Al-Reuters Says People Are Hungry in Gaza

The Satanic Temple of Iowa set up an altar on the first floor of the Iowa state Capitol building as a form of free speech and religious freedom‚ the Des Moines Register reported. In response‚ Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) insisted that the display is part of a "free society" and was blasted for her words. The Satanic Temple allegedly received permission and followed protocol to get the display set up. It features many candles‚ the Satanic Temple logo and a red-caped figure that represents the pagan idol‚ Baphomet. The figure also has a silver ram’s head‚ and the display highlights the “seven fundamental tenets” of Satanism. According to a local news report‚ the department of administrative services said‚ “there’s a procedure to apply for getting to have [a] display” at the statehouse and the Satanic Temple did follow it. Satanic display featuring demonic ram in a red cloak is set up in the Iowa Statehouse as "an expression of religious freedom."pic.twitter.com/bQsE62IkXl — Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) December 12‚ 2023 Amid the announcement‚ Reynolds stated that the display is “absolutely objectionable‚” and though she herself disagrees with the teachings of The Satanic Temple‚ she insisted that her only response can be to pray. “In a free society‚ the best response to objectionable speech is more speech‚ and I encourage all those of faith to join me today in praying over the Capitol and recognizing the nativity scene that will be on display ― the true reason for the season‚” she said.  State Rep. Brad Sherman (R-Williamsburg) “called it unconstitutional and called for it to be taken down‚” the Des Moines Register noted. Reports allege that there is a nativity scene in the Capitol but personally‚ this Satanic display really shouldn’t be allowed. “Tolerance has its limits‚” one user commented on X. Others went straight to blasting Gov. Reynolds. "I think it's time we find a new governor. This Satanic statue at our capitol shows how weak she is on fighting for Iowan's‚" a user wrote on X. Another commented‚ "Why is there a Satanic altar in the capital building?" on one of Reynolds posts.  Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec even spoke with The Federalist's Evita Duffy about how Reynolds is "flailing instead of taking action against the Satanic ritual alter in the Iowa State House" during a segment with Real America's Voice: .@evitaduffy_1 to @JackPosobiec on the Satanic Temple: "They are very much a religion of marxism‚ of modern leftism." pic.twitter.com/Qp3bRhHCCq — Human Events (@HumanEvents) December 12‚ 2023 Reynolds tried to backstep a little by posting an image praying around a Christmas tree in the Iowa capitol. She was blasted for that‚ too. Seems more like proof that good will let evil do whatever the hell it wants and settle for a photo op. https://t.co/YzwsxrTI98 — Cody Derespina (@CDerespina) December 12‚ 2023 As much as I am an advocate for free speech‚ this country was built on Christian values‚ not principles from Satan. This is a mockery of Christianity. “What a disgrace. Just shows how far the US has fallen‚” a user wrote on Twitter‚ while another added‚ “Promoting evil isn't freedom of speech.”

The Atlantic magazine's unintentionally hilarious IF TRUMP WINS series warns its readers of the scary apocalyptic future should Donald Trump emerge victorious in 2024‚ but Helen Lewis brought a mildly moderating tone to the flock‚ urging the Trump-loathing readers not to "go bonkers" again as they did after Trump won in 2016. Should the unthinkable happen again‚ Lewis urged her readers not to go full mental jacket as explained in the title‚ "THE LEFT CAN’T AFFORD TO GO MAD." The Trump years had a radicalizing effect on the American right. But‚ let’s be honest‚ they also sent many on the left completely around the bend. Some liberals‚ particularly upper-middle-class white ones‚ cracked up because other people couldn’t see what was obvious to them: that Trump was a bad candidate and an even worse president. The clinical term for that ailment is Trump Derangement Syndrome which is a subset of Just Plain Nuts! Rather than focusing on how to oppose Trump’s policies‚ or how to expose the hollowness of his promises‚ the resistance simply wished Trump would disappear. Many on the left insisted that he wasn’t a legitimate president‚ and that he was only in the White House because of Russian interference. Hmmm... Lewis is close to admitting here that Trump-Russia Collusion which the media obsessed about for over two years was a hoax. She's hinting at election denial. It continued: Social media made everything worse‚ as it always does; the resistance became the #Resistance. Instead of concentrating on the hard work of door-knocking and community activism‚ its members tweeted to the choir‚ drawing no distinction between Trump’s crackpot comments and his serious transgressions. They fantasized about a deus ex machina—impeachment‚ the Twenty-Fifth Amendment‚ the pee tape‚ outtakes from The Apprentice—leading to Trump’s removal from office‚ and became ever more frustrated as each successive news cycle failed to make the scales fall from his supporters’ eyes. The other side got wise to this trend‚ and coined a phrase to encapsulate it: “Orange Man Bad.” She was on the mark with her "Orange Man Bad" analysis‚ and you can't argue that the left distinguished itself by imagining Trump could be removed from office at any moment‚ with "the walls" constantly "closing in" on him. Imagination and speculation about "The End" was their daily ritual. Lewis concluded: The path back to sanity in the United States lies in persuasion—in defending freedom of speech and the rule of law‚ in clearly and calmly opposing Trump’s abuses of power‚ and in offering an attractive alternative. The left cannot afford to go bonkers at the exact moment America needs it most. The left can't afford to "go bonkers" but their extreme TDS guarantees they will do so... and provide great comedy entertainment along the way.

Former Vice President‚ climate activist and Apple board member Al Gore has a new scheme for Big Tech algorithms. Speaking at the Bloomberg Green Summit at COP28‚ climate doom prophet Gore compared online algorithms to AR-15s and opined‚ “They ought to be banned.” He mourned how social media changed the fact that Americans supposedly had a “shared base of knowledge‚” implying that individual control over what information they choose to access is dangerous for democracy. Gore sits on Apple’s board of directors.  “These devices are the enemies of self-government  and they are the enemies of democracy‚” Gore scare-mongered. He concluded by saying the quiet part out loud and urging for reforms to “democracy” and “capitalism” as well. “Gore runs straight to the same answer that most leftists do when facing something they perceive as a problem: label it a danger to society‚ and then‚ call for a ban‚” said MRC Free Speech America Director Michael Morris. “No‚ Gore isn’t afraid of algorithms per-se. He’s afraid that Americans‚ and indeed the world‚ will be able to learn the truth about things the left doesn’t want them to know or talk about.” Earlier in his remarks‚ Gore told the Bloomberg interviewer‚ “If you have social media that is dominated by algorithms that pull people down these rabbit holes that are a bit like pitcher plants—these algorithms‚ they are the digital equivalent of AR-15s. They ought to be banned. They really ought to be banned.” He went on to call algorithms “an abuse of the public forum.” The former vice president excitedly claimed that social media “disrupted the balances that used to exist that made representative democracy work much better.” The switch from print news to broadcasting to the internet changed how people access information‚ as Gore noted. “But when people are pulled down these rabbit holes‚ you know what’s at the bottom of the rabbit hole? That’s where the echo chamber is‚” Gore pontificated. “And if you spend too much time in the echo chamber‚ what’s weaponized is another form of AI‚ not artificial intelligence. Artificial insanity. I’m serious. I’m serious.” Gore serves on the board of directors for the anti-free speech Big Tech company Apple‚ according to the company’s Leadership and Governance webpage. During that same interview with Bloomberg Green‚ Gore demanded a faster move away from fossil fuels to save the planet. This comes not long after Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr. John Clauser declared that there is no climate crisis. Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand government agencies and Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on so-called hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

While NBC’s Today stayed on the sidelines and ABC’s Good Morning America only had a news brief‚ Tuesday’s CBS Mornings was eager to trumpet Harvard University’s diversity tool and President Claudine Gay being told by the school’s poobahs that she could keep her job despite showing support for anti-Semitism on her campus so long as it didn’t evolve into an on-site genocide. “It appears Harvard University’s president will not be forced to resign. Claudine Gay has been under fire since last week’s controversial testimony...on campus hate speech and anti-Semitism‚” co-host Nate Burleson began. “Gay still has strong support from the Harvard faculty members.”     Congressional correspondent Nikole Killion cited the news first leaked out courtesy of the student newspaper The Harvard Crimson before boasting she survived “calls for her resignation over...testimony last week on Capitol Hill” in which she suggested it’s an open question whether speech advocating for a genocide of Jews violates Harvard’s code of conduct. “Alumni and staff rallied to Gay’s defense Monday. To date‚ more than 700 faculty members signed a letter urging Harvard’s governing boards ‘to resist political pressures that are at odds with Harvard’s commitment to academic freedom‚’” she added‚ doing nothing to address the fact that this Ivy League institution suddenly cares about speech after years of attacking conservatives and other contrary voices (which is perhaps best documented by the great team at Campus Reform). Killion then played sound from “history professor Alison Frank-Johnson‚” who “co-authored the letter” in support of Gay: “We need to make decisions on leadership based on a sober view of what a person has done and what they have the potential to do and not a moment of panic.” Cry me a river. Before touching on the status of the other two university bosses who appeared at the now-infamous hearing (Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Pennsylvania)‚ Killion fretted that while “Gay has apologized for her testimony...that has done little to slow down the calls for resignation from Washington lawmakers to wealthy donors‚ including Harvard alumnus and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman”. As mentioned‚ ABC had short‚ 13-second brief. Co-host and George Stephanopoulos made the announcement in the second half-hour: And amid anti-Semitism allegations on college campuses and the testimony — criticized testimony by college presidents on Capitol Hill‚ Harvard president Claudine Gay apparently will remain in office with the support of the Harvard corporation. That’s according to The Harvard Crimson. To see the relevant transcripts from December 12‚ click “expand.” ABC’s Good Morning America [via Houston’s KTRK] December 12‚ 2023 8:31 a.m. Eastern [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Right Now; Harvard President to Remain in Office] GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: And amid anti-Semitism allegations on college campuses and the testimony — criticized testimony by college presidents on Capitol Hill‚ Harvard president Claudine Gay apparently will remain in office with the support of the Harvard corporation. That’s according to The Harvard Crimson. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBS Mornings [via condensed‚ one-hour version on CBS News Streaming Network] December 12‚ 2023 8:08 a.m. Eastern [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Breaking News; Harvard President to Remain in Office; RPT: Caludine [sic] Gay Will Not Leave Job After Controversial Testimony] NATE BURLESON: We have breaking news this morning. It appears Harvard University’s president will not be forced to resign. Claudine Gay has been under fire since last week’s controversial testimony at a congressional hearing on campus hate speech and anti-Semitism. As Nikole Killion reports‚ Gay still has strong support from the Harvard faculty members. NIKOLE KILLION: Harvard University President Claudine Gay will remain at the helm of the Harvard University‚ according to The Harvard Crimson‚ the campus newspaper. Her continued tenure getting the support of the school’s governing body on Monday night. The decision comes after calls for her resignation over this testimony last week on Capitol Hill. CONGRESSWOMAN ELISE STEFANIK (R-NY): Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard’s rules of bullying and harassment? Yes or no? HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT CLAUDINE GAY: It can be‚ depending on the context.  KILLION: Alumni and staff rallied to Gay’s defense Monday. To date‚ more than 700 faculty members signed a letter urging Harvard’s governing boards “to resist political pressures that are at odds with Harvard’s commitment to academic freedom.” History professor Alison Frank-Johnson co-authored the letter. ALISON FRANK JOHNSON: We need to make decisions on leadership based on a sober view of what a person has done and what they have the potential to do and not a moment of panic. KILLION: Gay has apologized for her testimony‚ but that has done little to slow down the calls for resignation from Washington lawmakers to wealthy donors‚ including Harvard alumnus and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman‚ who said all the university presidents that testified last week should resign in disgrace. Saturday‚ Penn President Liz Magill resigned while MIT President Sally Kornbluth has received strong backing by the university. TONY DOKOUPIL: Nikole Killion‚ thank you very much‚ appreciate it.

“Spread Kindess‚ Not Germs‚” reads a sign I once saw in my children’s preschool. If only we had such a choice! In reality‚ as all parents know‚ there’s nothing so efficient as “kindness” — sharing‚ playing nicely together‚ greeting friends with enthusiasm — when it comes to spreading sickness‚ especially at this time of year. For crunchy moms‚ the situation poses an issue. Overuse of OTC anti-inflammatories like Tylenol and Nyquil as well as of antibiotics has been shown to correlate with the long-term suppression of kids’ immune systems through damage of the gut. So how do we provide our kids some relief without messing with their microbiomes? The true blue homesteader mamas will make their own elderberry syrup‚ fire cider‚ or honey-fermented onions. But what of our suburban queens‚ who may not be ready to experiment with home brew? Here are five dye-free‚ organic cough syrups for the season of sniffles. Keep in mind that formulations and availability may change‚ so it's a good idea to check the latest information and product labels: Zarbee's Naturals Cough Syrup: Known for using honey and other natural ingredients. Some formulations may include additional herbal extracts. Maty's All-Natural Cough Syrup: Emphasizes natural and whole-food ingredients. Often contains ingredients like honey‚ apple cider vinegar‚ and various herbs. Nature's Way Umcka ColdCare: Uses pelargonium sidoides root extract‚ a traditional herbal remedy. Available in syrup form to help relieve symptoms associated with the common cold. Boiron Chestal Honey Cough Syrup: Contains natural honey and other homeopathic ingredients. Designed to relieve both dry and productive coughs. Gaia Herbs Bronchial Wellness Herbal Syrup: Formulated with herbal extracts like plantain leaf‚ grindelia‚ and helichrysum. Intended to support overall respiratory health.

The United States and the Jewish state of Israel might sit separately in different hemispheres‚ but they are ever connected through their foundational promises. Now as the souls of these two nations are challenged and must stare directly into the face of evil‚ they are bonded‚ distinguished from the rest of the world‚ as covenantal societies. We are living through an obvious and disconcerting shift in Americans’ belief in their foundational ideas. But the rejection is deeper than culture; it is a complete abandonment of the Judeo-Christian values that have tied this country together from the beginning. We have reached a point where people are so open-minded that their brains have fallen out. The founding fathers envisioned religious freedom for all and understood that society could not survive without religion. Religious freedom meant freedom and religion. American liberty is inextricably linked to religion and God. This is understood on a deep level in Judaism. The name in Hebrew assigned to the United States does not literally translate to “united states.” It is Artzot HaBrit‚ which means “The Lands of Covenant.” So the United States joined the children of Israel as a society rooted in a covenant with God and with each other. Faith in the nation and in the success of both nations‚ hinges on faith in the covenant. The understanding that faith and liberty go hand in hand is deeply rooted in the writings and speeches of America’s founders. In a letter to the Massachusetts Militia in October 1798‚ John Adams wrote: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” John Locke‚ the English philosopher whose ideas heavily inspired the framers of the Constitution‚ argued in “A Letter Concerning Toleration” that atheists could not be trusted in a covenantal society: “Lastly‚ those are not at all to be tolerated who deny the being of a God. Promises‚ covenants‚ and oaths‚ which are the bonds of human society‚ can have no hold upon an atheist.” Of course‚ belief can not and should never be forced on anyone. But the waning of religion certainly explains the current phenomenon of nationwide institutional and cultural collapse. We are becoming a country of spiritually bankrupt cities and purposeless people. The covenant challenges us every day to do better and to be better. The independence of our nations also brought obligations — responsibility is intrinsic to freedom. So it comes as no surprise that at a time when playing the victim yields faster results than honest‚ hard work‚ people abandon this social and religious contract. When Americans turn their backs on this founding bond‚ society collapses. We have reached a point where people are so open-minded that their brains have fallen out. An excessively liberal mentality has dimmed our national spark. When we try to accept everything‚ we become nothing. We can look to our forefathers and founders to know what happens when we neglect each other and stray from the path. After all‚ as Ecclesiastes reminds us‚ “There is nothing new under the sun.” But we don’t have to feel completely lost. We are “the Lands of Covenant‚” and we can find our way back.

Grand Theft Auto VI may not be releasing until 2025‚ but the hype has already been unprecedented. The trailer was released seven days ago and already has 143‚000‚000 views on YouTube‚ which has absolutely destroyed all previous trailer launch records. Lauren Chen‚ among others‚ is wondering whether or not the game will follow the recent trend toward being “woke” in AAA gaming. Chen notes that “distrust” and “skepticism” have been growing in the gaming community since so many other games have begun to cater to the easily offended. “There are just a lot of gamers out there who I think are rightfully pretty tired of politics being injected into their games‚” Chen says‚ adding‚ “the hard truth of the matter is that they are probably right. Just based off of history‚ this game will likely have some woke elements.” One of those “woke elements” gamers have pointed out is the “high number of POC” that were featured in the trailer. Other gamers have pointed out that the game is based in Miami‚ which is an incredibly diverse city in the first place. “Considering that the non-white people are being depicted as criminals‚ I’m pretty sure that actual woke people would not like those depictions‚ that they would say it’s racist to have all these criminals being black in a video game‚” Chen says. Elon Musk has joined the conversation‚ saying that when he tried to play GTA V‚ he “couldn’t do it” as the opening scene required shooting police officers. “I think not wanting to play GTA because you don’t like doing crime is perfectly legitimate‚” Chen says‚ noting that GTA is however just “a game.” The game is also featuring its first playable female main character named Lucia‚ a fact which Chen says some feminists are using to “take a victory lap.” However‚ Chen has noticed that there haven’t actually been many complaints about Lucia‚ and the feminist victory laps may be for no reason. “I actually saw way more people complaining about people complaining about Lucia than I actually saw complaining about Lucia‚” Chen says. Want more from Lauren Chen?To enjoy more of Lauren’s pro-liberty‚ pro-logic‚ and pro-market commentary on social and political issues‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Sports Illustrated CEO Ross Levinsohn was fired by the publication's parent company just two weeks after allegations circulated that the sports website was publishing articles generated by artificial intelligence from authors who didn't appear to exist.Levinsohn was fired by parent company the Arena Group; he reportedly made the move to "improve the operational efficiency and revenue of the company‚" the group said‚ according to The Hill.Sports Illustrated was accused of publishing articles by "fake‚ AI-generated writers" whose profile images were found for sale on a website that sells AI-generated profiles and photos.An article published by outlet Futurism pointed to two allegedly fake writers. The first was a man purported to be Drew Ortiz‚ whose profile photo was allegedly found by the outlet for sale on an AI face generator website.This was also true for Sora Tanaka‚ whose Sports Illustrated profile allegedly said she "has always been a fitness guru‚ and loves to try different foods and drinks."Tanaka's photo was also reportedly found for sale on the same website. Sports Illustrated has been publishing fake articles written by writers that don\u2019t exist‚ complete with AI generated headshots. When asked about it‚ Sports Illustrated deleted everything. (Futurism) — (@) The Arena Group published a statement alleging that a third-party contractor was to blame for any discrepancies."An article was published alleging that Sports Illustrated published AI-generated articles. According to our initial investigation‚ this is not accurate‚" the statement began. "The articles in question were product reviews and were licensed content from an external‚ third-party company‚ AdVon Commerce. A number of AdVon's e-commerce articles ran on certain Arena websites."The company then claimed that although it takes steps to "continually monitor" its partners‚ the company was "in the midst of a review when these allegations were raised.""AdVon has assured us that all of the articles in question were written and edited by humans. According to AdVon‚ their writers‚ editors‚ and researchers create and curate content and follow a policy that involves using both counter-plagiarism and counter-AI software on all content. However‚ we have learned that AdVon had writers use a pen or pseudo name in certain articles to protect author privacy — actions we don't condone — and we are removing the content while our internal investigation continues and have since ended the partnership." Today‚ an article was published alleging that Sports Illustrated published AI-generated articles. According to our initial investigation‚ this is not accurate.\n\nThe articles in question were product reviews and were licensed content from an external‚ third-party company‚ AdVon\u2026 — (@) Futurism also alleged that the AI-generated authors disappeared from Sports Illustrated's website without explanation. The outlet claimed that other websites operated by the Arena Group‚ such as the Street‚ routinely rotate in new AI-generated authors.Taking Levinsohn's place is Manoj Bhargava‚ an Indian-American businessman and founder of 5-Hour Energy. Bhargava reportedly has majority ownership of the Arena Group‚ as well as a vast portfolio of TV stations and media outlets.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In late October‚ the speaker spectacle paralyzing the House of Representatives ended with the selection of Mike Johnson (R-La.) as the 56th speaker of the House. He was then a relatively unknown figure to the public. The media immediately sought ways to sound an alarm at Johnson’s election. Among other lines of attack‚ critics pegged Johnson as a “Christian nationalist.” Since his election‚ the attack has only intensified. His orthodox Christian views on same-sex marriage are anathema. He said the separation of church and state is “a misnomer.” (In fact‚ he merely pointed out that the phrase comes from a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote and appears nowhere in the Constitution.) He displayed a Revolutionary War-era “Appeal to Heaven” flag outside his office‚ which is supposedly a Christian nationalist signifier. Ultimately‚ we’re told we must recoil from Johnson’s religious beliefs and regard his speakership as part of an existential threat to our republic. Now‚ Rob Reiner has a documentary on the way preaching the dangers of this movement and these persons. But we should take such breathless heralds of doom with a grain‚ if not a block‚ of salt. First‚ before assessing this claim about Johnson‚ we must come to some conclusion about the meaning of the phrase itself. Thomas Kidd‚ one of our best historians of American Christianity‚ recently noted that in online discourse‚ people use the term “Christian nationalist” against those Christians with differing political viewpoints from their own. Usually‚ the designation comes when a believer asserts a greater role than his accuser for Christian theology or the Bible in the public sphere‚ especially in discerning justice or assessing candidates for office or bills seeking to become laws. We should not let the media smear Mike Johnson for merely living out his religious faith in the public sphere. Few things are more American‚ historically and in principle‚ than that. Here‚ the critics seem to think Johnson is a “Christian nationalist” simply because he sees his faith as informing his political beliefs and that so doing is consistent with American principles. He has consistently taken this line since before his entry into the political scene. If that makes him a Christian nationalist‚ then most Christians in American and world history have fallen into the same camp. In his speech accepting the speakership‚ Johnson made several references to Christianity. They all show a man serious about his faith but far from the theocratic monster the media continues to try to make him out to be. Johnson mentioned looking up at and being moved by the relief portrait plaque of Moses found the House chamber. Johnson did not hang the portrait. It has been part of the chamber since the space was remodeled more than 70 years ago. It holds this prestigious place because the laws relayed by Moses‚ especially the Ten Commandments‚ have formed a foundation for law across Western civilization. This point was commonly held until recent times. Thus‚ Moses’ role as a lawgiver seems entirely appropriate to acknowledge in the nation’s legislative branch. These are not the schemes of a marginalized religious zealot. Later in the speech‚ Johnson said‚ “I believe that scripture‚ the Bible‚ is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority. He raised up each of you. All of us.” In American and Western history‚ this statement is about as vanilla as it gets. Romans 13‚ among other passages‚ clearly states that God establishes political rule and particular rulers. That claim does not endorse a particular form of government or condone the actions of individual rulers. (Scripture says God can intend rulers for blessing or judgment.) Johnson’s statement does not question the legitimacy of anyone holding a seat in the House‚ regardless of political or religious views. Instead‚ he explicitly affirmed the propriety of their holding office. Again‚ this is hardly a cause for alarm. Finally‚ Johnson noted how our documents‚ from the Declaration of Independence to the motto‚ “In God We Trust‚” explain fundamental principles we hold as a country. He sees the Declaration‚ in particular‚ as both our “birth certificate” and our “creed.” That starting charter declared us a nation committed to the idea that all men are created equal by God and possess inalienable rights to life‚ liberty‚ and the pursuit of happiness. Some Christians may balk at the word “creed‚” though Martin Luther King‚ Jr. used the same word to describe the Declaration. And I’m not seeing too many people accuse King of Christian nationalism. Instead‚ Johnson merely showed knowledge of the logic of America’s founding principles. He articulated them succinctly and accurately. American history has consistently seen our equality and rights as originating in a divine Creator‚ and that origin‚ as well as those rights‚ helps to order our political system. If these are the words of a “Christian nationalist‚” then the accusation is all bark‚ no bite. If how he has acted as House speaker regarding religious matters is all we will see from him‚ then the accusations continue to prove risible. The attacks should only frighten persons who see no role for religious faith in the public sphere or who only see it contrary to men like Johnson. But they are outliers to American history and our fundamental commitments. For those of us situated within that history‚ we should join Speaker Johnson in his affirmations‚ not as the words of some monster but as the unexceptionable commitment to American Exceptionalism. None of that affirmation means Johnson will be a good‚ much less great‚ speaker. The jury remains out‚ more than two months later‚ as Johnson faces some of the challenges his predecessors faced without clearly better results — at least not yet. It does not mean we will agree on the application of his religious principles in all instances‚ either. But we should not let the media smear him for merely living out his religious faith in the public sphere. Few things are more American‚ historically and in principle‚ than that.