A few from the week…
In the “Strange But Apparently True” department…
Australian Online ISIS Jihadist Turns Out to Be Florida Jew–Haaretz
The FBI reportedly apprehended a Jewish man in Florida who was allegedly acting as a jihadist, attempting to distribute instructions and information about carrying out attacks in the U.S. and Australia.
According to a report by AFP, Australian Federal Police initially took notice of the man on the internet, but when their investigations determined that the person responsible for the threats was most likely in the U.S., the case was taken over by the FBI.
The man, a 20-year-old from Jacksonville identified by Fairfax media as Joshua Ryne Goldberg, had been posting pictures online of a bomb he had been building under the alias “Australi Witness.”
The first person out of the 2016 presidential race is Rick Perry, governor of one of the most economically powerful states in the union.
Rick Perry drops out of presidential race–CNN
“The conservative movement has always been about principles, not personalities,” Perry said, before making a not-too-veiled swipe at Donald Trump, the GOP’s current front-runner. “Our nominee should embody those principles. He — or she — must make the case for the cause of conservatism more than the cause of their own celebrity.”
Perry is the first Republican in a crowded field of now 16 primary candidates to end his bid. The decision, he said, was made after it became clear that the campaign wouldn’t be able to overcome deep financial problems that left him without enough money to run a campaign in early voting states.
Hillary Clinton’s problems don’t stop with emails.
This Chart Shows How Far Hillary Clinton’s Support Has Fallen–Time
Between the controversy over her private email server and the rise of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, she has slid in national polls since early July by more than 16 percent, according to a poll average by Real Clear Politics. In New Hampshire, she is now trailing Sanders, and she appears to be headed for the same fate in Iowa.
There is no more thoughtful writer in the world than Alan Cross. He’s not a big name, but he’s always worth reading.
Alabama Conservatives, the Law, and How Trump Gains Power By Playing to Fears–Alan Cross
What kind of government apparatus will need to be developed to forcibly deport approximately 25,000 people per day to nations around the world? What kind of police state will have to be created to carry this out? Trump says in the conference call with Alabama GOP leaadership cited above that he can do it through something called “MANAGEMENT.” He says that Ben Carson is critical of these ideas because he knows nothing of “management” and is incapable of operating in that world. But, Trump is not just talking about “managing” something. He is talking about creating an entire system to identify, extract, and deport around 16 million people in just 18-24 months.
Another thoughtful friend is Oklahoma pastor Todd Littleton.
Ashley Madison Exposes the Limits of Personal Piety or, Don’t Blame the Hackers–Todd Littleton
The over emphasis upon personal piety makes the dynamic of community elusive. No, it does not mean that we should not undertake to experience a transformational experience born out of wrestling with the life of Jesus, the One whom Christians declare is Lord. But, the cultural context, what we live and breathe, is constructive. That is, it constitutes our identity as independent individual rather than interdependent human being.
We, Christians that is, quickly take up the idea that we cannot make it without God. We are not so quick to admit we cannot make it without each other. Maybe we give lip service to the idea but in truth, or rather in practice, we strive to live out our personal pieties so our community will think well of us rather than work out our pieties in community where shame cannot hold us, cannot control us, for we understand together that he bore our shame.
I have no idea what this is about, but it’s worth linking because…India uses clickbait?
This Man’s Views On All That Is Wrong With Our Country Will Leave You Stunned!–India Times
