There is a way that the GOP can be saved. The Wall Street Journal maps it out here.
Since a Virginia court case earlier this week made it clear that a state may not enforce laws overriding the rules of a political party, it is now up to the GOP rules committee to adopt a rule allowing delegates to vote for the candidate they now believe will be the best person to take on Hillary Clinton. If the delegates vote for Trump, so be it. If not, the GOP might have a chance in November.
Right now, it is the Republican establishment and evangelical leaders who are propping up Trump’s nomination. If RNC leaders thwart the Free the Delegate movement by blocking rules changes (as they are reportedly doing right now), then they are responsible for presenting Donald Trump to the nation as the GOP standard bearer. A simple rules change will allow delegates to exercise their responsibility to choose the best candidate. Without it, Trump will become the nominee.
Evangelical leaders (e.g., Eric Metaxas, David Jeremiah, etc) who have come out for Trump have already tarnished their reputation. There is about a day left for them to recant and encourage the delegates to vote for rules changes which will allow the possibility of multiple ballots at the convention. It is simply impossible to take seriously any evangelical leaders who has come out for Trump. This election cycle has really revealed some things to the rank and file for the first time.
Check out these websites and do what you can.
Free the Delegates
Delegates Unbound
If the effort to stop Trump are unsuccessful, then consider this third party effort.
Month: July 2016
Donald Trump Says His Experience Shows That Blacks Who Feel System is Rigged Might Be Right
Donald Trump’s been all over the place with his views of the African-American experience. Yesterday, he said he can’t relate to African-Americans because he isn’t one. He says Obama has been a divider and we need a cheerleader. Then he declines an invitation to speak to the NAACP, where he could cheerlead a little. Then he told Bill O’Reilly he could relate to the system being rigged against blacks because it is rigged against him.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/rtLlF5aoCvU[/youtube]
No really, watch what he said below:
He was right the first time. He doesn’t get it.
Virginia Court Decision Frees Delegates, Paves Way for GOP Convention Fight
Today, a Virginia law binding delegates to the results of the state’s primary was overturned by a federal court today paving the way for a delegate challenge to Donald Trump’s nomination. The case was brought by Beau Correll who sought to prevent enforcement of a Virginia law binding delegates to the primary results. He does not want to vote for Trump and now he doesn’t have to. Judge Robert Payne concluded:
For the foregoing reasons, judgment will be entered in Correll’s favor on Counts I and II and the Commonwealth will be permanently enjoined from enforcing Va. Code § 24.2-545(0).
According to the Free the Delegates movement, the rules committee is set to allow a vote on a rules change favorable to the anti-Trump forces. The stars would have to align just so, but the potential for a Convention surprise is much greater now.
UPDATE: For some reason, Trump is spinning the results as if he won. See his Facebook page. He is actually citing the statement of facts as the judgment.
David Barton: Christian Professors Oppose Him Because They Were Taught by Pagan Professors
David Barton has said things like that before but at Charis Bible College last week he claimed he has the truth because he has “all the original documents.” Watch (original video lost in server move):
In this video, David Barton renews his war on Christian college professors. He claims we were all trained by “pagan” professors and just say what they taught. However, he is right because he has all the original documents. It is hard to imagine a more arrogant position. He surely knows that any documents of consequence in addressing historical questions are archived and available to historians and scholars. We all have access to the same information. He may have some original letters and other documents but the works of the founders are easily available for review. I challenge Barton to produce an original document of consequence to any of his historical claims which cannot be found elsewhere.
In my case, my history training came at Cedarville College, hardly a bastion of pagan professors.
Historians reading this post: Who is the Christian historian who debates him on Facebook that says America is inherently bad? Does that describe anyone? I think he must be exaggerating.
Another question: Who has parsed his Charis Bible presentations and said how wicked Barton is? Wrong yes, many times. But wicked?
Many Christian historian believe God had a role in history. However, they believe He also wants us to bear true witness, to get the facts right. His role in history isn’t an issue. What is important is telling the story as it was, not making up or embellishing narratives.
Charis Bible students, if by chance you are reading here, check this, this, this, this, this and this out.
What Really Happened with Saeed Abedini?
Phoenix Preacher is beginning a multi-part series about the case of Saeed Abedini, the Iranian born Christian preacher who was imprisoned in Iran and became an internationally famous symbol of religious repression in Muslim nations. PP was a champion of Abedini’s cause while he was in prison but has now come to doubt key aspects of the narrative. The post today opens an exploration of those key claims. His introduction sets the tone:
When Saeed Abedini was imprisoned in Iran in the summer of 2012, the church here and abroad set about to free him with one of the biggest campaigns in recent memory.
Abedini was presented to us as an innocent missionary, a man of God imprisoned for his faith in Jesus Christ.
He was held in horrible conditions we were told, tortured and beaten, often at the edge of death.
The church mobilized as rarely before as organizations like the American Center For Law and Justice, men like Franklin Graham, and hundreds of churches and individuals took up the cause.
Millions of dollars were raised, millions of words written and messages sent to free Abedini before it was too late.
The more we learn, the more we call into question the truth of the narrative we were fed.
Despite the stories of regular beatings and illness while in prison, PP presents photos of Abedini in an Iranian prison looking quite healthy. PP raises the possibility that Abedini’s condition was embellished in order to generate more donations and keep the story alive.
Many people were shocked to hear his wife’s allegations of domestic abuse. Clearly, those stories were not front and center during his captivity. At least some of what was presented to the public wasn’t accurate, that much we already know. The question is what else, if anything, was also untrue?
The American Center for Law and Justice raised funds on the situation and should be accountable for what they knew.
At this point, PP has offered the photos which do raise questions. I plan to follow the series to see what else he brings to the table.