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Election analysis // A Chinese hero // Sutherland Springs

NOVEMBER 24, 2018

DANIEL of the YEAR ANDREW BRUNSON Our healthcare premium went up 300%. Someone told us about Medi-Share, and we couldn’t believe it was so affordable! José Fernandez

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For more info, call 844-51-BIBLE or visit BiblicalHealthcare.com Medi-Share is not health insurance. CONTENTS | November 24, 2018 • Volume 33 • Number 22

36 17 30

44 48

FEATURES DISPATCHES 5 News Analysis • Human Race 36 ‘A living martyr’ Quotables • Quick Takes DANIEL OF THE YEAR: Held in Turkey on charges of espionage and terrorism, facing a life sentence for doing the CULTURE work of the church, American Pastor Andrew Brunson’s Movies & TV • Books dramatic release was the work of high-powered diplomacy 17 and prevailing prayer Children’s Books • Q&A • Music

NOTEBOOK 30 Split verdict 53 Sports • Technology • Politics • Division in Washington will likely multiply investigations and Science Religion legislative gridlock, but critical judicial appointments march on VOICES 44 Evangelist in chains 3 Joel Belz China uses dubious border charges to imprison a popular 14 Janie B. Cheaney Christian leader 28 Mindy Belz 61 Mailbag 48 ‘Everything has changed’ 63 Andrée Seu Peterson Sutherland Springs: A Texas community’s life after death 64 Marvin Olasky

ON THE COVER: Andrew Brunson arrives at his home in Izmir, Turkey, on July 25 under terms of house arrest during his trial; photo by Emre Tazegul/AP

Give the gift of clarity: wng.org/giftofclarity Notes from the CEO “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world and those who dwell therein.” —Psalm 24:1

It’s beginning to look a lot like … fundraising season. Chief Content Officer Nick Eicher Editor in Chief Marvin Olasky R You know what I mean. Between now and the end of the year, you may Senior Editor Mindy Belz find yourself overrun with direct mail pieces, emails, and other forms of giving

appeals—some from organizations you barely know, but most from ones you’ve Editor Timothy Lamer supported in the past. National Editor Jamie Dean Managing Editor Daniel James Devine Maybe it’s enough to make you regret ever having given the gift in the first Art Director David K. Freeland Associate Art Director Robert L. Patete place. Reporters Emily Belz, Charissa Crotts, Sophia I hope WORLD hasn’t made you feel that way. By the nature of our work, we Lee, Jim Long, Harvest Prude East Asia Bureau June Cheng, Angela Lu Fulton do have to seek charitable contributions—because without your support, we Story Coach Susan Olasky Senior Writers Janie B. Cheaney, Andrée Seu simply could not continue to make our journalism available to you. But we also Peterson, John Piper, Edward E. Plowman, Lynn Vincent know that fundraising appeals can be, and often are, overdone. That’s why we Correspondents Sandy Barwick, Megan Basham, limit our major appeals to two times every year, the end of the calendar year and Julie Borg, Anthony Bradley, Bob Brown, Michael Cochrane, John the end of our fiscal year, in June. We do a smaller appeal in the fall, and our Dawson, Juliana Chan Erikson, Katie Gaultney, Charles Horton, World Journalism Institute sends out a funding request just before the annual Mary Jackson, Sharla Megilligan, Jill Nelson, Henry Olsen, Arsenio course in May. Orteza, Jenny Lind Schmitt, Russell St. John, Marty VanDriel, We also try to avoid the hyperbole and extreme urgency Jae Wasson that accompanies many fundraising appeals. We will let Mailbag Editor Les Sillars Executive Assistant June McGraw you know if we have a truly urgent need, and we believe Editorial Assistants Kristin Chapman, Amy Derrick, Mary Ruth Murdoch our mission itself is important and worthy of support, Graphic Designer Rachel Beatty Illustrator Krieg Barrie but we strive never to take advantage of your gener- Digital Production Assistants Arla J. Eicher, Dan Perkins osity. If you feel we’ve overdone it and you haven’t

said so, I sincerely want to hear from you. Website wng.org We try to follow the Golden Rule—in this case, Executive Editor Mickey McLean Managing Editor Lynde Langdon ask others for contributions the way you would like Assistant Editor Kiley Crossland others to ask you for contributions. We do want you to Reporter Onize Ohikere Correspondents Rachel Lynn Aldrich, Anne Walters understand what it takes to keep our mission going, Custer, Samantha Gobba, Rob Holmes, Bonnie Pritchett, and we want to remind you during those particular Julia A. Seymour times of the year when you are likely thinking more Editorial Assistant Whitney Williams about giving. But mostly we want to respect and honor Website wng.org/radio you—and, yes, love you—by the way we do all of that. Executive Producer/Cohost Nick Eicher Let me know how we’re doing. Managing Editor J.C. Derrick News Editor Leigh Jones Cohost Mary Reichard Reporters Paul Butler, Kent Covington, Sarah Schweinsberg Correspondents Mary Coleman, Laura Finch, George Grant, Kim Henderson, Cal Thomas, Emily Whitten Producers Johnny Franklin, Carl Peetz Kevin Martin (technical), Kristen Flavin (field) [email protected] Listening In Warren Cole Smith, Rich Roszel

Chief Executive Officer Kevin Martin Founder Joel Belz HOW TO CONTACT US Development Pierson Gerritsen, Debra Meissner, To become a WORLD Member, give a gift membership, change address, access other Andrew Belz, Sandy Barwick member account information, or for back issues and permission … Administration Kerrie Edwards Marketing Jonathan Woods Email [email protected] Advertising Partnerships John Almaguer, Kyle Crimi Online wng.org/account (Members) or members.wng.org (to become a Member) Member Services Summer Dodd Phone 828.435.2981 within the U.S. or 800.951.6397 outside the U.S. KIDS’ AND TEENS’ PUBLICATIONS Website wng.org/children Monday–Friday (except holidays), 9 a.m.–7 p.m. ET Publisher Howard Brinkman Write WORLD, PO Box 20002, Asheville, NC 28802-9998 Editor Rich Bishop Back issues 828.435.2981 world journalism institute Website worldji.com Reprints and permissions 828.232.5415 or [email protected] Dean Marvin Olasky  Follow us on Twitter @WORLD_mag Associate Dean Edward Lee Pitts  Follow us on Facebook @WORLD.Magazine BOARD of directors John Weiss (chairman), William Newton (vice chairman), WORLD occasionally rents subscriber names to carefully screened, like-minded organizations. If you would prefer Mariam Bell, Kevin Cusack, Peter Lillback, Howard Miller, not to receive these promotions, please call customer service and ask to be placed on our DO NOT RENT list. R. Albert Mohler Jr., Russell B. Pulliam, David Skeel, David Strassner, Ladeine Thompson, Raymon Thompson MISSION STATEMENT WORLD (ISSN 0888-157X) (USPS 763-010) is Published biweekly (24 issues) for $59.95 per year by God’s World Publications, Biblically objective journalism that informs, (no mail) 12 All Souls Crescent, Asheville, NC 28803; 828.232.5260. Periodical postage paid at Asheville, NC, and additional mailing educates, and inspires offices.Printed in the USA. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. © 2018 WORLD News Group. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to WORLD, PO Box 20002, Asheville, NC 28802-9998. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS VOICES Joel Belz

to say that we’ve never had to retract a story. Would I now have to change my tune? I hadn’t remembered Ronald Reagan’s challenge. I hadn’t verified my source. All that brings me back to this important point: WORLD operates on a platform of trust with its readers. The WORLD member in Pennsylvania who challenged me last July Whom to believe? assures me now that he still trusts us. Our readiness to admit our mistakes, he says, TRUST IS HARD TO COME BY, EASY TO LOSE increases his trust. Just don’t let it happen too often, he says—and only partly in jest! “Trust,” said Ronald Reagan, “but verify.” WORLD members tell us, again and R The three-word bit of wisdom has been again, how they value our pages—and widely—if casually—reported as coming from how they trust us to pursue our role as Reagan’s mind as well as his mouth. But it isn’t truth-tellers. Getting casual and careless so. Some reporter somewhere was too quick to about that truth-telling assignment has trust and too slow to verify. Others followed. left the major news media in free fall The proverb in fact finds its origins in these days. Once-powerful news maga- Russia (Доверяй, но проверяй). The phrase zines, daily newspapers, and national became well-known in English only when newscasts on radio and television have Reagan jovially quoted it to Mikhail Gorbachev joined hands in a politically correct in Reykjavik, Iceland, during nuclear disarma- rejection of the traditional and historic ment talks in 1986. Dozens of TV cameras foundations of our culture. In doing so, seemed to authenticate his authorship. they’ve lost—and keep on losing—the But wait! In just the preceding two para- trust of former customers. graphs, I’ve managed to affirm or deny half a You WORLD members have actually dozen salient facts having to do with a brief If you can’t moved the other direction. Instead of backing adage. Maybe you believed what I’ve told you— off in protest, some 20 percent of you go well or maybe not. Did you, for example, used to believe your beyond your initial membership commitment. think Ronald Reagan was the original source of eyes, when To that, you have generously added a further the “trust but verify” phrase? Did my reporting you’re expression of trust with your charitable gifts. to you help change your mind? Was my assertion You’ve trusted us, and then our magazines and even more persuasive when I threw in those reading or podcasts along the way have helped you verify Russian characters? watching the that trust. Some of you have chosen to give If you can’t believe your eyes, when you’re news, what regularly (like $25 monthly, for example), while reading or watching the news, what possible others have become involved with heavy-duty benefit have you achieved? possible gifts. One elderly friend is so eager to extend Believability. When I’m talking with friends, benefit WORLD’s influence that her total giving over I like to ask them what they like most about have you the last few years is now in the hundreds of WORLD Magazine. And that’s the word I hear thousands of dollars. most often in response. achieved? Ready to express your own trust in WORLD? But much as I like the sound of the word, I Ready to assume a role as a helper of thoughtful have to tell you how it makes me quiver and people who want to understand the day’s news shake. Believability takes a long time to achieve more clearly? I urge you to give today by using and only an instant to lose. I am still learning that the envelope in this issue—or by giving securely lesson after hearing from a WORLD member online at wng.org/worldmovers. And remember in Pennsylvania this past summer. Where, he that WORLD is a fully deductible, nonprofit wondered, was the source I claimed in one of organization. my columns? Could I verify my claim? This Finally, a special request. Almost every year, careful reader challenged me to cite chapter since WORLD’s first appearance, I’ve asked and verse—which after a couple of hours I whether there might be a handful of folks out found I couldn’t do. I had overstated my case, there willing to commit to a gift of $5,000 per using strong words I should have edited down. year for the next three years. And to my delight, I was, and still am, embarrassed. For 32 years, every year more and more people have rallied to

KRIEG BARRIE KRIEG since this magazine’s founding, I’ve been able the cause. Would you consider joining them? A

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terms and conditions: Free offer is limited to standard shipping within the continental U.S. This coupon is not redeemable for cash and cannot be used on orders already placed, including backorders. Coupon cannot be combined with any other offer. DISPATCHES News Analysis / Human Race / Quotables / Quick Takes

Defiant crossing Salvadoran migrants wade across a shallow part of the Suchiate River from Guatemala into Mexico as part of a third “caravan” to the United States. The migrants did not cross at regular border crossings, because Mexican officials demanded they show passports and visas. OSCAR RIVERA/AP

Manage your membership: wng.org/membership November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 5 DISPATCHES News Analysis

Kristen Leach votes with her 6-month-old daughter, Nora, in Atlanta.

Lincoln was exaggerating in a way that would leave his audience sadly An era of volatility smiling—but only 24 years later 20,000 HURRAH FOR A PEACEFUL ELECTION, BUT RUMORS men would be killed or wounded in two days at Shiloh, Tenn., just north of the OF WAR PERSIST by Marvin Olasky Mississippi border. WORLD’s next issue will be our Books of the Year Beat poet Jack Kerouac wrote, “I Kennedy savaging Robert Bork’s nomi- special, and one book on our short list R like too many things and get all nation to the Supreme Court in 1987, for History is Looming Civil War: confused and hung-up running from 31 years ago. Our politics now reminds How Nineteenth-Century Americans one falling star to another till I drop.” me of a speech young Abraham Lincoln Imagined the Future. Author Jason That’s the American electorate now, gave 180 years ago, in 1838. He said, Phillips shows how North and South almost every two years responding to “We find ourselves in the peaceful both expected conflagration, and the the beat of different drummers. Six of possession of the fairest portion of the nightmare became reality. the past seven national elections have earth, [but] accounts of outrages How do you imagine our political resulted in at least one of the big three— committed by mobs form the every- future? Some pundits see a new civil war presidency, Senate, House of day news of the times.” looming, but the prospect of big armies Representatives—changing hands. In Lincoln pointed to Vicksburg, Miss., attacking each other still seems remote. much of America’s past, continuity where whites lynched blacks, “then The two weeks leading up to Nov. 6 ruled. Republicans held the presidency white men supposed to be leagued with suggest that guerrilla warfare is more for all but eight of the 52 years from 1861 the negroes; and finally strangers from likely. More pipe bombs. (This time, through 1912. Democrats held the House neighboring States going thither on providentially, they injured no one.) of Representatives for all but four of the business. … Thus went on this process More synagogue massacres (11 dead). 62 years from 1933 through 1994. of hanging … till dead men were seen More of what The New York Times did DAVID GOLDMAN/AP V these days stands not for victory literally dangling from the boughs of in hiring thriller novelist Zoë Sharp to but for volatility, vehemence, and vitu- trees upon every road side; and in write a short story that ended with a peration. The modern pattern of con- numbers almost sufficient to rival the Russian agent trying to shoot President sidering opponents not only wrong but native Spanish moss of the country, as Trump but misfiring, at which point “the evil began with Joe Biden and Ted a drapery of the forest.” Secret Service agent stood before him,

6 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018 presenting his Glock, butt first. ‘Here,’ BY THE NUMBERS the agent said politely. ‘Use mine.’” Nevertheless, in 2018 the United States concluded our 116th congressional election in a row without cancellation because of military coup—so God’s mercy persists. That was evident even in the loss suffered by Republican Adam Greenberg in a race for a Connecticut state Senate seat. The number of accounts Twitter deleted in September and October Greenberg was a baseball player who 10,000 after the company discovered they were spreading strode up to a major league home plate automated messages discouraging voting. for the first time in 2005, only to be hit in the head by the very first pitch thrown to him. He suffered a concussion that left him with vertigo and vision symptoms and essentially ended his baseball dream, but he says he bene- fited from the struggle and eventually gained a political vision. This issue’s feature section contains one article of election analysis but three articles profiling evangelicals who have glorified God by suffering in His name. Their stories are important to remember at a time when major media increasingly The age of a man in the Netherlands who is asking a court to change his legal define “evangelical” as someone in a age to 49. Emile Ratelband says he feels 20 years younger and claims his age political movement rather than as a per- impacts his ability to find work and find dates on Tinder. son who suffers so others can hear not 69 fake news but Good News. While some identify with those walking the halls of power, wouldn’t we rather be brothers and sisters of Andrew Brunson, now 40 million freed from a Turkish prison, or John The average estimate of military and civilian casualties in World War I. Cao, still stuck in a Chinese one? Nov. 11 marked the 100th anniversary of the end of the war. Virginia Gov. Henry Wise in 1861 told Confederate army recruits, “You want war, fire, blood to purify you; and the Lord of Hosts has demanded that you should walk through fire and blood—You are called to the fiery baptism.” But war and fire do not purify us: Only Christ’s blood does. This issue’s last feature depicts Christians in Sutherland Springs, The share of Americans who claim they specifically eat the narrow, white end of Texas, after the church massacre last 42.7%candy corn first, according to a National Confectioners Association survey. Nov. 5 that left 26 dead, including an unborn baby. We conclude with the thought of Sarah Slavin, who lost her parents, brother, sister-in-law, and five nieces and nephews: “There’s been a lot of support and help and stuff, but when you actually get down to it, no one can get us through this. Only God 100,000The number of seasonal workers Amazon.com expects to hire this year. can do that.” That’s true for individuals. The total is 20,000 less than last year, according to Citi analyst Mark May, That’s true for a country. A who cites automation for the decrease.

 [email protected]  @MarvinOlasky November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 7 B:8.25” T:8” S:7”

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bomb he was told they Another inmate allegedly wanted to detonate in murdered Bulger. Mexico. In 2016, Ahmad told the FBI source he had Surrendered learned how to make cell Japan’s Princess Ayako has phone bombs during the surrendered her royal title Iraq War. A year later, the so she can marry her love, source approached him commoner Kei Moriya. again, asking him to build a According to imperial law, car bomb. Ahmad met the any female members of the source and two undercover royal family lose their titles, FBI agents in a Las Vegas allowances, and rights if condo where Ahmad built they marry someone who a bomb in a couple of hours is not within the imperial and taught the others how family or a close aristocratic Protested country illegally. But to finish a second. tie. Her husband, a 32-year- Google employees across other scholars, such as old employee of a shipping the world walked out of Hans von Spakovsky Died company, told reporters their jobs on Nov. 1 to of the Heritage James that he and Ayako, 28, plan protest the company’s Foundation, argue “Whitey” to “build a happy family GOOGLE EMPLOYEES: ERIC RISBERG/AP • AHMAD: ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS • BULGER: U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE/AP • AYAKO: KYODO VIA AP handling of sexual harass- that the legislative Bulger, a with lots of laughter.” ment and discrimination. history of the notorious Japan’s officials recently Employees planned the amendment shows gangster and passed a law allowing the protests after a New York that “subject to the juris- murderer, was current emperor to abdi- Times report told of years diction thereof” was not killed while serving two cate in favor of his son but of accusations, huge meant to grant automatic life sentences in a West dropped from the bill a B:10.75” T:10.5” severance packages for citizenship to the children Virginia prison. Bulger proposed resolution that S:9.5” accused executives, and a of citizens of foreign coun- became the head of would have protected the lack of transparency over tries. The executive order, Boston’s Irish-American rights of royal women who the handling of cases at if issued, would be sure to Winter Hill Gang in the make the same choice as Google. Protest organizers spark legal challenges, early 1970s after spending Ayako. wrote an op-ed in New leaving the courts to decide time in Alcatraz for bank York magazine demanding the issue. robbery. He murdered 11 the company take steps to people as a gangster, end forced arbitration in Arrested including two women he harassment cases and to The FBI arrested a man in strangled and a man he make public data on the Arizona on charges of tortured for hours before gender compensation gap. building bombs and teach- killing him. In the ing others to do so. Ahmad mid-1990s, an FBI agent Announced Suhad Ahmad met with in his pay tipped Bulger President Trump FBI associates in Nevada to off to his imminent announced plans to issue show them how to build a arrest and he fled. an executive order ending He spent 12 years THE ARMY CHAPLAIN CORPS birthright citizenship for on the FBI’s the children of illegal Most Wanted A SACRED CALLING TO SERVE immigrants. Many legal list, before a GOD AND COUNTRY scholars challenged his former beauty As a chaplain and offi cer in the U.S. Army, you will care for the spiritual well-being of authority to do so, arguing queen from Soldiers and their families. Whether in training or operations, Army chaplains represent the 14th Amendment— Iceland hundreds of American denominations and faith traditions and fulfi ll a sacred calling of which grants citizenship to recognized service captured in our motto, “Pro Deo et Patria” (for God and country). Join more than all “persons born or natu- him from the 6,000 Chaplain Corps personnel and have a ministry that serves others in something ralized in the United States news and bigger than you ever imagined. and subject to the jurisdic- Bulger was To see the benefi ts of becoming an Army Chaplain, visit goarmy.com/chaplain1 tion thereof”—confers citi- arrested zenship even to children and born of persons in the imprisoned.

8 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018

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Slug Name: CRAFT MagNwp User Name: Erick.Wilson Release QA Proof #: 1 PM: None Print Prod DISPATCHES Quotables SAMET: HOLOCAUST CENTER OF PITTSBURGH/FACEBOOK • CURBELO: TOM WILLIAMS/CQ ROLL CALL/AP • GUNN: SCREEN CAPTURE FROM LOUISVILLE COURIER JOURNAL VIDEO • ANDERSON: NOEL VASQUEZ/GETTY IMAGES • WESCO: HANDOUT ‘This is beyond our power to ‘It just control. This is going straight to the pleasure never centers of the developing brain.’ ends.’ Former Wired magazine editor JUDAH SAMET, 80, a Holocaust CHRIS ANDERSON on the survivor who also survived the addictiveness of cell phone shooting at the Tree of Life screens and the likelihood that synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pa. they are stunting children’s The attack killed 11, and development. The New York Times reports that other lead- prosecutors said they will ers in Silicon seek the death penalty Valley keep for alleged shooter their Robert Bowers. children away from screens. Athena ‘I think Chavarria of the Chan healing is the most Zuckerberg Initiative told the Times: “I am convinced the devil important thing lives in our phones and is that can happen in wreaking havoc on our children.” this country.’ U.S. Rep. CARLOS CURBELO, R-Fla., on ‘He loved the publicly forgiving Pierre Alejandro Lord. He loved Verges-Castro, 19, of Homestead, Fla., who was arrested by the FBI and local people. The Lord police for sending a tweet threatening giveth. The Lord to kill Curbelo. “He made a mistake, taketh away. and his life shouldn’t be ruined Blessed be the because of it,” Curbelo said at a news conference with name of the Verges-Castro next to him. Lord.’ Indiana state Rep. TIM WESCO ‘Yesterday on his brother Charles Wesco, who was killed I was sad, today when gunfire struck the I’m angry.’ windshield KEVIN GUNN, nephew of Vickie Lee of his car Jones, an African-American woman who near was shot and killed at a grocery store in Bamenda, Louisville, Ky. According to security Cameroon. Charles, his footage, the suspect tried and failed to wife, and eight children arrived enter a black church before going to the in the West African nation as grocery store and shooting two Baptist missionaries two weeks black customers. before the shooting.

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Spider overkill A Fresno, Calif., resident was trying to kill some spiders but instead nearly destroyed his parents’ house. Authorities say the man was house-sitting for his parents when he decided to try to kill some black widow spiders with a blowtorch. The ENSMINGERS: CLARK ENSMINGER VIA AP • ILLUSTRATION: KRIEG BARRIE • BECKHAM: JOE ROBBINS/GETTY IMAGES • BINX: ARIZONA ANIMAL WELFARE LEAGUE result was a two-alarm fire that damaged the home’s attic and second story. After the incident, the Fresno Fire Department offered a bit of advice via Twitter: Disney in a day “Please don’t use a One Tennessee couple padded their frequent flier balance blowtorch to kill spiders.” by reportedly visiting every U.S. Disney park in just 24 hours. Clark Ensminger planned the trip for his wife Heather whose father’s death in October 2017 nixed a previously planned Disney trip. The couple began their adventure at Disney Springs in Orlando on Oct. 16. Early the next morning, A fluid situation the pair visited Epcot and the other Disney parks in Florida and then jumped aboard a Los Angeles–bound flight to see Dehydration got the better of New York Giants star wide California parks concluding with Disneyland. The husband receiver Odell Beckham Jr. during the Giants’ Oct. 11 loss to said he had been able to keep the trip a secret until the final the Philadelphia Eagles. After the game, Beckham confided month when his wife spotted an email in his inbox. to reporters that he doesn’t like to drink water. “I’m trying [to drink it],” the elite athlete told reporters afterward. “I really just don’t like it.” Rather than drink water, Beckham opted for an IV to deal with cramping in his legs as a result of dehydration. Giants coach Pat Shurmur was caught off Good dog, bad dog guard by the revelation. “That’s news to me,” he said. A family in Arizona “What a business.” reportedly returned a 1-year-old dog named Binx to a shelter after adoption, because of the dog’s behavior. According to an Arizona Animal Welfare League Facebook post on Oct. 22, the family claimed that Binx was potty-trained, well-mannered around children, and well socialized. The family claimed they had been looking for more of a challenge.

12 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018 BELAMY: COURTESY OF CHRISTIE’S VIA AP • HARDY: U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION VIA AP • ILLUSTRATION: KRIEG BARRIE • FORD: TRIANGLE NEWS GROUP UK • SWANSCOTT: JAMIE DOW VIA FACEBOOK Manage your membership: wng.org/membership turn around and take hisboat home. Local police eventually forced Swanscott to hand, butIthought why not use the[scooter].” going to pushmy boat down thestreet by Swanscott told 9News ofAustralia. “Iwas working onmy boat at thesametime,” my“I lost license andpretty muchfinished towing aboat withamobilityscooter inOctober. Swanscott creative whenheneeded to haul aheavy object. An Australian whohadlosthisdriver’s license hadto get A strong scoot centuries, andtheresult was ablurry (1 – many paintings, theartist’s signature and off-center “portrait.” The work’s selling price at auction, according to Belamy was created by artificialintelligence reportedly gave analgorithm adata The auction house Christie’s sold a is at thebottom right ofthework. min work ofart, between the14thand20th But inthiscase thesignature is set of15,000 portraits painted D G (AI). Theteam behindtheAI max ( Painting by G , inlate October, andaswith Christie’s: $432,500. ( D numbers z E )))]—because thispainting ofNew SouthWales was caught onvideo X [log ( Portrait of Edmond D ( x ))] + E + ))] Z [log

owner reported thevehicle stolen, police Topeka, Kan., police arrested amanonOct.21 checked thejail’s security recording and found theperpetrator: amanwhohad and charged himwithmotor vehicle theft. moments before been released from robbery. Police returned themanto jail County Jail parkinglot. After thecar’s 33-year-old at thesite ofanother car the jail.Officers later discovered the Shane Shane for stealing acaroutoftheShawnee Life ofcrime policy butbrazenly violated itsspirit. letter ofhisschool’s new no-backpacks Backpacking heat A Lincolnshire, U.K., studentfollowed the Jacob Ford November 24, 2018 24, November products into theUnited States. travelers from bringingpork health concerns— prohibits “Beagle Brigade.” U.S. law—due to 6-year-old rescue, belongs to the traveling from Ecuador. Hardy, a pig’shead intheluggage ofaman sniffed outa 2-pound cooked Protection officials say Hardy dog. U.S. Customs andBorder certainly madeiteasier for the savoriness ofthesmuggled goods dog named was nomatch for aK-9 inspection International AirportonOct.11 Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson The contraband moving through Pork lover ings to school inawicker basket. After that, the17-year-old adapted amicrowave asabook October. bag. Administrators at Spalding Grammar Schoolinstituted the no-backpack policyto help his supplies to school in prevent younger students from beinginjured by heavy kitchen appliance to carry two days after heused the They suspended himfor at Jacob’s inventiveness: apparently weren’t amused hallways. Schoolofficials book bags swinginginthe first brought hisbelong Hardy • WORLD Magazine WORLD . Ofcourse, the - 13 VOICES Janie B. Cheaney

fooled by a politician who urges supporters to “get in [the opposition’s] face” today and “tone Accurate. Readable. Shareable. down the rhetoric” tomorrow. If your political identity is defined by your enemies, why make nice with them? Civility is just a town in Ohio. (Actually, it’s not. But it should be.) I used to wonder about the “imprecatory” psalms in Scripture, until I encountered enemies Heaven to pay in my own life. Then I could identify. Enemies can consume one’s waking hours and haunt A HOSTILE CULTURE SHOULD PROMPT A one’s dreams. The captives who wept by the UNIQUELY CHRISTIAN RESPONSE waters of Babylon in Psalm 137 had something to weep about: I write on the cusp of a momentous event— Having seen their The Word of God R the most crucial midterm election of my own children lifetime. It replaces the previous most-crucial dashed upon the midterm of my lifetime, which occurred in 2014. rocks, they might Farther back in memory is the third most-crucial naturally wish the is living and eective… midterm of 2010. But no sooner will Nov. 6 same fate on their come and go than the general election of 2020 adversaries. will loom like a tidal wave of crucial importance. Those psalms HEBREWS 4:12 Every two years the stakes crawl higher, with remind us that more lives and futures at risk. Everything we God’s enemies are hold dear is on the line, threatened with also ours. “If the extinction if the other side wins. world hates you,” Or maybe not. says Jesus, “know Elections do have consequences, for good or that it hated me ill. Even a decision to sign up for pottery class first.” If enemies has consequences—how much more a national haven’t showed up decision about the composition of Congress? Yet Since even in your life, it’s because you haven’t showed the life-or-death rhetoric that has come to define up in theirs. “Indeed, all who desire to live a a routine political process is beginning to feel unintended godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” like a U.K. soccer match in the 1990s. Hooligans slights create (2 Timothy 3:12). Try living a godly life outside ruled; shouts turned to insults, thrown bottles instant the Christian compound, and adversaries will escalated to thrown fists, and “Someone’s going appear. You may be the immediate target of to get hurt” became a self-fulfilling prophecy. hostility, their death threats, vile language, and possibly People were hurt, even killed, at those games. loving our physical violence, but make no mistake: Their ONLY 1 IN 6 ADULTS READ THE BIBLE EVERY DAY. In the United States, the game of politics, enemies anger is actually against God. The more you always tinged with an aspect of hooliganism, identify with Him, the more ire you will draw. The Bible is living and eective: reading it has the power to convict, shape, and inspire the life likewise threatens to turn deadly. poses a And your response is to love them. Christ of every person. However, it can be hard to make time to read and sometimes the Bible can be It’s happened before, but always with some challenge. could not have been plainer about that, in word tough to understand. well-defined danger in view: secession in the We’d rather and in deed, and it’s the plainest truth we most 1860s, labor wars in the 1870s, socialism in the often ignore. Since even unintended slights 1890s, the Cold War in the 1960s and ’70s. The pray with create instant hostility, loving our enemies That’s why the Christian Standard Bible is committed to helping more current “crisis” is not so well defined, and the psalmist poses a challenge. We’d rather pray with the people–like you!–read, share, and engage with Scripture. certainly not as cogently argued. After every ugly to ‘pay psalmist to “pay them back.” incident, furious fingers point at both sides:They them back.’ But whatever Christ commands, He supplies. The CSB has resources to help you overcome the obstacles to Bible reading: including the free started it. Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind. No one faced more malevolence with less CSB Study App, free digital resources at csbible.com, and editions like She Reads Truth Bible,

Call down hell, and there’s hell to pay. This, cause, but His mission was to turn enemies DAVID MCNEW/GETTY IMAGES pundits warn us solemnly, is a crisis of “civility.” into friends. When they brought hell to pay, he Worldview Study Bible, and Reader’s Bible to help you engage with God’s Word. Civility, according to my dictionary, is offered heaven. Those who oppose a godly life “courteous behavior; politeness.” If you’re in Christ have a much bigger problem than us. convinced, or repeatedly told, that the other Today’s political firestorm will soon be history, side is a deadly threat to everything you hold but their problem with God remains. We who dear, why bother to smile and ask about the pray and work toward reconciliation have Are you ready to read the and Word of God? kids before punching his lights out? No one is heaven to pay. A living eective Start reading now at read.csbible.com

14 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018  [email protected]  @jbcheaney Accurate. Readable. Shareable.

The Word of God is living and eective…

HEBREWS 4:12

ONLY 1 IN 6 ADULTS READ THE BIBLE EVERY DAY.

The Bible is living and eective: reading it has the power to convict, shape, and inspire the life of every person. However, it can be hard to make time to read and sometimes the Bible can be tough to understand.

That’s why the Christian Standard Bible is committed to helping more people–like you!–read, share, and engage with Scripture.

The CSB has resources to help you overcome the obstacles to Bible reading: including the free CSB Study App, free digital resources at csbible.com, and editions like She Reads Truth Bible, Worldview Study Bible, and Reader’s Bible to help you engage with God’s Word.

Are you ready to read the living and eective Word of God? Start reading now at read.csbible.com WorldMagPsalterAd.indd 1

ALSO IN SLIM AND MINI EDITIONS. The PsalmswereThe written to sing. crownandcovenant.com | 412.241.0436 L (Code expires December 31,2018.) Receive be experienced. discovering power the Psalms asthey ofthe were meant to Psalms for Worship. Thisyear peopleacross are country the We any Sing canhelp! verse ofevery Bookof psalmwithThe entering SINGPSALMSatcheckout ook for appinyour the favorite app store. $5 OFF your purchase pew ofthe editionby . 10/30/18 2:23PM CULTURE Movies & TV / Books / Children’s Books / Q&A / Music

Movie follows a Chip and Joanna ages who might stay with Gaines knockoff couple, them forever—or might go Pete and Ellie (Mark back to their birth mom, Happy fostering Wahlberg and Rose Byrne), depending on the ruling of who decide they want to be the family court. In the INSTANT FAMILY IS A FILM ABOUT parents. After Pete makes sleepless nights and scream- FOSTER CARE THAT MANAGES TO BE an offhand comment about ing dinners, the couple’s SWEET AND UPBEAT by Emily Belz adopting, they find them- poor motives, inexperienced selves swept into the world parenting, and previously of fostering a teenager and undiscovered anger come Try to think of happy Gordon-Levitt, living in a her two younger siblings. popping out, and they R movies about kids in foster home and dreaming Pete and Ellie, previ- begin to wonder if this was foster care. Without about having a father. And ously living a manicured such a good idea after all. googling, I came up with googling films about foster American dream, must deal The film uses a few old, only one, 1994’s Angels in care doesn’t help a whole with all the struggles of corny plot devices. But it’s the Outfield, which is lot either. (Sorry Google, suddenly parenting three mainly sweet, funny, and mostly about heavenly Annie doesn’t really count hurting kids of different incisive, probably because hosts playing baseball and as a foster care movie.) it is based on the real story only partly about a boy, Instant Family joins Julianna Gamiz, Julie Hagerty, of director/writer Sean

HOPPER STONE/PARAMOUNT PICTURES HOPPER STONE/PARAMOUNT played by a young Joseph that rare genre. The movie and Gustavo Quiroz (from left) Anders.

 [email protected]  @emlybelz November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 17 CULTURE Movies & TV

Within a few months humor. Pete at one point Anders and his wife Beth, brings up his discomfort Movie like the couple in the film, with being a “white savior” went from no kids to three and adopting minority kids. foster kids—children who The hilarious Tig Notaro, The Grinch were playing in Central who plays one half of a It’s a little hard to Park as we talked. Anders social worker duo along R believe, even in this says that fears about foster with Octavia Spencer, era of reboots and care are often “overblown,” returns dryly, “We’ll just remakes, that any studio though he knows it isn’t an toss these kids back in the would bite at a new easy undertaking. system and jot you down animated version of the “When you get pregnant for whites only.” classic Christmas and you announce to your Kids should ideally be cartoon, The Grinch friends and family that with their biological parents, (rated PG for brief rude you’re going to have a baby, but if the foster family is humor). After all, is there no one says, ‘What if that the focus of the story, you a single Who from 9 to 92 who hasn’t seen the kid becomes a drug dealer can’t help but root for the original at least a dozen and then steals your car?’” foster parents to get the times? Not to mention he said. “No one ever says kids. As the social workers the 2000 live-action that and, by the way, that in the film remind the version. could totally happen. But if couple and the audience, Let’s get the headline you’re talking about kids until adoption happens, the out of the way—you can from foster care, a lot of goal of foster care is family drop the mediocre, Jim people express that kind of reunification. Foster care is Carrey Grinch from your notion.” full of these kinds of Christmas viewing Max, a hilarious obese In the film one fellow uncomfortable tensions, repertoire and replace it reindeer, a screaming foster parent says to Pete which might be why movie with Illumination’s goat, and a pluckier and Ellie, as they’re dealing studios don’t know how to somewhat-less mediocre Cindy-Lou Who. And on with their kids’ problems: make uplifting movies that one starring Benedict the very big plus side, this “You feel frustrated, are also honest about it. Cumberbatch. is the first one to feature scared? That’s how our “My own story happens The biggest failing traditional Christmas both the remakes share songs that honor Christ. kids feel every day of their to be a happy one,” said is that neither allows That might have been lives.” Anders. “So that’s the story the Grinch to be fully enough to tip this into the A The story is almost I’m telling.” Grinch-y. The 1966 winner category if not for exactly what Anders made-for-TV movie the film’s distracting experienced, complete with and the Dr. Seuss narration. Maybe it’s not the foster parent support story it was based fair to compare Pharrell group with a Christian BOX OFFICE TOP 10 on never felt the Williams to the great FOR THE WEEKEND OF NOV. 2-4 couple and a gay couple according to Box Office Mojo need to explain away Boris Karloff, but the (neither of which figure the main character’s singer’s voice work is so very largely in the movie). CAUTIONS: Quantity of sexual (S), violent (V), badness. He was a bland and pleasant in and foul-language (L) content on a 0-10 scale, mean one because, comparison, you start to One scene that I initially with 10 high, from kids-in-mind.com found absurd actually S V L well, just because he wonder if he thought he was. Call it his fallen signed on to play some- UNIVERSAL PICTURES/ILLUMINATION ENTERTAINMENT happened in Anders’ case— `1 Bohemian Rhapsody PG-13. . . 4 3 5 Grinch nature. one more like Herbie the where Pete and Ellie attend `2 The Nutcracker and a foster-system-sponsored the Four Realms* PG ...... 1 3 1 Like the Carrey Dentist Elf. remake, Illumination If you want songs carnival to try to find a `3 Nobody’s Fool R...... 7 3 7 creates a tedious about being happy, particular child they might `4 A Star Is Born* R ...... 7 4 10 `5 Halloween R...... 6 9 7 backstory that robs Pharrell is your guy. If you foster to adopt. It was “so the Grinch of the want to tell a story about `6 Venom PG-13...... 2 6 5 bizarre,” Anders said. delicious rottenness a fellow as cuddly as a `7 PG...... The film (rated PG-13 for Smallfoot* 1 3 1 `8 that made him a cactus and as charming language and an incident Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween PG . . . . 1 4 1 favorite of kids in as an eel, you need a little where the teen sister `9 Hunter Killer R...... 1 6 5 the first place. less sunshine and a lot receives a certain picture `10 The Hate U Give* PG-13...... 3 6 5 Thankfully, this ver- more stink, stank, stunk. —by MEGAN BASHAM from a boy) handles several *Reviewed by WORLD sion adds cute dog tricky issues deftly, through

18 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018 Movie At Eternity’s Gate At Eternity’s Gate objective, God-given R combines stellar beauty: “When I look at acting, bizarre art film nature, I see more visuals, the painter clearly,” he says, adding Vincent van Gogh, and that nature is “speaking some muddled theology in God’s voice.” to create an interesting At the same time, Van Movie meditation on God-given Gogh adopts an almost talent. pantheistic view: He says The film opens on Van God is nature, and in The Front Runner Gogh (Willem Dafoe) in some scenes, the artist Journalists’ cam- Watergate era, reporters the final years of his life seems to glory more in R eras are always are hungry to hold politi- in southern France, the dirt and trees than in watching in The Front cal leaders responsible where he carries on a their Creator. Runner, director Jason for their public and pri- combative friendship The film’s title derives Reitman’s take on the vate actions—but when with painter Paul Gauguin from Van Gogh’s reason scandal that ended Gary does accountability cross (Oscar Isaac). The two for painting. He sold Hart’s 1988 presidential over into gossip? men argue over art, and almost no paintings in his campaign. Some of the most Gauguin’s criticism seems lifetime and was consid- Rated R for language snappily written moments both to frustrate and ered an outcast by suspi- and thematic situations, of the film come when inspire Van Gogh’s work. cious peasant neighbors. the film is a sprawling reporters on the Miami Later, the story turns to As he struggled with account of Hart’s political Herald, in possession of Van Gogh’s isolation and mental illness, Van Gogh demise. In the end, it spotty evidence, debate descent into madness. painted more out of an focuses as much on jour- whether to double-check Some bad language, a urge to understand his nalists’ paparazzi tactics facts or barrel ahead with request for sexual favors, relationship to eternity as on Hart’s adultery, their story. and violence give the film than to please others. which is implied rather “It’s up to us to hold its PG-13 rating, though In one scene at an than shown. these guys accountable,” the infamous ear-slicing asylum, a priest visits Van Hugh Jackman plays a Herald reporter tells his incident is never shown Gogh and asks why he Hart, a seeming family editor, pushing him to on-screen. paints “ugly” things that man and the foremost publish before the As Van Gogh contem- no one appreciates. Van contender for the competition. plates the purpose of his Gogh compares his life to Democratic presidential The Front Runner art, he brings God into that of Jesus, who went nomination. Hart believes plays as a smart political the picture. In one con- largely unacknowledged in old-school public rela- drama: It doesn’t so much versation with Gauguin, on earth until after His tions where winking preach about journalistic who believes everything death and resurrection: reporters allow candi- or moral ethics as show we see is subjective, Van “Maybe God made me a dates to keep their per- the consequences of Gogh argues that all painter for people who sonal lives private. “If I do violating both. Hart’s rep- nature, from twisted aren’t born yet.” a photo shoot today, utation unravels due to a roots to a gorgeous land- —by RIKKI ELIZABETH what’s tomorrow? Talent scandal that, sadly, scape, is endowed with STINNETTE shows?” Hart asks his seems quaint 30 years long-suffering campaign later, but we see his fam- manager, Bill Dixon (J.K. ily and campaign staff Simmons). suffer the most. On the When journalists other hand, journalists piece together rumors grapple with guilt that Hart may be having because, according to the an affair with a woman film, they initially base he met on a yacht aptly their story on grainy pic- named Monkey Business, tures and shaky rumors. they conduct an amateur Ultimately, the film is stakeout outside Hart’s a sobering reminder for townhouse. aspiring journalists and What starts out as a politicians alike: Sin piece of investigative wreaks devastating journalism turns into a consequences. debate about journalism —by RIKKI ELIZABETH ethics. Fresh out of the STINNETTE AT ETERNITY’S GATE: RIVERSTONE PICTURES • THE FRONT RUNNER: SONY PICTURES PICTURES SONY RUNNER: • THE FRONT PICTURES RIVERSTONE GATE: ETERNITY’S AT

See all our movie reviews at wng.org/movies November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 19 CULTURE Books

“Abortion” and “homosexuality” Running are not in his index, although “homophobia” is. from (Boot admits, “I am socially liberal. I am pro- Trump LGBTQ rights and pro-choice.”) He reportedly advised them to kill them AN EX-REPUBLICAN’S does understand that the disappear- all and let God sort them out.” COMPLAINT, AND ance of 40 percent of U.S. factory jobs I heartily concur, though, with between 1980 and 2014, and the Boot’s desire to expand the number of VIEWS ON IMMIGRATION income stagnation among the bottom refugees America allows in, and to AND EDUCATION 50 percent, “helped to explain why so follow Ronald Reagan in celebrating by Marvin Olasky many people were so desperate for rather than demonizing immigrants. salvation that they were willing to What we most need to fix is how we turn to a reality TV host as their educate immigrants, and on that issue Max Boot’s The Corrosion of savior.” Silvia Hidalgo’s How to Be an R Conservatism: How I Left the Nevertheless, Trumphobia leads American: A Field Guide to Right (Liveright, 2018) is the sad tale him to “ardently wish harm upon my Citizenship (Abrams Image, 2018) is of a former Wall Street Journal op-ed former party because it has become an part of the problem. She partly prepares page editor driven to enabler of Trump’s immigrants for their naturalization test, despair by Donald assault on the rule of but also introduces them to Oppression Trump and his final law. … My fondest hope Studies with homage for the anarchist acceptance by GOP is that the Republican Emma Goldman, the racist Planned leaders: Boot is now a Party is soundly Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, man without a party. He defeated in elections to the Dakota Access Pipeline movement, accurately points out come.” Will that knock and the 2017 Women’s March. Trump’s character out what virtuous When immigrants and their chil- problems and attacks Republicans there are dren go to college, they often get more Boot “Trump toadies.” But and give the despots Oppression Studies. Warren Boot leans over so far to among Democrats an Treadgold’s The University We Need discount the threat on the other side opportunity to set up their gallows, as (Encounter, 2018) notes the domi- that he describes Hillary Clinton as today’s Edmund Burkes fear? Boot’s nance of campus leftism and doesn’t “resolutely centrist” and applauds “the response is too cute by far: “I echo the think the tiny conservative footholds Clintons’ moderate views.” thirteenth-century French abbot who, at a few large universities make any One reason Boot can mischaracter- when asked by Crusaders how to tell significant difference. He has a ize the losing candidate in 2016: devout Catholics from apostates, jaundiced view of online education: “Certainly an online course from which students learn nothing can be cheaper than a regular course from

which students learn nothing.” BOOT: ANNA WEBBER/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE NEW YORKER BOOKMARKS Treadgold summarizes well the Israeli scholar Yoram Hazony’s The Virtue of Nationalism reason why nothing will change if the (Basic, 2018) says good fences make good neighbors: He matter is left to three interest groups: doesn’t want Islamists to annihilate his people. Lawrence “Most students are happy to take long Wright’s God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the and expensive vacations at college and Lone Star State (Knopf, 2018) is a liberal’s look at Texas to receive high grades and a degree at foibles, but it doesn’t say much about God or souls. Prison Break: Why Conservatives Turned Against the end, while most professors are will- Mass Incarceration by David Dagan and Steven Teles ing to give their students high grades (Oxford, 2016) is a catalog of horrors, but the authors offer some after spending very little time on cor- hope in the growing awareness among conservatives that prison for nonvi- recting papers or examinations, and olent offenders represents big government overkill. Seymour Hersh’s most administrators are pleased to be Reporter: A Memoir (Knopf, 2018) indiscriminately celebrates Hersh’s well paid for presiding over contented good investigative reporting and his bad propagandizing. —M.O. students and hiring discontented adjunct professors at low pay.”

20 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018 AFTERWORD Classic audiobooks Students of the classics may reviewed by Emily Whitten want to take note of two additional resources. First, Strunk and White’s The THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING J.R.R. Tolkien Elements of Style (Pearson, 2000) turns British author Tolkien published The Fellowship of the Ring 100 this year. A in 1954 as the first book in his Lord of the Rings trilogy. In primer first this epic fantasy, hobbits band together with others in composed in Middle Earth to destroy an evil lord’s ring of power. Free 1918 by Cornell audiobook versions abound on the web, though some University pro- listeners may prefer Rob Inglis’ simple narration of the fessor William unabridged text from 2012 ($38.49 on Audible.com). Those Strunk Jr., the who want to dig deeper into Tolkien’s use of Biblical book gained Christology can pair an audio version with Philip Ryken’s new vitality 2017 book, The Messiah Comes to Middle Earth. when essayist and kids’ book author E.B. THE GOD WHO IS THERE Francis Schaeffer White (Charlotte’s Web) edited a version in 1959. In 1965, Christian apologist Francis Schaeffer gave a 10-part Today, the book’s basic address at Wheaton College. The talks touched on philoso- grammar rules and compo- phy, art, science, and culture, as Schaeffer applied the Biblical sition guidelines continue to worldview to modern challenges. Three years later, Schaeffer benefit budding writers. turned those talks into The God Who Is There, now available Second, in the first from Blackstone Audio with narration by John Lescault. season of his Open While hearing Lescault’s voice can’t match hearing Schaeffer Book podcast himself (Schaeffer apparently shone brightest in person), released this the audiobook includes James W. Sire’s 30th anniversary year, Stephen introduction. Nichols interviewed pastor THE VALLEY OF VISION Arthur Bennett and teacher R.C. Sproul, who died last Bennett, an English-born minister, drew from Puritan writers December. In each inter- including John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, and Charles Spurgeon view, Sproul recommended to create this book in 1975. Dwelling on themes of God’s books that profoundly sovereignty and man’s humility, Bennett compiled or wrote influenced him spiritually, more than 150 prayers for the project, including titles like including works by Roland “Praise and Thanksgiving” and “Mortification.” While Banner Bainton, Benjamin Warfield, of Truth Trust offers at least two print versions, audiobook Herman Melville, and fans may enjoy the dramatic intensity of Max McLean’s Thomas Aquinas. —E.W. Listener’s Valley of Vision, available from Ligonier Ministries.

HERE I STAND Roland Bainton Bainton’s classic work from 1950, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, remains a popular biography of the Reformer—and for good reason. Bainton exhibits a scholar’s grasp of the theological issues at play, combining insightful analysis with extensive historical footnotes. He paints a sympathetic portrait of Luther, with an emphasis on Luther’s stand for Biblical authority at the Diet of Nichols Worms. Bainton also acknowledges some of Luther’s shortcomings, including anti-Semitism. Tom Weiner’s 2011

SPROUL: LIGONIER MINISTRIES • NICHOLS: HANDOUT • NICHOLS: LIGONIER MINISTRIES SPROUL: audiobook version by Blackstone Audio captures the story with deep resonance.

To see more book news and reviews, go to wng.org/books CULTURE Children’s Books Wear the Colors of Italy’s Words for little ones Legendary Regatta FOUR BOOKS FROM CHRISTIAN PUBLISHERS reviewed by Emily Whitten

LET THERE BE LIGHT Danielle Hitchen AFTERWORD Hitchen’s Baby Believer series (First Bible Basics, Psalms of Praise) combines inviting illustrations and simple Bible truths What Every Child Should geared for young audiences. Her latest installment, Let There Know About Prayer by Be Light, reads first as an opposites primer—light and dark, Nancy Guthrie alone and together. Hitchen includes related Scripture verses (10Publishing, 2018) effec- young children can grow into, helping familiarize them with tively introduces early- elementary children to the the actual words of Holy Writ. Jessica Blanchard’s use of To show exquisite earth tones in the illustrations helps ground the book’s practice of prayer. In the details, necklace playful, angular shapes. A delightful, well-crafted resource span of 144 pages, Guthrie shown is not exact size. for those who want to share God’s truths with young children. (Ages 0-3) walks kids one step at a time through the how, when, WHO SANG THE FIRST SONG? Ellie Holcomb where, why, and to Whom of ™ Biblical prayer. Jenny Brake’s Raffinato Award-winning singer-songwriter Ellie Holcomb released her ——— first kids’ album,Sing: Creation Songs, this past September. imaginative illustrations Italy She continued her celebration of creation with the subse- widen the book’s appeal with quent release of her first board book,Who Sang the First children from diverse back- he Regata Storica started in 1489, when the been passed down from generation to generation, dating Song? While reading this book parents may need to clarify grounds. The text features Tbeautiful Caterina Cornaro, wife of the King back to before the city threw that first famous party for their children that God spoke—rather than sang—the Bible verses throughout its of Cyprus, renounced her Cypriot throne for Caterina. pages, though some families world into creation, but as a Narnia-like metaphor, Holcomb’s in favor of Venice. The people of Venice imaginative lyrics work. Kayla Harren’s whimsical illustrations may not be familiar with the Thanks to the Regata, we’ve visited Venice often welcomed her with a parade of elaborately- portray parents and children of all colors with playful lions, New Living Translation. and made great contacts, which is how we found decorated gondolas, in a rainbow of popping polar bears, raccoons, and other animals before the Fall. The book and album go better For kids ages 9-12, S.D. and negotiated the best possible price on the together. (Ages 0-3) Smith’s Green Ember series colors. Every year since, the spirit of 1489 highest quality Murano available. Now’s your reaches a climax in Ember is recaptured in those world-famous canals chance to share in the spirit of this legendary THE DOCTOR WHO BECAME A PREACHER Rising (Story Warren Books, when the famous Regata is repeated. event without needing to break out your passport. Rebecca VanDoodewaard 2018). 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SAM BROWNBACK Willing to fight MAKING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ABROAD A HIGH PRIORITY IN WASHINGTON by Harvest Prude in Washington

On Oct. 27, 1998, President Bill Brownback told me about the Brownback outside the Aliaga court and R Clinton signed the International landscape of religious freedom abroad, prison complex in Aliaga, Turkey, during the trial of Andrew Brunson Religious Freedom Act. The act made including positives he sees under the religious freedom abroad a priority for Trump administration, and constant America’s diplomacy and gave the threats that require watchfulness and number of us working to get people out United States some bite by requiring action. Here are some edited excerpts of prison in various countries, or people OZAN KOSE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES sanctions for countries that violated of our conversation. of minority faiths being persecuted. We religious liberty. In 1998, then-U.S. Sen. What motivated you in 1998, and felt [the act] was something we needed Sam Brownback, R-Kan., voted to pass what did you hope would change? We in the State Department. It’s taken a the IRF Act. Two decades later he is the didn’t think the foreign policy estab- while to get established in the human ambassador-at-large for international lishment was addressing the issues of rights world, but it’s coming along now. religious freedom, a position the IRF religious freedom sufficiently. There What strides have been made over Act created. were all these cases around the world—a the past 20 years, and what threats

24 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018 are looming? Unfortunately, there are countries, “If you want to really grow counter to human rights. And I want to more threats than expansion over the your economy, you need to open up to get more players on the field pursuing last 20 years. Eighty percent of the religious freedom. If you want less religious freedom. world lives in a religiously restrictive terrorism, you need more religious I really want us cracking into the atmosphere. There was a real burst of freedom because somebody that you Middle East. It’s moving toward a religious liberty and freedom after the restrict will fight you.” homogenized religion—just one brand fall of communism. Now, a lot of people Are countries starting to understand of Islam—and driving everybody else are more religiously restrictive, to favor it’s in their best interest to foster out. In Northern Iraq we said we’re the domestic majority religion, or to religious freedom? I think they’re just going to rebuild the Christian and the hold down a minority. They don’t trust starting to see: Government’s role is to Yazidi areas and push the local govern- religion because they can’t control it. protect the right to religious freedom. ments to provide security for minority As if you could control God. It’s not to say, “We favor this group, we faith communities so they can stay. Where you think that constriction don’t favor that. We like this religion, we When is aid more effective, and comes from? A lot of countries look at don’t like that, we don’t like any religion.” when are sanctions more effective? religion as something that they want to It’s to say, “You as a dignified human You’re always looking for whatever try to control—even though virtually individual have a God-given right to tool to make something happen. every country in the world signed the choose to do with your own soul what Sometimes it’s both, where you’re UN Declaration on Human Rights that you choose.” That’s a right that no trying to encourage one set of behaviors included religious freedom. But then government has a right to interfere with. and discourage another set. I hope in nobody was really pushing countries: What if we fail to urge our allies to the future more countries would just “Look, you signed the agreement to move in a forward direction? I think it come to the conclusion this is in their stand for religious freedom and you’re says to the world—we believe it’s a key own best interest, rather than requiring not doing it. Why not?” It’s U.S. leader- issue, but we’re willing to trade it. I all these sticks and carrots. ship that now is stepping up much don’t think we should be willing to USCIRF has consistently called Saudi more aggressively to push this right. trade it. It’s an important message to Arabia one of the worst abusers of At the Ministerial to Advance send to the world that we don’t look at human rights, yet we’ve continued to Religious Freedom this July, countries allies differently than people that are issue waivers. Have we turned a blind talked about their intentions regarding not allies on religious freedom. eye for too long? I think people are religious freedom. Talks, speeches, What shifted so we don’t trade reli- starting to recognize if you have a bad and signing declarations are great, but gious freedom for “national security”? actor, whether they’re an ally or not, what action have you seen since the Just, look, you ought to do what’s right. they’re not going to improve unless ministerial? We’ve seen several coun- President Trump’s been fantastic about there are consequences to bad actions, tries appoint ambassadors for religious that whereas others in the past, it was unfortunately. So, you’re seeing us take freedom to be focal points for pushing clearer actions. religious freedom internationally. Do you think more We’re working with nine different ‘China and Iran are both big ones action is forthcoming? countries to host regional religious on the list. This administration I do. You’ve now seen freedom events. us do it with two We’re going to do the ministerial has been willing to confront allies, Turkey and again next year. It’s the only forum in them for pursuing an agenda Saudi Arabia. Before, the world where religious freedom we’ve shielded them advocates can get to key government counter to human rights.’ generally. But that leaders about issues in their country. shielding hasn’t And then specific cases—Pastor Andrew “Do we really want to fight with the gotten us anywhere. We have to see the Brunson’s being freed. The president Turks? Do we really want to have this relationship can sustain sanctions in put sanctions on Turkey for holding big dispute?” Most would have said no, one category if they’re not performing him, which has never been done before. or the foreign policy establishment according to international obligations. What’s different between the would have talked him out of it saying, You’ve got terrible situations, like official description of your position “Look, we don’t want to get in a big the Uighurs in Western China, with and the reality? I’ve been impressed fight with Turkey over one pastor that’s people in detention camps. All over the with how doable things are—but you sitting in jail.” This president is willing world you start getting these systems in can’t do it in the “name and shame” way. to get in a fight about it. place where you’ve got an active faith You’ve got to make it in that country’s What are your priorities for 2019? community and now they’re all being best interest. Either let Pastor Andrew China and Iran are both big ones on the watched. The United States needs to be Brunson free—or your currency’s going list. This administration has been willing aggressive in speaking out. Because if to stay down. You’ve got to say to other to confront them for pursuing an agenda we don’t, it will spread. A

November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 25 CULTURE Music

vinyl edition to such a satisfactory close that turntable owners might not want to turn the LP over. Stewart’s treatment of “It Was a Very Good Year,” one of Blood Red Roses’ deluxe edition’s three bonus cuts, echoes Sinatra’s too, at least as much as a version in which an electric guitar plays the melody linking the verses can. But it’s knocked off its emotional axis by the addition of a new penultimate verse. The song’s central character is a man who, approaching his final days, comforts himself with wistful memories of the girls and women whom he has loved during a life of gradual social climbing. He devotes one verse apiece to his 17th, 21st, and 35th years, each marked by a corresponding and increasingly sophisticated category of romances (“small-town girls,” “city girls,” “blue-blooded girls”). A very good song By the final verse, the implication WILLIE NELSON AND ROD STEWART TAKE DIFFERENT is that he has never settled down. But in Stewart’s extra verse (“When I was STABS AT SINATRA CLASSIC by Arsenio Orteza 53 …”), the “very good year” becomes a “wonderful year” in which the man If there’s such a thing as the as it has begun is that it’s only 35½ finds Miss Right. The twist accom- R perfect pop song, Ervin Drake’s minutes long. Another is that time flies plishes the unenviable hat trick of “It Was a Very Good Year” is it. The when Nelson is having fun. simultaneously betraying Ervin evocatively elliptical lyrics are so But fun isn’t all that he’s having. Drake’s most famous composition’s exactingly tailored that they’d hold up Nelson is an old man, and that distinc- “plot,” its unifying women-as-wine as poetry if it were possible to read tion gives an emphatic authority to conceit, and its bittersweet open- them without simultaneously hearing his reading of lines such as “And if endedness. their accompanying melody—which is you should survive to 105 / Look at all Drake’s second-most-famous com- also evocatively elliptical and exact- you’ll derive out of being alive” position was “I Believe,” a sentimental ingly tailored. (“Young at Heart”), “And now, the end expression of faith in a “Someone in Frank Sinatra’s Gordon Jenkins– is near / And so I face the final curtain” the great somewhere” who “hears PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: KRIEG BARRIE; PHOTOS BY AMY HARRIS/INVISION/AP arranged recording from 1965 remains (the title cut), and “But now the days every prayer.” Coincidentally, in the definitive version, but singers still grow short / I’m in the autumn of the Paddy McAloon’s “Who Designed the keep trying it on for size. The latest year.” Snowflake,”Blood Red Roses contains fittings can be found on Willie Nelson’s Those last two lines come from the a bonus track cut from the very same My Way (Legacy) and the deluxe final verse of “It Was a Very Good cloth. edition of Rod Stewart’s Blood Red Year,” which in Nelson’s translucent “I don’t know who made the Roses (Republic/Decca), albums that treatment sounds like the ghost of snowflake,” Stewart softly sings, “So extend their respective performers’ Sinatra’s. It brings Side 1 of My Way’s intricate, sublime / But I can spot an legacies in small but appreciable ways. artist every time.” As its title suggests, My Way is a Blood Red Roses has Sinatra tribute, one that Nelson sings stronger (and weaker) cuts, his way through with his usual non- cuts touching on almost every chalance as combos ranging from the style that Stewart has ever subtly country small-jazz kind to the embraced (ballads, rockers, subtly country bigger-band kind swing blues, jigs, disco, pop). Coming nonchalantly around him. One reason out for Intelligent Design, that it seems to be over almost as soon however, is something new. A

26 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018  [email protected]  @ArsenioOrteza New or recent releases reviewed by Arsenio Orteza

LOVE AND WEALTH: THE LOST RECORDINGS The Louvin Brothers ENCORE The Louvins recorded these 29 demos for other country The first of the two latest performers. As Ira says in his spoken intro, they “done the installments in Omnivore best [they] could,” meaning, among other things, that they did not scrimp on their high-lonesome vocal harmonies. Recordings’ Buck Owens The gospel songs reflect the brothers’ hardscrabble, series, The Complete Capitol Alabama-Baptist upbringing. The courtin’ songs do too, Singles: 1967-1970, begins even if their propriety was more honored in the breach with Owens’ 13th No. 1 than the observance. The sharpest 1:50 of comic relief (“Sam’s Place”) and ends reflects (and lampoons) the widespread post-Depression with his 32nd Top 10’s misconception that television sets were a must. B-side (“No Milk and Honey in Baltimore”). The second KING OF THE ROAD: A TRIBUTE TO installment, 1975’s mostly ROGER MILLER Various artists previously unreleased Country Singer’s Prayer, As befits an homage to a tunesmith known for his sense begins and ends with the of humor, King of the Road begins with the tribute’s subject getting laughs from a crowd with “My name is last Buckaroos recordings Roger Miller, probably one of the greatest songwriters to feature the contributions that ever lived.” What’s even funnier is that, at least on of Don Rich. the basis of these 31 performances, Miller might not That between ’70 and ’75 have been joking. True, he probably should have said Owens was best-known for “one of the greatest country songwriters that ever lived,” but even Huey Lewis, Ringo Starr, CAKE, and John Goodman (!) deliver.

MUSCLE SHOALS: SMALL TOWN, BIG SOUND Various artists One critic has written that this album’s 21 guest vocalists breathe new life into the 15 FAME Studios highlights on which they’re featured. If anything, though, it’s the highlights that breathe new life into the singers. You think Steven Tyler’s pipes are shot? Listen to “Brown Sugar.” You think Kid Rock’s a poseur? Listen to “Snatchin’ It Back.” One could go on—about Alan Jackson’s “Wild Hee Haw might lead one to Horses,” for instance, or Eli “Paperboy” Reed’s “Steal expect a heaping helping of Away,” or about how Michael McDonald should consider corn. In fact, there’s nary a recording the entire Etta James songbook. trace. What there is is an entertaining overview of the H Jon Troast path that the Bakersfield Sound took from its roost at The more comfortable that this recently married the pinnacle of country house-concert troubadour gets in the studio, the larger the role that details such as background vocals (“One music in the ’60s to the More Step [Pacific Ave.]”), piano (“Drunk on Love”), perennially well-springing stereo guitars (“Train Song”) play in defining his still niche status that it enjoys to predominantly acoustic sound. If he isn’t careful, he’ll this day. Most entertaining soon have raised his fans’ sonic expectations to the of all: how hard it is to tell point that he’ll have to travel with a band. Not a big one, Owens’s B-sides from his of course—just one capable of reproducing his latest A-sides half a century down

OWENS: MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVES/GETTY OWENS: five-song EP’s quietly optimistic newlywed aura. the road. —A.O.

To see more music news and reviews, go to wng.org/music November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 27 VOICES Mindy Belz

statements and statements of fact about Islamic teaching. Legal experts say the decision will be used to further shut down expression against Islam and related topics like terrorism and migration, while the jurists clearly are more concerned about making peace with Islam than with those who might criticize it. Applying the decision to the 2015 Charlie Silenced speech Hebdo shooting in Paris would force authorities EUROPE’S COURT FURTHER CHILLS ALREADY to blame the victims rather than the al-Qaeda gunmen. The cartoonists and editors at the MUTED CHRISTIAN EXPRESSION satirical newsweekly killed in the attack “would have been guilty of causing the attack because We may think of Europe as largely a they ‘hurt the feelings’ and created ‘justifiable R democratic continent and the seedbed for indignation’ of the Islamic community in Paris,” U.S. law and government. But a recent landmark said Lorcán Price, a Dublin-based attorney who case in Europe shows just how far Western has presented cases to the ECHR. jurisprudence is divided—or should be—by the Other ECHR decisions this year failed to Atlantic Ocean. extend such protection from blasphemy to The European Court of Human Rights last Christian communities. When a Lithuanian month found an Austrian guilty of “disparaging fashion designer posted ads depicting a shirt- religious doctrine” and fined her under Austria’s less Jesus in tattoos and tight jeans, ECHR said blasphemy law, Section 188 of its criminal code. it “must be” possible to criticize religious ideas, In the case E.S. v. Austria, a 47-year-old “even if such criticism may be perceived by woman conducted multiday seminars titled some as hurting their religious feelings.” “Basic Information on Islam” in 2009. During a Austrian When the feminist protest band Pussy Riot “lively debate” about Muhammad’s wives, authorities trespassed and took over Moscow’s Cathedral according to court records, the woman—referred could prose- of Christ the Savior to record a profane song, to as Mrs. S. in proceedings—quoted her sister ECHR said the band’s right to freedom of questioning whether Islam’s founder was a cute speech expression “extends to information or ideas pedophile for his marriage to the underaged critical of which shock or disturb.” Aisha. Aisha was 6 years old when Muhammad Islam when ECHR decisions are not legally binding, but married her, and the marriage likely was con- they are historically persuasive. Plus, with 47 summated when she was 9 or 10, according to the speech members in the Council of Europe, the court’s Muhammad’s own teaching and early biogra- was ‘likely jurisdiction covers a population of 820 million. pher Ibn Hisham. For anyone who hasn’t been to arouse Western European countries tend to follow its COAH living on a desert island in our #MeToo age, her precedents more than those in the East, noted COME OVER AND HELP sister’s question sounds relevant. justified Price. On Oct. 25 an Austrian court ruled her state- indignation Blasphemy laws in Europe are rooted in the ments “an abusive attack on the Prophet of Islam in Muslims.’ divine right of kings, but European countries which could stir up prejudice and threaten reli- today are governed by parliaments, exercising gious peace.” Mrs. S. filed the case with the ECHR the will of the people. How ironic that the court under Article 10 of the European Convention appeared to adopt a standard similar to strict protecting the right to freedom of expression. blasphemy laws in Islamic-led countries in the The seven-judge ECHR panel unanimously same week Pakistan’s Supreme Court dealt ruled there had been no violation of Article 10— such laws a blow. finding the Austrian courts “carefully” balanced When Muslim jurists overturned a guilty her freedom of expression with the right of oth- verdict in the case of Asia Bibi—the mother ers “to have their religious feelings protected, and accused of insulting Muhammad who served served the legitimate aim of preserving religious eight years on death row—they showed how peace in Austria” (italics mine). Austrian authori- easily such laws can be manipulated to engen- ties could prosecute speech critical of Islam, the der false accusations and breed violence. ANJUM NAVEED/AP ECHR panel said, when the speech was “likely Pakistani streets, filled with violence after the to arouse justified indignation in Muslims.” verdict, also displayed how failing to protect A man protests Charlie It should be noted the ruling did not turn on Hebdo cartoons at a free speech and religious expression, in the violence or threats of violence, but on value 2015 rally in Pakistan. end, suffocates the peace.A

28 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018  [email protected]  @mcbelz COAH COME OVER AND HELP FEATURES

SPLIT VERDICT Division in Washington will likely multiply investigations and legislative gridlock, but critical judicial appointments march on by JAMIE DEAN

30 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018

n the weeks before Democrats won control of the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 6, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., told a crowd of supporters how to approach Republican politicians they disagree with on immigration: “If you see anybody in that [Trump] Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. … And you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.”

When asked to clarify, Waters doubled down, saying Americans would ROBERT F. BUKATY • PREVIOUS SPREAD: WIN MCNAMEE/GETTY IMAGES I“absolutely harass” Trump officials until they relent. President Trump responded by branding Waters “an extraordinarily low IQ person” and calling her the “Face of the Democrat Party.”

Come January, Waters will also likely be the The president won’t like what’s on the menu, face—and the chairwoman—of the House but Democrats have their own tough meal to Financial Services Committee, a powerful swallow: An expanded GOP majority in the position that would allow her to probe Wall Senate means Republicans will hang on to—and Street banks—and the finances of Trump and his likely strengthen—their powers to shape judicial associates. appointments far beyond a single administration. Waters won’t be the only congresswoman Indeed, the country’s split verdict on Election launching probes. Democrats recapturing the Day likely means congressional investigations will House have promised to serve a bounteous buffet ramp up and major legislation will grind down for of congressional investigations into Trump and at least the next two years. But it also means that his administration. Trump and conservatives in the Senate have an

32 WORLD Magazine November 24, 2018 opportunity to continue shaping the judiciary for Traders on the floor on promises not to vote decades to come. of the New York Stock for Pelosi as speaker. Exchange watch Trump’s Nov. 7 news Democrats will elect hen it comes to an investigational buffet, at conference (above); their leader after W least some of the choices could be healthy. voters wait in line at Thanksgiving. No president or administration is above Brunswick Junior High Whomever they accountability, and the legislative branch wields School in Brunswick, choose, Democratic Maine (facing page). the important power to probe and press for congressmen already transparency. The same holds true for the Trump have dozens of sub administration, though the road ahead could poenas ready to serve. Their leadership roles on prove especially combative. congressional committees would give them power House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to launch investigations into everything from recently called Congress’ power to subpoena immigration policy to Russian connections to documents “a great arrow to have in your quiver Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s nomi- in terms of negotiating on other subjects.” Trump nation process to President Trump’s tax returns. called her comment “an illegal statement.” Meanwhile, legislation in a divided Congress is The statement itself wasn’t illegal, but the likely to slow to an even greater crawl. Even notion of congressional subpoenas as a political before Democrats take over the House in January, weapon could cast doubts over any Democratic the lame-duck session in Congress portends a investigation and embolden Trump to fight any stalemate that could lead to a partial government probe. (In some cases, Trump could invoke exec- shutdown on Dec. 8, if Congress doesn’t pass a utive privilege to resist handing over documents, spending bill that includes funding for the though opponents often paint such moves as an Department of Homeland Security. effort to cover up questionable activity.) Congressional leaders had delayed a debate If Democrats ask Pelosi to return as speaker of over funding the border wall until after midterm the House in January, the entrenchment likely elections. Trump has indicated his willingness to would worsen. Indeed, a handful of moderate see the government shut down if Congress doesn’t

RICHARD DREW/AP Democratic candidates ran their campaigns partly approve billions of dollars for the project.

November 24, 2018 WORLD Magazine 33 Immigration became especially contentious in the last weeks before Election Day, as Trump sent thousands of U.S. troops to the Mexican border ahead of a caravan of Central American migrants still hundreds of miles away. Such showdowns over funding and immigration policy are likely to intensify in a divided Congress and a polarized political environment. That polarization helped propel Democrats to victory in suburban areas where many voters—particularly women— appeared to reject Trump, even after voting for Republicans in past elections. U.S. Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., who won his seat after beating House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in an upset primary victory in 2014, lost the seat on Nov. 6 to former CIA operative Abigail Spanberger he Senate was more favorable to the GOP in a district with many women voters in the T going into Election Day but turned out Richmond suburbs. Democrats flipped at least better than perhaps even some Republicans seven GOP governorships, including four in the expected. The party flipped Democratic Senate Midwest. seats in Missouri, Indiana, and North Dakota, and Though the blue Democratic wave that some by early the next morning appeared poised to flip pundits predicted didn’t materialize in its fullness a Democratic seat in Florida. on Election Day, an important trend did prove Democrats flipped a Republican Senate seat in accurate: If the blue-collar white male became a Nevada, but Republicans appeared to maintain a focal point for the 2016 presidential elections, it crucial hold in Arizona. They also held on to a appears the suburban woman might become a seat in a state where they didn’t expect to wage crucial voting bloc for 2020. such a close fight: Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas prevailed in a tight race over Democratic candidate Beto

O’Rourke. TEXAS: DAVID J. PHILLIP/AP • VIRGINIA: BOB BROWN/RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH VIA AP An extended majority in the Senate means Republicans would be able to continue the often less-noticed, but immensely significant work of filling federal judicial appointments. It also means any potential Supreme Court nominees might have a smoother nomination process with more Republicans in the Senate. The issue of the Supreme Court appeared at least partly to shape Republicans’ success in the Senate on Nov. 6. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s embattled confirmation hearing stoked GOP

Spanberger supporters react to an online vote tally at an election night party in Richmond, Va.

34 WORLD Magazine November 24, 2018 States’ fights While all eyes were on the battle for Congress on Nov. 6, voters in 37 states decided on 155 ballot measures that brought many national debates to the local level.

] ON ABORTION: West Virginia and Alabama voters approved measures aimed at preventing public funding of abortion. The measures in both states also declared that the states’ constitutions do not establish a right to abortion. That language could become important if the Supreme Court ever overturns Roe v. Wade and returns the question of legalized abortion to the will of individual states.

Cruz supporters voter enthusiasm, West Virginia cheer during a according to polls campaign event before the election. It in Cypress, Texas. also may have proved 1 ON MARIJUANA: Michigan voters approved the part of the reason why recreational use of marijuana for residents 21 and some Democrats suffered losses. over. Michigan is the first state in the Midwest to In Indiana, Missouri, and North Dakota, approve the recreational use of pot, joining nine other states and the District of Columbia. Voters already vulnerable Democratic senators who in Missouri and Utah approved marijuana for voted against Kavanaugh lost their races. Joe medicinal use. (Republican and former presiden- Manchin, the only Democratic senator to vote tial candidate Mitt Romney opposed the measure for Kavanaugh’s confirmation, won his tight in Utah, but won a U.S. Senate seat in the state.) race in West Virginia. 1 ON VOTING: Voters in Florida approved a y Nov. 7, President Donald Trump was measure to reinstate voting rights for convicted B declaring a “Big Victory,” with felons. The measure will allow felons to vote after Republican gains in the Senate. Meanwhile, completing their sentences, but it doesn’t include House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was felons convicted of murder or sexual offenses. The declaring that Democrats’ win in the House measure gives voting rights to more than a million brings “a new day in America.” convicted felons in the state. In some sense, perhaps both are true. ] What didn’t seem to change by Wednesday ON TRANSGENDERISM: Massachusetts passed morning was the polarization that marked the first statewide referendum aimed at affirming transgenderism. The measure upholds an anti- the run-up to the midterms. That seems discrimination law and requires allowing people to sure to continue as the battle for the 2020 use the public restroom they say aligns with their presidential election starts to unfold in the gender identity. —J.D. coming months. President Trump, at least, seemed ready for a fight, tweeting the morning after the election: “If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at

WEST VIRGINIA: CRAIG HUDSON/CHARLESTON GAZETTE-MAIL VIA AP • MASSACHUSETTS: MARILYN HUMPHRIES/NEWSCOM MARILYN GAZETTE-MAIL VIA AP • MASSACHUSETTS: HUDSON/CHARLESTON CRAIG VIRGINIA: WEST the Senate level. Two can play that game!” A

 [email protected]  @deanworldmag November 24, 2018 WORLD Magazine 35 Brunson arrives at his home in Izmir, Turkey, on July 25 under terms of house arrest. DANIEL of the YEAR ‘a LIVInG mArtYR’ Held in Turkey on charges of espionage and terrorism, facing a life sentence for doing the work of the church, American Pastor Andrew Brunson’s dramatic release was the work of high-powered diplomacy and prevailing prayer

BY MINDY BELZ photo by Emre Tazegul/AP

he sun competes with autumn leaves for dazzle on a late October morning in Black Mountain, N.C. Orange and black stream- ers line fences ready for Halloween, and an oversized spider looms black and quasi- menacing over a collection of pumpkins and hay bales in the town square. In February a motorcade bearing the body of Billy Graham, the evangelist known as “America’s pastor” who died at his home here, departed from this mountain retreat of 8,000 residents en route to Washington, D.C. Eight months later and with less fanfare, another and more recently renowned American pastor— Andrew Brunson—made the trip in reverse. After meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office and traveling to New York for televised interviews, Brunson with his wife Norine and family members returned to the church and community they and generations of mission-minded pastors have called home. T November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 37 LEFT: MINDY BELZ • RIGHT: BULENT KILIC/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

riends in high school felt certain Brunson was bound was riends in high school felt certain Brunson He spent much of his childhood for the mission field. and Pam Ron parents, his City where in Mexico the mission Witness, with World Brunson, served Church Presbyterian arm of the Associate Reformed A banner in Black in Black A banner Mountain (above); (above); Mountain to board a flight to a flight board to and Norine prepare and Norine prepare Newton-Fogo said Brunson also possessed a dry sense of Newton-Fogo was “He others struggled. Brunson aced classes where For his perseverance in the face of long imprisonment his perseverance For said seemed dislocated when he came to the U.S.,” “He at Christ Community Community at Christ 12 release (far right). (far 12 release year-old Nico Bartman Nico year-old Germany after his Oct. his after Germany Brunson prays with 10- prays Brunson Church (right); Andrew (right); Andrew Church the downtrodden, not like the rest of us.” of us.” the rest not like the downtrodden, summer classes and into adulthood. For humor he has kept pick up Brunson because he had no car. she would jobs, until she began driving to eject her wait Brunson would cassette tapes and insert his: usually the British rock favorite while on their drives Thinking of his jokes band Supertramp. in prison, she said, often made her cry. Brunson was and get minute to study until the last the one who could wait authorities and made of candid professions faith: “I amChristian an innocent man on I all these charges. to I am here I am here. why them. I know reject Jesus’ name.” suffer in Andrew and his determination to be a “living martyr,” of the Year. 2018 Daniel Brunson is WORLD’s Carolina Brunson completed high school in North (ARP). The College. after his father took a position at Montreat in active both in their 70s and still now elder Brunsons, and Pakistan. in Russia on to serve went missions training, a classmate at Ben Lippen School in Newton-Fogo, Karen globally minded and tuned in to very was “He N.C. Asheville, F - - - - - support her November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine When it came time to defend himself in the courtroom From his prison cell near Izmir, Brunson penned a four- his prison cell near Izmir, From “Sometimes it’s harder to live for God than to die for to live harder it’s “Sometimes In that darkness Brunson said he made a decision: “I Throughout the ordeal, Brunson had no assurance he Brunson had no assurance the ordeal, Throughout But the case Turkey built against Brunson also put the built against the case Turkey But For President Donald Trump, whose evangelical base whose evangelical Donald Trump, President For Brunson’s case grew to encompass the hottest-button the hottest-button to encompass case grew Brunson’s Inside Christ Community Church, fellow churchgoers fellow Community Church, Inside Christ Jailed in October 2016 and subsequently charged with and subsequently charged in October 2016 Jailed Halloween regalia gave way to hand-made posters wel posters hand-made to way gave regalia Halloween watching world, Brunson in the face of death challenged world, watching 38 “I sang that every day as a declaration to God.” to God.” as a declaration day “I sang that every and a corps, press an international judges, Turkish before stanza hymn, “Worthy of My All,” later distributed by his by later distributed All,” of My “Worthy hymn, stanza denomination (EPC) Church Presbyterian Evangelical own a “The song was the world. around and sung in churches said. Brunson doubting,” of the things I was declaration would keep talking to God and running after Him. I would talking to God and running after Him. I would keep would be a living martyr.” God,” he said following his release and homecoming. “I and homecoming. his release he said following God,” than in prison.” been in heaven have rather would In letters to his family, he wrote candidly of his fear and candidly of he wrote In letters to his family, in that could mean 35 years faced charges He brokenness. of a life sentence. prison, the equivalent arrest in Izmir, constantly under government surveillance surveillance under government constantly in Izmir, arrest ban. state-orderedby a travel and confined year. 50 pounds during the first lost He be set free. would Brazil, Israel, and China to pray for his freedom. His for his freedom. and China to pray Israel, Brazil, vari on Oct. 12 came after 21 months in release dramatic months under house ous prison cells and nearly three American muscle in the shifting alliances of the Middle East. American muscle in the shifting alliances movement. church at the center of a worldwide pastor as as far removed Thousands mobilized in congregations helped him win the 2016 election and continues to offer fer helped him win the 2016 became a priority, release support, securing the pastor’s vent at home while signaling resurgent believers reassuring line Islamist allies in the region, while in effect holding allies in the region, line Islamist concessions. U.S. for hoped-for Brunson hostage issues of foreign policy and to pit against one another two one another two policy and to pit against issues of foreign Recep President Turkey’s For allies. NATO long-standing Christian the 50-year-old demonizing Erdogan, Tayyip among hard- rising reputation to burnish his became a way prayed for him. Each time, he took their hand and thanked he took their hand and thanked Each time, for him. prayed did. and them too, for if he could pray them, then asked jammed the fellowship hall, eating cake and drinking coffee hall, eating cake jammed the fellowship too, waited, Children the couple. in line to greet while standing Brunson they had to tell the freed for an opportunity shyly, tions. Norine, jailed briefly then released, never left Turkey, Turkey, left released, never jailed briefly then Norine, tions. to to return she might not be allowed knowing home to family and friends. were they husband. Now church planters. planters. church Brunson found himself cat Andrew espionage and terrorism, rela of global headlines and U.S.-Turkey apulted to the center retreat and conference center. The return to North Carolina North to The return center. and conference retreat Turkey, Izmir, from journey a 6,000-mile the end of marked and as missionaries for 23 years served the Brunsons where coming them along the road to along the road Montreat,coming them a Presbyterian better grades than those of us who stayed up all night,” worked with Operation Mobilization. In 1993 the couple Newton-Fogo said. set off for Turkey with the ARP’s World Witness, transfer- When Brunson met Norine at Wheaton College, ring their affiliation to the EPC’s World Outreach in 2010. friends saw a perfect match. Norine also was a missionary kid and attended high school in Germany at Black Forest zmir is a popular destination on Turkey’s west coast, a Academy. “They grew up in the church and in missions, city of 4 million hugging the Aegean Sea with cruise and excelled at the things they did, both speaking multi- ship docks and white-sand beaches. In antiquity the ple languages before they went to Turkey,” said Newton- city was known as Smyrna, its church highlighted for Fogo. “I feel like God prepared them all their lives for the praise in Revelation as an impoverished church rich in moment of imprisonment and notice, to survive what they Iotherworldly resources and ready to endure tribulation. experienced.” “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the Brunson, who finished his degree at Wheaton in three devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you years in 1988, was the student who most regularly rose may be tested,” reads Revelation 2:10. early for Bible study and prayer, said college roommate Tiny Resurrection Church sits on a narrow side street Ford McArver, who also roomed with Brunson during his near the waterfront wedged among budget hotels, shops, senior year at Ben Lippen School. “He introduced me to and coffeehouses. The church grew out of the Brunsons’ a worldview I did not have then,” McArver said, “not immersion in Turkish culture and connecting with Turkish simply accepting God is good but that He is the type of pastors. In the early years they learned the language and God we can get to know.” became familiar with the city, once nearly delivering one Brunson faced tragedy too. In January 1988 his 16-year- of their three (now grown) children in a taxi. old sister Julie was killed in a car accident while driving Resurrection Church, with about 40 people in regular with friends in West Palm Beach, Fla. Brunson’s mother attendance, became a fixture as its members handed out Pam told me Julie’s death was perhaps the hardest thing thousands of Bibles each month and hosted prayer meet- the family faced, “but God always has His purposes.” ings. In a country with a declining Christian presence of After marriage to Norine in 1989, Brunson earned his less than 1 percent of the population, Turkey’s Protestant Master of Divinity degree at Erskine Seminary and and evangelical churches number only about 150. A

November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 39 Brunson’s detention, one could argue, grew out of the couple’s love for Turkey. Brunson and his wife had decided to purchase an apartment in Izmir in hopes of retiring there. One step in that long-range plan was to acquire permanent resident visas. They applied for the visas in 2016 shortly before leaving on home assignment—and before an abortive coup in July that ushered in emergency laws. Authorities were jailing thousands under the new laws, but when Brunson received a sum- mons in mid-October, he thought it was to complete processing for the visas. Instead, he and Norine were detained in a local police station. The Turkish police released Norine after 13 days and told Brunson he would be deported as a “threat to national security,” a common charge used to expel other American national workers that same month. But for two months the police held Brunson without charges or contact with outsiders. On Dec. 9, 2016, authorities summoned him to court, charged him with “membership in an armed terrorist organization,” and sent him to nearby Aliaga Sakran Prison. As attention to the case grew in the United States, the charges expanded to include spying for the CIA. In March 2017 Brunson met with U.S. Embassy officials for the first time, and sent through them a letter to President Trump, asking him to “fight for me.” Four months later—despite personal intervention by then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Trump—Brunson A man walks in front of Brunson’s Resurrection Church (yellow was moved to a maximum security prison near Izmir and a building) in Izmir (top); an SUV with Brunson inside leaves the cell he shared with about a dozen Muslim men. Neither he prison/courthouse complex following his trial and release. nor his lawyers—which now included Jay Sekulow, a personal lawyer for Trump and chief counsel at the American handful meets in historic churches and the rest in houses or Center for Law & Justice—had seen evidence supporting the storefronts. Normally the Protestant congregations—made charges against him. That would come in a lengthy indict- CHURCH: OZAN KOSE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES • PRISON: EMRAH GUREL/AP up of expats, converts from Orthodox or Catholic belief, or ment not released until six weeks before his trial began. converts from Islam—face discrimination and persecution as While Washington and Ankara engaged in tête-à-tête diplo- a minority within a minority. Only in 2009 did they come macy, Brunson said he faced his own battle. “I didn’t expect together as the Association of Protestant Churches. to go to prison, I had counted the cost in other ways. There With the start of the conflict in Syria, the church reached always are threats involved in church planting. Someone out to war victims, and by 2014 Brunson and others were attacked me once with a gun. We factored those things in but traveling to provide shelter and other aid to refugees near had never counted the cost of prison because it hadn’t hap- the Syrian border. “It was perfectly normal to help them,” pened to anyone in ministry in Turkey in a very long time.” one member of the church told Religion News Service. Brunson struggled to recall books by others who suffered Such activities were not illegal, but authorities later used for their Christian faith, wanting to remember how they them to construct a case against Brunson, claiming that he counted it all joy. “I wasn’t filled with joy, I was actually really sympathized with terrorists and enemies of the state. “They broken,” he said. He found the Bible “dry, it wasn’t feeding me.” had ministries full of blessings and harvests—all without The first year of his imprisonment was full of fear and conflict with authorities for more than 20 years,” said grief over the uncertainties. He suffered over separation Richard White, senior pastor of Christ Community Church from his family and from Christian fellowship. “If I’d been let in Montreat. out after the first year, I’d have been lying on the floor, curled

40 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018 ERDOGAN: PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE VIA AP • TRUMP: JACQUELYN MARTIN/AP  President Trump intheOval Office. Turkish President Erdogan (below); Brunson prays with illegal activity.” those whobelieve inHim.Ihave notbeeninvolved inany in Turkey istotellpeopleaboutJesus andhelpdisciple began. “Iamafollower ofJesus Christ. My purposehere in whatobservers laterdescribedasflawless Turkish. against himwere read, hedelivered asix-hour rebuttal— stood alonebefore athree-judge panel.After thecharges Wurmbrand danced.” pretty. People thoughtitwas weird, butIwould danceas rejoicing, butIdiditasanact ofobedience. It wasn’t cell every day todance, reciting thosesameverses. Brunson begantakinghimselftoacornerofhiscrowded finement read Matthew 5:10-12 every day—and hedanced. time inprisonRomania. Wurmbrand insolitarycon Wurmbrand, theVoice oftheMartyrs founderwhospent responded wryly, “My mothermademedoit.” why heforgave thosewholiedabouthim,Brunson received alsobolstering lettersfrom hismother. Asked ted regular visits, withhelpinghim stay strong. He second year Godstarted torebuild me.” in afetalpositionwithPTSD,” Brunsonconfessed.“The [email protected] “I reject allthe accusations inthisindictment,” he When hisfirst trialbeganthis year on April 17, Brunson “‘Rejoice andbeglad,rejoice andbeglad.’ Iwas not Brunson saidhewas helpedby thewritingofRichard The pastor credits Norine, whoeventually was permit  @mcbelz - - b to sway judgesortheErdogan government; U.S. sanctions he andBrunsondidnotmeetuntilwas inprison. once attendedWhite’s Christ CommunityChurch, though (recently namedU.S. ambassadortoKosovo), Kosnett acting ambassadorPhilipKosnett. Acareer diplomat Embassy inAnkara alsoattended eachproceeding, ledby Freedom Sam Brownback. Adelegationfrom theU.S. Ambassador-at-Large forInternationalReligious Thom Tillis, R-N.C., attendedthefirst trial,asdid U.S. along withNew York activist-pastor BillDevlin. U.S. Sen. Richard White, theNorth Carolina pastor, flewto Turkey, reporters, Turkey’s Protestant pastors attendedeachtrial. returned himtoprisonwithoutpronouncing averdict. his own defenseinTurkish. Eachtimethejudges courtroom, aswell ashiswifeandotherattendees—gave separated from hisTurkish lawyer inagymnasium-sized roborating evidence ofhiscrimes. EachtimeBrunson— witnesses testified against Brunsonbutproduced nocor actually defended Brunson.“Thiswas ajudicialcoupfor tion witnessesdeniedtheirprevious testimony, and monitored andbarred from leaving thecountry. home, where hewas reunited withNorine butwas house arrest. Thesame day officialsescortedhimtohis the courtinIzmirordered Brunsonmoved from prisonto home over hishandlingoftheBrunsoncase. OnJuly 25, spiraling, intofree fall.Suddenly Erdogan facedacrisisat Democracies. the Washington-based Foundation forDefenseof Aykan Erdemir, aformerTurkish politicianandfellow at especially whenitcomestoreligious minorities,” said they are nolaughing matter. Theyhave consequences own corruptionandeconomicmismanagement. bogeyman forTurkey’s woes, deflectingfrom Erdogan’s ing thenext coup. AnAmericanProtestant was aplausible as aCIAfront for anAmericantakeover, andmastermind ries accusedBrunsonoflaunchingterror attacks, serving build asteady campaignagainst Brunson.Front-page sto ists), Erdogan newsoutletsto couldusestate-controlled the attemptedcoup(andjailingmore than500journal detention. Shuttering177mediaorganizations following detained American. first timesuchpenaltieshadbeenusedonbehalfofone actions fortheirrole inBrunson’s detention.It was the cials, theministers ofjustice andinterior, from U.S. trans Trump imposedsanctionsblockingtwo topTurkish offi did. InJuly afterTurkey againrefused torelease Brunson, The striking show ofofficial U.S. supportdidnotseem Besides Norine andaswelling crowd ofinternational Two subsequenttrialdatesunfoldedsimilarly, as Further U.S. sanctionssent theTurkish lira, already “We laughattheseludicrous smearcampaigns, but To thispoint,Erdogan successfullyhadusedBrunson’s others had,butquicklyshifted. Several prosecu session attheIzmirprisoncourtroom beganas ready tomake adealwithWashington. The reports hadwidelycirculated thatAnkara was y thetimeBrunson’s Oct.12 trial datearrived, November 24, 2018 24, November • WORLD Magazine WORLD ------41 Andrew,” said White, who was present. “The prosecution’s Andrew and Norine at the Christ Community Church case crumbled on the spot.” assembly in Black Mountain But when it was the prosecutor’s turn to speak, he reread the entire indictment against Brunson. In a final appeal, he asked that the judges lift the house arrest—and sentence walked into government offices expecting to receive per Brunson to 10 years in prison. manent resident visas, the Brunsons’ lives in Turkey were The courtroom erupted, as journalists ran out to use their over. cell phones and the judges adjourned for 10 minutes. Brunson calls his freedom “a Joseph-type situation”: “One Brunson broke down in tears. He knew the rumors of a deal minute I was kneeling in the middle of a Turkish courtroom, but also knew that other deals had not come to pass. In the and within 24 hours I was praying in the Oval Office.” courtroom, said White, “You could feel the life draining out After he had prayed with the president on Oct. 13 and “We’re making our own choices with our health care of Andrew and Norine and all of us.” returned to North Carolina, he joined worshippers at Christ Norine left the visitor’s gallery and went to Brunson. Community Church who greeted him with long applause They embraced and prayed. When the judges returned, and a standing ovation Oct. 28. “I am a convicted terrorist and Samaritan participates in that.” Brunson was on his knees praying, and no one knew what now,” he reminded the assembly. Pastor Richard White would happen next. responded for everyone, “We are not scared.” — Patrick and Melody A judge asked Brunson to stand. How do you respond? he The gathering took place in the chapel where Billy asked. Graham and his wife Ruth were married in 1943, where Brunson stood and said, “I am innocent of all these other missionaries over the last century have been commis- charges. I love Jesus. I love Turkey.” sioned and sent off, welcomed home, and laid to rest. But it’s The judges recessed again. Brunson and his lawyer were the next generation that’s most gripped White in the after- A Biblical, non-insurance approach to health care Monthly costs: unclear what would happen next. Presenting a defense at math of Brunson’s case. (Ranges based on age, household size, and As believers in Christ, we are called to glorify God in all that we do. this point could jeopardize any diplomatic deal, but it wasn’t “I’ve been most impressed with the children. One after membership level) clear such a deal was in play. another I watched them come to Andrew and say, ‘I prayed Samaritan members bear each other’s burdens by sharing the cost of There would be no defense. When the judges returned for you.’ They have lived this with us, and to see the next medical bills while praying for and encouraging one another. Members Individuals $100-$220 again, it was with a verdict: Brunson was found guilty on generation come to understand that you can suffer for your terrorism charges, sentenced to 3 years, 1 month, and 15 days faith, you might die, and it is worth it to be faithful has pro- can choose between two membership options for sharing their medical 2 Person $200-$440 in prison, and fined. Then the judges announced the travel duced a sober awareness of the call in the Christian life. To needs: Samaritan Classic and Samaritan Basic. ban against him was lifted, releasing him for time served. learn to be faithful to Jesus even when it is difficult is an 3+ People $250-$495 Brunson and his wife returned to their home with empowering thing.” MINDY BELZ Turkish police and U.S. diplomats, packed 13 bags, and White described the long crisis for the church as “a walk As of October 2018 within hours boarded a flight for Germany and then of faith and the work of tears.” For Andrew and Norine Washington, D.C. Nearly two years to the day Brunson had Brunson, one walk is over and another has begun. A For more information call (877) 578-6787 or visit samaritanministries.org/world

42 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018 “We’re making our own choices with our health care and Samaritan participates in that.” — Patrick and Melody

A Biblical, non-insurance approach to health care Monthly costs: (Ranges based on age, household size, and As believers in Christ, we are called to glorify God in all that we do. membership level) Samaritan members bear each other’s burdens by sharing the cost of medical bills while praying for and encouraging one another. Members Individuals $100-$220 can choose between two membership options for sharing their medical 2 Person $200-$440 needs: Samaritan Classic and Samaritan Basic. 3+ People $250-$495

As of October 2018

For more information call (877) 578-6787 or visit samaritanministries.org/world FEATURES FEATURES EVANGELIST IN CHAINS China uses dubious border charges to imprison a popular Christian leader n by JUNE CHENG

n the summer of 2017, Amos Cao and his seven years in prison on charges of “organizing mother Jamie Powell flew from their illegal border crossings,” a crime usually home in North Carolina to Yunnan applied to human traffickers? What had he province, China, then bumped over dirt done wrong by providing humanitarian aid and roads for five hours until they arrived at improving lives through education? IMenglian County along the China-Myanmar Cao’s family and friends are encouraged by border. They had traveled halfway around the the case of recently released U.S. Pastor world to see the Rev. John Sanqiang Cao—Amos’ Andrew Brunson: Perhaps the United States father and Powell’s husband. Chinese authorities could use similar pressure to help get Cao freed had arrested him a few months earlier as he as well (see p. 36). Yet Cao’s case differs in that crossed the border back into China after visiting he is a permanent resident of the United States, schools he helped build in Wa State, an auto not a citizen, even though his wife and two nomous region in the Myanmar mountains. sons, Amos and Ben, are. Cao could easily have At the local police station in Menglian, become a U.S. citizen but decided to keep his police seemed polite and helpful, agreeing to Chinese passport to continue ministering in drive Amos, Powell, and Cao’s sister to the local China (and China does not recognize dual jail where Cao was held. But higher-ups quickly citizenship). alerted them that Amos and Powell would not While Cao is unable to receive consular be able to see Cao because they were U.S. citi- privileges, in June, nine U.S. lawmakers penned zens. Only Cao’s sister, who lived in China, a letter to Vice President Mike Pence asking could visit him for about a minute under the him to prioritize Cao’s case as he meets with watchful eyes of prison guards who banned any Chinese leaders. Powell also spoke out about form of communication. her husband’s case at the State Department’s “We have a photo with my mom at the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in [prison] gate,” Amos said. “It’s surreal to stand July. there and think that 300 meters away my dad Longtime friend Bob Fu, founder of was sitting there … so close but still so far away.” ChinaAid, believes Cao has been swept up in They returned home, having come so far only President Xi Jinping’s campaign to “sinicize” to be turned away. Christianity, specifically its crackdown on the Amos, a 26-year-old Ph.D. student at the growing missions movement among house University of Michigan, noted that his inability to churches. Cao’s foreign ties, his renown among see his father on that trip was a physical repre- house church leaders, and his ability to mobi- sentation of the opaqueness that shrouded his lize others to serve in Burmese schools may father’s case: Why did the Chinese government have prompted authorities to make an example arrest and sentence a 59-year-old missionary to of him.

44 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018 Amos Cao, son of Chinese Rev. John Sanqiang Cao, holds a family photo showing his father (far right) in Ann Arbor, Mich.

PAUL SANCYA/AP

November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 45 night. He’d wear a specially designed jacket full of secret pockets for Bibles. “He’d share the gospel from the time he got on the train until the time he got off,” Fu remembered. “By the time he got to Beijing, he would have lost his voice.” Later when Fu and his family fled to the United States in 1997, he remembers that on the first night Cao welcomed them into his home in North Carolina. Cao gave the master bedroom to Fu, his wife Heidi, and their then-2-month-old son, Daniel, as he slept on the couch. “We were so touched. That tells of John’s extraordinary love for others.”

n the 1990s and early 2000s, house His work in Myanmar, also known as Cao breaks ground graduates of the churches mostly kept to themselves Burma, seems to be a specific target: In on a new school in English depart- to stay under the government’s Wa State, I September, the China-backed United Wa Myanmar, in 2014. ment to positions radar and because they didn’t trust other State Army (UWSA), the de facto leaders at universities, networks. But Cao became well-respected of the region, began investigating but because of among the church networks and had Christians, banning missionaries, and Cao’s faith, they relegated him to a high contacts in every major city. In order to destroying churches in Wa State. They school in a remote area. Cao refused to train house church leaders, he started detained the Chinese missionaries take the job. more than 60 unregistered Bible training teaching at Cao’s schools and sent them “He was the first one to not take an centers. He also built the first school back to China—so far all but one has been assigned job,” Han said. “He was the one among the Sui minority in Guizhou, released from Chinese custody, Fu said. who became a free man. … He stood out recruiting students from his Bible schools among the students.” to help run the school. Once the school native of Hunan, Cao first heard Cao took a completely different track: got settled, he handed it over to the local the gospel while studying in the He worked odd jobs and traveled to government, which still runs it today. A English department at Hunan different house churches preaching and “He really impacted a generation of Normal University. Although the Chinese teaching. With the help of the American house church leaders with wider world government closed all universities couple, Cao moved to the States and missions,” Fu said. “That’s why he was during the Cultural Revolution from studied at Alliance Theological Seminary able to mobilize them to go.” Cao orga- 1966 to 1976, Cao was part of the first in New York. He married Powell in 1988 nized house church Christians to provide wave of students to take the resumed and continued to minister both in North aid relief after the 2008 Sichuan earth- college entrance exam and attend uni- Carolina, where he pastored a Chinese quake and the 2015 Nepal earthquake. versity. At the age of 20, Cao met an church, and in China, where he helped In 2012, he started visiting Myanmar to American couple while walking down build up house churches. provide aid to refugee Kachins, a largely the street in the city of Changsha. The Amos and Ben spent their early years Christian ethnic minority living in the couple, who were Christians, chatted splitting their time between Southern north near the Chinese border. Fighting with Cao for a while and then handed China and the United States. Amos said between Burmese soldiers and the him an English Bible. Cao began reading his father always wanted them to learn Kachin insurgents left more than the Bible, listening to Billy Graham the Chinese language and culture: “My 100,000 displaced, many living in abject broadcasts, and asking the couple when- dad is someone who is very patriotic poverty in the mountains. ever he had questions about Christianity. about his country. … His work has never Samuel Chao, head of Chinese Over time, Cao professed faith in Christ. carried anti-China messages.” Ministries International, accompanied Lianchao Han, a classmate of Cao’s, Fu first met Cao in the early ’90s Cao on several of these trips as his remembers him as a considerate and while pastoring a house church in organization donated food and medicine gentle man who also possessed an aura Beijing. Fu’s first impression of Cao was for the Kachin refugees. Because border BEN CAO VIA AP of mystery, as Christians were uncommon that he was a tireless evangelist. Every guards collected 100 to 200 yuan ($15 to in China at the time. As students readied time Cao would come up to Beijing, he $30) in bribes each way to cross the for graduation, officials assigned each would purposely ride the train from border, Cao and the other aid workers student a job. They assigned most Guangzhou, which took a full day and instead paid a boatman $1.50 to bring

46 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018 them across a 30-foot-wide river on a crossings.” Cao’s lawyers are trying to 60 pounds as the detention center only bamboo raft. A truck loaded with supplies appeal the charges, although without an provided him with one meal a day until would cross the bridge and go through independent judiciary in China, things authorities allowed family and friends customs while they crossed the river, and look bleak. to send him money to purchase more they’d reunite on the other side. Once “He was obviously trapped and singled food. inside the refugee camp, they passed out out for punishment,” Fu said. “They At first, Cao didn’t have a Bible in 2 tons of food, including much-needed want to send a chilling signal to other prison, so he devoted himself to prayer: rice, sugar, and salt to the refugees. missionaries who are helping the Chinese Every day he’d pray for more than 100 Later Cao traveled to the mountains church do foreign missions to stop.” people, the Chinese government, and a where the Wa ethnic group lived in That signal became even clearer in different country. He scoured the books impoverished villages without schools. September when the Beijing-backed in the prison library for Bible verses, Cao offered to build and run schools in United Wa State Party closed Cao’s finding many in books as varied asUncle the villages so that the children could schools and expelled its Chinese Tom’s Cabin to Nietzsche’s writings. By learn to read and improve their job teachers. The party released a statement March 2018, Cao was able to obtain an prospects. All that he asked was that he directing military officers and adminis- English and a Chinese Bible, and every could teach the students the Bible along trators to “find out what the missionaries day he’d read, meditate, pray, and write with their Mandarin and English are doing and what are their intentions,” short poems. “Every day, I meet with the classes. The villagers agreed, and he Lord,” Cao told Li. “Every day I marvel at began to raise funds from overseas and the greatness of God and feel His love … from Chinese house churches and to all thanks to the Bible.” recruit graduates from his Bible schools He went on to say that after years of to teach. By the time Cao was arrested in ministry, he considered this time in 2017, he had helped start 16 schools that prison his “Sabbath year.” When Li told served 2,000 students. Cao the schools were shut down and But his work often caught the teachers sent away, Cao seemed calm. attention of authorities, who have He expressed his sadness but added, “All closed many of his Bible schools. He was this is God’s plan. We just follow God’s tracked, followed, interrogated, and will, the results are in God’s hands.” detained because of his involvement in Han and his fellow college classmates, training house church leaders and his some of whom work in the government, foreign ties. Often state security officials petitioned for his release to little avail. invited him to “drink tea” in order to “Everybody knows he’s a good person, keep tabs on him: Cao was always they know that he would never do transparent with them about his mission anything to harm the country,” Han activities and complied when they asked said. “We’ve known him for many years. him not to take certain trips. While everyone else tried to make That’s why it came as such a shock money, he’s not the type to do that. He to Cao’s family and friends when they helped others, and people saw that.” heard that authorities had arrested him. A boatman takes according to Asia While house church leaders see Cao According to Fu, Chinese state security aid workers across Times. It banned as a respected teacher, to Amos, he’s a river from China asked Cao to take this trip to visit the to Myanmar on a the construction simply Dad: “I don’t think of my dad as schools and then called to ask when he’d bamboo raft. of new churches, someone who has traveled the world return to China. He told them he’d be religious teaching and brought tons of aid to people, I think back on Sunday, March 5. That day, as he in schools, and of him as getting really sleepy after he and a co-worker crossed the river back all foreign missionaries from Wa State. eats and really distracted if the TV is on. into China, security agents awaited, The UWSA has roots in the Communist He likes playing Chinese chess—all arresting him for illegally crossing the Party of Burma and continues to have those personal attributes.” border. close trade ties with China, including a Amos noted that before, when he Border crossings of that kind are thriving illegal narcotics trade. read about religious persecution around typically overlooked and done in broad the world, it seemed distant and unrelated daylight. At worst, someone could be ccording to lawyer Li Guisheng, to his life. But now that it’s hit close to fined 200 RMB ($29), but authorities who visited Cao most recently home, he’s heartbroken. Depending on arrested Cao and in a court trial a year A in October, Cao is suffering from your circumstances, he said, “those later sentenced him to seven years in hemorrhoids, a herniated disc, and pain people you read about could be your dad

CHINA MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL CHINA MINISTRIES prison for “organizing illegal border in his eyes and his teeth. He initially lost and it could be you.” A

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‘Everything has changed’ SUTHERLAND SPRINGS: A TEXAS COMMUNITY’S LIFE AFTER DEATH by Charissa Crotts in Sutherland Springs, Texas

48 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018 The former sanctuary of Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church is now a memorial to the 26 victims.

CAROLYN VAN HOUTEN/THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES TOP LEFT & BOTTOM RIGHT: CHARISSA CROTTS • BOTTOM LEFT & TOP RIGHT: LISA KRANTZ/THE SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS VIA AP - Part of the grieving process came with the first holidays the first came with process grieving of the Part the killed “were who were of the women said many Slavin hunt for the held a scavenger members church Christmas, At Baptist attending First started Willeford After the shooting, 1 2 ` ` nephews in the shooting. She said the church daily felt the loss felt the daily the church She said shooting. in the nephews a lot of had lost who was “Everybody members: half its of nearly left at once.” and then they all of, they took care things that Karla mother Slavin’s and dear friends. kids, without husband, so for her for everyone, wands” “cookie baked always Holcombe to try her recipe. decided Holcombe and Jenni Slavin birthday of cookies, Instead the dough stuck. and wrong went Something dough fight. had a cookie and Holcombe Slavin So she shenanigans and fun stuff.” of all our instigators biggest to come up with new “shenanigans” decided and other survivors fun times. have still would so everyone their motor rode including the pastor, of bikers, A group kids. was biker One children. to low-income toys to deliver cycles chase to and gave the man who confronted Willeford, Stephen and red white hair and beard, belly, his round With the shooter. Claus. Santa resembled Willeford hat, Santa 45 minutes away. Antonio, in San than his home church rather

The (4) underway. Sherri Pomeroy Pomeroy Sherri for the first time the first for church building is building church Law enforcement enforcement Law looks through the through looks Holcombe, Slavin, Holcombe, since the shooting. the shooting. since (2) daughter Annabelle Annabelle daughter Danielle Shields, the Shields, Danielle Devin Kelley. Kelley. Devin (1) Willeford prays with prays Willeford widow of the shooter, the shooter, of widow construction of a new a new of construction investigators took the took investigators phone belonging to her her to phone belonging phone from the church. the church. phone from and her daughter Elene. Elene. daughter and her (3) - November 24, 2018 • nieces and and niece Noah, and niece Noah,

Slavin had also suffered Slavin WORLD Magazine She spent a lot of time with Holcombe’s mom stayed with her until Thanksgiving. with her until Thanksgiving. mom stayed Holcombe’s Wilson County residents brought meals and sat with survivors brought County residents Wilson Immediately after the shooting, reporters rushed to reporters Immediately after the shooting, Sarah Slavin, who lost nine family members, described how described how nine family members, who lost Slavin, Sarah For the past year residents of this small Texas town have have town of this small Texas residents year the past For Those same pipers had played that same song at the funerals funerals that same song at the played Those same pipers had But when the four-person bagpipe band finished playing when the four-person But Residents who were not in the parade watched from camp from watched parade not in the who were Residents law, and four other law, 50 serious loss: Along with her Danny brother a sister-in- her parents, she lost trust with the broken-down car. with the broken-down trust Sarah sister, her husband’s Slavin. mow the grass. What to do when the grass. mow in scorpion or snake a she saw Which mechanic to the yard. and sorting through her hus and sorting through things. and daughter’s band’s her husband used to do Chores to attention. How her required Afterward Holcombe spent Holcombe Afterward legal issues months navigating could privately receive notice of family members’ deaths. Out-of- notice of family members’ deaths. receive could privately parents Holcombe’s Jenni help. family members came to town only and their with her after her husband, Danny, came to stay daughter Noah—died in the shooting. child—17-month-old money, prayers, and letters of sympathy. prayers, money, outside the hospital so people RVs at the hospital. They parked Sutherland Springs and the surrounding Wilson County. Media Media County. Wilson Springs and the surrounding Sutherland Church Baptist First separating street flooded the wide vans intrusive, media attention was The gas station. the Valero from the country to send around people from but it also prompted hurt and even some of the evil, the hate for that matter. It’s okay okay It’s the hate for that matter. some of the evil, hurt and even there.” get stuck it, but don’t to acknowledge ugliness of those who tried to gain from their loss. ugliness of those who tried to gain from and the the pain to acknowledge have coping: “You are many struggled to recover from their incalculable loss. They’ve their incalculable loss. coped from to recover struggled of love outpourings received with a flood of media attention, the and seen firsthand the country, around from and sympathy tactical gear and armed with a rifle and two handguns, stormed handguns, with a rifle and two tactical gear and armed Church Baptist service at the First morning worship the Sunday including an unborn baby. 26 people, down and mowed grew quiet. grew church of the 26 persons who died in the deadliest year last wearing Kelley, Devin 2017, 5, On Nov. history. shooting in U.S. scepter at her court and demanded, “Silence!” scepter at her court and the festivalgoers Grace,” “Amazing and began Joe” “Cotton-Eye by name and tossed candy to them. The “Valentine Court”— “Valentine candy to them. The name and tossed by little and two tiaras and silver gowns little girls in sparkly red Catholic Heart on the Sacred crowns—rode in gold and red boys pointed her float. The small princess occasionally School’s politicians riding in cars decorated with campaign signs. with riding in cars decorated politicians spectators on the floats greeted People the route. chairs along ON THE LAST SATURDAY OF OCTOBER, RESIDENTS OF RESIDENTS OCTOBER, OF SATURDAY LAST ON THE Old Town the annual for gathered Texas, Springs, Sutherland truck a fire included the parade years, in past As parade. Day and local on horseback, and women men and ambulance, ‘YOU HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PAIN AND THE and again. On Christmas Eve, she was HURT AND EVEN SOME OF THE EVIL, THE HATE baptized. On Oct. 25, about 30 church members FOR THAT MATTER. IT’S OKAY TO ACKNOWLEDGE gathered in a temporary building for Bible IT, BUT DON’T GET STUCK THERE.’ —Sarah Slavin study and supper. They ate chicken and dumplings or tomato soup and cornbread and listened to a speaker. Reminders of He decided he wanted to be counted as one of the survivors. “I the shooting hang on the wall, including a picture of a Texas lost people I care about, too,” he said. “I’m a survivor.” Since the flag with white script: “Pray for Sutherland Springs.” Nearby shooting, he has trained some church members to handle guns. hangs a painting of a small white church building with three He has also traveled to churches in Dallas, Columbus, San Diego, crosses and a dove above it and the words “Unchangeable Jer and Birmingham to educate members on security. 7:2” (“Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim there Before the shooting, First Baptist Church of Sutherland this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD …’”). Springs had 50 or 60 worshippers on a good Sunday. The shooter After the meal and Bible study, the church secretary passed murdered 26 of them. Now, average church attendance is about around prayer request pages. The top of the page read, “Pray for 200. Some of those newcomers are community members who the families of our victims.” The people shared requests and things committed to the church to show support. Others are like Julie they were thankful for and took turns praying for each other. Rogers, who became a Christian through watching the church Jenni Holcombe was there, as was Stephen Willeford. But respond to the tragedy. She came to the church to encourage not all the survivors returned to the church, and not all who her co-worker Kris Workman, the worship leader who was returned are at the same place in their grief. Out the window is paralyzed in the shooting, and found herself drawn back again a building project for the new church. The small white chapel the shooter attacked is now a memorial: Inside, everything is painted white. Wooden folding chairs with gold names mark where each victim died. A red rose sits on each chair. A pink rose on one chair represents Crystal Holcombe’s unborn baby. This summer, Jenni Holcombe visited her parents in Washington state for her mom’s birthday. Other than that, she stayed close to her fenced-in house on the 300-acre Holcombe family property. She works part time in the afternoons at the All City Youth Programs in neighboring Floresville and attends multiple Bible studies each week at church. She still grapples to convey what she lost: “I had a 17-month-old. Everything has changed. It’s just me now. Everything was about taking care of her and doing things, and we were always going places because she was a very social person. She didn’t like to be at home. Now it’s just me. It’s hard to just cook dinner for myself, so I don’t do that a lot. Even just going to the grocery store is different now.” In early 2018 the town was revictimized. While survivors `3 were still dealing with grief, two outsiders came to town, bringing unwanted media attention with them. Robert Ussery and his partner Jodi Mann had a theory that the shooting was a hoax. They set up a website and began announcing a $100,000 reward to anyone who could offer proof that one of the victims was actually dead. Ussery posted videos of himself using a bullhorn to offer this reward to the people of Sutherland Springs. On March 5 police arrested the pair for trespassing and resisting arrest. Survivors don’t dwell on that episode. Nor are they dwelling on the four lawsuits some of them have filed against the federal government. When the Air Force discharged Devin Kelley in 2014, Air Force personnel failed to enter information about him into the database used for criminal background checks required for firearms purchases. Sarah Slavin said after a year, the grieving has become easier. But she has not had a chance to develop a new normal. “In my worst moments, when I feel like I’m hanging on by a thread, that thread is Jesus Christ,” she said. “I have felt the whole time like He’s holding me, and any strength, it’s what He’s giving me. … There’s been a lot of support and help and stuff, but when `4 you actually get down to it, no one can get us through this. Only God can do that.” A

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NOTEBOOK Sports / Technology / Politics / Science / Religion

Sports Olson directs the band after playing in his first NCAA football game. Faith without sight and he’s typically noticed only when one of the balls he fires backward BLINDNESS HASN’T STOPPED JAKE OLSON FROM through his legs goes haywire. Olson ACHIEVING FOOTBALL DREAMS AND INSPIRING isn’t even atop USC’s depth chart at OTHERS by Ray Hacke the position: As of Nov. 6, the junior had appeared in just three games over the past two seasons, all on extra-point Facing the loss of an eye to “Obviously,” Olson says, “it’s been attempts when victory was practically R cancer for the second time—and something pretty special.” sealed. That includes the Trojans’ mentally preparing to go through life Olson is a long snapper for the season-opening 43-21 victory over the blind—young Jake Olson turned to University of Southern California foot- University of Nevada-Las Vegas on God in prayer. Olson, now 21, believes ball team. Long snapper is hardly a Sept. 1. God responded by giving him a sense high-profile position: A long snapper Still, Olson’s few appearances have of strength and peace and encourage- only comes in for field-goal attempts, earned him a platform to talk about ment to wait and see what He had in extra-point kicks after touchdowns, his faith as well as other topics. In the

BRIAN ROTHMULLER/ICON SPORTSWIRE/AP BRIAN ROTHMULLER/ICON store for him. and punts (though not in Olson’s case), first, in USC’s 2017 season opener, he

Visit WORLD Digital: wng.org November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 53 NOTEBOOK Sports

delivered a perfect snap on an extra- maintenance men got to know us real being cognizant of body movements point kick as the Trojans defeated well,” Vieselmeyer said—and practicing and replicating movements so I know Western Michigan. Olson earned the for an additional 1½ to two hours after I have a successful outcome.” He also Pac-12 Conference’s Special Teams Vieselmeyer got off work during the relies on his hearing to know how far Player of the Week honor for his per- summer. By the start of football season, and where to snap the ball. formance. After that game, Olson told Olson was the best long snapper Orange Eventually, Olson hopes to snap the Los Angeles Times, “If you can’t Lutheran had. more regularly on field goals and extra see how God works things out, then I At USC, Olson made the team as a points. Still, his blindness will keep think you’re the blind one.” non-scholarship player in 2015. When him off USC’s punting unit: “There are Olson wasn’t even a year old when he enters a game, teammates have to major coverage responsibilities for a he lost his left eye to retinal cancer. guide Olson—who is listed on USC’s long snapper, and it would be difficult Still, both before and after cancer took roster at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds— for me to get downfield,” he said. his right eye, sports played an impor- onto the field and into position. They That’s one of the few limitations tant role in his life, and he decided to then have to position his body so he Olson has had to accept. He plays golf try out for football before his junior can snap the ball properly. and can shoot in the 70s over 18 holes, year at Orange Lutheran High in according to Yahoo Sports. He’s even Southern California. His early attempts driven a race car at Charlotte Motor Olson prepares for an extra-point at long snapping were disastrous: “He attempt during an NCAA college Speedway: With former NASCAR said, ‘Coach, I was just wondering football game against UNLV. driver Todd Bodine guiding him from the passenger seat, Olson drove as fast as 75 mph. “It was fun,” Olson said. “I felt a certain freedom, especially knowing I wasn’t going to crash into a barrier.” He currently serves on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition and even met President Trump during a field day on the White House lawn. He’s appeared in a video on conservative commentator Dennis Prager’s website PragerU. com, explaining why school choice would benefit special-needs students. He also travels around the how long it was going to be before I’m Each time that’s happened, though, country as a motivational speaker and snapping on the varsity,’” said Dean Olson has fired a perfect spiral has written two faith-based books Vieselmeyer, his position coach at through his legs to his holder, allowing about overcoming adversity. Orange Lutheran. “The ball was flying USC’s kicker to send the ball through Olson says he’s grateful to God for MARK J. TERRILL/AP every which direction. I told him it the uprights—and the crowd at Los the strength He gave to a scared was going to be a long time.” Angeles Memorial Coliseum into a 12-year-old boy: “There were times He responded by meeting frenzy. when I asked, ‘What are You doing? I Vieselmeyer for early-morning work- Olson relies a lot on muscle memory don’t understand where You’re going outs at a nearby junior college—“The to snap the ball: “A lot of it is feel, with this.’ Looking back, I get it now.” A

54 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018 Give the gift of clarity: wng.org/giftofclarity NOTEBOOK Technology

based on the engineering design drawings. The models display parts and labels right on top of the partially WATER assembled space- CLEANER craft, to include Only 2.5 percent of all water on detailed instruc- earth is fresh water, and access tions for tasks such to safe drinking water is a real as torquing bolts problem for much of the positioned right world’s population. over the relevant On Oct. 22, XPRIZE—a non- holes. profit that holds worldwide competitions to solve grand Technicians challenges—announced the have embraced the winner of its Water Abundance new technology, competition’s grand prize of but the current $1.5 million. The Skysource/ Headset manuals generation of AR Skywater Alliance beat 97 other headsets is still too teams from 27 countries with AUGMENTED REALITY BOOSTS HIGH- bulky to wear for its deployable, high-volume TECH MANUFACTURING by Michael Cochrane more than about water generator. three hours at a The generator can extract a time. minimum of 2,000 liters (528 Building a spacecraft is not a job for “At the start of the day, I put on the gallons) of water per day using R mass production. Aerospace workers device to get accustomed to what we will only renewable energy sources painstakingly assemble each spacecraft be doing in the morning,” spacecraft and at a cost of no more than one at a time, traditionally following technician Decker Jory told MIT 2 cents per liter. thousand-plus-page technical manuals. Technology Review. Jory and his team The company’s patented distillation process condenses But Lockheed Martin—the prime con- take the headsets off when they are ready water out of the surrounding tractor building NASA’s next generation to start drilling. air using refrigeration tech- Orion spacecraft—is ditching the paper Lockheed expanded its use of aug- niques and then treats it with manuals and equipping its technicians mented reality after tests showed that ozone and carbon filtration to with augmented reality (AR) headsets. technicians needed much less time to improve taste and remove The Microsoft Hololens headsets allow familiarize themselves with new tasks as harmful micro-organisms. Any workers to view their section of the space- well as correctly execute processes such fuel, including solar or biofuels, craft overlaid with holographic models as drilling holes and twisting fasteners. can power the generator. —M.C.

A FONT TO REMEMBER Blijlevens, founding member of RMIT’s Researchers in Australia have created a new Behavioral Business Lab. But if a font is too typeface designed to help people remember different, the brain can’t process and retain more of what they read. Typographic design it. “Sans Forgetica lies at a sweet spot where specialists and psychologists from RMIT just enough obstruction has been added to University in Melbourne, Australia, collabo- create that memory retention,” Blijlevens said. rated in creating a font called Sans Forgetica. The Australian team tested various fonts Unlike more conventional fonts such as Times with a range of obstructions on 400 university stu- New Roman, the characters in Sans Forgetica have dents in both laboratory and online settings to determine certain elements removed, making them slightly more which ones best improved memory retention. Sans difficult to read. This learning principle, known as Forgetica departed just enough from standard typeface “desirable difficulty,” causes a reader to put in a bit more design principles to remain legible and aid memory effort, leading to better memory retention. retention. Readers often glance over normal fonts and don’t Sans Forgetica is available as a free download at remember what they read, said professor Janneke sansforgetica.rmit. —M.C. LOCKHEED MARTIN: HANDOUT • SKYSOURCE/SKYWATER ALLIANCE: MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/AP • SANS FORGETICA: HANDOUT FORGETICA: • SANS SANCHEZ/AP JOSE ALLIANCE: MARCIO HANDOUT • SKYSOURCE/SKYWATER MARTIN: LOCKHEED

November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 55 NOTEBOOK Politics Recipe for a protest ORGANIZED PROTESTS ARE NOTHING NEW OR SINISTER, BUT RAMPING UP THE ANGER CAN BACKFIRE by Harvest Prude in Washington

Waiting in line on Capitol Hill to Planned Parenthood, the Women’s R get into the Senate hearing for March, UltraViolet, the Center for Supreme Court nominee Brett Popular Democracy, and others sent Kavanaugh, Peggy Nienaber of the representatives to the Kavanaugh hear- ministry Faith & Action saw organizers ings. These organizers outfitted pro- prepping protesters. Organizers had testers with logo-plastered T-shirts, them sign civil disobedience forms if held training sessions on what protest- they planned to get arrested, held their ers should expect if arrested, practiced belongings for them—which police chants, coached protesters on how to would otherwise confiscate after an “bird-dog” lawmakers, and emailed arrest—provided them meals, and them talking points for when they handed them $50 in envelopes for bail. netted one. One woman in line asked Nienaber Alethea Torrelles Shapiro, a pro- if she planned to sign the forms. When tester from Long Island and mother of she declined, the woman asked what four, became a sort of ad hoc organizer. Nienaber would be doing to get When the Kavanaugh confirmation arrested. “Actually, I will not be doing came up, she thought, “I have to go. I `2 anything to get arrested,” Nienaber have to be a part of history.” Once the said. “I’ll be praying very quietly.” Senate set the Sept. 27 date to hear Accusations that activists were from professor Christine Blasey Ford, to book rooms for about 50 protesters, paying protesters stole much media she booked a flight to Washington, D.C. paying for three nights and some meals. attention during the ultimately success- Her 10-year-old daughter pleaded, Shapiro insisted she was never paid ful nomination of Kavanaugh, but “Mom, please do not get arrested. I will to protest. She admitted organizers organizers working around the clock— not be able to walk into my lunchroom.” trained her on how to get lawmakers’ and protesters straddling the line of Shapiro soon found other protesters attention but said she doesn’t think that organizers—were more there to enable who, like her, hadn’t come with a par- was wrong: “I’m not going to apologize the action than to pay for it. ticular organization. “I kind of took for anything we did. It’s a new tool in Both sides of the political aisle have over the lead,” she said, and they soon our box.” such organizers, and the anti-Kavanaugh had a group chat going. Conscious of She’s stating what organizers on protests offer lessons in the benefits— her promise to her daughter, she both sides of the aisle know: It takes a and potential drawbacks—to organized avoided arrest and instead filmed sit- variety of tools to pull off a successful protesting. ins at senators’ offices, chants, and protest. Tea Party Patriots co-founder demonstrations. Jenny Beth Martin has helped organize The group chat her share of protests, including the merged into a 2009 Tax Day protests that had over 1.5 Facebook page, million participants. WMN2DC. When She listed the key ingredients. A Shapiro found out protest must be organized and timely, many of the protest- have a focused message, and capture 1 AND 3: ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGES ers wanted to stay media (or social media) attention. longer in Washington Martin cautions against discounting but couldn’t afford it, protests or assuming all protesters are she hit up her net- “hired outrage”: “It’s insulting to the work and started a people who are not paid,” she said. She GoFundMe cam- works full time at Tea Party Patriots paign. She raised and told me she doesn’t believe `1 $8,000 that she used employed organizers pushing the

56 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018 Melanie Blanchard, a 30-year-old Californian who became swept up in Shapiro’s group, also grew disillu- sioned. I spoke with her a week after the protests ended. She told me even after the confirmation was over, the WMN2DC Facebook page still lit up as members posted links to news articles or videos with their faces or quotes. Looking back, Blanchard said what scared her most was how quickly she ended up doing whatever the organizers asked. “Not even questioning,” she said. One moment that stands out to her is the day of Ford’s testimony, Sept. 27. Organizers came equipped with T-shirts, duct tape, and Sharpies. A Women’s March protester asked if Blanchard wanted to get some tape. Blanchard asked what the tape was for. The girl responded, “Um, I guess we tape our mouths.” “Suddenly every woman had tape on her mouth,” Blanchard said. “It’s counterintuitive. You’re supposed to exercise your First Amendment right—and (1) Capitol Police arrest protesters on the whole point is to be the steps of the Capitol and (2) outside listened to. And you’re the office of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. (3) Protesters outside the Supreme Court. shutting your mouth.” Later, she saw a cartoon of Kavanaugh covering action behind the scenes make a pro- Ford’s mouth and real- test illegitimate. ized what the tape signi- There’s one other thing a protest fied. She felt grossed out. needs, Martin said. A protest needs Blanchard said she anger. quickly found that she But this is where organizers can could easily spot orga- `3 harm a protest’s effectiveness: Get the nizers by the way they dosage of anger wrong, and the con- carried themselves, coction might blow up in your face. Kavanaugh hearing, one protester sat “their energy, their confidence,” giving Tom McClusky with the March for Life outside. “They’re doing it so wrong,” Women’s March founder Linda Sarsour said, “Anger is a good motivator—but it 23-year-old Rachel Shehy said. “You as an example. gets you nowhere when you’re trying to have to get attention—I get it—you need “There’s no doubt in them,” she said. talk to people.” to get your face out there.” But she “They never had tape on their mouths He explained that effective lobbying asked why not focus on intellectual either. They were passing out the tape.” is not just about winning over lawmak- discussions “instead of chanting and But after nominee Kavanaugh ers. It’s also about winning over every- singing songs and nonsense?” became Justice Kavanaugh, some orga- one else who is watching. “Violence or Shehy came up to participate in her nizers were still gambling that they disruption tends to sour your audi- first protest because she hoped could help their cause by keeping the ence,” McClusky said. “Congress would realize there’s normal anger burning. In an Oct. 6 Facebook It could also sour your sisterhood. people like me willing to come to D.C. live video on the Women’s March page, While others inside the Senate Hart to say, hey, I don’t support [Kavanaugh].” Sarsour pressed followers to stay building were getting arrested en masse However, she found herself embarrassed, angry—and to vote: “I want you to be

2: SAUL LOEB/AFP/GETTY IMAGES LOEB/AFP/GETTY 2: SAUL for singing and chanting during the not empowered. outraged.” A

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and trade winds carry iron-rich dust from the Year-long tide Sahara Desert that settles in the Gulf of Mexico in ALGAE BLOOM OFF FLORIDA the late summer and COAST HAS MANY MORE-THAN- early fall. The iron HUMAN CAUSES by Julie Borg enables blue-green algae to flourish, and that algae converts nitrogen gas to nitrate. Karenia brevis, the red tide algae, needs VOLCANO nitrate, so Karenia blooms follow close on THREATS the heels of blue-green Eighteen volcanos in blooms. The toxins from the United States pose Karenia kill certain kinds a “very high threat” of fish whose decomposi- according to the newly tion releases more updated U.S. Geological nutrients that allow the Survey. The experts ranked the volcanos on This month marks a Fish killed by red tide Karenia to continue the potential severity of full year that the in Sanibel, Fla. blooming. R the damage an eruption noxious red tide, a harm- Also, Florida soil is would cause, not on ful algae bloom that can much impact. And the naturally rich with phos- which are most apt to kill fish and cause respi- current bloom is not that phorous, another key blow. ratory irritation in unusually long, according nutrient for algae. When it Scientists ranked humans, has plagued the to David Shormann, a rains, phosphorous from Hawaii’s recently erupt- Florida coast. These algae marine chemist. Between the soil makes its way to ing Kilauea, which is blooms are nothing new 2004 and 2006 Florida the coastal waters, feeding one of the most active RED TIDE: JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES • KILAUEA: JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES • MICROPLASTICS: KYODO VIA AP IMAGES for Florida, but the long experienced a bloom that the blooms even further. volcanos in the country, duration of this one has lasted 17 months, and a Fertilizers and sewage as the most dangerous. some environmentalists 21-month bloom occurred also contain nitrogen and Others in the Top 5 pinning the blame on a few years before that, he phosphorous compounds, include: Mount St. global warming and other wrote in an op-ed for the Shormann noted, and Helens and Mount human activities. Cornwall Alliance for the farmers should do every- Rainier in Washington, Alaska’s Redoubt But other experts Stewardship of Creation. thing they can to keep Volcano, and Mount caution that red tides in A combination of their soil and fertilizer Shasta in California. Florida go as far back as interrelated processes out of the sea. But, he Of the Top 5, the time of the Spanish causes algae blooms, said, much of what causes Washington’s Mount explorers, long before Shormann explained. red tides has nothing to Rainier “has the highest human activity caused Tropical weather systems do with human activity. number of people in the downstream hazard zone,” about 300,000, Angie Diefenbach, a A MICROPLASTIC PROBLEM? report co-author, said. Researchers in Austria last month found microplastics in human stool samples. The rest of the 18 Mainstream media quickly picked up the lament that microplastic pollution now invades are: Mount Hood, Three our bodies. Sisters, Newberry, and But experts note the study, which involved only eight people, is too small to prove Crater Lake in Oregon; anything and no independent scientists reviewed it. Further, the Akutan Island, Makushin, authors didn’t explain what precautions they took to prevent Mount Spurr, and sample contamination. Augustine in Alaska; “In the worst case, all the plastic they found is from the lab,” Lassen and Long Valley Martin Wagner, a biologist at the Norwegian University of in California; Mount Science and Technology told The Associated Press. Also, finding Baker and Glacier Peak in microplatics in stool doesn’t mean they have entered the human Washington; and Mauna body, he said. Microplastics, unlike food, are too large for our Loa in Hawaii. —J.B. cells to absorb in the gut so they simply pass through. —J.B.

58 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018 Give the gift of clarity: wng.org/giftofclarity NOTEBOOK Religion

An image from footage broadcast on China’s CCTV shows Muslim trainees at work in a garment factory and education and training center in Xinjiang.

Guymer Bailey Architects, which designs prisons, told BBC the Dabancheng camp could hold up to 130,000 people. Increased media attention meant the Chinese government needed to change tactics: On Oct. 10, the Xinjiang government revised its law to allow “anti- extremist ideological education.” State broadcaster CCTV released a special on the re-education camps, showing images of smiling detainees learning Mandarin and trade skills such as carving wood or sewing. The Uighurs interviewed all thanked the government for how much their lives had improved. Razor wire evidence In response, Zhang posted on GOOGLE EARTH IMAGES SHOW UIGHUR CAMPS Twitter Google Earth images of the camp where the special was shot, by June Cheng ARE NOT WHAT CHINA SAYS THEY ARE marking the buildings and fences that show up in the video. The filmmakers Since WORLD last reported on sent to camps. Now his mother’s were careful to keep evidence of the R the 1 million Uighurs sent to re- phone is disconnected as well. watchtowers and razor wire fence out education camps in Xinjiang (see “A Google Earth has also provided of frame. forgotten people?,” Sept. 15, 2018), the proof of the camps’ existence. Shawn Hu Xijin, the head of English- Chinese government has changed its Zhang, a law student at the University language Global Times, also used official story from denying the camps’ of British Columbia, amassed a list of Twitter to defend the camps against existence to justifying the so-called 60 re-education camps through international media (Twitter is banned “vocational training centers” to now scouring government legal tenders in China). On Oct. 24, he posted a even recommending the United States and pinpointing their location using two-minute video showing Uighurs follow in its footsteps. Google Earth. Shadows reveal playing ping-pong, dancing to tradi- It’s difficult to continue denying watchtowers and razor wire atop the tional music, and playing basketball the camps’ existence when Uighur, walls, alerting him that these are at a camp in Kashgar. Yet a look at Kazakh, and Kyrgyz families outside places the government doesn’t want Zhang’s Google Earth photo of the China speak out about their relatives’ people to escape from. camp shows that the area where the disappearance into the camps. Several BBC also sent reporters into film is set is fenced off from the rest former detainees have talked to Xinjiang to see these camps in person. of the camp while fenced corridors reporters about the brainwashing and Throughout their trip, local police connect the dorms to the teaching torture they experienced behind the officers trailed them, stopped them building. Likely the detainees aren’t razor-wired walls of the re-education from filming, and even blocked off typically allowed in this area. camps. freeways to keep them from reaching In an even more outrageous move, In a recent episode of the Little the camps. Yet in Dabancheng, an the Global Times printed an opinion Red Podcast, a Uighur man living in hour’s drive from Urumqi, they found piece on Oct. 28 after the shooting at a Australia said 17 members of his and the government had expanded a camp Pittsburgh synagogue that killed 11, his wife’s immediate family are in they had pinpointed on Google Earth. urging the United States to start its camps, and five are in prison serving As Google Earth’s photos are likely own education centers for extremists. five to 10 years simply for being Muslim months or even years old, the reporters It points to its work in Xinjiang as a Uighur. When he was still able to call looked at European Space Agency’s model: “China’s experience in anti- his mother back in Xinjiang, she would Sentinel database, which is updated extremism education in Xinjiang tell him his siblings were in the hospital more frequently. The camp had more provides a solution to the problem for

CCTV VIA AP VIDEO CCTV or on a trip, which was code for being than doubled in size. Australian-based certain countries.” A

Manage your membership: wng.org/membership November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 59 Your ministry needs you now more than ever. With our flexible degree offerings, online courses, and multiple locations—from Atlanta to New Zealand—you can remain in your ministry AND pursue a seminary degree.

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WM_StayInMinistryGoToSeminary_01.indd 1 10/27/18 12:56 AM VOICES Mailbag Left to grieve [ Oct. 13, p. 46 ] Two years ago my 16-year-old son put a .38 to his temple and pulled the trigger, but God’s promises give me hope. His ways are mysterious, but He is never unjust. Suicide is a sin, but it is not unforgivable. I long for the day when we will be reunited in the resurrection. —S. NELSON on wng.org

Four years after my son’s suicide, I feel Many students would be well- like I am just supposed to move on prepared for their expected careers with my life and smile and act like through training, which teaches persecution, and support public and everything is fine. Sadly, I cling to my how to do, but society calls for schools private efforts to help them establish faith hoping that I’ll see my son again to “educate” all students—to teach safe lives. But we should also recog- in heaven, but even those promises are them how to think—without reference nize what this involves and be honest cloudy with a chance of “Who knows?” to their motivation, aptitude, or pros- about how many refugees we can do —PHILLIP WOECKENER on wng.org pects. As long as this continues, any this with successfully. effort to “get real” cannot succeed. —STEVEN ARNOLD on wng.org Your article did a good job describing —STEVEN ANDERSON on wng.org the pain the survivors feel, and it With hundreds of thousands of refugee pierces the veil of shame in the church Number crunch cases backlogged and the immigration that keeps people from addressing [ Oct. 13, p. 16 ] Some of my female system in disarray, it makes sense for their pain. In my view, no one who classmates really did love the hard Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to takes his life can lay any sure claim to sciences, but mostly we found them reduce the cap. Helping persecuted eternal life. interesting, and we would also have people is a Christian duty, but the gov- —JEFFREY C. DANCO / Bridgewater, N.J. found motherhood interesting. We ernment is not a Christian organization. were pushed into the sciences and, —KENNETH ISGRIGG on wng.org Reality check for many, away from motherhood by [ Oct. 13, p. 5 ] Despite my seminary societal expectations. Brought to remembrance degree, not until I was immersed in —KAREN TALLENTIRE on wng.org [ Oct. 13, p. 55 ] Thank you for your Kenyan culture did I see how coverage of the National Memorial for Scripture applied to my life, especially As a woman who recently majored in Peace and Justice. Bryan Stevenson’s in challenging times. Immersion is a the hard sciences, I find it insulting book Just Mercy has been eye-opening powerful way to learn; the question is when people act like the only way I’ll for me. how to design an educational system get anywhere is if I get all sorts of help —KIM PYLE on wng.org that incorporates it. along the way. Women who are really —KATHRYN M. LEE / Indianapolis, Ind. passionate about STEM (like me) will Christian nonfiction do it with or without their help. [ Oct. 13, p. 23 ] Regarding Marc S. Perhaps the problem is the demand —LAURA WEIENETH on wng.org Allan’s book What Happened to You?: for a “real world” education. History, I was in Gospel Outreach for over 15 English, and philosophy are all much- Readers may not have realized that the years. Many people were saved through maligned subjects that have enormous “Ashtabula Horror” of 1876 was the the ministry, but many were also relevance. Education is about the real railroad bridge collapse that took the scarred by its authoritarian teaching. world, only people have stopped lives of gospel songwriter P.P. Bliss and It has taken me decades to understand applying it to life. his wife Lucy. that God’s grace, not my ability to meet —JOHN KLOOSTERMAN on wng.org —PETER KUSHKOWSKI / Portland, Conn. rigid standards, is the foundation of my salvation and daily life. I hear daily from my high-school Safe haven no more —CLARE SUNDERLAND / Newberg, Ore. math students how much of modern [ Oct. 13, p. 30 ] We should continue as education is, from a strictly utilitarian a country that opens its arms to inno- Susan Soesbe’s Bringing Mom Home is perspective, a waste of resources. cent people who have fled danger and a wonderful book! It is a well-written

Visit WORLD Digital: wng.org November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 61 VOICES Mailbag

and touching true story of losing her Persecuted Henan destroys so many families, one would mom to dementia. I love WORLD’s [ Oct. 13, p. 59 ] If the blood of the hope to get more help from the book review section; it’s the first thing martyrs is the seed of the church, then authorities. I read. we may be seeing the Spirit beginning —LIONEL ROOSEMONT / Ypres, Belgium —CAROLE HUTCHINGS / Rathdrum, Idaho a new work in China. —ED BOWMAN on Facebook Singing and sojourning Questioning his Maker [ Oct. 13, p. 26 ] Before I read your [ Oct. 13, p. 19 ] Minutes into a recent Friendly companion app interview with Fernando Ortega, my episode of God Friended Me, a lead [ Oct. 13, p. 57 ] I wish they had a “com- first thought was, “Too bad they won’t character, previously portrayed as a panion app” for those who have dis- ask him about the accordion.” I should Christian, is shown in a same-sex rela- abilities. They too can lead very lonely have known better. tionship. It comes out that her father, lives and could use the companionship. —JOHN R. TORCZYNSKI / Albuquerque, N.M. who is a reverend, took some time but —REBECCA RABON on Facebook is OK with her sexuality now. That’s Read more Mailbag letters at wng.org the end of that show for me. Prohibition days —STEPHEN PERONA on wng.org [ Oct. 13, p. 64 ] Speaking from Belgium, LETTERS and COMMENTS the country with the world’s largest Email [email protected] WORLD should hold off giving posi- choice of beer brands, Prohibition Mail WORLD Mailbag, PO Box 20002, tive reviews to new network shows. looks like a well-meant effort to stop Asheville, NC 28802-9998 Website wng.org Hollywood introduces the requisite the scourge of alcoholism. But Jesus Facebook facebook.com/WORLD.magazine gay character after it hooks you with taught that it’s not what goes into a Twitter @WORLD_mag (otherwise) good writing. man that defiles him, but what comes Please include full name and address. Letters —ELAINE NEUMEYER on wng.org out. Still, in our country where alcohol may be edited to yield brevity and clarity. VOICES Andrée Seu Peterson

They make the wife look smart and the husband look stupid. Yet the big card companies are owned by men (I checked), which either shows that men are gracious and able to poke fun at themselves, or that they have succumbed to the Stockholm syndrome. The best musical composers are men. The best art in our local Philadelphia Art Museum Thank God for men and Barnes Foundation is by men. The best THEY’RE GREAT FOR LIFTING SOFAS AND writers are men. The best chefs are men. And to be honest, who wouldn’t rather watch men’s BUILDING SOCIETIES hockey than women’s hockey? In other words, everything that lifts I’ve discovered that the secret to enjoying the dreariness of life R life is thankfulness (“be thankful”— is by and large a Colossians 3:15). It really works. There’s always man’s idea. something to be thankful for, and finding it Men are more transforms your whole perspective. Isn’t it just courageous than like God to make His command to be thankful women. When it simultaneously His means of deliverance? sounds like some- This year I particularly want to focus on one one is breaking into kind of thanksgiving—being thankful for men. I our house in the choose this because it is open season on men as middle of the night, much as on turkeys, which I feel sorry about. So it’s my husband who here is my list of reasons to be thankful for men: goes downstairs First of all, men are stronger than women. I with the baseball know that’s a sexist, microaggressive, triggering, bat, not me. Men fascist, nonprogressive thing to say. But in my The techy brave Arctic cold on deep sea rigs to pump oil experience, most men can lift more weight than out of the ground to warm our homes. They most women, which is convenient when buying gadgets disappear into ink-black caves for months at a a sofa that needs to be brought upstairs. women use to time, never seeing the sun all winter, to coax Secondly, men don’t complain about lifting broadcast coal from stubborn veins embedded deep in the those heavy things for women. They rather earth. “Man goes out to his work and to his seem to enjoy it. hate for men labor until the evening” (Psalm 104:23). Men die by the millions in wars defending were mostly Men say cooler things to each other in women, and don’t complain about that either. made by men. private than women do. I like this exchange One sees no street demonstrations of males between Ben-hadad king of Syria and Ahab donning missile-shaped knit caps protesting king of Israel when they were breathing the lack of women in combat. In fact, one sees threats at each other: “Let not him who straps men marching in women’s marches, even when on his armor boast himself as he who takes it those women are marching against men. One off” (1 Kings 20:11). cannot imagine it the other way around. Men cut to the chase. (Except William Which leads to another cause for gratitude: Faulkner, who was wordy.) Men do most of the inventing of neat stuff that Twelve out of 12 of the apostles were men, exists in the world, whether for international so Jesus must have seen something good in defense or for comfort. A good exercise for them. women would be to look around their neigh- Men are simple creatures for all that. I find, borhoods and imagine that female were the as a wife, that all you have to do is love them only gender God created. We would all be living and they are content. in caves because there would be no houses, cer- I changed a flat tire once. It was back in the tainly no roofers. The techy gadgets women use day when cars had metal bumpers and the jacks to broadcast hate for men were mostly made by for lifting them weren’t flimsy and went in the men. All of which means that women have to front. Nowadays I phone my husband and he sit on men’s laps to spit in their faces. does the job. I do not understand the woman The greeting cards at pharmacies have jokes who said, “Women need a man like a fish needs

KRIEG BARRIE KRIEG at the expense of men, and never vice versa. a bicycle.” She mustn’t own a car. A

 [email protected] November 24, 2018 • WORLD Magazine 63 VOICES Marvin Olasky

Freedom to Want also has stout defenders: Kenan defines it as the right of all people regard- less of resources or economic productivity to have access to nonessential consumer goods. This right eliminates any differences among the English words “want,” “need,” “desire,” “whim,” and “basic human necessity.” Along with this right comes moral outrage about people who practice fiscal Wit and wisdom restraint before buying things they do not “need.” In WORLD’s Policybook, I note different LAUGHTER MAY BE THE BEST ANTIDOTE ways journalists might look at Jack and Jill: Absurd. TO VICIOUS POLITICS She’s a devoted wife who puts her career on hold to tumble down the hill after her husband, At Worldview Early in this decade I produced a column or she’s a feminist who pushes her klutzy R of jokes for a WORLD issue each April at companion. But Kenan does me better with his Academy we spend six income tax filing time. I fell out of practice, but American Psychiatric Association analysis of one reader last month said he would need some Goldilocks, who tests boundaries by engaging in days discovering what humor when contemplating election results— high-risk eating, sitting, and sleeping behaviors. and that week, providentially, I picked up a new Kenan also gives the Womyn’s Studies version: smart people think book, Wit’s End by James Geary, and also Goldie escapes from a patriarchy where received from a playwright friend, Kenan Eurocentric visiodominant attitudes have about important Minkoff, some of his unpublished humor. fetishized her blond hair. In the woods, though, stuff like creation. Wit’s End includes wordplay like “There she enters the “Golden Cage” of heteronorma- was pandamonium at the zoo when the bamboo tive femininity via a bed and chair that are Then we talk, ran out,” and “Time flies like an arrow, fruit uncomfortably soft. flies like a banana.” It has life-or-death wit like (And don’t forget the socialist interpretation: pray, study, that displayed by a man sentenced to death but The Right to Goldilocks represents capitalists and their “gold” allowed to choose his own method of execution: that “locks” workers in perpetual servitude. practice, The man said, “Old age.” Bare Arms Capitalists consume workers’ food, destroy their Geary also helps us deal with snobs. He tells is worth child’s chair, and even steal their very sleep by worship, of one messy eater who sat across the table upholding, co-opting their beds. We must re-educate from an arrogant noble. The noble sneered, blondes, redistribute porridge, and make all and laugh. “What separates you from a pig?” The wit except that beds and chairs equally uncomfortable.) replied, “The table.” Similarly, an intellectual extremists Kenan could not resist razzing the left. He lady at a meeting snapped at the farmer sitting says you’re a Progressive if you think that moral next to her, “I don’t like having a fool by my move on to principles undergirding Western civilization A lot. side.” The farmer replied, “I don’t mind.” bare bellies, should be disposable, but diapers should not be; And I like Groucho Marx’s quip when he which is a if you’re sure God does not exist but aliens do; entered a restaurant and saw his former wife at if you see the Ten Commandments and the a table: “Marx spots the ex.” Which leads me to privilege, Constitution as jumping-off points for negotia- one of Kenan Minkoff’s maxims concerning not a right. tion; if you can’t judge the content of someone’s moral turpitude: “Where there is a will, there is character until you know the color of his skin. a way out.” He also writes about gardening (and Furthermore, he says you’re a Progressive if covetousness): “Whoever says the grass is you think your indulgences are rights and my greener doesn’t have to mow it.” And Kenan rights are indulgences; if you think our borders notes one problem with “free love”: “You get should be open, but Walmart should not be; if what you pay for.” you’ve had your consciousness raised by an Turning back to politics, Kenan notes that Oscar acceptance speech; if you have more older voters assert the Right to Dye, which compassion for trees than for people on life faces opposition from the “Gray Rights” support; if you think history definitively proves movement. And some of us fight for the Right that capitalism doesn’t work, but communism to Strife by ascribing vile motivations to would, if “done right.” Camps where students become bold leaders in truth and grace political opponents. The Right to Bare Arms But seriously, folks, with elections done for is worth upholding, except that extremists now we’re still blessed with alternatives to the ISTOCK move on to bare bellies, which is a privilege, answer a North Korean will give you if asked not a right. how things are there: “I can’t complain.” A Registration opens December 1 800.241.1123 • www.worldview.org 64 WORLD Magazine • November 24, 2018  [email protected]  @MarvinOlasky

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