Dr. Brown Weighs in on the World and Then Asks an Author about European Socialism

From NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick refusing to stand for the national anthem to the latest in the Hillary Trump elections we've got to cover today on the line of fire. Mm-hmm. It's time for the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Michael Brown is the director of the Coalition of Conscience and president of Fire School of Ministry.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUT. That's 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. You know, I am so super grateful to God that I have the opportunity to be on the air with you.

My heart is full, overflowing.

So many things I want to talk to you about, want to interact with you about. Remember to call 866-348-7884. That's 866-34TRUTH. And this is yours truly, Michael Brown, your voice of moral sanity and spiritual clarity. Before I get into a number of subjects I want to cover, Let me give you a special invitation.

All of you, my friends. Listening on WMCA. or listening through other means in the greater New York area. I'm going to be preaching. In New York, doing some special meetings in a couple of weeks, but we have added in two special listener meetings where I get to meet you face to face, where we get to shake your hand, sign a book for you, take a picture together, and do a great talk and have some great QA live September 8th in Brooklyn.

Hosted at the Feinberg Center, Chosen People Ministries, September 8th. in Brooklyn. I'll be doing a talk. This is free and open to the public. I'll be doing a talk on the rabbis, the Messiah, and Isaiah 53.

Invite your Jewish friends who don't believe in Jesus to come out. I'll be doing a live Q ⁇ A afterwards. And this is a great opportunity to meet up everybody, all my friends listening in Brooklyn, September 8th. More details, direct specific address at my website, askdrbrown.org, A-S-K-D-R-Brown.org. Then September 10th, Manhattan.

So I encourage you to come in from all over the New York area, Long Island, Jersey, September 8th at the Ethical and Cultural Center in Manhattan. Again, the exact address on my website on the itinerary, askdrbrown, ASKDRBrown.org. I'm going to be doing a special talk on the presidential elections, Israel. And Israel, where the candidates stand on Israel and what a right biblical perspective would be. I think it's going to be eye-opening both politically and biblically.

And again, invite your friends that don't believe what we believe, invite them to come as well. And my whole reason for doing this is to meet you face to face and spend time with you as our listeners and hopefully enrich you face to face. And we'll give you some neat ways that you can partner together in our work in the New York area. Also, call me anytime. The show today, and give me any scripture you want.

And I'm holding in my hands the brand new Cultural Backgrounds Bible. And I will share with you what John Walton and Craig Keener, the editors of the Cultural Backgrounds Bible, what they say about that particular verse. You might be wondering, what's the background to this? What's the historical background? I heard this.

Is it true? I heard that there was some ancient Near Eastern inscription that said this. Is that true? Is that accurate? I will share with you what the editors say.

So, any verse you want to find out what this brand new cultural background study Bible has to say, just give me a call and just say, here's the verse. Or you can just call Howard or call screen and say, Here's the verse, and he'll pass it on to me, and I'll share what the Bible says about it. If you go to our website, sdrbrown.org, you will find that we've got a great resource offer where you get the Bible. It's a beautiful Bible. What is it?

Over 2,350 pages long, I think. Yep.

So, fabulous study notes, charts, graphs, beautiful pictures, etc. And you can get it together with my exclusive two-hour interview with Professor Craig Keener, where he fielded questions and interacted about the Bible for almost two hours.

So, great resources for you this week. The word multi-generational, multi-generational is really, really big in my thinking these days. I'll tell you why when we come back, we're going to zero in on Colin Kaepernick. He says that he will not stand for the national anthem until, quote, things change. I've read that he recently converted to Islam.

Is that true? Is it part of it? We'll be right back. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Thanks so much for joining us on the line of fire, 866-348-7884. A couple questions for you.

And then I want to dive right into the controversy with quarterback Colin Kaepernick. A couple of questions for you. First Do you think that it's right for Christian leaders to endorse presidential candidates. My frequent guest on the line of fire, James Robinson, never endorses candidates, although he's counseled with many and prayed with many. If I'm correct, someone can correct me if I'm wrong on this, Billy Graham endorsed Richard Nixon, but then thereafter never endorsed another candidate.

Others, leaders like James Dobson or Tony Perkins, have been clear and outspoken in their endorsements for many years. Should Christian leaders endorse candidates? Perhaps, if asked, they could say, well, I'm voting for this one or that one. Should they endorse candidates? I endorsed Senator Ted Cruz for president the first and only time I endorsed a candidate.

Will I endorse a candidate again in the future? Very questionable for me. Very questionable for me, and I'll tell you why. And not because of any issues with Senator Cruz, by the way. But it's Questionable whether I will again, of course, let God be God.

What do I know about the future? But I'll tell you why I question whether I would do it again. At the moment.

So what do you think about that? Should Christian leaders endorse Political candidates. I posted that question on Twitter. And we've just it's just minutes ago, so we just have our first few dozen votes. And the answer is 28% say yes, it's helpful, 26% say no, it's not their role, 46% say it's an individual choice.

Okay. That's the question for you. What do you think? Second question. Do you feel that what Colin Kaepernick did, NFL quarterback, not doing well right now, was headed for superstardom, but not doing well right now, hasn't played well in recent months or well, what last year or two basically hasn't played well.

But He did not stand during the singing of the national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner, at a preseason game a few days back. And they made clear he's not going to stand until, quote, things change.

Now, I read reports today that he recently converted to Islam. I haven't confirmed those yet, but did read that on several sites. A few people said here's evidence that he did. And allegedly his fiancée, Is a woman who is a host on MTV, a black woman, and a Muslim and a member of Black Lives Matter.

Now, the question there is if they're really, that's really his fiancé. We know who she is.

So, is this the kind of thing that's this is what America is all about? You stand up and you voice your differences, or in this case, you sit down and you voice your differences. Land of the free, home of the brave, make your choice. Or is this the wrong thing to do? Is this disrespecting America, disrespecting the flag, disrespecting the sacrifice that others have made?

After all, Colin Kaepernick, who is of mixed parents, white and black parents, and then, as I understand it, what, abandoned by his parents or given up for adoption by his parents, raised by white parents And then signed a lucrative contract, well over a hundred million dollars, is it hypocritical? to to s to make all this money here in America. And then to say it's a racist country. What do you think? Eight six six three four eight seven eight eight four um Joey, let's start with clip number two.

And let's listen to what Colin Kaepernick has to say about why he is doing. what he is doing. Clip number two. I mean ultimately is to bring awareness and make people Know, realize what's really going on in this country. There are a lot of things that are going on that are unjust, people aren't being held accountable for, and that's something that needs to change.

That's something that this country stands for: freedom, liberty, justice for all. And it's not happening for all right now. Got it. And specifically, specifically His concern is with violence. the way he said it without being ultra specific.

white police officers, killing black men. and then going on quote paid leave.

So is is he right in drawing attention to that? As a hypocritical, someone would say, well, what have you actually done? How much money have you donated to the cause? What have you done to help those in need or in the inner city? Or is this the right thing to do to challenge America and Americanism?

Let's listen to a little bit more from Colin Kaepernick, clip number three, as he continues to explain why it's not a one time thing. Why it's not a one-time thing, but that he will continue to sit, quote, until things change. Clip number three. I'll continue to sit. I'm going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed.

To me, this is something that has to change. And when there's significant change, and I feel like that flag represents what it's supposed to represent, and this country is representing people the way that it's supposed to, I'll stand.

Now, I wrote an open letter to Colin Kaepernick. You could read it by going to my website, askdrbrown.org, and you'll see it right on the homepage, a-s-k-d-r-brown.org. You'll spot it there to read immediately. I wrote an open letter to him. When I wrote the letter last night, I was sitting with my family, my wife Nancy, and our daughter, Megan, our husband, Ryan, so the family that lives right near us.

And sitting there, we were discussing the issue. I said, you know, I'm going to write an open letter. I had on my heart to do. When I finished it, I read it to everyone. We discussed it.

And Only this morning did I then see the reports that he had converted to Islam, allegedly. and that his fiancée is a matter of Black Lives Matter and a Muslim herself.

So if that's the case, then there's a lot more to this protest than meets the eye.

So I I started my letter by saying I I absolutely absolutely admire your courage. But I question your judgment. I admire your courage. But I question your judgment. Now look.

The fact is. Uh he is going to get uh a A lot of negative flack he has, people burning his jersey. This really helps. This really hurts the team, the team image as a whole, hurts the NFL in certain ways, but it's going to cost them. It's going to cost them an endorsement.

It's going to cost him if he gets cut. By San Francisco 49ers, because right now he's not playing well, and he's third-string quarterback.

Now you bring this extra baggage in. If he gets cut, It's going to be much more difficult for another NFL team to pick him up because he's going to be somewhat of a pariah. Because one thing with the NFL, They want the attention on the game. They don't want the attention on an individual athlete who has certain issues. with other things in the society.

That's the way the NFL is. And of course the NFL has good enough reason to be in controversy itself. It did not allow the Dallas Cowboy team to put stickers on their helmets commemorating the officers who were murdered in cold blood, who were assassinated.

So it would not allow them to put stickers on their helmets. What's Is Capron going to be fine then for what he did? If you don't allow the Cowboys to do that, is he going to be fine? What about the players? Last year was at St.

Louis Rams. They came out with their hands held up, hands up, don't shoot. Again, the myth that came out of Ferguson, Missouri. Not to say there's not injustice in different places, but simply to say the hands up, don't shoot from everything we know is a myth. What was the NFL's reaction response to that?

So the NFL still has controversy and issues, but this is the last thing that it wants to be dealing with. And teams won't, they don't want a media circus. They want the media focusing on what's happening with their team, good or bad. They don't want a media circus around us.

So it's definitely going to cost him. I admire his courage. But I question his judgment. And I think it's good that he feels responsibility as an athlete. to use this platform to be a role model, but I question I question whether he is being the right kind of role model.

So I take issue for a number of reasons. One is very basic. When you take an individualistic stand like this, you put your whole organization and your whole team in a negative light.

Now they all have to deal with this. This is now talk about the San Francisco 49ers. They all have to deal with it.

So team first is the mentality of the NFL. And it's solidarity. They rise and fall together. They put their bodies on the line together. You don't want distractions if you can avoid them.

And New York Giants player Vicky Cruz himself, a man of color.

So the flag is the flag regardless of how you feel about things that are going on in America today. And the things that are going on across the world with gun violence and the things of that nature, you've got to respect the flag. You've got to stand up with your teammates. It's bigger than just you in my opinion. I think you go up there, you're with a team, and you go and you know your pledge of allegiance to the flag and sing the national anthem with your team, and then you go about your business, whatever your beliefs are.

Colin Kaepernick said to me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. Again, commendable to say I want to take a stand for what's right, but perhaps it's selfish to do it this way. Could that be? 866-34TRUTH. Shake the nation, change the world, change the world we want, for fire we please.

It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-342. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early? Amen. Yes, what so proudly we hail according to John Schwartz writing on intercept the intercept.com Colin Kaepernick is writer than you know, the national anthem is a celebration of slavery. Yes, that's right. It celebrates slavery.

Quote, it literally celebrates the murder of African. Americans. Hmm. Isn't that interesting? Is that the perspective of Colin Kaepernick?

By the way, there are quite a few NFL players, both presently playing and retired, who are blasting Colin Kaepernick for what he did. And really have a problem with it. Vergess Owens, a safety who played 10 seasons in the NFL, said Kaepernick is ignorant about American history and even black history. What this young man doesn't understand is the very first martyr for freedom in our country was a black man. He doesn't understand the Tuskegee airmen who had hundreds of battles over the skies of Germany, so he can sit and be ignorant as he wants to be today.

It's not a racial crisis we're at at this point, it's an ideology crisis. Interesting. Interesting. 866-348-7884. In a few minutes, I want to come back to why the word multi-generational has been on my mind.

It's important, and I want to come back to it before we are out of time in this segment. But first, let me get your impressions. Let me get your interaction on this. The other points that I made in my open letter to Colin Kaepernick: first, there is the team issue versus getting out an individual message that can distract. Secondly, I said many of your fans find it odd that you can so.

easily bash the very country that enabled you to earn more money in a few years than most of us can imagine earning in several lifetimes. In fact, you're playing in a league where more than seventy percent of the players are people of color, yet they enjoy equal opportunity, equal stardom and equal pay.

So perhaps he could have chosen a better setting for a protest than during the national anthem before an NFL game. And then why protest the flag is Dr. Ben Carson said you disrespected our national anthem and flag after so many people have sacrificed. You could have the freedoms that you have today so that you could make a very, very good living in this racist land. Ben Carson said he, he, I'm changed it to you, you, just for clarity there.

And then racist in quotes. And then I asked him if he's being moved by truth. or by political talking points.

So there's no question that there are grievous examples of white police officers mistreating black suspects. The recent studies Check my interview with Heather MacDonald. Recent studies have indicated that black officers are more likely to shoot black suspects than are white officers. But there are also examples of black officers mistreating white suspects, and there are plenty of examples of white officers mistreating white suspects. Are you sure this your stance is fair and righteous?

And I quote from African-American Sheriff David Clark, Milwaukee Sheriff. He recently asked where is black lives matter, which is what he calls them. If they cared about the lives of black people, they would be marching against the liberal establishment in these large urban areas and demanding a better quality of life and a better way of life. But no, that's not what they're doing. They're instead using the police as a straw man.

Colin Kaepernick said there are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.

Well, is this the biggest issue in the inner cities of our nation? How many law enforcement officers are actually, quote, getting away with murder?

So wh when Dwayne Wade's cousin, the mother of four, was was shot to death while pushing a stroller, was that the fault of allegedly racist police? When there are now 90 shootings a week in Chicago, is that the fault of allegedly racist police? When three-year-old Devon Quinn was shot and paralyzed when the car he was riding was shot up, w was that the fault of allegedly racist Police which is why there are many black Americans who are raising their voices against the Black Lives Matter movement. And it's worth hearing what they have to say. 866-345.

For truth, we go to the phone starting with Fred in New York. Thanks for calling the line of fire. Yes, good afternoon. It's a pleasure to speak to you. Thank you.

Yes, I'm responding to disrespecting the flag. I'm in direct Mayflower Descendant. every generation of males in my country since the Mayflower landed. has spilled blood either defending this country on foreign soil or spill blood in this country defending this country. while the country was being built.

before the flag even went up. And as a direct Mayflower descendant, I can only say this. for all the generations including myself. I served in the military in the past. Um I can say it this way.

If people will stand up and protect this country. And lose The lies their limbs, their minds, their eyes. etcetera and so forth.

So that you can have the freedom to go to bed at night. and keep both eyes closed. without fear. Of of some know, secret uh Nazi party. stomping in and disappearing in the middle of the night.

then you owe it to those people that spilled their blood protecting you. You owe them a little respect. And if you don't respect them, then you don't deserve. to have those rights. that they died to give you.

And I know there's no legal point in what I'm about to say next. But I'll say it anyway. on behalf of Mayflower descendants anywhere? I rescind your rights to freedom in my country. That's all.

All right. Thanks, Fred. Hey, right until that last line, I was totally with you. But first, all respect to your heritage and all respect to your family's. service through the decades and through the centuries.

In fact, Your family has suffered, has sacrificed, so that he could have the right. To do what he's doing, as much as we differ with it. But thank you. I want to major what I agree with. Your points are well taken.

The Common Catholics said, no, no, no, this is no slam on the military. But look, I'm often ashamed of what America does and what America is. I've traveled the world. I've seen the good America does and the bad America does. I've got mixed feelings on that all the time.

When I see a crowd at a rally chanting, USA, USA. I I feel good and I feel bad. When our Olympic team did so well, I was very proud of that. At the same time, I hurt because of the many problems in America.

So I don't turn a blind eye to that. But how many whites died? to bring freedom to blacks in America. I'm talking about Civil War. And didn't Abraham Lincoln say that this was the price America was paying?

that for ever every lash of blood on a slave's back, And those that died, that this was a divine retribution that we were paying back for our sins.

So I think we've had that consciousness pretty deeply ingrained in our system. But the flag represents what's best about America. And I am a kingdom of God guy. I am not some superpatriot. But I deeply appreciate the sacrifices that have been made for America, and I deeply appreciate the good that's in America.

All right, multi-generational. My mom, almost 94 years old, and her body getting weaker. And I'm looking at that on the one hand. And then, on the other hand, did some live Facebook videos with my grandkids yesterday, one taking Eliana. our 15-year-old granddaughter taking her out to Drive, our first driving lesson that I gave her.

And then uh Playing Chinese handball in New York game with my grandson Andrew. Put that on live Facebook video. You think wow. Invest in the older, invest in the younger while you have breath. Do it.

It's the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian Dr. Michael Brown. Your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRU. Here again is Dr.

Michael Brown. Welcome back to the line of fire, 866-348-7884 is the number to call. Anything you want to weigh in in this discussion right now about quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the rightness or wrongness of what he has done? As I wrote in my open letter, I admire his courage and question his judgment. And in particular, if in fact his fiancé is a member or leader in Black Lives Matter and even more if he's converted to Islam recently.

If true, this would further color His attitude further color his perception about America. Again, let me say this plainly. I am not a superpatriot, or I can see no fault with our nation. I'm finishing a major book to come out about a year from now. The whole book is about the sickly state of America, but how we can turn the tide by God's grace.

It's a positive, inspiring book, but it's a sober book. It's a very, very sober Book.

Alright?

So uh I'm I'm the last one to say, Hey, You know, America's perfect, America's great. No, I've. Overseas, many times, had to apologize for the American church. We've done so much good around the world, so much good for so long, and yet. And yet Often We've done not good.

We've exported things that are not good, not healthy, not positive. And we're putting pressure on nations to do wrong to this day. Nonetheless, I take strong issue with what quarterback Colin Kaepernick did. By the way, there are some who say, well, you Christians, you just want to take over. You just want to establish some kind of theocracy.

You just want to make everybody do what you do. Oh, no, quite the contrary. I have a new video on that, in fact. You can watch it. Are Americans trying to Christians trying to take over the country?

You can watch that by going to askdrbrown.org and just clicking on latest video. You'll see it right on the homepage. 866-34TRUTH. We go to Gastonia, North Carolina. Lloyd, welcome to the line of fire.

Hey, Dr. Brown.

Okay. Uh it's good to hear you program. Can you hear me all right? Yes, I can, sir. Colin Kaepernick, you ought to realize how blessed he is.

with the wealth he has, And if he would Just check around and see and let the judicial system did its job. And panned out. that it's like the ones in Baltimore. They were all set free. Not guilty.

And and they were right in burning things. And uh That's just not right. They need to sit and listen and wait, and if they want to protest, wait. Good what? A a bad judgment by the judge or by the court is rendered if this A bad judgment.

In the end. Protest. Right.

So, yeah, just in terms of police violence, there are definitely issues that have come up. They've been caught on video. There was a police officer in Alabama, I believe, who was charged with murder for his killing a black suspect who was running away and was unarmed, shot him in the back, and then tried to make it look as if the man had a, you know. was attacking him or something, if all that's true, but he was charged with murder. He was charged with murder.

In the Baltimore case, there seemed to be no evidence of wrongdoing, but immediately Attorney General came out there in Maryland and was going to push. You know, many have said she should be out for what she's done. It was completely unjust. The officers were not guilty. But immediately, the word gets out and there's massive protests.

You're actually right. Absolutely right. There's massive protests. They're guilty before the evidence is in. And then on top of it, when they get exonerated, now it makes the system look corrupt.

There are other times the system is corrupt, but not this time. Right.

And on the other hand, in Columbia, South Carolina. Where the little white boy that had been indoctrinated, I guess, in Nazism or whatever. uh win in church kill those black folks. While they were They invited him into their church. Yeah.

and they were having a church service. And he killed about all of them, if not all of them. Yeah, and all, and sir, all of America. All of America. is outraged over that and stands together against the horrid racism, ugly racism behind it.

Gotta go. Oh God of burning, cleansing flame, send the fire. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr.

Michael Brown. Thank you for joining us on the line of fire, 866-348-7884. Joey, grab clip number five. And let's listen to one more quote from Colin Kaepernick. Number five, as he's explaining what one of his major issues is.

There's a lot of things that need to change. One specifically is police brutality. There's people being murdered unjustly and not being held accountable. Cops are getting paid leave. for killing people.

That's not right. That's not right by anyone's standards. Oh.

Alright, so you're going to focus on that. when there are about a thousand more pressing issues Among people of color, because that's what Colin Caffey's issue is, where they're being hurt. where you could even say the liberal system and the welfare system is hurting them and even democratic policies hurting them. and massively more violence. Blacks killing blacks just like whites killing whites is higher.

because you're in the same neighborhoods, etc. many, many more problems to address. And you're going to focus. on this as the major issue that you now have to draw attention to. Um Uh Let's um grab cook number six.

Just what Comments from from vets. Terms of how this protest strikes them. Because remember, this is a direct protest to the American. Flag, which does stand for the things that are best about America. For me, being a veteran and stuff, it's different when you put that I understand his point of view, but I don't think that was the right arena to do so, especially with the national anthem and how that means so much more to other people.

Yeah, exactly. If you're going to send a message, try to send it with some degree of clarity. 866-34TRUTH. We go to Brooklyn, Joseph. Welcome to the line of fire.

How are you doing, Dr. Brown? Thank you for having me on the program. I listen to you often, and I'm a brother in Christ. I disagree when you said it takes courage for Colin Kopenaki to say what he said.

To me, he's just a Yeah, the dog gives him a A stand to do that, Lord. But He disgraces the soldiers who spilled their blood. Mm-hmm. Um And uh if And when it comes to cops killing and people in the streets. There's more black on black crime and take Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee for that.

You know, if you're going to take a stand, you've got to include that also. That's all I got to say. Thank you, and God bless you. All right, thank you for weighing in. I appreciate it.

866-34TRUTH. Let's go over to Baltimore. Will, welcome to the line of fire. Welcome, Dr. Vaughn.

Thanks for having me on. I appreciate it. You bet. Listen, my thing is, I understand his wanting to protest. I think he could have chosen a different manner in which to do it.

I do support his right to protest. But also, as a man of color, people have to realize that unless you walk in these shoes, You have no idea what it means to go through this on a daily basis. This country has an abhorrent history of treating people of color unjustly. And this country has not dealt with it. No matter how many apologists are out there, this country has not dealt with it fairly.

They have not dealt with it evenly. The criminal justice system is injustice, it's not fair, it punishes people of color more harshly than other people, and the truth is out there.

Now, whether people choose to realize it, acknowledge it, or accept it. Here's the story. Like I said, it's a matter of the change of heart. But the heart rules people's minds and their lives now. And that's the reality of what people face every day.

They may not want to accept it. They may want to make excuses for it. But the reality is the truth is in front of our eyes. If we choose not to accept it, like Martin Luther King said, we can live apart we can live together as brothers or we can die apart as fools. And that's basically what it is.

You have to deal with and accept the truth.

So let me ask you this. You echo what many, many African-American callers have shared on this broadcast. And I'm talking about folks that love my broadcast, that agree with me, that listen regularly. And that have said to me Again, what you just said, you have no idea. what it's like to live in these shoes unless you've lived in them.

So I fully believe that. I don't have any argument with you on that. And if I ever raise issues, and I'll often say, Look, I've never been racially profiled, etc. I've never had to deal with the criminal justice system in these same ways. And I think there is evidence when you look at proportional.

uh crimes and and then sentences that African Americans seem to get uh harsher sentences. That seems to be fairly well documented.

Now, someone can tell me I'm wrong on that, but that seems to be fairly well documented. The idea that there are more obstacles to overcome for an average black American than a white American, I believe that. I don't think a lot of it is intentional. I think a lot of it is what happens when you're a minority. But whatever our history is, whatever attempts have been to fix it.

They haven't They haven't fully fixed it with. And somehow, Things are worse now. After the triumph of the civil rights movement, than before, in terms of the strength of the family and things like that. And many say, well, that's because of the liberal policies that were supposed to help black Americans have just hurt them and kept them down and produced a new kind of slavery. And some say instead of wanting their free work, now they just want their free votes.

I mean, there's all kinds of stuff. And we've discussed it freely on the air. Freely on the air.

So I've got a few questions for you, Will. One question is. Do you agree with me that there could have been better things to focus on Than the police brutality issue because of the way it will seem. From an outside perspective, is Look at the 90 shootings a week in Chicago. The less police presence you have, the more problems you have.

You know, Dwayne Wade's cousin getting shot down while pushing a stroller. I mean, the mother of four. You know, and I'm just I listened to some videos, some African Americans very upset with Black Lives Matter, and they were saying, look, where's Jesse Jackson when this is happening? Where's Al Sharpton when this is happening? These are our bigger problems.

But from your perspective, You know mine, but from your perspective, Could there have been better things to focus on? Maybe the court system as opposed to the issue of police brutality, just because that's such a multi-pronged question. What do you think? I think we have to focus on all of it. And I do agree that we have other issues within our community that we must deal with ourselves.

I'm not putting up, I'm not looking for anybody to come fix our problems. I'm not looking for anybody to come with a solution for our problems. We have to address our own problems. But there are too many problems just to focus on one or two. It's multifaceted.

And I agree with you. The liberal system has hurt us more weather. I myself, I am not registered with youth party. I am a Fiscal conservative, meaning we have to take care of our own house and our own issues first before helping the world. And I'm a social moderate, meaning that we need to help extend a hand to people who want to hand up.

So we do have to address issues in our own community. I'm not looking for other communities to help me. That's our issue. But we need to address the issue that systematically in this country. the the m mechanism of they put in place to hold people down.

And we need to address all of them, not just one particular thing here. We need to address all of them. Because again, as a man of color, in certain communities, I feel okay. I'm all I'm all right. But I walk out the house knowing that there's a code of conduct that I must conduct on an everyday basis to keep myself from being hurt, harmed, arrested.

Or shine. I have no criminal record, no criminal history, but that doesn't mean anything. And as far as the money goes, even Brian Gumbles in his interview said at one time I thought I was insulated by money. Money is not an insulator. you can be shot or killed if you have if you're a billionaire a millionaire.

It doesn't matter. Money is not the deciding factor because we don't have a sign on our head that says I'm worth a million or I'm worth ten dollars. It's it's the mechanisms in place. And again, I think a a program such as this and dealing with this in such manner. is the correct way to go, where there's people who can talk about it.

Reasonably and with a good rapport, but there's issues across the board that have to be dealt with. You can't pick out one and not focus on it. It's important. And especially when just one false move or one false One false um thought process can get you killed. Right.

And Will, your comments remind me of what. The emergency room doctor was saying in Dallas. when he was treating these these officers. And here's the-very horrible thing. But here he is, an African-American man, and he's treating some of the officers that were killed were white.

On the one hand, he's there to save their lives, period. End of subject. He's a doctor and he cares and he's there to save their lives. But he had to say that he has had a mixed. Um he has mixed feelings when it comes to police.

because of the very things you raised. because of the fear that here he is a medical doctor, right? And yet, he's had a certain fear if he sees a police officer that he may get. Profiled, or that something might happen to him or a family member.

So he has to kind of walk on eggshells.

Now I mean that's terrible to hear and painful to hear.

So I've got a question for you. And if you can stay on just through the break, you can answer on the other side of the break.

So here's my question. And I'll go right back to you on the other side of the break. Uh whose fault is it? that this is happening. In other words, is it that The police are bigoted and racist, or that there's just an unspoken system that says keep the black man down, period.

Or Is this a response to Disproportionate amount of crime in the African American inner cities because of which. Cops are on the lookout. for someone who looks like you.

Now that may sound like a terrible question, but I'm asking because you are clear-headed. You love the Lord, you can give a clear-headed response. All right, so I'm going to let you respond. And this is the very kind of conversation we need to have. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr.

Michael Brown. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. According to Brian Fisher, American Family Association, Colin Kaepernick is apparently unaware that cops are 18.5 times more likely to be shot by a black man than an um black man is to be shot by a cop.

Are those stats accurate? What does that reflect? What does it prove?

So, back to Will in Baltimore. And if you're just tuning in, I asked Will before the break the fact that he has to be specially on guard. As an African American, wondering one wrong move, even though he's not been arrested since I'm in criminal history, one wrong move or look might. Cost him his life, or he might get arrested or something simply because he's a man of color.

So, my question was: Is it the fault of a racist system? Is it the fault of racist cops? Or is it a problem reflecting high crime rates in the inner city of African Americans, hence cops more on the guard for people that, quote, look like him? I know it sounds like a terrible question, but we're having a constructive conversation.

So, over to you, sir.

Okay, I think it's a combination of all three. Yes, there are some racist people out there who are on the police force, without a doubt. Yes, the system does have injustices built in, that we've proven that's been proven over and over again. But yes, there are people in the community who are doing things wrong of which I will not stand behind. Right is right and wrong is wrong.

You're going to have to be a Christian, you have to stand on that. Right is right, wrong is wrong.

Now I think what again, what we need to do as a part of our community is we need to deal with some of our issues So that we can take care of them. I have no faith in Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpen. My thing is, I don't go cry to me, I try to solve my own problems first. We have to do that. But again, what we need to do is understand that the reality of things is.

There are things in front of our faces that we need to deal with. Again, I hate the welfare system. I hate the liberal system that makes excuses, but wants people not to work and pay them wrong. The Bible says, if you feed a man a fish, he'll come back tomorrow hungry. If you teach him how to fish, he can feed himself.

That's from the word. I stand on that. I stand on righteousness. I stand on it. If you do right, you'll be blessed.

If you do wrong, you should be held accountable.

So what we need to do is Honestly, in reality, we need to hold people accountable for their actions. There are some things that are questionable, and we need to review them, but things that are not questionable, that are pretty clear, we need to hold people accountable, whether they're police officers or not. It's a very difficult job. And someone said before, you're dealing with a person or people who have to go to work every day and deal with the worst elements of society. And that is that is difficult.

But we need, there are plenty of good cops on the force. I have my friends retired. state troopers, retired police officers, correction officers, plenty of good people who have to deal with the unfortunates of society, but they have to be held accountable because if you don't have a standard where there's accountability, what do you have? You don't have a you don't have a foundation society.

So What can be done? to help together Address the problems that do exist. Obviously, to the extent God's people, live as God's people, and love God with all our heart, love their neighbor as themselves. That's a step in the right direction. Uh Obviously, there are many who are Who are not believers that play influential roles in the country?

But just two of us talking. Obviously, I can raise my voice. I can have this dialogue. I can use the platform I have and relationally do what I can. But we've just got a couple of minutes.

Off the top of your head, what are other things that Americans can do? We'll stereotype it, white Americans to address injustices. Just look at just look at the reality. Of things and speak from your heart. If you truly believe in justice, if you truly believe in righteousness, then we hold all people accountable for that.

That may mean holding your brother. Your sister, your mother, your father, it may mean holding them accountable, and that might be painful, but that's what we have to do. Because if we're supposed to live in a just and righteous society, then it doesn't matter who it is. But unfortunately, we as human beings are flawed. And since the four we are flawed, And That won't always come across everyone.

So I would just say, for those who believe, just pray and ask God to make a move. There are plenty of good people here of all backgrounds. And what we need to know is we just need to talk to people. and we need to hold people accountable for their actions. Appreciate you.

I appreciate you letting me talk today. Oh, no, no. Listen, you're level-headed and you say so much that I'm just sitting here. Yep, I agree. I agree.

Well said.

So, actually, because you were so concise in your answer, I got one last question for you. For African Americans, are they being hurt by a victimhood mentality?

Some people are. And but let me tell you. There is I would tell a white community. do not fear African Americans. All we really want is to live in this society, participate in the American dream and have a good life.

That's what we want. I think the small two percent to three percent that make the news fear Builds fear in everyone. But overall, that's all we want. There's no one that's going to come get you in mass hysteria. It's not going to happen.

That's not what we desire. We just desire to live in peace and harmony. Right, got it. Hey, I appreciate it, and it's great talking with you, sir. God bless you.

Thank you. All right. Well, it was a delightful conversation.

So glad to have it. And one reason I'm thrilled to have live radio.

So if you didn't read my article, just go to thelineoffire.org. Thelineoffire.org. You will find it there. All right. Now.

Now.

I am picking up in my hand here. The Cultural backgrounds study Bible. And I just opened it random. to Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verse 12. And there on the top of the page is is a beautiful color picture.

It is from Ancient Egypt, Egyptian dancers, the tomb of Antiphoker, Thebes, around 1950 BC, and it's to the verse: A Time to Mourn. and a time to dance. It's a picture of ancient dancers. And then I'm looking down at the comment to Exodus 3.19. The fate of human beings is like that of the animals.

The comment says Some scholars are struck by the use of the term fate, Hebrew mikre here and suggest that it is comparable to the Greek term. Uh Is it hang on? Just smaller, okay. The Greek term for fate and luck. This in turn implies that Ecclesiastes was influenced by Hellenistic thinking.

However, Macre shows no influence from Hellenistic culture, and then they contrast the ancient Hebrew idea of fate with. A Hellenistic, a later Greek view of fate. And it says the rejection of immortality in these verses has echoes in the Harpers' Songs of Egypt. We should add that Ecclesiastes here challenges the kind of afterlife envisioned in something like official Egyptian theology, which in effect denied the significance of death. Ideas that eventually became a part of Christian theology of afterlife were not yet developed in his time.

So he's explaining. Ecclesiastes against its ancient cultural Context here in the study notes to the cultural background study Bible.

So Uh I I was just sent a copy of this by the publisher by by Zondervan. I had Craig Keener on, the editor of the New Testament portion. I like the Bible so much that I said, Tell you what, let's offer it. I told our team, let's offer it on the air this week.

So when you order it, you are getting the Bible through us. You are helping us with a contribution. When you do order, we've got it priced well, but you are helping us on the radio broadcast, and then we're giving you free with it. The two-hour interview I did with Professor Craig Keener on This very Bible, where he fielded questions for about two hours.

So take advantage of that. Right on the website, thelineofire.org. Check it out. Order a copy for yourself. Hey, not too early to order it as a holiday gift, right?

My bottom line today. Let us keep talking. Let us keep learning from one another. Let us pursue justice here in America. European socialism.

How wonderful is it really after all? It's time for the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Michael Brown is the director of the Coalition of Conscience and president of Fire School of Ministry. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34 Truth.

That's 866-34 Truth. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Welcome, welcome to the Line of Fire. Political scene continues to unfold with great interest.

The presidential race entering the stretch run now with just a couple plus months ahead, and the polls showing a much closer race. Where should Christian leaders stand? How should they get involved? It's a question I posted on Twitter, 866-34Truth. The first hour we devoted to discussing quarterback Colin Kaepernick not standing for the national anthem.

I wrote him an open letter. We had a lot of excellent calls about that in the first hour. I'm switching subjects now in this second hour. Welcome to everyone just tuning in. This is Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution.

But I posted this question on Twitter. I'd be curious to get your feedback. And here was my oh, hang on, hang on. Let me get over to the right page on Twitter where I can see. Here is my question on Twitter: It's a poll: should Christian leaders endorse?

political candidates. By the way, on Twitter, I'm Dr. Michael L. Brown.

D-R-Michael L. Brown.

Make sure you get the two L's in the middle there. Or just connect with our Twitter icon on thelineofire.org. Should Christian leaders endorse political candidates? I gave three choices. Yes, it's helpful.

No, it's not their role. And it's an individual choice. Yes, it's helpful. 28% say yes. No, it's not their role.

29% say no. 43%, though, say it's an individual choice. I mentioned in the first hour that I had thought that Billy Graham Uh Billy Graham had endorsed Richard Nixon and then Subsequently, not endorsed any candidates. And uh, yeah, he did say I'm just looking for the quote here. Let's see.

If you could go back and do anything differently. Would you do? Yeah, yes, of course. I'd spend more time at home with my family, and I'd study more and preach less. I wouldn't have taken so many speaking engagements, including some of the things I did over the years that I probably didn't really need to do, weddings and funerals and building dedications, things like that.

Whenever I counsel someone who feels called to be an evangelist, I always urge them to guard their time and not feel like they have to do everything. I also would have steered clear of politics. I'm grateful for the opportunities God gave me to minister to people in high places. People in power have spiritual and personal needs like everyone else, and often they have no one to talk to. But looking back, I know I sometimes cross the line and I wouldn't do that now.

Uh when was this interview done? Uh let's see. five years ago, January of 2011. Then he was asked, what are the most important issues facing evangelicals today? He said, I'm grateful for the evangelical resurgence we've seen across the world in the last half century or so.

It truly has been God's doing. It wasn't like this when I first started out. I'm amazed at what has happened. New evangelical seminaries and organizations and churches, a new generation of leaders committed to the gospel and so forth. But success is always dangerous.

We need to be alert and avoid becoming the victims of our own success. Will we influence the world for Christ or will the world influence us? But the most important issue we face today is the same the Church has faced in every century. Will we reach our world for Christ? In other words, will we give priority to Christ's command to go into all the world and preach the gospel?

Or will we turn increasingly inward, caught up in our internal affairs or controversies, or simply becoming more and more comfortable with the status quo? Will we become inner-directed or outer-directed? The central issues of our time aren't economic or political or social important as these are. The central issues of our time are moral and spiritual in nature, and our calling is to declare Christ's forgiveness and hope in transforming power to a world that does not know Him or follow Him. May we never forget this.

We'll be right back. Change the world. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr.

Michael Brown. Thank you so much for joining us on the line of fire. By the way, I'm going to be reading some portions of the Cultural Backgrounds study Bible today. And if you're curious about a verse in that Bible, you're, okay, what does it say on this verse? What does it say on that verse?

Then I'm going to. read some excerpts to you. Let's see. I've got some questions here. Revelation 13, 2, 1 Corinthians 11.5, Matthew 16, 19.

We'll see what the cultural background study Bible has to say about those verses. In fact, In fact, I'm going to go straight there. I'm going to go straight there and Let's see. Let's let's go to Matthew 16, 19.

So I'm holding in my hands the 2356 page. Cultural backgrounds study Bible filled with Key New Testament terms, charts. Beautiful charts, color illustrations. I mean, it's an amazing production. Just an amazing production.

Okay, so the Gospel of Matthew starts with Matthew's position among the Gospels, authorship, providence, and date, just the general background. And then, verse for verse for verse, it gets into key details.

So, what does Professor Craig Keener, in his notes to this, say to Matthew 16:19, as far as the keys of the kingdom? He says this: Palace keys were large. And then an important official carried them. See Isaiah 22, 22. In contrast to those who are shutting people out of God's kingdom, Matthew 23, 13, those who confess Jesus is Christ, verse 16, can usher people in.

The words bind loose may include disciplinary authority. C note to Matthew 18:18, but perhaps also authority to evaluate those to be admitted. Compare an officer with a similar function, a Quran, meaning Dead Sea Scrolls. The basis for true admission is the shared confession of verse 16, the shared confession of faith in Jesus the Messiah. All this week, you can get the Cultural Background Study Bible through our ministry.

I like it this much that I wanted to offer it as a special offer. When you get it through our ministry, yes, you'll be a blessing to our ministry in doing so. You'll get a beautiful Bible for yourself or for an early holiday gift. And will give you free with it my two-hour interview. With Professor Craig Keener, where he took many calls and gave background to many verses.

So it's a great, great interview to listen to on CD or on your MP3 player. And that is our gift to you with the Cultural Background Study Bible. Let's go over to Revelation chapter 13, too. I just have a minute to do this. I was swamped with important calls and conversations in the first hour and didn't get to read really hardly any of this that I planned to.

So let's go. You can hear the pages flipping. Yeah, got it. This kind of thing I think you want to hold in your hand. I'm sure the E-version is really nicely done, too.

So Revelation chapter 13, verse 2. Says the beast that I saw resembled a leopard. that had feet like those of a bear, and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

So the study notes say this: Daniel's four beasts are a winged lion, a griffin. that became somewhat human, a devouring bear. A winged leopard, and finally a ten-horned beast fiercer than its predecessors, Daniel 7, verses 3-8, preceding the Son of Man's coming, Daniel 7, verses 9-14. Jewish tradition in this period understood Daniel's fourth beast as Rome, which most Jews believed would be the fourth world empire to subdue Israel. Yet Revelation's Beast differs even from Daniel's four-headed fourth beast.

Revelation's beast has seven heads and includes features of the leopard, bear, and lion. By encompassing all the beasts. The beast embodies the spirit of evil empire, even beyond Rome, the evil empire of John's day. Again, cultural background, fascinating. Fascinatingly done.

866-34Truth. Tell you what, if you have a verse, you say, What's the background to that? What's the historical background? What can the cultural background tell me? That's what this Bible does, all right?

That's the whole purpose of the study Bible. Give me a call and just tell us what your verse is. 866-348-7884. Let me do one more while I have a minute here, and then we're going to get back to today. And the Bible, of course, is always speaking to issues today.

First Corinthians chapter 11. Ooh. Not only is there a comment on the issue of head covering. But There is a one-page article on page 2003. It shows a first-century Roman sculpture of a woman wearing a.

How do you pronounce this? C-H-I-T-O-N. Is it Chitan?

Someone's going to get me for wrong pronunciation on that. And Orkitan and Himation, the latter being worn as a head covering. Ooh, I blew those pronunciations, didn't I?

So there is a whole page explaining people in the Mediterranean world covered their heads for various reasons, especially for shame and mourning. Romans covered their heads for worship, and Greeks uncovered them. None of these customs, however, differentiated coverers and non-coverers by gender. as is the case in 1 Corinthians 11, 12 through 16.

So he gives the background there, and then in his commentary, explains the issue of covering. And basically, in short, One of the issues there was that it would have been customary for a married woman to cover her head in public. hence designating her as a married woman. Whereas in the home, she wouldn't have had her head covered. What about a house meeting?

House church, that's how most of the meetings were conducted, in someone's home, should she cover her head or not? And would that then be a sign of the authority of her husband? If she didn't do it at home, would that send a wrong message to the others there? or within that restrict her liberty in the home. And the verdict was she should cover her head when praying or prophesying.

Would be a sign of right order. But again, that is. uh understood and interpreted in the text here so He notes in verse 5: although men normally held the most visible roles in ancient Israel, female prophets were respected. And he gives four references to that in Exodus, Judges, 2 Kings, and Isaiah. And traditional Greeks often frown on women speaking in the presence of men outside their families, but even they permitted women to speak by deity's inspiration.

In the notes here, it points to Exodus 15. Which is Miriam, Judges 4, which is Deborah, 2 Kings 22, which is Huldah, and Isaiah 8, Isaiah's wife, is referred to as a prophetess. Anyway, just some tidbits here. Oh, that's a good size bar. We get a little exercise picking it up and putting it down, okay.

I'm looking at an article that says this: as I asked the question about Christians endorsing. political candidate. Should they? Do you want to know who your pastor is voting for? Is that important to you?

Do you want to know who your pastor is voting for? And is that a good thing or a bad thing? Should your pastor say, I want you to know I support this candidate. I think he's a fine man. I think she's a fine woman.

I believe this candidate stands for issues important to us. Therefore, I want to encourage you to get behind this candidate. I'm endorsing them. Or Does the pastor or leader simply say, here are the issues? Here's where people stand on the issues.

Here's my biblical understanding of what a right and wrong stand is on these issues. Is that what a pastor should do? Or should a pastor simply say, This is who I'm voting for? What's best? What's wisest?

What's most helpful? And I'll tell you why, after endorsing a political candidate for the first time, I might not do it Again. Um But here's an article from Michael Vandergalian. Evangelical leaders supporting Trump are hurting Christianity. Uh he says It must be a great feeling for the serial adulterer Donald Trump to have the support of so many evangelical leaders.

They enable him to tell himself that there's nothing wrong with his lifestyle so he doesn't have to repent for anything. a great feeling, but nevertheless extremely dangerous. Trump calls himself a Christian. As such, he should know that the need to repent is a central tenet of our faith, and pastors and other evangelical leaders supporting him neglect to mention that to him. That may give him a good feeling now, but he'll undoubtedly regret it when his time on earth is over.

So just I have a question though. I have a question. Um how Does Michael Vandergalian writing this article? Yeah. How does he know?

That Evangelical leaders have not urge Donald Trump to repent. How does he know in their times with him that they haven't preached the gospel to him.

Now, I'm not a supporter of Donald Trump. If the elections were held today, I still don't know. Uh Don't know that uh that I could vote for him. I'm hoping I could. You can convince me to, because I can't vote for Hillary.

But I know firsthand people have spoken to him face to face and called him to repent.

So I'm just a little curious about that part of the article. We'll be right back. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr.

Michael Brown. Yeah, so this article posted today, Michael Vandergalian, evangelical leader supporting Trump or Hurting Christianity. It's on the pjmedia.com website in the faith section. I'm sorry to say I'm not familiar. With this website, maybe very well known, but it's just not prominent to me.

But again, it's just my ignorance, there's a lot of stuff out there. But What he argues is that Uh What he argues is that when Christians are getting behind Donald Trump, Christian leaders, that they're obviously in bed with him in that respect.

Okay. uh uh that that they're they're obviously In bed with his position or with him as a man, so that by endorsing him. By endorsing him, they are endorsing his Uh Uh His His shortcomings, his faults, his failures, his rhetoric. is attacks on other people and candidates.

So I understand that. Listen, when I endorse Senator Ted Cruz. And people said, well, what about this immigration policy? I didn't totally agree with it.

So I had to say, I don't totally agree with it. And then he'd say something, and everyone would defend this.

Well, I said, I'm not his apologist. I endorse him. I believe he's the best man for the job for XYZ reasons. I still feel that way. I would have been gladly supporting him in the nomination now or in a battle with Hillary Clinton and other candidates, gladly, wholeheartedly, as much as I could wholeheartedly support any human being running for office because we're all flawed.

But he'd say something, and next thing, you know, what do you think about this? What about that? Or something would come up in a debate, and maybe you could have answered it this way and answered it that way.

Now it's as if you're responsible for them.

So When candidates or wholeheartedly or strongly endorsed. by Christian leaders. It is sanctioned. For example, if you see Dr. Michael Brown endorsed such and such a book.

By such and such an author. And my endorsement is glowing, okay? My endorsement is glowing. And you read the book and you find lots of things that are troubling. But Mike Brown endorsed it.

What does that mean?

Now you question me. Wow, he endorse that And you said, Well Did he really read the book at all? In which case, should he have given an endorsement if he didn't? If he did read it, does he agree with this?

So you see in that sense you become responsible. And I understand that issue acutely because I do endorse books and I've even written the I've even written some books that excuse me written the foreword for some books which is all the more putting your name on it. What I've tried to do, and sometimes my endorsements have been declined for this reason. What I've tried to do is say, listen. I I uh Here's a fabulous book.

You may not agree with every point.

So as you're reading it, you think, okay, so there's some controversial things in here. Or, I stand by the author. I might not agree with his interpretation of XYZ, but I think that this is an important book. And if they're happy with that endorsement, then great. I wrote an endorsement for Rabbi Shmueli's kosher Jesus book and said, while strongly differing with his rejection, of Jesus as the Messiah of Israel.

and completely rejecting his radical uh reconstruction of the New Testament. Nonetheless, I'm thrilled to see an Orthodox rabbi embracing Embracing Jesus as a fellow Orthodox rabbi, and you could say this book is America's most famous rabbi, meets the most famous rabbi of all time. And he was happy with it. He was happy with the endorsement. And he wrote an endorsement for my book, The Real Culture of Jesus, with caveats as well.

But when it's a political candidate It becomes a little bit more dicey and difficult. When it becomes something with a political candidate, they can be so volatile. If they do something that you really differ with, let's say you endorse Donald Trump. And then he went after Heidi Cruz, Ted's wife. Wrong, wrong, absolutely wrong.

Or he went after Rafael Cruz, Ted Cruz's father. Wrong, wrong, also. And it's not just that you can't attack uh a wife or or a um You can't attack a wife or father of a candidate if they do something. worthy of attack and criticism. They do something worthy of attack and criticism.

And the candidate stands with them. The candidate does not. Um Uh does not uh Uh Correct those, and you can draw attention to it. That wasn't the case here. They were wrong attacks, bad attacks.

And I believe that's part of what Donald Trump said he regretted. personal attacks in a speech a couple weeks ago. I think it was things like that he was talking about. God knows. But all that to say, if you endorsed him, now people are going to say, well, what about your man Trump?

What about that? What about that? So, so. All that to say. I do understand that when many evangelicals are endorsing Donald Trump enthusiastically, It can make evangelicals look bad if he does wrong.

On the flip side, Many are saying we're not endorsing him, but we're speaking into his life. And he hasn't shut us out.

So we're going to keep speaking into his life with the hope that he listens and that we can help point him in the right direction. direction.

Okay. Uh but According to this article, Sadly, evangelical support for this morally underdeveloped man is also hurting Christianity itself. As Peter Wenner explains at National Review, And the main target of his righteous rage is Jerry Folo Jr. Falwell has fallen under the dark spell of Donald Trump. It is not a crime, but it is having a corrosive effect on his intellectual and moral judgment.

He is saying witless and defamatory things. For those of us of the Christian faith, the fact that Falwell is viewed by many as an evangelical leader makes it that much worse. We have been pained by the harm that a previous generation did to Christian public witness because of partisan, reckless, and graceless comments.

Now we have this. And the author of this article, Michael Vandergelian, continues: Sadly, to many, evangelicals' faith has become a partisan political issue. It's not about the centrality of Christ, but of. The party. I think these are fair points, fair criticisms that have been raised, but.

But that being said. That being said, I am all for evangelicals speaking into Donald Trump's life. I am all for evangelicals. Praying for him because, of course, we pray for Hillary too. That raises another issue, which I'll come to in a moment.

But I'm all for it. I think it's healthy. I think it's good. I think it's positive. I think there's an open door.

And I do believe on some level he is listening and being influenced. and that he is getting a lot of godly counsel. And listen, Even if the man himself If the man himself is not godly and righteous, but he's listening to godly righteous counsel. And incorporating that into his decision-making, that is something God can obviously use, is it not? Follow what I'm saying.

86634Truth. Is the number to call if you'd like to weigh in. My Twitter survey, just the first couple hundred responses so far. Evenly divided between, yes, it's helpful, no, it's not their role for Christian leaders to endorse political candidates. 27% saying yes, 28% saying no.

But 45% say it's An individual Choice. We'll be right back. It's the line of fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian Dr. Michael Brown. Your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution.

Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Hey, I I've I've got a question. I've never asked before.

Never occurred to me to ask this. But let me put it out there. 866-348-7884. This is Michael Brown. Welcome to the The line of fire broadcast, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution.

I've got a personal, specific question for you. Are are you ready? Are you ready? Here it is. I've asked the question: Should Christian leaders endorse?

Political candidates. pros and cons as to that. And I've got a Twitter poll running on that. But I'm curious to know Was it helpful for you? When I endorsed Senator Ted Cruz.

Or was that a distraction for you? Was it helpful to say, okay, we like Michael Brown's views, we respect him, and it's helpful for us to know that he's endorsed someone? because it's a difficult decision to make voting for the president, and we could use all the help that we could get. We find that useful. We find that helpful.

And we're glad he's made that known. Or was that a distraction for you? Because now Everything that I said about the pro the elections was colored in your mind through that. or that in your mind It it made you wonder, am I seeing through things through a certain lens? Uh am I too involved with this?

emotionally. Am I too into the elections because I've endorsed a candidate? Does it color my thinking? Or perhaps if you were for Marco Rubio or for Ben Carson or Mike Huckabee or Donald Trump or any of the many candidates that we had. If one of them was your guy or Kylie Farina was your gal, And now that I endorsed Senator Ted Cruz, you were concerned that I wouldn't give them fair coverage?

let alone Democratic candidate.

So, I'm just curious: did you find that helpful or harmful? Again, I'm not asking what I should have done. That's between me and God.

Well, I'll endorse a candidate again in the future. That's between me and God.

But Was it helpful to you, more helpful, or less helpful? I may ask that question and do a little poll. Again, I'm not polling to find out. Oh, what do you think I should do? What are you telling me the will of God is?

No, no, no, no, no. Rather, how did it impact you positively? Or negatively.

Now, if you're a cruise guy, you're probably that was positive, man. That was very positive. I'm so glad you did because Cruz was the man. If you were not a cruise guy or you were indifferent, or you were abs absolutely for somebody else. I'm curious to know your perspective.

The interesting decisions that you make as a leader with whatever influence you have. We all have influence, some more than others. And some a lot more than others, some a lot less than others. How do we use that influence wisely? All right.

Oh, let me just see here. Hang on, hang on. No, no. Oh, yeah, did did you read my article last week? Right dealt with the fact that there are there are Americans, according to Pew Research, that are quote, giving up on God and miracles.

I wrote an article responding and said, What is God's solution? To what are called the religious nuns, N-O-N-E-S. What is God's solution to people dropping out of church, some of whom were raised in the faith, and now some of whom don't even believe in God anymore?

So. Uh what uh What are the answers to that? I wrote an article on that, God's Solution for the Religious Nuns at N-O-N-E-S. And I said that, one, is an encounter with God if they really know God on their own. Two, truth, getting the truth out, solid answers to the questions they have.

And then, three, authenticity. The extent we live our faith out, we'll let hypocrisy all the better. We'll be right back. O God of burning, cleansing flame. Say It's the line of fire with your host, Dr.

Michael Brown. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Welcome back to the line of fire 866-348-7884.

There is a new book out. Debunking Utopia. exposing the myth of Nordic Socialism by Nima Sanandaji, a Kurdish background, a Swedish man writing from the perspective of Sweden. We heard with Bernie Sanders' campaign about socialism and how wonderful socialism is and that's the way America needs to go. People would point to countries like Norway and Sweden and the amazing benefits folks have living in those countries.

Why shouldn't America take advantage of those benefits? Here's someone who has a different take on that. Nima, great to speak with you today. How are you doing? Very good, thank you.

Great, great. And you're in Sweden right now? I'm actually I've left Sweden. I'm living in Malta, which is a small uh country in the Mediterranean. Yes, okay.

Well, excellent. And how how much of your life did you spend in Sweden? From I mean, well, from when I was eight years until I was uh thirty five.

Okay. Got it. And did you travel into some of the other Scandinavian countries as well? Did you experience life in any of those countries? Yeah, you know what?

I mean, I've been writing more than one hundred policy reports and around twenty books about social issues in Nordic countries.

So, I know the system very well. You know, let me give you a background. I've been writing on this topic of Nordic socialism previously. And my writing is in Europe, in Latin America, in Asia. They've gotten a lot of attention.

They've been translated to many languages recently into Japanese even. And now I wrote this book, Debunking Utopia, Exposing the Myth of Nordic Socialism for the U. S. Book Market. And Why?

I mean, why are people interested about the Nordic country?

Well The reason is that it left The liberals, the left, They're using the Nordic countries. as a number one argument. But why socialism work? And you know, it's not only Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton or President Barack Obama or Ilkinson, who greatly admires the Nordic social model. Every socialist you'll talk to, they're very likely to say, Yeah, you know, socialism works because it works in Nordic countries.

And if you remove that argument, If you remove an order What argument do they turn to? Have you heard any liberals say, you know, socialism works. Because Belgium has such a good system. Because Italy, Greece or Spain are so are so well functioning. Or because California has a such a great system, they have a big military state.

They don't say that. They only Only always stay the Nordic countries. And my book, Debunking Utopia, Exposing the Midst of Nordic Socialism. explains that Of course, of course they're only re referring to Nordic countries because Nordic countries have a culture of success. They have deep uh Social institutions which makes them successful and this success unsurprisingly Yeah.

They were socially successful. They had low levels of poverty. They had a lot of prosperity, good outcomes. when they had more governments and free markets, And after they had all of this success, after that, they introduced the big wealth state.

So there is no mystery why liberals always use the Nordic countries currently. A number one argument for socialism. All right, I'm speaking with Nima Sanandaji, the author of Debunking Utopia, Exposing the Myth of Nordic Socialism. He holds a PhD from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden and has conducted research at the University of Cambridge.

So you're not just getting someone who said, well, I live there and I've got my opinion. This is based on years of careful research and publication.

So Nima, let me ask you this. If we look in the broader world, say, of communism with its socialist mentality, it's not 100% identical, but great overlap there. If we look at other countries that have gone in the direction of socialism/slash communism in Asia and things like that, what have the results been almost universally? in that direction before we get back to focus on the Nordic countries. Oh, I mean the results of socialism have been horrible.

The thing is, if you keep talking about the statistics about communism, It's So many people who've died, who've starved, who've Lives have been utterly ruined. That you know It's uh Yeah. Either tens of millions or around a hundred million people Yeah. I mean, depending on how you count. Yes.

It seems communism has done. Is on par with Narcissism, but actually at a greater scale, because communism has killed more people than even Nazism. And, you know, the Nazis were. Pretty close atomism. But Here's the thing.

Socialist. Yeah, they can't say commonism works.

Socialists can say that socialism works either, like in Venezuela, In Cuba, you know, this milder form of communism. But but you know, you know, really, um this Nordic argument they're using today Every socialist almost is using the Nordic as the number one argument. It is flawed in so many regards. The first thing they got completely wrong, as I show in Debunking Utopia, Is that Nordic countries for all of their modern history have relied on free market capitalism? And you know what?

As I showed debunking Utopia, for much of these last like one hundred fifty years, did you know that Nordic countries have had more free market more small government policies than the United States. All right, so where do we get this idea from? Is this.

some other kind of myth basically that's being put forward that that uh it's not just that there's a history of success and low poverty rates and things in Nordic countries before socialism, but even with socialism, it's it's not as socialistic as we might think.

Well, absolutely not.

So you know, Nordic countries had a long period of free markets and small government until around nineteen sixty nine seventy. And they were hugely successful. One of the things I've written in Debunking Utopia, which has been getting quite a lot of international attention, is that. when the Great Depression hit, America turned towards socialism. The New Deal was, you know, big government stepped in.

And your recovery was very sluggish because big government critical economy. Basically, that's what Obama also did after the recent financial crisis. Just on a smaller scale.

Now you turned, your country turned towards socialism after the Great Depression. The Nordic countries chose free market capitalism. Their government didn't do much. And they were very successful in creating jobs and prosperity following the Great Depression because they have free markets. And really what happened in Nordic countries, they had a very, very successful period of small government True market.

And they also had is unique Nordic Protestant working ethics responsibility at this. Then they introduced the big welfare state.

So that is all. They have prosperity, very well functioning capitalism, the strongest working ethics on the planet, the strongest ethics about not overusing government benefits on the planet. They didn't have much poverty. They had fantastic health because of the culture. Right?

Then they said, you know, we can introduce a big welfare state because we already we don't have that much poverty. We don't have health problems. We don't have people who will overuse government benefits.

So in my book, Debunking Utopia, I explain why kind of a big welfare state works. for some time in the Nordics. But here's the deal. Even in Nordic countries with the strongest working ethic on the planet, people's working ethics and responsibility ethics started to get destroyed slowly and gradually because of the introduction of welfare state. Right.

And you know what's been happening the last twenty, thirty years in the Northeast? Go ahead. While all of these Nordic countries have been doing massive market reforms, They've been cutting taxes and they've been introducing far ranging welfare reforms.

Now only this only this last few months the Danish government has said they're going to cut the welfare benefits for recent immigrants to have of what they used to be. That's a major welfare reform. And they said they're going back seven years.

So you know, they're retroactively introducing it to the immigrants who came to Denmark seven years ago. Denmark is Bernice Sanders' favorite country, is doing one of the biggest welfare reforms in modern history. And the Swedish uh Conservative Party has suggested just last week, massive welfare reforms.

So that's where Nordic countries are heading because the experience of the big welfare state has been anything but successful. Yeah, so this is really fascinating. And I really hope your book gets a lot of attention. W we've got a few more minutes. I've got a few more questions for you.

But friends, a fascinating read. Debunking Utopia, Exposing the Myth of Nordic Socialism written by Dr. Nima Sanan Daji and What he's saying in short is that socialism has only ultimately hurt the success of the Nordic countries and the work ethic and the dependence on the government. That's gotten worse, not better.

So now they are going through major, major reforms. You introduce it in America, where we've got so much government dependence. It's the exact opposite of what we need. It's a formula for disaster here rather than success. Debunking Utopia.

Yeah. Give it to every Sanders backer, Bernie backer. Oh, yeah, and the Hillary backers, too. Change the world. Change the world.

It's fire we want, for fire we please. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34TRUTH. Here again is Dr.

Michael Brown. We've got about five minutes more. I want to make the most of this time with Dr. Nima Sanandaji. His new book, he's written over 20 books, but now the first major one for an American audience, Debunking Utopia, Exposing the Myth of Nordic Socialism.

What he's basically telling us is that people are saying, look at this bicycle. It's such a good bicycle. Look at how fast it's going.

Well, actually, it's a bad bicycle. It's only going fast because it's been going downhill. When it hits a straightaway, it's not going to do so well.

So the strength of the Nordic countries, that's what everyone points to, right? Look at Sweden, look at Norway, look at how successful they are. And that's under socialism. He said, no, their success is before socialism.

Socialism is only hurting things. Nima, we hear, for example, young people in America saying, man, free college in these countries, government pays for it. Here, we get out of college and we've got, you know, a hundred thousand dollar student loan debt we have to pay off. It's so much better there. Speak to us about those realities as well.

Well, you know, one of the big things is that Nordic countries, people pay half their salaries to the government and much of the tax is hidden.

So they don't know how much tax they're paying. That's the entire Nordic system. I share in my book that the Nordic parties move towards bigger government by hiding the the true tax burden.

So but you know, let me just give you an example. Yeah. They say that, you know, Nordic countries are most socially successful.

Well, in debunking Utopia, exposing the myth of So Nordic socialism, I give a very simple comparison between the American model and the Nordic model. I look at Nordic America. There are twelve million people of Nordic origin who live in the United States, And that's more than the population of any individual Nordic country.

Now, you know what? Nordic Americans are the descendants of the poor people who lived in Nordic.

So you'd think, all right, These guys They they have it worse than the Nordic people. And you're not living in that system you destroyed where government takes care of you.

Well, in my book, I find out that Nordic Americans have fifty percent Higher prosperity level. than the people of the Nordics. That difference of combining the Nordic culture of artwork with American, you know. moderm and hemnordic modem.

Now, you know, the Bernice sign is cruel, they say, but you know, I'm sure it is much more poverty, much more social problems. That much Nordic America. No. They have less social problems. They have almost half the unemployment rate of the Nordic people.

Nordic Americans have much, much, much, much, much lower high school dropout rates. And you know, this thing would Short. Any Hillary Clinton. Uh Barack Obama Bernie Standard supporters. Nordic Americans have much lower poverty rates than their cousins in the Nordic.

much lower poverty rate. But Nordic society is to successfully because of nordic culture. Not because of a big welfare state. The Nordic welfare states are actually the best examples of how When you go from small government to big government, you create social problems. You create a um a big group of socially poor on welfare dependency.

And I should know because my family was a successful family in Iran. Both my parents had good professional jobs. We came to Sweden and like many other people, we got trapped in welfare dependency. And a system that traps so many people in welfare dependency instead of helping the poor, is actually harming the poor. And that's what we're seeing in Nordic countries.

The poor people, often the immigrants, they don't have upward social mobility And we see a lot of social tension, crime, No goes on for the police.

So in fact, the welfare state unintentionally has not only stopped economic development, but it's also been creating social problems. Yeah, yeah, and this is just so important to hear. I mean, your observations are exactly right on. I've never been to any countries, even some of the other countries you mentioned, Italy or et cetera, where there haven't been issues about the high taxes, the amount of expendable money for your average American, the size of our houses, the size of our vehicles, the way that we live. It's just there, and it's because of a free market economy.

Dr. Sanantaji, maybe we can continue the discussion another time. But in the meantime, I want to shout out to everyone listening, get a copy of the book, Debunking Utopia, Exposing the Myth of Nordic Socialism. We just have a minute, but you've got a lot of details and data in this book, correct? Yes.

And you know, all the book is just the data and research. It's not my opinion. I'm not a right wing guy. I'm not a libertarian or conservative. I'm not like ideologue, I'm not against the welfare state, I'm just pointing out The true lesson from the Nordic countries if you really look at the history, if you really look at the data, is that free markets are very good.

It is that a Economic policies should be about encouraging people to take responsibility for the lives And it's about the importance of culture. Everything is in politics. If you replicate Denmark's politics, you won't become Denmark. But much more importantly, America is going full head towards a big welfare state. This system has failed in the Nordic countries.

It has failed in the place in the world where it could have been successful because we have such good working atheists. It is going to fail in the US. And what Americans are not realizing is that Nordic countries for the past twenty, thirty years, have been moving towards Market reform a smaller government. towards welfare and, you know, Cutting the general social welfare system and they're just accelerating that currently. They're full head going in the opposite direction, and you're going full head into the mistakes of Nordic countries.

Yeah, they've already turned around. Yeah, they've already turned around and said, don't go this way. We've made mistakes. Don't go this way. Sir, thank you for your research and for shouting this out to an American audience.

I hope you get a wide readership. Thanks so much for your time. Of course. Anytime you want me back, tell me. You bet.

You bet. All right. Well, that's a fascinating and important discussion. The book. Debunking Utopia.

Exposing the myth Of Nordic socialism. Thanks again to my guest. All right, let's just do this at random. Let's see. I just opened up two.

Page 1622 in the new Cultural Background Study Bible. I'm looking at end of Matthew 6, beginning of Matthew 7, and my eyes fall to Matthew 7, 2. In the same way you judge others, you'll be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Well, what kind of cultural background could you get for that?

Well, Here, Craig Keener, New Testament editor, says, in principle, many Jewish sages and even some Greek thinkers would have agreed with Jesus. And he gives us a reference to another writing. Nevertheless, following Jesus in practice requires more than agreeing with him in principle. Measure, that is, the need to measure appropriately, was common in markets. It is measured to one according to the measure by which one measures, was also a Jewish maxim.

So he says, Hey, there's a Jewish proverb to this respect, and following Jesus on this may be tougher than it actually seems. Again, Every verse where you can have cultural comment, you do. I'm looking at this page here in the book of Job to 3126. Here's a special little article: Job's covenant and arranged marriages, and just on and on. Here's Mesopotamian love poetry and Egyptian love poetry with pictures of cuneiform inscriptions, the beginning of Song of Songs.

Wow. Go to askdrbrown.org, A-S-K-D-R-Brown.org, find out how to get your copy of the Cultural Background Study Bible, 2,350 pages, together with a free two-hour interview if you're an MP3 player with Craig Keener on this very Bible. My bottom line today. Let us learn the lessons of history well, lest we repeat the mistakes of history.