Elon Musk is a Free Speech Champion Under Fire

When Males Enter Female Spaces, Latinas Have More to Lose

Live show 6 pm eastern today - https://youtube.com/wearechange More content and call-ins - https://lukeunfiltered.com/ UNHINGED Dems LOSE IT Over JOKES! Media In Full 1930s FREAKOUT Mode This report covers the collective freakout by the Democrats and corporate media in the aftermath of the Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

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from The National Pulse: Following former President Donald J. Trump‘s recent visit to a McDonald’s franchise in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, restaurant owner Derek Giacomantonio has reported receiving threatening messages via phone and social media. Trump’s appearance at the location, where he worked at the fry station and served customers at the drive-thru, drew significant public interest and subsequent threats. […]

On the calendar, Halloween always falls on October 31. But we Christians are often confused about which cultural moment we’re currently in: Are we back in the era where we condemn the day as an evil, pagan practice? Or are we in the stage where it’s seen as (mostly) harmless fun? We’ve been caught up in this binary debate for so long that we may have missed how Halloween has changed and taken on new cultural significance. Halloween today reflects various cultural forces that have influenced its meaning and practice over time. For some, it remains a fun celebration of creativity and community; for others, it’s a more complicated symbol, one that reflects our culture’s ongoing fascination with death, darkness, and the supernatural. These shifting meanings highlight both the fluidity of cultural practices and the persistent human desire for what Halloween represents—connection, identity, and transcendence. Halloween: A Cultural Evolution Historical accounts indicate Halloween was originally rooted in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. That holiday marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter—a time when it was believed that the boundary between the living and the dead grew thin. Over time, though, Christians adapted and transformed many of these pagan customs. By the Middle Ages, the celebration had evolved into a precursor to All Saints’ Day (All Hallows’ Eve), which honored those who had gone before in faith. Around 1745, All Hallows’ Eve began to be called Halloween. When Halloween came to the United States, it continued to change. Taking from Irish and English traditions, Americans in the mid-1800s began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a precursor to today’s trick-or-treating. This blending of European folk traditions, colonial harvest celebrations, and American commercialization eventually turned Halloween into the event many of us remember from our childhoods. Yet over the past decade or so, Halloween has transformed. No longer is it primarily a neighborhood-focused event where children dress up to collect candy. Instead, the holiday has seen unprecedented growth in economic and cultural significance. The National Retail Federation reports that Halloween spending hit a record $12.2 billion in 2023. A survey showed that 72 percent of Americans are planning to celebrate Halloween this year, and they’re planning to spend an average of $103.63 per person (with a collective $700 million predicted to be spent on pet costumes). The rise in spending on the holiday is mostly due to its embrace by adults. Elaborate costumes and parties have been around for a century, of course. But they’ve become the new norm. Similarly, haunted houses have expanded into full-fledged “immersive horror” experiences, where people pay to engross themselves in elaborate scenes of terror. Even our front yards have transformed, decked out with skeletons, cobwebs, and life-size animatronics. Why is Halloween becoming bigger, scarier, sexier, and more extravagant? And what might this tell us about our culture and where it’s headed? We’re Obsessed with Fear and Fantasy Just as we may not all agree on what Halloween is, we may disagree about what the current Halloween surge reveals about our culture. But there are several possible interpretations worth considering. First, the fascination with death and darkness may reflect a longing for something transcendent. In a secular age that downplays spirituality, people still feel drawn to the mysterious and even the macabre because it suggests there’s more to this life than the material world. Halloween, for many, provides a chance to dabble in the supernatural without any genuine risk or commitment. It’s a way to explore our curiosity with the spiritual and yet be shielded from its reality. The fascination with death and darkness may reflect a longing for something transcendent. Second, the cultural embrace of fear may serve as a release valve for deeper anxieties. In a society plagued by division, uncertainty, and anxiety about the future, Halloween offers an opportunity to face fear on manageable terms. Horror movies and haunted houses provide a controlled environment that lets us laugh and scream at the same time. We can face horror knowing we’re completely safe. This ritualizing of fear—turning our nightmares into entertainment—provides a strange sense of empowerment, though one that’s ultimately fleeting and superficial. Another significant shift in Halloween’s cultural evolution is the increasing sexualization of the holiday. What was once an innocent occasion for children to dress up has become an opportunity for adults to wear racy and provocative costumes. This trend first began in the mid-1970s, as Juliet Lapidos notes, when “gay communities in the United States adopted Halloween as an occasion for revealing, over-the-top attire.” Today, it has become ubiquitous and is particularly evident in the women’s costume market, where many outfits are designed to be revealing or emphasize sexual appeal. Such sexualization reveals deeper cultural issues, such as the commodification of the body and how we can confuse our sense of identity with sexual desirability. Additionally, our culture’s investment in fantasy and playacting on Halloween speaks to a deeper hunger for identity and the appeal, especially for adults, of transgressiveness. Costumes allow both children and adults to explore personas different from their daily reality. They can choose characters that represent humor, power, or even moral darkness. This drive might reveal a deeper restlessness—a dissatisfaction with the ordinary and a search for meaning rooted in expressive individualism. How Should Christians Respond? For believers, this holiday presents both challenges and opportunities. How do we disciple our children amid Halloween’s booming cultural allure? How do we relate meaningfully to our neighbors whose front lawns are adorned with the ghoulish rather than the glorious? As you navigate Halloween’s new realities, here are a few suggestions to consider. Protect Your Conscience—and Your Neighbor’s Some Christians may feel convicted to avoid Halloween entirely, while others may see it as an opportunity for community outreach. Both positions can honor Christ if approached thoughtfully and in good conscience. For those who choose to participate, consider how your actions might honor God and reflect his love to your neighbors. Don’t mock or shame those who disagree with your view. Engage with grace and be mindful of how you can build bridges rather than barriers, recognizing that faithful Christians can come to different conclusions. And for those who think Halloween is a pagan practice to be shunned, avoid rushing to judgment about those who disagree. Recognize that many aspects of Halloween are about adiaphora, “indifferent things.” As the apostle Paul might say, Halloween candy doesn’t bring us near to God; we’re no worse if we don’t eat and no better if we do (see 1 Cor. 8:8). Identify the Most Realistic Dangers For most children, the danger of Halloween isn’t that they’ll become enamored with pagan spirituality but rather that they’ll succumb to a more subtle idol—materialism. A focus on acquiring more treats or having the best costume may seem tame. But it feeds into the increasing materialism that extends throughout the holiday season. Parents can guide children by emphasizing generosity, homespun creativity, and communal activities rather than sheer accumulation or competition. For adults, a primary danger lies in the idol of escapism. Halloween offers an opportunity for many to indulge in fantasy, anonymity, and excess. Many are seeking a reprieve from the pressures of daily life and consider October 31 a time when moral rules become more flexible. This escape, even when seemingly harmless, can lead to a deeper disengagement from the responsibilities and realities of the world God has called us to steward. Adults should be mindful of how their participation in Halloween activities reflects their values and consider how they can use this cultural moment to demonstrate self-control, hospitality, and genuine joy, rather than an ephemeral thrill. Seek Out Gospel-Oriented Opportunities Halloween can provide opportunities to point our neighbors to deeper truths. Conversations about fear, death, and even costume choices can become entry points to discuss the reality of sin, the surprise of the gospel, and other matters of faith. For instance, if your coworker’s desk is strung with (cotton) cobwebs, or your neighbor’s yard is littered with (plastic) corpses, you have an opportunity to ask why Halloween is a favorite holiday and to follow up with a discussion of spiritual realities. Conversations about fear, death, and even costume choices can become entry points to discuss the reality of sin, the surprise of the gospel, and other matters of faith. In a similar way, the extravagance of Halloween decorations can offer a unique entry point for connection. Rather than withdrawing or condemning, try engaging. Compliment people’s creativity, join in the neighborhood activities, or host an event of your own. Showing Christ’s love often begins with merely being present—sharing life, even in moments where the culture seems far from him. Just as Paul in Athens pointed to an altar dedicated to an “unknown god” to bridge his message to a pagan audience (Acts 17:23), we too can use this cultural moment to point to deeper truths. Shine Light in the Darkness Halloween may be growing scarier and more elaborate, but the message of Christ’s triumph over fear and death remains steadfast. While the world decorates for fright, we have an occasion to embody hope. We have an opportunity to disciple our children and engage our neighbors, showing them there’s a Light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5). As believers, we can approach Halloween not with fear or judgment but with discernment and grace. By engaging thoughtfully with our culture’s evolving traditions, we can demonstrate that our hope is anchored in something far greater than seasonal thrills or fleeting escapes. In doing so, we invite others to consider the eternal truths that give meaning to our celebrations and transform our fears into faith.

“How can you defend those people?” This question is by far the most common response I receive when I tell people I’m a public defender. It’s well-meaning from some but comes with pity or a hint of disapproval from others. After all, it seems obvious my clients are bad guys who’ve done bad things. To some, the guilty don’t deserve an advocate. Others express encouragement and excitement that I get to defend “innocent” people. These cheerleaders recognize that my clients are poor and often mentally ill or drug-addicted. They’re frequently racial minorities who are victims of circumstances beyond their control that set them up for failure and all but guarantee their entry into the criminal justice system. To some, the disadvantaged deserve mercy. Neither response fully characterizes the nature of defending the accused. Gospel as the Starting Point True, my clients—those people—undoubtedly are wrongdoers who are often guilty, at least of something. None of my clients is naturally righteous; they’ve all turned away, and not one of them does good (Ps. 14:3). They’re sinners. Yet at the same time, they’re fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image (Ps. 139:14). Their God-given value survives their wrongdoing, just as a crime victim’s dignity withstands the harm she’s suffered. My clients are my neighbors, and they’re entitled to my love. So how can I defend them? The gospel helps. More than a mere example, Jesus gives the power and strength to love and serve like he does. Jesus calls everyone to seek justice the way God does. And we read in the Bible that Jesus didn’t come to advocate and counsel a bunch of nice, good people who have no need for his perfect service. He came to save sinners who cannot lift a finger to save themselves (Matt. 9:12–13). He did so at infinite cost despite the recipients not deserving it. Borrowing from Clint Eastwood, “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it.” God’s grace does all the work. So the fact that some, and maybe most, of my clients have committed some wrong isn’t a barrier to them receiving my help; it’s the starting point for why they need it. 5 Biblical Principles for Criminal Justice What does justice look like practically for the defense attorney? In his recent book Reforming Criminal Justice, Matthew Martens explains that Christians are obligated “to be neighbors to those in need with whom we cross paths when it is within our means.” He identifies several biblical principles—accuracy, due process, accountability, impartiality, and proportionality—that guide love within a criminal justice context. Since my job requires that I be a neighbor to my clients, these principles apply to my work. 1. Accuracy God is a perfect Judge; he takes accuracy seriously (Prov. 17:15). He never overcharges, wrongfully accuses, falsely convicts, or acquits the guilty. He’s neither too harsh nor too lenient. People, on the other hand, aren’t as impeccable in judgment. Much of defending the accused is truth-seeking. The government only has God-given authority to bear the sword against true moral wrongdoers, so before the sword is unsheathed, we must ask, Is the accusation true? The government only has God-given authority to bear the sword against true moral wrongdoers, so before the sword is unsheathed, we must ask, Is the accusation true? A concern for accuracy is near the heart of a criminal defense attorney’s job. It’s unjust to acquit the guilty, and it’s unjust to punish the innocent. To seek accurate judgments, attorneys must diligently probe for weaknesses or blind spots in an accusation while being honest with the accused about the evidence against him (the vast majority of people in U.S. prisons are men). Prominent examples of demonstrably false convictions abound in the United States, even in the highest-stakes cases where the accused faces the death penalty. The defense lawyer—usually a public defender, since most criminal defendants cannot afford a lawyer—is the main line of defense against inaccurate judgments. 2. Due Process It takes a process to get from an accusation to an accurate judgment. Defense lawyers must ensure the processes in place for securing accurate judgments are followed. A pernicious temptation often present in prosecutions or investigations is to dispense with “mere formalities” like constitutional rights, trials, and evidence. After all, the sentiment goes, the person must have done something wrong or he wouldn’t have been accused. It’s true many of my cases look bad from their inception: sometimes it seems the accused has been caught red-handed. But processes are aimed at ensuring that even wrongdoers are judged rightly—that they’re only held accountable for what they did and that their God-given dignity is respected in the process. Even in history’s first trial, God heard Adam and Eve’s cases before imposing judgment (Gen. 3:8–13). Process can be unpopular, but it’s good and necessary, especially given the extreme caseloads that public defenders typically carry. Process produces greater justice, not less. 3. Accountability In nearly all my cases, my clients have fallen on hard times. Many defendants have suffered miserable childhoods, most are poor, some have been abused, and scores are gripped by addiction or wracked by mental illness. These realities make many transgressions understandable, though at times it seems some judges, prosecutors, police, and even defense lawyers are unmoved. Still, some advocates for the accused can oscillate too far away from condemning and toward condoning. In their eyes, difficult circumstances predestine transgression and eliminate agency and culpability for criminal defendants. They claim the guilty defendant is the real victim. But God holds truths in tension. And by his grace, so too can his people. Christopher Watkin’s concept of “diagonalization” is helpful here. Watkin says “the Bible disrupts the oppositions” that tend to structure cultural approaches to all sorts of things, including justice. The defense attorney must avoid the potential blinders of advocacy that tempt one to call evil good. The guilty can warrant just judgment on the one hand and be owed fair and dignified treatment on the other. My job isn’t to help my clients avoid any consequences for true wrongdoing (nor is it to prosecute them myself). It’s to make sure they’re treated justly; that they receive their due, which is love in the form of justice, even if love sometimes involves consequences for wrongdoing (see Heb. 12:6). 4. Impartiality God calls people to judge rightly and not tilt the scales of justice based on outward appearances (e.g., John 7:24). Unfortunately, fallen humanity tends to elevate appearance over truth and prejudge disputes based on the parties involved. This temptation runs in many directions (e.g., Lev. 19:15). God doesn’t judge that way. He looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). The judgments made within the criminal justice system typically don’t run that deep, but the defense attorney seeks to prevent those making judgments from looking only at the surface—appearance, poverty, or the mere fact of an accusation. As Martens rightly identifies, race can play a role in whether an accused or guilty person receives his due. Partiality appears deep-rooted in our criminal justice system. I have no neat answers for how to combat this persistent problem, but surely the solution must start with prayer, action, and the heart changes that necessarily flow from the Holy Spirit moving among communities over time. 5. Proportionality “Tough on crime!” “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime!” These sentiments are common, but are they just? Process produces greater justice, not less. Venting the retributive urge doesn’t reflect God’s justice (James 1:20; Rom. 12:19). Miroslav Volf reminds us that sin can twist today’s victim into tomorrow’s perpetrator: “If victims do not repent today they will become perpetrators tomorrow who, in their self-deceit, will seek to exculpate their misdeeds on account of their own victimization.” The degrading possibilities of utilitarianism fall short too (stoning for jaywalking would surely deter!). Justice is about more than convictions. Martens notes, “A punishment is just, in the biblical view, because it is deserved, and what makes a punishment deserved is its correspondence to the severity of the wrong committed.” In wielding the sword, a government isn’t entitled to punish without boundaries. God doesn’t allow us to do whatever we want to wrongdoers, and as a defense lawyer I fight to protect against the temptation to do so. Even a true wrongdoer can experience injustice if he receives disproportionate punishment. Toward Reconciliation When God “sentenced” Adam and Eve, in real and profound ways they received the sentence he warned of—death. But with the punishment came God’s gracious offer of hope for future reconciliation and restoration. This proto-evangelium (Gen. 3:15) was an expression of God’s heart for humanity (Ezek. 33:11). He fervently seeks to win sinners to himself (Luke 19:10). God charges his people with being ambassadors of this good news. The criminal defense lawyer, and everyone else, should seek to keep God’s goals at the forefront of our efforts to do justice. Eventually, cases end and the defendants, victims, lawyers, judges, and communities involved remain. A Christian approach to practicing criminal justice, in the courtroom or the community, seeks to ensure our neighbors can hear the good news more clearly than when the case began.

Sometimes I get tough questions from friends in the workplace. Not long ago, one confessed she didn’t make time for spiritual disciplines or church because she faced pressure to work every moment of every day. She dreaded waking up to 100 emails that demanded her urgent attention. She knew she couldn’t keep up this pace. But she worried about the thousands of people who’d suffer if she didn’t complete her work. She couldn’t just walk away. But she couldn’t resolve this dilemma another way, either. What should she do? I didn’t know the answer. But I knew who to ask. My friend Bob Doll is president, CEO, and CIO of Crossmark Global Investments, a faith-based investment firm offering values-based strategies. Bob is a highly regarded investment professional who has held leadership roles at several global asset management firms. Prior to joining Crossmark, he was chief equity strategist and senior portfolio manager at Nuveen Asset Management. His previous positions included serving as chief equity strategist at BlackRock, president and chief investment officer of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, and chief investment officer of Oppenheimer Funds. But I mostly know Bob as a seriously dedicated Christian who has long encouraged me and many others in our ministry. Chances are he’s served on the board of a Christian organization that has blessed you. I invited him to join me on Gospelbound to discuss several topics, such as sharing faith in an increasingly hostile-to-faith world, moving the work of the church out of its four walls, and stewarding everything God has given us, including our wealth.

This is the Giants' season in a nutshell