Religion, Nations, and Geopolitical Review: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21

by A. Joseph Lynch

THE WEEKLY BRIEF

NON-IMPEACHMENT IMPEACHMENT

We now know the House Democrat's impeachment strategy was a kind of non-impeachment impeachment. The news tells us that Trump was impeached on two counts, yet Noah Feldman, a pro-impeachment Harvard professor and Democrat witness during the investigation, explains that impeachment is a process, not a vote. Impeachment, in other words, does not take effect until the two articles of impeachment have been sent to the Senate for trial. Trump is not impeached until the House tells the Senate he is impeached. It is now uncertain that this will take place.

Despite what Pelosi says, Trump has not officially been impeached.

The fact of the matter is that the Democrats have now fired everything they have at President Trump. From the "bullets" of their pundits to the "missiles" of the Leftist mainstream media - and now the "nuclear bomb" that is impeachment. The Democrats have nothing left to fire on the President.

Yet Trump's approval has risen and his advantage against Democrat presidential candidates grows.

If Pelosi refuses to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate, Trump will call impeachment "fake news" while McConnell in the Senate will continue to call Democrats "chicken" with cold feet. And if Pelosi makes impeachment official, the coming Senate trial will reveal the emptiness of the charges while derailing the candidacy of many Democrat presidential candidates from the Senate (who will be silently locked away in the Senate for six days a week during the trial). If questions emerge about Hunter Biden and Ukraine, it could also prove irrevocably damaging to Joe Biden's campaign.

Neither official impeachment nor non-impeachment impeachment are winning strategies. And in the battle for political power, the Democrats just ran out of ammo. 2020 looks to be a good year for President Trump and America.

I. POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

FRANCIS AND MARY: Pope Francis has a deep devotion to Mary, in particular Mary as the Untier of Knots. Francis was blasted by conservatives this week after he rightly called the addition of new Marian dogmas "foolishness". As we wage war against the dark forces operating in the world, it is highly unlikely that we will rally our Protestant brethren to our cause by declaring Mary the Co-Redepmptrix or Mediatrix of all Graces, much less declare her the "quasi-Incarnation" of the Holy Spirit. Such unnecessary dogmas will create more knots that untie the many that confront us.

NO MORE SECRECY: Pope Francis has abolished the use of "pontifical secrecy" in its investigations of sexual predation among the clergy. More work remains, but this is a good move towards transparency.

QUO VADIS, HANNITY? FoxNews host Sean Hannity has officially left the Catholic Church. Hannity had questioned Church teaching the past, but has sadly now allowed the conservative assault on the Holy Father to drive him out of the arms of Mother Church.

THERE THEY GO AGAIN: Another Minnesota bishop is in the hot seat for covering up a homosexual predator priest. More from Church Militant.

II. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND AMERICA

IG REPORT: Some viewed the IG report as a bit of a mixed bag for conservatives, yet the Horowitz had a more limited scope and could not prosecute crimes. The report, however, was nevertheless damning. The fact that John Durham, who is in the middle of a much larger investigation with prosecutorial powers, publicly disagreed with some findings in the report, is a sign of things to come. Durham is now requesting the CIA for all communications records of former CIA head John Brennan, including Brennan's communications with former FBI Director James Comey. Brennan could face prosecution for lying to Congress after the IG report contradicted his testimony that the Steele dossier was not used during the Trump investigation. Last Sunday Comey faced off with a surprisingly fierce Chris Wallace. The IG report may not have had everything conservatives wanted, but there was enough there to brace us for what will come later this year in the Durham investigation.

DEMOCRAT FLIP: The Democrats in the House have gone so far to the Left, that they've officially forced one of their members - Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey - to join the Republicans. With all but two "moderates" voting to impeach, do they really expect to keep the House next year?

HARD LEFT "MODERATES": A smaller and whiter pool of Democrat presidential hopefuls debated this week. So-called "moderate" candidates Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg argued respectively for the destruction of hundreds of thousands of jobs in the name climate change and for $2.2 trillion in reparations to illegal immigrants. If these are the moderates, who can beat Trump?

CHRISTIANITY TODAY: Founded by Billy Graham, the Evangelical magazine is calling for Trump's removal from office. This has sparked quite a reaction from conservative Evangelicals, including Graham's son, who has declared his father indeed voted for Trump. Although it is shrinking there is still some fight left in the conservative "Never Trump" movement.

III. THE NATIONS

SAUDIS AND PAKISTANIS OPT OUT: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were noticeably absent from a large gathering of Islamic leaders in Malaysia this week. It is said that Pakistan's prime minister, who played a large role in organizing the meeting, was pressured by the Saudis to pull out of the meeting at the last minute. While other Muslim nations seek to address Islam in the world the Saudis refuse to share the stage with rivals and continue on their own path of Wahhabi radicalism.

INDIA AND RELIGIOUS IMMIGRATION: As Muslims met in Malaysia, the Indian government moves forward on its religiously-based citizenship legislation. Despite accounting for less than 15% of the total population, India is now the third largest Muslim nation in the world. India's new law has been criticized for not extending citizenship to Muslim migrants, yet it must be noted that Muslim migrants in India have Pakistan and Bangladesh bordering India - both are in the top five largest Muslim countries in the world. For the Christian migrant - in many cases persecuted by Muslims precisely in Pakistan or Bangladesh - where's the nearest Christian nation? We should applaud India's move to extend citizenship to those religiously persecuted with no where else to turn.

BREXIT MOVING FORWARD: After 847 days of campaigning against Brexit, the Brit known as "Stop Brexit Man" has officially given up. After clearing Parliament this week with a massive 124-vote majority of 358 for Brexit to 234 against, Brexit is set to take effect January 31. We hope other European nations will follow suit.

IV. CULTURE OF LIFE, CULTURE OF PROTECTION

MEN'S ROOM TAMPONS: The ACLU is demanding the defense of "menstrual  justice" by ensuring access to tampons in men's restrooms. Another reason why we need laws protecting gendered bathrooms.

SANTA'S GENDER: Liberals demand an end to "Father" Christmas.

FLAG BURNER GETS 15-YEAR SENTENCE: No, he didn't burn an American flag. That's "protected free speech". He burned a gay pride flag. The inversion of justice continues.

MORMON'S ARE OUT: Around 400,000 Mormons are in the process of leaving the Boy (and not Girl) Scouts. The number accounts for about 18% of the organization's membership. Member dues are now set to nearly double next year. None of this bodes well for the "diversifying" organization.

HOMELESS DIRECTOR RESIGNS...: ...after hiring a transsexual stripper to perform at a conference on homelessness. We can't make up insane stories such as this.