then pursue his strategy relentlessly. That's why it was so important that he leave the CIA, whose director is not supposed to be involved in making policy. He's much better suited to being Secretary of State, where he can help the President and VP shaped bold, decisive American answers to the world's most dangerous and intractable problems. 
  3. Trump, Pence and Pompeo have forged an impressive alliance in completely reversing the direction of the disastrous Obama-Biden-Clinton-Kerry foreign policy. Together, they have scrapped the fatally flawed Iran nuclear deal and are building a global alliance to neutralize the Iran threat. They are pressing North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program and sign a peace treaty with South Korea. They are working to strengthen NATO and contain the aggressiveness of Czar Putin. And they're trying to forge a new era of peace and strategic alliances between Israel and her Sunni Arab neighbors. I pray they are successful on every front. This not easy work. The threats are real and the stakes are high. But they're moving in the right direction, and I can't think of anyone better to be running the State Department at a time like this than Mike Pompeo.
I'd recommend you read the magazine profile in full.
I'd also encourage you to take 29 minutes and listen to an interview Mattathias Schwartz did with National Public Radio in which he discusses how he approached researching and writing the profile, what his views of Pompeo are, and how he views Pompeo's faith.
You likely won't agree with it all. I didn't. But Pompeo is a power player. There haven't been many serious, detailed profiles about him. And it's worth understanding him better, and keeping him (and his lovely wife, Susan) in your prayers.
(Photos: 1) New York Times Magazine website; 2) First time I met with Pompeo, back when he was a Member of Congress; 3) our most recent meeting in Cairo.)
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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

4 Countries Who Played Big Roles in Israel's Restoration - SEAN SAVAGE JNS.ORG


Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, an evangelical Christian, is a strong supporter of Israel. (Reuters photo)

4 Countries Who Played Big Roles in Israel's Restoration

SEAN SAVAGE/JNS.ORG  CHARISMA NEWS
Throughout the seven decades since it declared independence, Israel has waged an ongoing struggle for legitimacy, navigating the global arena to find its place among the nations.
While many factors went into Israeli independence, the United Nations Partition Plan of 1947 and subsequent Resolution 181 laid the foundation. As with any contentious vote, there was significant lobbying and horse trading involved. But ultimately, 33 countries voted in favor, securing the necessary two-thirds majority in the U.N. General Assembly for the establishment of a Jewish and Arab state in the former British Mandate of Palestine.
For Israel's 69th Independence Day, JNS.org looks at how four countries actively involved in the historic 1947 vote not only shaped Israeli history, but have robust current relationships with the Jewish state and might play key roles in the country's future.
Guatemala
This small and largely impoverished Central American country—with significant natural resources, rich history and vast biodiversity—represents an important partner for Israel as the latter seeks to build non-traditional allies worldwide.
Late last year, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales made a historic visit to Israel, where Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein noted the key role Guatemala played in the 1947 vote by enlisting 13 Latin American and Caribbean—the most from any regional bloc—to vote in favor of the partition plan.
"It could be that without Guatemala, the resolution on that fateful day would not have passed, and history would be very different," Edelstein said.
During his visit, Morales—a devout evangelical Christian—said he looked forward to bolstering agriculture, science, technology and security ties with Israel.
Liberia
As one of the few independent African states in 1947, Liberia's vote was essential to Zionist supporters. The country—founded by freed American slaves in the 19th century—came under intense lobbying from the U.S. which, at the time, threatened to cut its international aid.
Relations between Israel and Liberia have become increasingly important, especially in areas of international aid, agriculture and technology as the Jewish state aims to build relations with sub-Saharan Africa—a key priority of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel was on the frontline helping Liberia deal with the deadly and widespread Ebola virus as the disease raged in West Africa from 2014-2015, killing thousands. Last June, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf visited Israel, where she noted the Jewish state's support.
"Throughout my visit with my delegation we wanted to learn about the extraordinary developments which Israel has made, especially in agriculture, which we look at with wonder each time we see it," Sirleaf said. "You have done wonderful things in the field of water. There are a lot of similarities between Liberia and Israel."
Liberia's agriculture minister, along with a dozen high-level African officials, participated in an agricultural conference in Jerusalem last December. Later this year, Netanyahu is scheduled to attend a major African summit in Togo, where Liberia is expected to participate.
India
Unlike the other countries listed here, India voted against the 1947 partition plan, despite Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru famously being lobbied by Albert Einstein to support the resolution. India was in a similar situation as Israel at the time. Both countries were emerging from British colonial rule, and faced nationalist and religious conflict over proposed partitions. Nevertheless, Indian leaders were concerned with maintaining relations with the Muslim world, especially following their own messy partition with Muslim-majority Pakistan.
But the events of 1947 are in the past. In subsequent decades, India and Israel formed a deep bilateral partnership centered on defense and technology. In July, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become the first Indian head of state to visit Israel as the countries mark 25 years of diplomatic relations.
In recent months, India and Israel have signed new defense deals worth billions. In February, Modi approved the $2.5 billion purchase of an advanced anti-aircraft system, and another $1.5 billion in defense deals are set to be completed ahead of Modi's visit.
According to the Hindustan Times, "Though Israel is among the top four military hardware suppliers to India, with more than $1 billion in annual sales to New Delhi, the Modi government is keen to ensure that this visit is not focused on defense ties alone, but encompasses long-term economic and technological cooperation, resulting in a free-trade agreement."
Australia
Australia was one of four British Commonwealth countries voting for the creation of Israel, the others being South Africa, New Zealand and Canada. At the time, Australian External Affairs Minister H.V. Evatt chaired the U.N. committee that recommended acceptance of 1947's partition plan.
In May 1949, when Israel was accepted as a U.N. member, Evatt—who was serving as president of the U.N. General Assembly—welcomed the Israeli delegation, saying, "I look forward to the time when the wounds of the peoples of the Middle East will be healed, when we shall find friendships and, indeed, comradeship among these peoples."
Netanyahu in February embarked on a five-day visit to Australia, the first such trip for an Israeli prime minister, amid a growing focus on building Israel's relations with the Asia-Pacific region.
"Australia and Israel have a strong relationship, which is evident in a number of ways—not least of which has been Australian support for Israel politically, with the economic ties growing dramatically in recent years," Jeremy Jones, director of international affairs for the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, told JNS.org during Netanyahu's visit.
Jones added, "It is not unreasonable to think that the development of Israel's ties with Asia has given Australia—with its geographic, economic and political ties with Asia—a higher significance in Israeli diplomatic thinking."
This article was originally published at JNS.org. Used with permission.
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Friday, November 25, 2016

President-elect Trump Just Added Another Evangelical to his Cabinet - BOB ESCHLIMAN CHARISMA NEWS

President-elect Trump Just Added Another Evangelical to his Cabinet

President-Elect Donald Trump, Vice President-Elect Mike Pence, and Secretary of Education-Designate Betsy DeVos
Secretary of Education-Designate Betsy DeVos, a board member of Mars Hill Bible Church, met with President-Elect Donald Trump and Vice President-Elect Mike Pence last weekend at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. (Reuters photo)
Evangelicals are going to make quite a mark on the United States of America beginning Jan. 20, 2017.
Three of the first four Cabinet-level appointments President-elect Donald Trump has announced were handed to evangelicals. And now, his fifth appointment goes to another evangelical Christian.
Wednesday afternoon, the Presidential Transition Team announced longtime school choice advocate Betsy DeVos will lead the Department of Education in the Trump Administration. They issued the following statement about the Mars Hill Bible Church board member:
President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate Betsy DeVos as Secretary of the United States Department of Education. A leader in the national school reform movement for more than two decades, Betsy DeVos is a highly successful education advocate, businesswoman and philanthropist.
"Betsy DeVos is a brilliant and passionate education advocate," said President-elect Donald J. Trump. "Under her leadership, we will reform the U.S. education system and break the bureaucracy that is holding our children back so that we can deliver world-class education and school choice to all families. I am pleased to nominate Betsy as Secretary of the Department of Education."
"I am honored to accept this responsibility to work with the President-elect on his vision to make American education great again," said Ms. DeVos. "The status quo in education is not acceptable. Together, we can work to make transformational change that ensures every student in America has the opportunity to fulfill his or her highest potential."
A native of Michigan, Betsy DeVos has spent decades advocating for school choice reforms and helping underserved children gain access to quality education. Ms. DeVos is chairman of the American Federation for Children whose mission is to "improve our nation's K-12 education by advancing systemic and sustainable public policy that empowers parents, particularly those in low-income families, to choose the education they determine is best for their children."
Ms. DeVos is chair of the Windquest Group and has also served on national and local charitable and civic boards, including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, American Enterprise Institute, The Philanthropy Roundtable, Kids Hope USA and Mars Hill Bible Church. 
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Thursday, February 18, 2016

As Fierce Presidential Campaign Continues, Rubio, Cruz Duke it Out Over Israel by Abra Forman - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Marco Rubio (l) and Ted Cruz during a debate. (Photo: YouTube)

Marco Rubio (l) and Ted Cruz during a debate. (Photo: YouTube)

As Fierce Presidential Campaign Continues, Rubio, Cruz Duke it Out Over Israel

“And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” 
Genesis 12:3 (The Israel Bible™)
After Republican presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz spoke about his intentions to establish greater military cooperation with Israel on Tuesday, rival Senator Marco Rubio released a memo accusing Cruz of lying about his support of the Jewish State.
In his speech, made from the USS Yorktown in South Carolina at a campaign event, Cruz called for a rebuilding of the US military and increased partnership with Israel on military defense programs for intercepting short, medium and long-range missiles. The most well-known Israeli missile defense system is the Iron Dome, an incredibly successful military technology which has been snatched up by militaries worldwide.
The Jewish Insider reported that Cruz also called for greater cooperation with the Jordanian and Egyptian militaries, in addition to the IDF, and for collaboration between the four nations to fight the war on terror.
However, Marco Rubio quickly cast doubts on Cruz’s commitment to supporting Israel, accusing him of lying about his past record on questions of national security. Rubio’s campaign distributed a memo which pointed out that in 2013, Cruz had signed a budget proposal which slashed defense spending and aid to Israel.
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Cruz also voted against the Annual National Defense Authorization Act while serving in the Senate. The comprehensive defense bill helps to fund Israeli military programs like the Iron Dome.
Rubio spokesman Joe Pounder said in a statement, “Senator Cruz will say or do anything to win an election including lying to cover-up his own weak record on national security.”
“Senator Cruz is the only candidate in this race who has consistently sided against our military and intelligence professionals and whose foreign policy vision changes with his poll numbers,” he added.
Cruz and Rubio, both Bible believers, have strived to embody Genesis 12:3, blessing Israel through political, military, and spiritual support. Cruz, an Evangelical Christian, has made his strong ties to Israel a key part of his platform, and Rubio has called for the US to give “unconditional support” to the holy land.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Should Christians Take Their Kids Out of Public Schools? CHARISMA NEWS

E. Ray Moore believes Christians should remove their kids from public schools.
E. Ray Moore believes Christians should remove their kids from public schools. (Flickr)


Should Christians Take Their Kids Out of Public Schools?


An evangelical Christian organization the Exodus Mandate is urging believers to pull their kids out of public school. Lt. Col. E. Ray Moore, founder of the Exodus Mandate, says that students left in school will soon be "indoctrinated" by leftist Common Core ideology.
"I describe the education of children in America (as) kind of like a prison," says Moore. "We're all in a prison. But this is a unique prison. The doors are wide open and they're not locked. And people can get up and walk out of that prison anytime they want."
Moore released a documentary this year titled Escaping Common Core: Setting Our Children Free, which he wrote the script for and produced. He says he hopes the documentary will convince Christians to abandon the public schools and return to a biblical model of homeschooling or Christian education.
"Sound theology teaches that the education of Christian children belongs to the family with assistance from the church, not the government," says Moore. "So we don't think under any circumstances Christians should have their children in godless pagan schools, which is what they've totally become."
Though Moore opposes public schools, he believes Common Core has made the situation even worse. Moore says he believes that, through this new set of standards, the elite are "intentionally dumbing down" the masses.
"Very bright kids are going to be able to go to elite schools, but the average population will be less and less able to function academically," says Moore. "The kids will not understand the great literature (or) the great books. They may not be able to do basic computation."
Furthermore, he says this indoctrination will limit opportunities for the next generation: "They're going to use this method to affect employment, so you won't be able to advance in employment unless you've been indoctrinated in their model. You won't be able to advance to university unless you've been indoctrinated in their model. So they're going to use it to control the population and create a bunch of 'sheeple' and herd them around. That way they control the culture and then they can put in the New World Order ... because people will be too dumbed down to be able to oppose it. So this is their plan. And it's pretty easy to show it, and that's what we do in the movie."
A spokeswoman for the Council of Chief State School Officers contradicted Moore's claim regarding curriculum.
"States led the development of the standards to ensure that every state in the nation has high academic standards to prepare students for college and careers," said the spokeswoman. "The Common Core State Standards are standards in English, language arts and mathematics. Standards are guidelines for what each child should know and be able to do by the end of each grade level. Standards do not determine the curriculum, or the lessons or specific tools teachers should use to help students reach the standards. Those decisions are left up to local school boards and educators at the local level."
Christians will need to exercise discretion when determining where they stand on this issue. Reviewing the standards for themselves could be a good place to start. More information about Common Core, including changes to existing curriculum, frequently asked questions and common myths, are available at this website.
For more information about the Exodus Mandate and Escaping Common Core, visit the official website. The film is now available on DVD.
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Thursday, June 12, 2014

Ben Carson on How to Actually Save America - CBN TV

WATCH: Ben Carson on How to Actually Save America



Dr. Ben Carson on CBN TV. (CBN)

Dr. Ben Carson is a devout evangelical Christian, medical doctor and now author of the New York Times best-selling book One Nation. Noted for his uncanny ability to level heads on both sides of the aisle with common sense and incredible tact, Dr. Ben Carson is a favorite of many who are calling for him to run for president—and he's considering it.
Watch CBN's exclusive interview with him about his plan to save the United States: