A Hidden Man’s Gem, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• A Hidden Man’s Gem -- "We managed to arrange a grant to Harris County, which paid the taxes, provided Mr. Kleb with the means to live out the rest of his life out of poverty and establish a wonderful park in his name."
• Abortion Was the Leading Cause of Death Worldwide in 2018, Killing 42 Million People -- "A heartbreaking reminder about the prevalence of abortion, statistics compiled by Worldometers indicate that there were nearly 42 million abortions world-wide in 2018."
• Big Win for Churches as Judge Rules Wisconsin Ordinance Violates Religious Freedom -- "A Wisconsin judge has ruled that a De Pere city non-discrimination ordinance cannot be applied to churches and other faith-based groups."
• Caught in the middle: Is there still a place for Centrist Baptists like me? -- "I’m not writing off anybody, mind you. But connecting with Baptists beyond our church is getting harder and harder. It feels like my tribe, and my options, could be shrinking."
• Congress’s ‘Other’ Christians: The Fastest-Growing Faith on the Hill -- "Following the midterms, the unspecified/other Protestant category saw the biggest bump of any faith tradition, adding 16 seats in this session..."
• Europe Continues to Shrink Religious Liberty -- "...increasingly, jurisdictions are enacting laws in furtherance of legitimate social considerations that, concomitantly, shrivel the freedom of religious believers to live according to their personal faith precepts."
• Jerry Falwell Jr. can’t imagine Trump ‘doing anything that’s not good for the country’ -- "Is there anything President Trump could do that would endanger that support from you or other evangelical leaders? “No.”"
• Mothers, Make Time for Yourselves…Read a Book -- "Mothers, make time to cultivate growth in your own soul."
• Rashida Tlaib’s Expletive-Laden Cry to Impeach Trump Upends Democrats’ Talking Points -- "Her outburst ran counter to all Democratic talking points. Ms. Pelosi and her deputies have repeatedly made the case that it is too early to consider impeachment."
• Romanticizing a Suicide “for the Earth” -- "We are told how Buckel romanticized Buddhist monks who burn themselves to death in protest of oppression."
• “RBG”, US top court justice, misses new session -- "A linchpin of the court's liberal wing, Ginsburg is said to have never missed a hearing since her appointment to the high court 25 years ago."
• Second man found dead at Democratic donor Ed Buck's house, prompting renewed investigation -- "The death of a man at the home of a prominent Democratic political donor is raising questions and scrutiny about an earlier death at his home."
• Sweeping Changes -- "How electric co-ops and Electrolux brought the modern age to the plains of Texas."
• The Best Burger I've Had in Texas is from a Classic Family Diner -- "John Junk, son of founder Dan, told Eater Austin in 2013 that the Junk family secret is ‘consistency and quality’."
• The Birth of Jesus as seen through Middle Eastern Eyes -- "A considerate husband and a wise woman would start the 4–5 day journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem several weeks before her due date."
• The Clarity of Scripture and the Analogy of Faith -- "It is interesting; the apostles “did not feel it an irksome thing, or consider it out of keeping with their dignity, to profess themselves students of Scripture”."
• This is Trump’s Most Ruthless Insult Yet, and It Just Flew Over Everyone’s Head -- "Perhaps Trump’s understanding of Islam is deeper than what we might at first give credit."
• U.S. court rules for Trump on transgender military limits -- "...a federal appeals court on Friday threw out a lower court ruling that blocked a policy barring certain transgender people from serving in the U.S. armed forces, which the government said is important for military readiness."
• Whoopi Goldberg Tells Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez To 'Sit Still' And 'Learn The Job' -- "Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez of New York’s 14th District hasn’t even been in Congress for a week, and she’s already attracted more criticism on the national stage than most other politicians will probably receive all year."