Financial Firms Endeavoring to Care about Climate Change

Last updated on: January 15, 2020 at 12:35 am By Kermit Zarley

For I don’t know how many years, I have been somewhat of an environmental and socially responsible investor. Large, financial firms on Wall Street have so far been resistant to the clarion call, issued especially by scientists, that the world needs to do something about man-made climate change. But it appears the tide is about to change. Wall Street’s BlackRock is the largest financial brokerage in the world, with $7 trillion in managed assets. BlackRock’s CEO Larry Fink recently said... Read more

Speaking Clearly

Last updated on: January 11, 2020 at 8:08 pm By Kermit Zarley

Yesterday, political commentator Chris Matthews interviewed Johnathan Lemire, White House correspondent for the Associated Press, on Chris’ MSNBC Hardball television program about speaking clearly. They discussed the decision of President Donald Trump to have Qasem Soleimani, Iran’s top military general, killed a week ago with a missile strike as he was leaving the airport at Baghdad, Iraq. Lemire said Soleimani was “taken out.” Matthews interrupted Lemire, objecting to that expression. He said he didn’t like it and asked why Lemire... Read more

Trump’s Wall Scores Two Victories

Last updated on: January 10, 2020 at 7:24 pm By Kermit Zarley

U.S. President Donald Trump won two court victories today for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall. The main one was that the Supreme Court ruled, in a close, 5 to 4, decision, that $2.5 billion in military funds could be diverted to 100 miles of new construction of this wall. This court decision was split along the conservative-liberal divide, which Trump himself has affected. The president immediately tweeted, “Wow! Big VICTORY on the Wall. . . . Big WIN for Border... Read more

Will America’s Tax-Exempt Status for Churches Last?

Last updated on: January 9, 2020 at 12:15 am By Kermit Zarley

Paul Matzko is a historian of American religion and politics who has written an informative, sobering, and somewhat provocative article, at least for Christians and their churches, entitled, “The Hidden Cost of Tax Exemption,” and published in this month’s Christianity Today magazine. Matzko relates some history of America’s church-tax exemption that dates back to the formative years of the nation. He then reveals that this church privilege is increasingly coming under scrutiny in the courts in recent times. He says the... Read more

Is It All About the Bolton Book?

Last updated on: January 7, 2020 at 9:15 am By Kermit Zarley

John Bolton–President Trump’s former National Security Advisor whom he supposedly fired (he offered to resign)–issued a statement today saying he will testify in the impending Senate impeachment trial of the president if he, Bolton, is subpoenaed to do so. Why did it take so long? Bolton has remained peculiarly quiet since his departure from Trump’s cabinet last September, despite impeachment. I think it’s all about the tell-all book he is writing. When he will so testify, the book may be... Read more

Trump Risks War with Iran

Last updated on: January 6, 2020 at 12:10 am By Kermit Zarley

President Trump has taken measures this week which risk war with Iran. Thursday, he ordered a drone missile that killed Iran’s top general, Qasem Soleimani, along with seven other Iranian militants and Iraqi militia leader Mahadi al-Muhandis. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei threatened a retaliatory response. We can be sure that the Iranians will carry through with this threat. Yesterday, President Trump further threatened that the Pentagon has 52 Iranian sites in view to attack if Iran attacks the U.S. in... Read more

Justin Thomas Wins Sentry

Last updated on: January 10, 2020 at 4:16 pm By Kermit Zarley

Justin Thomas, who has moved in and out of the #1 World Rankings in pro golf in recent times, just won the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua’s Plantation Course on Maui Island, Hawaii, on the third playoff hole by defeating Patrick Reed. It was Thomas’ 12th win on the PGA Tour. And it moved him into some pretty elite company. He joined Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods as the only pro golfers to ever win at least... Read more

Would Trump Risk War with Iran to Distract from his Impeachment?

Last updated on: January 4, 2020 at 6:19 pm By Kermit Zarley

I think so. Since Donald Trump became president, I’ve believed that if he got into trouble politically and/or legally during his presidency, he might start an armed conflict somewhere in the world to divert attention from his troubles, such as his impeachment in Congress. Donald Trump is in trouble now with the impeachment trial of him looming in the Senate. Why do I believe this? It has been widely reported that for Donald Trump, winning is everything, so that he... Read more

Wayne Grudem Differs with Christianity Today Article

Last updated on: December 31, 2019 at 1:29 am By Kermit Zarley

Wayne Grudem wrote an article published yesterday with Townhall entitled, “Trump Should Not Be Removed from Office: A Response to Mark Galli and Christianity Today.” It is Grudem’s response to retiring CT editor-in-chief Mark Galli’s much publicized and controversial article published in CT the day after the House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump. Dr. Wayne Grudem is “Distinguished Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies” at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona. I know Dr. Grudem. Since I live in this... Read more

Evangelicals Divided about Christianity Today Article

Last updated on: December 23, 2019 at 6:37 pm By Kermit Zarley

As I have been posting recently, Christianity Today‘s editor-in-chief Mark Galli wrote an article published in this evangelical flagship magazine which calls for Trump’s removal from office mostly on the basis of his moral failings but also, it seems, to be consistent with their past insistence on both Nixon and Clinton being removed as well. Over 200 evangelical leaders have come out with a letter denouncing the CT piece and supporting President Trump. They include Franklin Graham, the son of... Read more