Daily Headlines | Friday February 11, 2022

Good Morning! 

It was Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician and philosopher, who said, “Men blaspheme what they do not know.” 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was even more direct: “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

We begin with an acknowledgement that the tech landscape is replete with both genuine ignorance and hostile antagonism: 

 

Silicon Valley’s Secret Christians 

From the Wall Street Journal: 

In avoiding religious believers, the tech industry fails to reflect America’s religious diversity. Around half of tech workers identify as atheist or agnostic, according to a 2018 Lincoln Network survey. That number stands out even in an increasingly secular U.S., yet the gap is no surprise given where tech recruits workers. Seattle and the Bay Area are among the U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest percentages of religiously unaffiliated residents.  

The dearth of faith-driven tech workers and leaders leads many in the industry to view believers with suspicion. When Google employees discovered that some of their Christian colleagues hold a weekly prayer group, some responded by asking “we employ people who pray?” and “is that really appropriate to do at work?” But people of faith can be seen as much worse than oddballs. 

A recent report by the Napa Legal Institute found that social-media platforms increasingly censor religious believers who oppose abortion, assisted suicide and transgender ideology. And the lack of faith guides tech innovation. Some of the industry’s leading lights—from Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to Google’s Sergey Brin and Larry Page —are pursuing “transhumanism,” meaning immortality through tech-enabled enhancements. Absent an orthodox belief in God, tech leaders are striving to become gods themselves. 

Worst of all, the lack of faith encourages a moral vacuum in which tech itself is held up as a god. Absent the guardrails that come from religious tradition, is it any wonder tech is used to censor and suppress? Is it any surprise that many tech companies are responsible for violations of privacy, value extraction, and the promotion of vice? 

Tech needs an infusion of faith. It could make the industry more humane and enlightened and morally grounded, helping lift up those it currently pushes down. This transformation may already be under way, thanks to the swarm of tech companies moving from the West Coast to Texas, Florida, Tennessee and other states where religious belief still runs high. Yet with most of tech still centered in Silicon Valley and Seattle, this trend needs to accelerate. Tech isn’t a god, nor are tech leaders, but they do need God. 

 

Inflation Increases to 7.5% in January, a 40-Year High. Here’s How Families Can Respond. 

From The Daily Citizen: 

If you’ve felt a substantial pinch in your wallet over the past few months, you’re not imagining things. 

Inflation surged to 7.5% in January, the highest year-over-year increase in the price of goods and services in 40 years, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Thursday. 

Geremy Keeton, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Senior Director of Counseling at Focus on the Family, told The Daily Citizen that “Tight finances and family stress go hand in hand.” 

“Married couples need to talk and plan for the realities they are seeing in their monthly expenses. If one spouse does the family books, and the other does the bulk of the shopping and spending, there needs to be some careful planning so the adjustments in spending choices can be made,” Keeton said. 

“If a couple does not have the safety, openness and trust in place to have these type of planning conversations, what starts as financial strain can turn into weekly bickering and erode a sense of happiness,” he added. “The bottom line is, it causes stress. Families, and in particular parents, will need better stress management tools and resiliency in this economy.” 

If you’re struggling and need to speak with someone, Focus on the Family offers a free, one-time counseling consultation with a licensed or pastoral counselor. To request a counseling consultation, you can call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) or fill out our Counseling Consultation Request Form. 

 

Federal Worker Vaccine Mandate Still Blocked for Now; Federal Appeals Court Won’t Grant Government’s Emergency Request 

From The Daily Citizen: 

Does the President of the United States have the authority to order 3.5 million non-military federal employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or lose their jobs, subject only to religious or medical exemptions? A Texas federal district court judge in January said “no,” and issued a nationwide injunction blocking President Biden’s Executive Order to that effect. When the district court judge refused the government’s request to put his injunction on hold, the feds immediately took the issue to the next highest court. 

The issue of COVID-19 vaccine mandates from the federal government has been the subject of litigation all over the country. In mid-January, the U.S. Supreme Court put a mandate on hold from the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that forced employers with 100 or more employees to require either vaccination or mask-wearing and weekly testing. The court ruled that OSHA did not have authority from Congress to issue such an order. 

At the same time, however, the high court allowed a vaccine mandate affecting the nation’s healthcare workers to go into effect.  

RELATED: 

Conservative groups accuse ABC of refusing to air ad ripping school mandates on ‘The View’ 

From the Washington Times: 

Conservative groups on Thursday accused ABC of refusing to run an ad criticizing school pandemic mandates on its popular left-tilting talk show “The View.” 

The ad, part of a six-figure national media campaign targeting school mandates, contrasts children under mask requirements and remote-learning orders with unmasked celebrities and adult sports fans followed by the message, “Democrats are putting kids last. Teachers’ unions are putting kids last.” 

 

Swimmer – Born Male – Eligible to Compete Against Women in Ivy League and NCAA Championships 

From The Daily Citizen: 

The Ivy League and the NCAA announced that swimmer Lia Thomas – born as a male named Will Thomas – will be eligible to compete in the upcoming women’s swimming league and national championships. 

Meridian Baldacci, director of strategy for the Family Policy Alliance, told us how unjust it is to allow male-bodied athletes to compete against women. She said, “No girl should have to go into the sports arena knowing she faces an opponent with an unfair advantage. But thanks to the NCAA, swimmers in the league’s championships may have to face just that.” 

The NCAA made its announcement today that Thomas would be eligible for its Division I Women’s Championship, March 16-19 in Atlanta. The organization said:   

 

Conservatives Slam Wisconsin Democrat For Saying Parents Concerned About Education Should ‘Home School Or Pay For Private School’ 

From the Daily Wire: 

A Democratic State Legislator from Wisconsin was blasted online for an insensitive tweet dismissing parents’ concerns about their children’s education. 

“If parents want to ‘have a say’ in their child’s education, they should home school or pay for private school tuition out of their family budget,” Wisconsin state Assemblywoman Lee Snodgrass tweeted Thursday morning. She quickly deleted it, but the tweet was screenshotted and shared by a number of conservative Twitter users. 

Snodgrass backtracked on Twitter. “I deleted my Tweet since it was lacking in nuance and easily misinterpreted,” she wrote. “I wouldn’t want anyone to think that parents do not have a role in their child’s public education-I sure did. I encourage all parents to engage in voting for school board, join PTO and meet with teachers.” 

“To clarify, My point is we should be fully funding our public schools and that diverting funds away from our public schools only makes it harder for parents to have the relationships we deserve with our kids’ teachers and their schools. Of course parents need to have a say in their kids’ education and their classrooms! I’m a parent, and I have a say, as should every parent. I shouldn’t have been cavalier or glib—that wasn’t my intention, and I apologize. Carry on!” she added. 

 

6. Stop Ignoring Giants Like Justice Clarence Thomas During the Celebration of Black History Month 

From The Daily Citizen: 

Nearly halfway into Black History Month, an ideal time to celebrate the significant and consequential contributions of African-Americans, we’ve yet to see mainstream media shine their bright lights on some of the many black giants of the conservative movement. 

Leftwing activists have been calling conservative African-Americans race traitors for decades. During 2020 Election Day coverage, MSNBC’S Joy Reid slandered Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas by calling him “Uncle Clarence” – a racial slur suggesting the esteemed judge was beholden to his white superiors. 

The Daily Wire’s Candace Owens is just 32 years of age. A popular speaker on college campuses, Ms. Owens is a woman of strong Christian faith who once said, “It’s incredible what Jesus Christ can do to any person who will let Him.”  

As Bible-believing Christians, we recognize that in God’s economy, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Racial prejudice is an earthly evil that should have no place within the Body of Christ. We do not evaluate someone based on the pigment of their skin but instead on their principles and actions. 

Thankfully, the rise of the new media has exposed the hypocrisy of those who claim to celebrate the accomplishments of all black Americans when, in fact, they’re only recognizing the achievements of those black Americans who agree with them. 

 

7. Truck Drivers Move America – In More Ways Than One 

From The Daily Citizen: 

The life of a truck driver is not easy – for both the driver and his family. 

After enjoying what was typically either a fried chicken or a beef roast, my Dad kissed Mom and hugged me, then walked out the door and drove 8 miles to the terminal, where he would retrieve his truck. Except for rare Wednesdays when he returned to reload, and had time for a quick change and shower at home, we did not see him again until Friday night or Saturday morning. 

With no cell phones in those days, we never knew exactly when my father would pull back into the driveway. As a boy, I eagerly anticipated hearing Dad’s first strong footstep on our wooden front porch. No one stepped up on the porch like he did. When I heard that step, I knew my dad was home. There were years when we were concerned he might miss Christmas – but thankfully, he never missed even one. 

In many ways, truck drivers are the backbone of America. In previous decades, men like my dad transported cargo from factories to stores – from coast to coast. Dad hauled furniture for most of his career and using only a hand truck (he called it a “two-wheeler”), had to unload the cargo himself. 

Truckers move America, in more ways than one. Whether private or commercial, union (my dad was a member of The Teamsters) or nonunion – these individuals deserve our support. 

Truckers are essential. They’re vital to American businesses – which means they’re vital to you and me. 

 

8. ‘Dear Brian’ pastor stirs controversy saying women shouldn’t post immodest photos 

From The New York Post: 

Christian pastor Brian Sauvé is causing a stir among Twitter users after he urged women to not post certain types of photos on social media. 

The preacher, who works at Refuge Church in Ogden, Utah, was accused of being misogynistic towards women on the platform, The Blaze reported. 

His tweet read: “Dear Ladies, There is no reason whatsoever for you to post pictures of yourself in low cut shirts, bikinis, bra and underwear, or anything similar—ever.” 

He continued, “Not to show your weight loss journey. Not to show your newborn baby. Not to document your birth story. -Your Brothers.” 

Sauvé also told his Twitter critics that he doesn’t “hate you,” but we’re all “hypocrites, sinners, and moral vagabonds” and the “freedom from the crippling weight of your sin through Christ.” 

“You will be in my prayers today. May God’s mercy fall on you as it has on me and my house,” he added. 

 

After Bob Saget’s death, a plea from experts: Err on the side of caution with head trauma 

From NBC News: 

Bob Saget’s death — likely the result of a fall backward, according to a Florida medical examiner — is a reminder of how even brain trauma that seems unremarkable might merit medical attention, experts say. 

Authorities concluded that Saget, who was found dead in a hotel room in January, hit the back of his head, “thought nothing of it and went to sleep,” his family announced Wednesday, adding that no drugs or alcohol were involved.  

 

10. ‘As a Girl, I Found My Hero in Joe Montana 

From the Wall Street Journal: 

He was everything to me. I was an athlete, and so was he. The way he played sports was the way I wanted to play: with confidence and courage, grit and grace. Sportswriter Larry Schwartz wrote that Mr. Montana “possessed an almost mystical calmness in the midst of chaos.” 

Seeing that sensibility and set of skills in action made an indelible impression. It was what Mr. Montana did—not what he looked like or where he came from or any particular identity—that spoke to me. I connected on the deepest level to how he conducted himself: his preternatural composure and utter coolness under pressure. 

His example is what propelled me to become captain of my high school sports teams, cover Big Ten sports for my college newspaper and get a job at Sports Illustrated. He was with me the whole way: a poster on my wall, a jersey on my back, a constant in my heart. 

I write for television now, but Mr. Montana is still with me. An autographed photo of him tossing up his arms in victory hangs above my desk. My company is called Sixteen-Eighty Inc., a nod to the numbers he and his teammate Jerry Rice wore. Montana is my daughter’s middle name. 

Someone who looks nothing like us and has an entirely different lived experience may end up being the person who inspires us most. We should teach children that the opportunity to connect is everywhere and encourage them to choose the north star that calls to them. 

Here’s hoping lots of little girls watching the Super Bowl this Sunday will find their own heroes.