Tower of London, Author Bob Collowan (CC BY-SA 4.0 Unported)
Used alternately as a palace, a fortress, and a place of execution, the Tower of London has stood on the River Thames for almost 1000 years. In Jewish history, it has played a paradoxical role [1].
Status as Property of the King
“All Jews, in whichever kingdom they may be, ought to be under the guardianship and protection of the liege king..because the Jews and all their possessions are the king’s…”
-Laws of Edward the Confessor
It is thought that the first Jews arrived in England during the Norman Conquest of 1066 [2].
Under English law, Jews in the Middle Ages were classified as property of the king. This implied a certain protection. It, also, meant that Jews could be taxed, and their possessions confiscated at the king’s pleasure.
Though Jews were not permitted to own land and were barred from most occupations other than medicine, they were allowed to act as moneylenders. This likewise benefited the king, whenever royal funds were in short supply.
Unfortunately, their special relationship with royalty made Jews the targets of mob violence in times of resentment toward the throne, economic downturn, excessive Crusade zeal, or general antisemitism.
Incarceration in the Tower
At least 1000 Jews are believed to have been incarcerated in the Tower of London during the 13th Century.
In 1255, 92 Jews falsely accused of having ritually murdered a 9 y.o. Christian boy (so called “Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln”) were brought to the Tower [3]. Eighteen were immediately hanged on account of this blood libel. The rest were eventually released. Read more…
The Red State/Blue State Divide (covering national elections in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020), Author Angr
(CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported, GNU)
Key:
Red = Republican candidate carried state in all four most recent elections.
Pink = Republican candidate carried state three of the four most recent elections.
Purple = Republican candidate and Democratic candidate each carried state in two of the four most recent elections.
Light blue = Democratic candidate carried state in three of the four most recent elections.
Dark blue = Democratic candidate carried state in all four most recent elections.
As the excerpts (below) demonstrate, the constitutions of all 50 states — even liberal states like Massachusetts, New York, and California — acknowledge the existence of God.
Most state constitutions invoke God’s protection and/or indicate gratitude to Him for their citizens’ civil, political, and religious rights.
That was not a mere turn of phrase, an arcane way of speaking which has since fallen out of fashion. It was a reflection of the American people’s faith, an expression of the general state of mind at the time [1].
Abortion
Today, the constitutions in some 26 states have been amended or interpreted to protect abortion [2][3]. In at least seven of these states, there is no gestational limit placed on abortion.
In only 20 states is abortion banned (whether outright or at an early stage) [4]. These bans allow exceptions for rape or incest. In four more states, bans have been blocked by the courts.
Gay Marriage
A majority of state constitutions did ban gay marriage before the landmark US Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 [5][6]. Gay marriage is now legal in all 50 states.
Gender Reassignment Surgery
The issue of gender reassignment surgery for minors (so called “gender affirming healthcare”) is in process of being litigated nationwide, with many in the Transgender Movement seeking support from state constitutions for their position that biological sex and gender identity can be separated [7].
The question must be asked whether those references to God in our state constitutions are now meaningless vestiges of a bygone era.
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[1] This is not to say that every American was once Christian, or that Christianity was ever a prerequisite to citizenship.
[2] Center for Reproductive Rights, “State Constitutions and Abortion Rights”, July 2022, https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/State-Constitutions-Report-July-2022.pdf.
[3] New York Times, “A Volatile Tool Emerges in the Kate Zernike, 1/29/23, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/29/us/abortion-rights-state-constitutions.html.
[4] New York Times, “Tracking the States where Abortion Is Now Banned”, 6/30/23, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/us/abortion-laws-roe-v-wade.html.
[5] Wikipedia, “Same-sex marriage law in the United States by state”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_law_in_the_United_States_by_state.
[6] University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) Law School, “The Gay Rights Controversy”, http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/gayrights.htm.
[7] Washington and Lee Law Review, “Leave Them Kids Alone: State Constitutional Protections for Gender-Affirming Healthcare” by Jessica Matsuda, 2022, https://lawreview.wlulaw.wlu.edu/leave-them-kids-alone-state-constitutional-protections-for-gender-affirming-healthcare/.
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State Constitutions (Excerpted)
Alabama 1901, Preamble. “We the people of the State of Alabama, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution…”
Alaska 1956, Preamble. “We, the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land…”
Arizona 1911, Preamble. “We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution…”
Arkansas 1874, Preamble. “We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government…”
California 1879, Preamble. “We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom…”
Colorado 1876, Preamble. “We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe…”
Connecticut 1818, Preamble. “The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy…”
Delaware 1897, Preamble. “Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshiping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences.”
Florida 1885, Preamble. “We, the people of the State of Florida, grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty…establish this Constitution…”
Georgia 1777, Preamble. “We, the people of Georgia, relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution…”
Hawaii 1959, Preamble. “We, the people of Hawaii, Grateful for Divine Guidance…establish this Constitution…”
Idaho 1889, Preamble. “We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings…”
Illinois 1870, Preamble. “We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors…”
Indiana 1851, Preamble. “We, the People of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to chose our form of government…”
Iowa 1857, Preamble. “We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings establish this Constitution…”
Kansas 1859, Preamble. “We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges…establish this Constitution…”
Kentucky 1891, Preamble. “We, the people of the Commonwealth of grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties…”
Louisiana 1921, Preamble. “We, the people of the State of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy…”
Maine 1820, Preamble. “We the People of Maine, acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity…and imploring His aid and direction…”
Maryland 1776, Preamble. “We, the people of the state of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty…”
Massachusetts 1780, Preamble. “We…the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe…in the course of His Providence, an opportunity…and devoutly imploring His direction…”
Michigan 1908, Preamble. “We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom. . . establish this Constitution…”
Minnesota 1857, Preamble. “We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings…”
Mississippi 1890, Preamble. “We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work…”
Missouri 1845, Preamble. “We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness…establish this Constitution…”
Montana 1889, Preamble. “We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty…establish this Constitution…”
Nebraska 1875, Preamble. “We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom…establish this Constitution…”
Nevada 1864, Preamble. “We the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom establish this Constitution…”
New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V. “Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience…”
New Jersey 1844, Preamble. “We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors…”
New Mexico 1911, Preamble. “We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty…”
New York 1846, Preamble. “We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings…”
North Carolina 1868, Preamble. “We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those…”
North Dakota 1889, Preamble. “We, the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain…”
Ohio 1852, Preamble. “We the people of the state of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common…”
Oklahoma 1907, Preamble. “Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty…establish this…”
Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I Section 2. “All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences…”
Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble. “We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance…”
Rhode Island 1842, Preamble. “We the People of the State of Rhode Island grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing…”
South Carolina 1778, Preamble. “We, the people of the State of South Carolina…grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution…”
South Dakota 1889, Preamble. “We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties…establish this.”
Tennessee 1796, Art. XI.III. “That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience…”
Texas 1845, Preamble. “We the People of the Republic of Texas, acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God.”
Utah 1896, Preamble. “Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution…”
Vermont 1777, Preamble. “Whereas all government ought to…enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man…”
Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI. “Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator…can be directed only by Reason and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other…”
Washington 1889, Preamble. “We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution…”
West Virginia 1872, Preamble. “Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God…”
Wisconsin 1848, Preamble. “We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility…”
Wyoming 1890, Preamble. “We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties…establish this Constitution…”
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://www.avoicereclaimed.com
“Moses Indignant at the Golden Calf” by William Blake (c. 1799), Tate Britain, Source William Blake Archive (PD)
“I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High” (Isa. 14: 13-14).
The public is being bombarded by articles touting the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI). This is hardly surprising, since our society is enamored of technology. Novelty of any kind is seen as progress, regardless of what the consequences may be.
But there is a sinister development associated with AI so stunning it takes one’s breath away. The possibility exists that AI will become a religion. That is already being discussed [1].
Satan has always sought to mimic God’s attributes. This powerful and pervasive technology is yet another tool in his arsenal.
Omnipresence
Convinced that the surrender of our privacy will somehow improve our lives, we have surrounded ourselves with so called “smart” devices which endlessly collect data on us, and share it with parties largely unknown to us.
The connection between people, things, data, and processes is termed the “internet of everything”. Its purpose nominally is to speed the acquisition of knowledge across the network [2]. The question is to what end. Read more…
Mother Teresa, known for her work with the poor,
Source Mother Teresa best © copyright 2010,
Author Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com
(CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)
“Socioeconomic status is the most powerful predictor of disease, disorder, injury and mortality we have.”
– Tom Boyce, MD, Chief of Division of Developmental Medicine, Dept. of Pediatrics, UCSF
Epidemiologists term poverty the “cause of causes” because it underlies so many illnesses.
The life expectancy of an adult living at or below the federal poverty level ($11,770 per one-person household) in the Rust Belt or rural South is 7-8 years less than that of an individual making the average American income of $55,775 [1][9].
Race, Poverty, and Chronic Illness
Race further widens the gap. Chronic illnesses (responsible for 70% of the deaths in this country) show earlier onset and greater frequency in minority populations living in poverty [2].
According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, Americans living in poverty suffer from depression at twice the rate of those not in poverty. Asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and heart attack rates are, also, higher among the poor [3].
And the United States is second to last among 29 developed countries ranked by child poverty rates – scoring worse than Poland, Latvia, Hungary, and Lithuania [4][5].
A Complex Relationship
The available data barely scratches the surface of the relationship between poverty and illness.
The relationship between poverty and depression is, we know, complex. Depression can both cause and be caused by poverty [6].
Other health problems may be influenced by the limited healthcare available to the poor, and the environmental conditions under which they live. Lead pipes, for example, are common in America’s inner cities [7]. Read more…
Tattered American Flag, Author Tony Webster of San Francisco, CA https://www.flickr.com/people/87296837@N00 (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)
“‘Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…(Ex. 19: 5-6)’“
In his masterwork “Democracy in America”, Alexis de Tocqueville, remarked on the close relationship between religion and liberty in our country [1].
“We evangelicals tend to make Exodus personal and spiritual. It’s a symbol of our Salvation. Yes, it is: God’s liberating power. But it was a political solution. It was a social way of doing things…It jumped to the Reformation in the 16th Century, in the 17th Century to New England, and in the 18th Century it became the Constitution. And your [the American] Constitution…is a secularized, nationalized form of covenant…The Jewish covenant is a covenant with God. The American Constitution is a covenantal system not with God, under God.”
-Os Guinness [2]
The author and social critic, Os Guinness, repeatedly makes the point in his own work that America is a covenant nation whose very Constitution is based upon biblical principles [3]. He argues that the farther we stray from God, the farther we stray from our core values…much to our peril. Read more…
Gilbert Stewart portrait of George Washington (1803), Clark Art Institute (Accession No. 1955.16), (PD)
The first Jewish congregation in Georgia — Mickve Israel — was established in Savannah around 1735 [1A]. After the American Revolution, the leadership of Mickve Israel wrote to congratulate George Washington on his election as the nation’s first president.
Below is an excerpt of his response. It demonstrates that the historical revisionists who today seek to label Washington a mere “deist” do him an injustice. And that anti-Semitism is un-American.
“To the Savannah, Ga., Hebrew Congregation
Gentlemen,
I thank you with great sincerity for your congratulations on my appointment to the office…
I rejoice that a spirit of liberality and philanthropy is much more prevalent than it formerly was among the enlightened nations of the earth; and that your brethren will benefit thereby in proportion as it shall become still more extensive. Happily the people of the United States of America have, in many instances, exhibited examples worthy of imitation — The salutary influence of which will doubtless extend much farther, if gratefully enjoying those blessings of peace which (under favor of Heaven) have been obtained by fortitude in war, they shall conduct themselves with reverence to the Deity, and charity towards their fellow-creatures.” Read more…
Hartheim Euthanasia Centre (Alkoven Schloss Hartheim) where 30,000 people deemed unfit by the state were put to death at direction of the Third Reich’s Committee for the Scientific Registration of Serious and Congenitally Based Illnesses, Author Dralon, (CC BY-SA 2.5 Generic) [1].
In total, some 200,000 mentally and physically handicapped individuals were killed by the Nazis [2A].
The Dutch are at the forefront of a growing trend in favor of euthanasia. They have made it legal for physicians to end the lives of any of the following, prematurely:
- competent, consenting, terminally ill or disabled patients;
- incompetent patients like those with Alzheimer’s Disease, unable to consent;
- otherwise healthy patients with depression who are “rationally” suicidal (whatever that means); and
- children under the age of 12 terminally ill or suffering intolerably in the opinion of a physician (without respect to available pain management) [3A].
Disabled Infants
Disabled infants in the Netherlands (even those not dependent on intensive care for survival) have long been euthanized [4A]. Approximately 21% of such infant deaths occurs without the request or consent of parents [3B].
In 1992 the Dutch Royal Society of Medicine actually published guidelines on when to kill an infant [4B]. These include whether the child would ever be able to live independently; experience “self realization”, i.e. hear, read, write, or engage in profitable work; and have meaningful interpersonal relations [4C].
One cannot help but be reminded of Nazi atrocities against the disabled [2B][14A]. Read more…
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://www.avoicereclaimed.com
“…And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS…” (Rev. 17: 3-5).
Richard “Rick” Pearson, founder of Richard Pearson Ministries, in his book The Hour that Changes Everything explores America’s place in Bible prophecy [1].
Claiming a personal revelation and citing extensively from Scripture, Pearson argues compellingly that America is actually Babylon the Great a/k/a Mystery Babylon or the Whore of Babylon [2].
For those unfamiliar with end times prophecy, Babylon is a symbolic female figure in the Bible traditionally interpreted as referring to a commercial center from which the Antichrist reigns during the last days and/or the religious system under him [3][4][5].
Pearson does not disagree that Babylon refers to a false religious system. However, he believes there is a further meaning, and makes the case using 53 specific Bible verses about Babylon.
Pearson contends that it is America, greatly blessed by God (Deut. 28: 1-14), which is holding back the New World Order (Rev. 17: 12, 16-17). However, at the appointed hour, the saints approved by God will be raptured (1 Thess. 4: 16-17) and the nation destroyed for its sins (Deut. 28: 15-45).
I highly recommend The Hour that Changes Everything, both to believers and non-believers. The Hour is available from Amazon and other booksellers.
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[1] Prophecy USA, “Hi, I’m Rick Pearson”, https://prophecyusa.org/hi-im-rick-pearson/.
[2] Wikipedia, “Whore of Babylon”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whore_of_Babylon.
[3] Gospel Coalition, “Who is the Whore of Babylon? (And Why Does It Matter?)” by Paul Carter, 6/14/18, https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/ad-fontes/who-is-the-whore-of-babylon-and-why-does-it-matter/.
[4] Got Questions, “What is the whore of Babylon/mystery Babylon?”, https://www.gotquestions.org/whore-Babylon-mystery.html.
[5] Got Questions, “What is the significance of Babylon in the Bible?”, https://www.gotquestions.org/Babylon-in-the-Bible.html.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://www.avoicereclaimed.com
Homeless camp in Oakland, CA, Author NeoBatfreak (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)
The following is excerpted from an article in Newsweek titled “I Was a California Cop, Words Can’t Describe the Horrors I Saw” by Rick Campbell. The full article, dated 6/9/23, can be found at: https://www.newsweek.com/california-cop-homeless-crime-drugs-police-1805273.
Please, pray for those lost in addiction, and the law enforcement officers tasked to deal with this extremely difficult situation.
“I was a cop in Oceanside, California for over a decade. It’s a town of around 170,000 people in north San Diego county and I’ve lived here for my entire life…
In 2000, California voters approved The Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act, which mandated that courts offer a drug treatment program to people arrested for felony drug possession of drugs including meth, heroin and cocaine.
Offenders who chose treatment over prison were enrolled in drug court—a specialized court docket program aimed at criminal defendants convicted of a drug offense—which I feel was actually pretty effective.
Those who chose prison instead of treatment were usually out in six months with good behavior, while arrested narcotics dealers often had their dealing charges reduced to simple possession and were offered drug court.
Thanks to this new act…the percentage of simple drug possession offenders in prison in California was pretty low at the time.
Essentially, there was nobody wasting away in prison for a first-time drug offense. However, I often arrested the same person for possession of meth multiple times, and they were offered drug court every time.
Quite a few people chose prison instead of drug court. They loved meth more than anything, and for them, six months inside wasn’t a big deal—they could still obtain drugs while incarcerated…” Read more…
A Lawyer's Prayers 