by the Applied Heart Contributors— Regular readers of Applied Heart know that the contributors to this blog are committed to truth. Truth is the issue—and truth has been largely abandoned or forgotten over the last 2 years. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in government institutions tasked with protecting public health. The New York... Continue Reading →
Leviathan Reborn: A Review of Glenn Sunshine’s Slaying Leviathan
by Steve Golden — And yet as I write this, we are witnessing government regulations interfering with even the most basic religious activities, including dictating when and where we can worship and even what we can and cannot do in our free exercise of our faith, while not holding secular groups or even the government... Continue Reading →
Study: Communists and Useful Idiots More Likely to Wear Masks
by Steve Golden — Newsweek recently ran a headline declaring “Narcissists and Psychopaths Are More Likely to Refuse to Wear Masks, Says New Research.” Newsweek and other outlets waxed eloquent about two studies supposedly showing that anyone who refuses to comply with COVID-19 restrictions has severe psycho-social defects. This is yet another example of why... Continue Reading →
It’s Not About Your Health
by Steve Golden — Since March, each week we’ve witnessed astounding abuses of government power—with the media, big tech, and big corporations in lockstep—all done in the name of protecting us from an “invisible enemy.” COVID-19 has become the bogeyman driving every decision from mask mandates to bar operating hours. And yet the hypocrisy lacing... Continue Reading →
When Government Invades the Church: How Should Churches Handle COVID-19 Mandates?
by Steve Golden — In early July, The New York Times smeared churches across the country as veritable petri dishes of COVID-19, calling them a “major source” of infections (the paper has since revised the headline to remove that language). The article claimed that churches’ propensity for “speaking loudly” and “singing” has led to numerous... Continue Reading →
COVID-19 Talking Points That Don’t Fit the Narrative (or, Why Masks Won’t Work)
by Steve Golden — In light of the statewide mask mandate put forth by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (rejected by 90 out of 105 counties) and the subsequent adoption of a modified version by my home county of Shawnee—complete with a 311 line to rat out your neighbors and a $2500.00 fine attached for not... Continue Reading →
Mask Mandates and Social Control
by Steve Golden — Two new states—Oregon and my home state of Kansas—joined the new COVID-19 restriction trend by mandating that people wear masks in public. There’s been no small amount of controversy over coronavirus-related restrictions, and masks are no exception. Questions about whether they really work, what kinds are more effective, and whether they... Continue Reading →
Reopening Churches—It’s Time for Civil Disobedience
by Steve Golden — I recently listened to a sermon at a California church where the teacher made the case for why his church would not be reopening for the present. In the course of making several good points, he noted repeatedly that numerous California clergy had announced their intention to reopen on May 31... Continue Reading →
Government Lockdowns Are Evil—What Can the Church Do?
by Steve Golden — We’re in the middle of a crisis, and I don't mean COVID-19 or widespread riots. For the last two months, millions of Americans have been forced out of work, out of their livelihoods, away from their friends, and into their homes. Early in the shutdowns, social media was filled with jokes... Continue Reading →
The Experts Keep Getting It Wrong, So Why Do We Keep Listening to Them?
by Steve Golden — For many, Memorial Day weekend was a breath of fresh air. Beaches and lakes were open, and humans did what humans were made to do—we flocked to gatherings and enjoyed fellowship with other people. But in the age of COVID-19, a handshake or a hug is followed by furtive glances to... Continue Reading →