Podcasts about our declaration

Danielle Allen and Mark Fagan say that when tested, thoughtfully deployed, and regulated AI actually can help governments serve citizens better. Sure, there is no shortage of horror stories these days about the intersection of AI and government—from a municipal chatbot that told restaurant owners it was OK to serve food that had been gnawed by rodents to artificial intelligence police tools that misidentify suspects through faulty facial recognition. And now the Trump administration and Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE say they are fast-tracking the use of AI to root out government waste and fraud, while making public virtually no details about what tools they are using or how they'll be deployed. But Allen and Fagan, say that while careless deployment creates risks like opening security holes, exacerbating inefficiencies, and automating flawed decision-making, AI done the right way can help administrators and policymakers make better and smarter decisions, and can make governments more accessible and responsive to the citizens they serve. They also say we need to reorient our thinking from AI being a replacement for human judgement to a partnership model, where each brings its strengths to the table. Danielle Allen is an HKS professor and the founder of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation. Mark Fagan is a lecturer in public policy and faculty chair of the Delivering Public Services section of the Executive Education Program at HKS. They join PolicyCast host Ralph Ranalli to explain the guidelines, guardrails, and principles that can help government get AI right. Policy Recommendations:Danielle Allen's Policy Recommendations:* Support the "people's bid" for TikTok and generally promote an alternative, pro-social model for social media platforms.* Establish AI offices in state governments: Create offices that use AI to enhance openness, accountability, and transparency in government.Mark Fagan's Policy Recommendations:* Implement "sandbox" spaces for regulatory experimentation that allow organizations to test different policy ideas in a controlled environment to see what works.* Adopt a risk-based regulatory approach similar to the EU that categorize AI regulations based on risk levels, with clear guidelines on high-risk activities where AI use is prohibited versus those where experimentation is allowed. Danielle Allen is the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University. She is a professor of political philosophy, ethics, and public policy and director of the Democratic Knowledge Project and of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation. She is also a seasoned nonprofit leader, democracy advocate, national voice on AI and tech ethics, and author. A past chair of the Mellon Foundation and Pulitzer Prize Board, and former dean of humanities at the University of Chicago, she is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and American Philosophical Society. Her many books include the widely acclaimed Talking to Strangers: Anxieties of Citizenship Since Brown v Board of Education;  Our Declaration: a reading of the Declaration of Independence in defense of equality; Cuz: The Life and Times of Michael A.; Democracy in the Time of Coronavirus; and Justice by Means of Democracy. She writes a column on constitutional democracy for the Washington Post. Outside the University, she is a co-chair for the Our Common Purpose Commission and Founder and President for Partners in Democracy, where she advocates for democracy reform to create greater voice and access in our democracy, and to drive progress towards a new social contract that serves and includes us all. She holds Ph.Ds from Harvard University in government and from King's College, University of Cambridge, in classics; master's degrees from Harvard University in government and King's College, University of Cambridge in classics; and an AB from Princeton in classics.Mark Fagan is a lecturer in public policy and former senior fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard Kennedy School. He teaches Operations Management, Service Delivery via Systems Thinking and Supply Chain Management, and Policy Design and Delivery in the degree program. In executive education, he is the faculty chair for Delivering Public Services: Efficiency, Equity and Quality. In another program, he teaches strategy and cross boundary collaboration. The focus of his research is on the role of regulation in competitive markets. He is presently spearheading an initiative at the Taubman Center for State and Local Government that examines the policy and associated regulatory impacts of autonomous vehicles. He leads efforts to catalyze policy making through Autonomous Vehicle Policy Scrums, cross sector policy design sessions hosted by governments from Boston to Buenos Aries to Toronto. Fagan earned a Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning at Harvard University and a BA at Bucknell University.Ralph Ranalli of the HKS Office of Communications and Public Affairs is the host, producer, and editor of HKS PolicyCast. A former journalist, public television producer, and entrepreneur, he holds an BA in political science from UCLA and a master's in journalism from Columbia University.Scheduling and logistical support for PolicyCast is provided by Lilian Wainaina. Design and graphics support is provided by Laura King and the OCPA Design Team. Web design and social media promotion support is provided by Catherine Santrock and Natalie Montaner of the OCPA Digital Team. Editorial support is provided by Nora Delaney and Robert O'Neill of the OCPA Editorial Team.

There is an active attempt being made by our culture to redefine God, who he is and what he's declared. For example, how many times have we heard from politicians that a person can be religious and still be pro-choice or that we can be pro-LGBTQ and still honor God. All of this points to the idea that rather than recognize that man is made in the image of God, we're trying to make God in our image and to follow our way of thinking. --In response, there's a new book that's been released called, The Eclipse of God by Dr. Erwin Lutzer, subtitled, -Our nation's disastrous search for a more inclusive deity -and what we must do about it.-- Dr. Lutzer notes that just as the moon obscures the sun's light during an eclipse, today's radical secularism has obscured the light of God. The solution, as the book communicates, is to help readers see that first and foremost the church must return to God. We must renew our understanding of His sovereignty and holiness. Dr. Lutzer reminds us that the culture war has come to us- we didn't seek it, but win or lose, we must stand against it without losing our testimony for the gospel.--Overall, here are the objectives of this book---1.--To better understand the intellectual roots of this present darkness.--2.--To rejoice that God is sovereign and stands ready to give us the blessing of His presence, no matter our predicament.--3.--To remind us that only a repentant and submissive church can shine the light of the gospel with confidence and strength--Each chapter concludes with -The Lessons for Us,- -Our Declaration of Dependence- and -Action Steps.-

There is an active attempt being made by our culture to redefine God, who he is and what he's declared. For example, how many times have we heard from politicians that a person can be religious and still be pro-choice or that we can be pro-LGBTQ and still honor God. All of this points to the idea that rather than recognize that man is made in the image of God, we're trying to make God in our image and to follow our way of thinking. In response, there's a new book that's been released called, The Eclipse of God by Dr. Erwin Lutzer, subtitled, "Our nation's disastrous search for a more inclusive deity (and what we must do about it.)" Dr. Lutzer notes that just as the moon obscures the sun's light during an eclipse, today's radical secularism has obscured the light of God. The solution, as the book communicates, is to help readers see that first and foremost the church must return to God. We must renew our understanding of His sovereignty and holiness. Dr. Lutzer reminds us that the culture war has come to us; we didn't seek it, but win or lose, we must stand against it without losing our testimony for the gospel.Overall, here are the objectives of this book:1.--To better understand the intellectual roots of this present darkness.2.--To rejoice that God is sovereign and stands ready to give us the blessing of His presence, no matter our predicament.3.--To remind us that only a repentant and submissive church can shine the light of the gospel with confidence and strengthEach chapter concludes with "The Lessons for Us," "Our Declaration of Dependence" and "Action Steps."

There is an active attempt being made by our culture to redefine God, who he is and what he's declared. For example, how many times have we heard from politicians that a person can be religious and still be pro-choice or that we can be pro-LGBTQ and still honor God. All of this points to the idea that rather than recognize that man is made in the image of God, we're trying to make God in our image and to follow our way of thinking. --In response, there's a new book that's been released called, The Eclipse of God by Dr. Erwin Lutzer, subtitled, -Our nation's disastrous search for a more inclusive deity -and what we must do about it.-- Dr. Lutzer notes that just as the moon obscures the sun's light during an eclipse, today's radical secularism has obscured the light of God. The solution, as the book communicates, is to help readers see that first and foremost the church must return to God. We must renew our understanding of His sovereignty and holiness. Dr. Lutzer reminds us that the culture war has come to us- we didn't seek it, but win or lose, we must stand against it without losing our testimony for the gospel.--Overall, here are the objectives of this book---1.--To better understand the intellectual roots of this present darkness.--2.--To rejoice that God is sovereign and stands ready to give us the blessing of His presence, no matter our predicament.--3.--To remind us that only a repentant and submissive church can shine the light of the gospel with confidence and strength--Each chapter concludes with -The Lessons for Us,- -Our Declaration of Dependence- and -Action Steps.-

There is an active attempt being made by our culture to redefine God, who he is and what he's declared. For example, how many times have we heard from politicians that a person can be religious and still be pro-choice or that we can be pro-LGBTQ and still honor God. All of this points to the idea that rather than recognize that man is made in the image of God, we're trying to make God in our image and to follow our way of thinking. In response, there's a new book that's been released called, The Eclipse of God by Dr. Erwin Lutzer, subtitled, "Our nation's disastrous search for a more inclusive deity (and what we must do about it.)" Dr. Lutzer notes that just as the moon obscures the sun's light during an eclipse, today's radical secularism has obscured the light of God. The solution, as the book communicates, is to help readers see that first and foremost the church must return to God. We must renew our understanding of His sovereignty and holiness. Dr. Lutzer reminds us that the culture war has come to us; we didn't seek it, but win or lose, we must stand against it without losing our testimony for the gospel.Overall, here are the objectives of this book:1.--To better understand the intellectual roots of this present darkness.2.--To rejoice that God is sovereign and stands ready to give us the blessing of His presence, no matter our predicament.3.--To remind us that only a repentant and submissive church can shine the light of the gospel with confidence and strengthEach chapter concludes with "The Lessons for Us," "Our Declaration of Dependence" and "Action Steps."

In this conversation with Writer’s Voice host Francesca Rheannon, political theorist Danielle Allen talks about two core ideas at the heart of our nation’s Declaration of Independence: freedom and liberty. How are they aligned? How are they different? And can they contradict each other? Listen to a clip on YouTube We re-air our 2014 interview … Continue reading July 4 Special: Danielle Allen, OUR DECLARATION →

In 2014, Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Danielle Allen about her newly published book, OUR DECLARATION: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality. Featured on the front page of the New York Times, her book publisher writes in its description of the book: "Our Declaration is already regarded as a seminal work that reinterprets the promise of American democracy through our founding text. Combining a personal account of teaching the Declaration with a vivid evocation of the colonial world between 1774 and 1777, Allen, a political philosopher renowned for her work on justice and citizenship reveals our nation's founding text to be an animating force that not only changed the world more than two-hundred years ago, but also still can. Challenging conventional wisdom, she boldly makes the case that the Declaration is a document as much about political equality as about individual liberty."Danielle Allen is James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University and director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. She is a professor of political philosophy, ethics, and public policy.

Our Declaration in 2024 by iSEE CHURCH

As we celebrate our nation's Declaration of Independence may we be mindful that our independence rests on our dependence on God. - Our Declaration of Dependence on God.

I want to give a warm welcome to Danielle Allen. Danielle's work to improve the world for the youth has taken her from intructing college classes to the helm of a $6 billion foundation, writing as a national opinion columnist, democracy, reform, civic education, and most recently running for governer of Massachusetts. She made history as the first black woman to ever run for statewide office in the state. As well as being the 2020 winner of the library of congress Kluge prize, recieved for her internationally recognized scholarship and political theory and her commitment to improving democratic practice and civics education. The Kluge prize recognizes scholarly achievement in the disciplines not covered by the Nobel prize.  Danielle Allen studies classics, democratic theory, politiceal soceology, and the history of political thought. A professor at Harvard, she directs the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics. She has published widely on justice, government, and ctitizenship both in ancient Athens and modern America. She is the lead investigator for Harvards democratic knowledge project striving to strengthen democracies.  Welcome Danielle Allen! Learn more about Danielle: https://www.americatheindivisible.org/ https://scholar.harvard.edu/danielleallen/home https://ethics.harvard.edu/people/danielle-allen https://www.ted.com/speakers/danielle_allen https://youtu.be/nj_kTHa3Ggk https://wwnorton.com/books/Our-Declaration/ https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/books/review/our-declaration-by-danielle-allen.html This podcast is in partnership with The Jackson Hole Center for Global Affairs (JHCGA)  a leading nonpartisan NGO based in Jackson, Wyoming.  We bring leaders and communities together in Jackson Hole to drive breakthroughs to global challenges. Subscribe to our email list here.

Bill Cooper Tribute Ep 2: Our Declaration, and Bill's Backstory in His WordsThis was a Ba'al Busters Rumble Livestream of great importance. I put together for you a collection of Hour of the Time Broadcasts of Bill Cooper's so he could tell you in his own words some of his backstory, his motivation, the difference between him and so-called "patriot" influencers out there sending you off to chase your tails and neutralize your efforts. He calls out his audience's laziness, apathy, and hypocrisy, as well as those they allow to form their opinions for them. Raise the Bar. Raise your standards. Listen to everyone, read everything, believe NOTHINING unless You can verify it in your own research. Stop taking other people's word for things. Be a leader, at least of yourself, and of your family. No more blind following. It's dangerous.In the second half, you learn that George Washington was actually the 8th president of the United States. Bill gives us a brilliant reading of the Declaration of Independence, and describes the men who put everything on the line for our freedom and independence. He tells us of each of the signatories' fate, their devastation at the hands of the British, punishment for having supported an act of rebellion. He explains what it means to be free, and what we are giving up as we sit and watch the demise of our great and noble ideals. If you have children, have them listen to this. Have them listen to it once a week. Give the messages and values herein a chance to permeate the minds that have been starved such education, such identity, through their communist-Marxist de-valued school indoctrination.

This program is part of the Created Equal and Breathing Free podcast series presented in partnership with Florida Humanities. Join us for a conversation with very special guest Dr. Danielle Allen — Harvard Professor, classicist, and political scientist, and the author of “Our Declaration,” a book about this critical moment in the future of building a multiracial democracy. At a time when the future of American democracy is under threat from across the political spectrum — when a disturbingly high number of citizens seem to no longer believe in the American project — Dr. Allen's body of work “thrillingly affirms the continuing relevance of America's founding text, ultimately revealing what democracy actually means and what it asks of us.” Part democracy's orator and part its master mechanic, Dr. Allen is uniquely equipped to guide us to the other side of our current crisis of faith in democracy. Dr. Allen's contributions to this moment in history are tangible and impactful — she recently co-chaired the comprehensive report Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century.  Find Danielle Allen's piece “How the Declaration of Independence Offers a Roadmap to a Better Union” in the Spring 2020 “Democracy Edition” of Forum Magazine (begins on page 22). Join us for this important conversation about our future you won't soon forget, facilitated by Dr. Nashid Madyun, Executive Director of Florida Humanities. 

Our nation and our first educational institutions were founded on the principles of Christ.  Our Declaration proclaims this to the world and our colleges and universities has these principles sewn into their very fabric.  The farther we stray from these principles the more and more our nation and our system of education unravels.

An interview with Quinton Morris, a Seattle-based violinist, professor, educator, founder, filmmaker, radio host, and entrepreneur. We discuss his path from South King County, WA to some of the nation's premier educational institutions and back. Quinton has toured the nation and the world as a violinist and is a professor at Seattle University and the founder of Key to Change, a remarkable educational organization.   Highlights Quinton’s background - 8:26 Creating meaningful changes for students - 9:37 Playing an instrument to go to college - 12:32 Having a part-time job to pay for music lessons - 15:37 Being a very reflective teacher - 17:11 Keeping kids engaged - 30:09 Increasing the level of impact - 32:06 An inspirational person in his life - 47:32 Quinton’s bad experience at school - 50:18 Playing in a local community orchestra - 53:31 His experience in Boston - 59:01 Quinton’s performing career - 1:12:18 The importance of relationships- 1:15:10 Being a cancer survivor - 1:20:10   Episode Resources Connect with Robert Hunt Simonds: roberthuntsimonds@gmail.com  http://roberthuntsimonds.com/ http://craigwagnermusic.blogspot.com  Connect with Quinton Morris: https://twitter.com/quintonimorris?lang=en  Quinton's bio: https://www.seattleu.edu/artsci/about/faculty-and-staff/quinton-morris-dma.html  Key to Change: http://keytochangestudio.org  "Our Declaration" by Danielle Allen: https://www.amazon.com/Our-Declaration-Reading-Independence-Equality-ebook/dp/B00FPT5KYW  "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua: https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Hymn-Tiger-Mother-Chua-ebook/dp/B004CLYKLI/ref=sr_1_1?crid=RCKCTFFZ6MC3&dchild=1&keywords=battle+hymn+of+the+tiger+mother&qid=1599097297&s=digital-text&sprefix=battle+him%2Cdigital-text%2C167&sr=1-1 "Ahead of the Curve" by Philip Delves Broughton: https://www.amazon.com/Ahead-Curve-Harvard-Business-School-ebook/dp/B001D6FIQ6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=J3EAVUJW3H48&dchild=1&keywords=ahead+of+the+curve&qid=1599097362&s=digital-text&sprefix=ahead+o%2Cdigital-text%2C172&sr=1-1

An Altar of Acacia WoodExodus 27:1-21 & 38:1-20by William Klock We’ve taken a break from our study of Exodus since March since it seemed appropriate to take some encouragement from Scripture in the midst of a difficult time, but this morning we’ll be picking up where we left off in Exodus, at Chapter 27.  We were in the middle of the bit of Exodus—actually a fairly large “bit”—that describes the instructions for and the building of the tabernacle.  As I said earlier this year, while there are a lot of people who see the giving of the torah, the law, as the high point of Exodus, I’m convinced that the high point is actually the tabernacle.  Exodus is about the Lord creating a people for himself—that’s the “You will be my people and I will be your God” covenant—and the Lord then taking up his residence in the midst of that people, God returning to dwell with human beings.  God created human beings to live in his presence and to rule his creation as stewards.  That’s what the garden was about in Genesis.  In the garden humans shared in the life of God.  But we rebelled.  Because of our sin, we were case out, no longer able to live in the presence of the holy.  We lost our access to the life of God and became subject not only to our broken and sinful wills, but to death.  And, apart from the Lord, humanity eventually lost all knowledge of him.  This is the main message of the Tower of Babel story.  And yet the very next thing we read in the narrative is the calling of Abraham.  In Abraham, God spoke into the darkness of the world and summoned a man from whom he would establish a people—a people amongst whom he would dwell, but also a people through whom the human race would once again know our Creator—and not only know, but eventually be reconciled with him.  This is why I say that the tabernacle is the high point of Exodus.  This is what God’s been working towards since calling Abraham: creating a people in whose midst he would dwell.  The torah was given to set the people apart from the rest of humanity.  The sacrificial system was to give them a means of approach.  The tabernacle, though, was the heart of it: the place in which the Lord would be present at the heart of the Israelite camp and, later, at the heart of their life in the promised land.And so, last time back in March, we read about the instructions (and how those instructions were followed) for this beautiful tent.  It wasn’t big by modern standards.  It was about as long as our church, about as wide as the centre portion of pews and aisles, and about as high as the tie rods that cross our ceiling.  It wasn’t big, but it was beautifully made, not only fit for the presence of the Lord, but full of imagery that both hearkened back to the garden and that reminded the people of the holiness of God.  And this tent was to be setup in the middle of the Israelite camp.  There the Lord’s presence rested on the mercy seat, on the ark of the covenant, and around this great tent the Lord’s people went about their lives according to the covenant he’d established with them.  And as I said last time, the tabernacle wasn’t a church.  Only the priests were allowed inside—and only the high priest once a year into the most holy place where the Lord’s presence was manifest.  But there was a greater complex to the tabernacle, a complex where the people brought their offerings that they might remain in right relationship, might maintain the covenant with the Lord.  And that’s what we get to today.  Chapters 27 and 38 are mainly about the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and, more importantly, about the altar that stood in its centre, outside the tabernacle.  We’ll focus on Chapter 27 where the instructions are given, but if we turn over to Chapter 38:1-20 we see the report that these instructions were followed out, the court and the altar made, and the writer of Exodus makes the point by repeating the language of the instructions almost verbatim, highlighting the faithfulness of the people to the Lord’s instructions.Let’s start in the middle of Chapter 27, with the tabernacle courtyard, then we’ll work our way back to the altar.  Look at verses 9-19:“You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side.  Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.  And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.  And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases.  The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits.  The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases.  On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases.  For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases.  All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze.  The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze.  All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze. What’s being described here is the public area surrounding the tabernacle.  Well, public in the sense that the covenant people, marked out by circumcision were permitted.  Gentiles and anyone who was ceremonially unclean were unable to enter.  What’s described here is the heavy linen fence that will surround the tabernacle itself.  It’s to be one hundred cubits long and fifty wide or about 50 metres by 25 metres.  The fine twined linen is the same as that used for the tabernacle and the veil, although this apparently wasn’t dyed and wasn’t embroidered with angels.  The hardware is similar to that of the tabernacle, but whereas the hardware in the tabernacle was of gold and silver, this is of silver and bronze.  The metals become more precious the closer we get to the presence of the Lord.  The tabernacle was to be situated in the back half of the court with its entrance at the court’s centreline.  Opposite the entrance to the tabernacle was the entrance to the court, curtains of blue, purple, and scarlet suspended from four pillars, similar to the entrance to the tabernacle.Again, the tabernacle was designed to remind people that they were entering the presence of the holy.  From the colourful gate made of expensive yarns and linens with bronze and silver hardware to the tabernacle itself and its embroidered angels and its gold and silver. Now, aside from the tabernacle itself, the most prominent feature of the court was the altar.  This is described in verses 1-8:“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. Five cubits is about 7 ½ feet.  For reference our centre pews are just a bit longer than that.  So the altar is 7 ½ feet square and about 4 ½ feet high. And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze It’s not clear exactly what the horns are.  Horns were common on both pagan and Israelite altars.  In other cultures they were symbols of strength and fertility.  We don’t know if they were on this altar for that reason or not.  In Exodus 29:2 and in Leviticus 4:7 we read that blood from the sacrifices was daubed on the horns.  Again, Scripture never tells us explicitly why, so any answer we may come up with is going to be speculative.  Similarly, we’re read, for example in First Kings, that running to the tabernacle and clinging to the horns of the altar was a way of seeking refuge in God’s presence.  It may be that the horns were a symbol of the Lord’s strength.  To take hold of them was to dedicate oneself to the Lord, which meant anyone else lost whatever claim they might have on you.  The horns also served a practical purpose for the binding of the sacrifices.  Psalm 118:27 describes this:The Lord is God,         and he has made his light to shine upon us.Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,         up to the horns of the altar! Animals tend to run away when they sense a threat, so the sacrifices were—at least sometimes—tied to the horns of the altar to secure them in place before they were slaughtered.  And it’s hard to pass this by without thinking about St. Paul’s exhortation to present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.  It’s not easy to die to ourselves and to live for God.  Those animals tied to the horns of the altar had no choice in the matter.  They were dumb brutes.  They had to be tied down lest they run away.  But Brothers and Sisters, we’re called to offer up ourselves to the Lord in light of what he has done for us.  Rather than being bound with ropes, we are bound to the altar by the love of Jesus who gave himself as a sacrifice for sin.  We’re tempted every day to climb down from the altar and to run away, to live for ourselves, and so we need to remind ourselves each day of the love that God has poured out on us in Jesus—a love to which the only response is utter devotion of ourselves. Now, verses 3-8 give the rest of the details:You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze.  You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners.  And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar.  And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.  And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried.  You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made. Everything about the altar is bronze: the horns, the utensils, the rings, the poles, the grate.  The grate is difficult to picture.  These descriptions, for all their technicalities, don’t give the information needed to actually construct any of these things.  The descriptions give us lot of details about dimensions and materials, but not a lot more.  Some commentators think that the stone tablets likely contained actual drawings of the tabernacle and its furnishings.  Some understand the grate to surround the altar, but most seem to think that it was the surface on which the sacrifices were actually burnt, allowing air to flow to the flames from below and for ashes to drop through from above.Interestingly, the altar is said to be hollow and made of acacia boards covered with bronze.  Just based on the description, it doesn’t sound like something that would survive the fire needed for one sacrifice, let alone many.  I’m inclined to agree with the commentators who believe that the hollow altar was filled with dirt or stones when it wasn’t being transported.  This would have provided a fireproof base for the sacrifices and could be emptied when the altar was carried.[1]  And, of course, that’s what the poles were for: carrying the altar when the Lord directed the camp to move to a new location.It’s telling that even when the altar wasn’t being transported, the poles stayed in place, just as with the ark of the covenant.  Everything about the tabernacle was portable and the people were reminded of that.  Eventually the tabernacle would be set up in a permanent spot in the promised land—and later replaced by a permanent temple—but the Lord condescended to travel with his people as they made their way there.  He didn’t rescue them from Egypt, point them in the direction of the Holy Land, and say, “I’ll meet you there.”  He remained with them in the journey through the wilderness.  He guarded and guided them.  They were his people and he was their God.  It’s a reminder that we belong to this same God as we travel through our own wilderness.  He has not left us.  As Jesus promised when he ascended, he has given, he has indwelt us by his own Spirit.But the altar itself: It was the first thing the Israelites saw when they entered the court.  The tabernacle rose behind it, but from their perspective, the tabernacle dominated the court.  Its sights and sounds and smells dominated the Israelite camp—a constant reminder.  All day long, day in and day out, the priests offered sacrifices on the altar.  Even on the outside of those linen curtains, unable to see the altar itself, the Israelites throughout the camp heard the sounds of the animals being led to the slaughter, tied to the horns.  The smell of those burnt offerings would have dominated the camp.  And rising from the court, there would have been a nearly perpetual pillar of smoke.The Israelites in the wilderness saw the visible presence of God in the cloud or in the fire when the people were on the move, but when they stopped and set up the tabernacle, the Lord’s presence descended to the most holy place.  No one could see the cloud of glory.  Again, that first generation in the wilderness had seen it, but once the Israelites were established in the promised land, the tabernacle itself and sights, sounds, and smells of the altar served to remind the people that the Lord was present.  The altar and the sacrifices, in particular, also reminded the people that to remain in his presence required sacrifice.  The altar was a reminder of the seriousness of sin.  The writer of Hebrews says, “Under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22).  Adam and Eve were cast from the garden because of their sin.  In the tabernacle, the Lord returned to dwell with human beings, but human sin still had to be dealt with.  Only blood covers sin.  Only by blood can sinners remain in the presence of the Lord.  As the altar ingrained this principle in the people it prepared them for Jesus.  If we continue on in the book of Hebrews this is what we read in 13:10-16:We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.  For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.  So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.  Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.  For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.  Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.  Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. You see, Jesus did something new.  He established something new.  In the First Century church there were Jews who continued to offer those sacrifices of the old covenant and some insisted that gentile converts needed to join them in those sacrifices.  But Jesus has done something that superseded those old sacrifices and the whole of the old covenant—even the idea of the holy or sacred ground of the old covenant.  Jesus offered his blood as a sacrifice for sins, but as the writer here points out, he offered himself up, not in the sacred confines of the temple, not on the sacred altar where atonement for sins was supposed to be made, but outside the camp—in the place that would have rendered the priests of the old covenant unclean.  For the writer of Hebrews, this highlights the fact that what Jesus did at the cross has established something new and better, something that renders the old obsolete.  Our liturgy sums it up this way:“All glory to you, our heavenly Father, for in your tender mercy you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death on the cross for our redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.”Jesus has accomplished once and for all and for everyone what those old sacrifices could do only temporarily for the person who offered the sacrifice.  In that, Jesus has become not just the sacrifice, but also the priest and the altar.  This is why the Christian priest is not the same thing as the priests of the Old Testament.  The Christian priest is “presybter”—the Greek word for “elder”.  The role of the Old Testament priest, one who offered sacrifices and stood as a mediator between human beings and God, that role has been taken on by Jesus, who shares it with every believer. This is also why Christians have no altar.  We have the Lord’s Table.  Here he invites us to share in this meal in which we recall and participate in the events of Jesus death and resurrection, but the only sacrifice we offer here is ourselves.  We recall the love of God poured out in Jesus as the cross and in response we bind ourselves to the altar, dying to self, and offering ourselves as living sacrifices to the God of loving mercy and grace.These were important aspects of our faith that were reasserted by the Protestant Reformers.  At the time of the Reformation, Archbishop Cranmer, for example, ordered that the medieval altars be moved into the choirs or naves of the churches so that the communicants could gather around them, a reminder that the Lord’s Supper is a banquet, not sacrifice.  Our Declaration of Principles, the “constitution” of the Reformed Episcopal Church reiterates both of these points about priests and the Lord’s Supper, adding clarity to the Article of Religion.  We read there that “This Church condemns and rejects the following erroneous and strange doctrines as contrary to God’s Word…That Christian Ministers are ‘priests’ in another sense than that in which all believers are a ‘royal priesthood:’ [and]…That the Lord’s Table is an altar on which the oblation of the Body and Blood of Christ is offered anew to the Father.”Brothers and Sisters, the cross was the altar.  Here the Lord invites to his Table to share in the meal that commemorates that sacrifice, a meal like the Passover, in which each new generation participates in those events and claims them as our own.  This is the meal in which the Lord reminds us once again, “I will be your God and you will be my people”.Now, there’s one last thing in Chapter 27 that we’ll end on.  Look at verses 20-21:“You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn.  In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel. We read the instructions for the lampstand a couple of chapters back.  It’s not clear why the instructions for the oil are here and they seem to look forward to the time when Israel would be in the promised land.  Where they would find olive oil in the wilderness is a bit of a mystery.  Nevertheless, the people provided oil for the lampstand, which was to burn perpetually.  One of the jobs of the priests was to keep it full of oil and to trim the wicks.  The lampstand was symbolic of the Lord’s presence with his people.  But here’s the thing: Only the priests would ever see it.  It was in the holy place, inside the tabernacle, out of view. And, again, we see that in Jesus something new has happened.  In the Incarnation God has taken on our flesh and come to dwell—to tabernacle—in our midst.  In Jesus, John writes, the light has come into the world and the darkness has not overcome it.  And yet, even we look forward to a better day.  The tabernacle reminded the people of the old covenant of the garden and of their lost fellowship with the Lord—a fellowship still obviously broken as the altar made clear.  And even though you and I live in this new covenant, we too are making our way through the wilderness.  We see the brokenness of the world around us and as glorious as the Incarnation and the gift of the Spirit are to us, they also reminds us that both humanity and the world were meant for something still better.  We live in hope of the day when all creation will be set to rights.  And I think, when John described that new creation, he had in mind the lamp in the tabernacle.  That lamp symbolized the presence of the Lord, but it was hidden away.  Only the priests could see it.  But in his vision of creation set to rights, in his vision of heaven and earth rejoined, John writes, “night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5).  Brothers and Sisters, God with us.  That’s been the end to which the story has pointed and given hope ever since humanity was cast out of his presence.  Come to the Table this morning as Jesus reminds us that, by his death and resurrection, he has made us his people and that at his people we live in hope of that day when all will be set to rights and we will need neither sun nor lamp, because we will once again be living in the presence of God.Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word and for the assurance we find there.  You love your people and even though we have rebelled against you, you have not given up on us.  You desire for us to be in your presence.  As we look to Jesus and the cross, remind us of your love for us and strengthen our love for you that we might, each day, offer ourselves to you as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable.  Through Jesus we ask this.  Amen.[1] See Robert D. Haak, “Altar” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary and Umberto Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Exodus (Skokie, Ill.: Varda Books, 2005), 362.

God Blessed America.  The blessing wasn't this great, beautiful land of ours.  The blessing was an idea, a belief that is captured in our Declaration of Independence.  Our Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4, 1776, states: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. By no means has the United States achieved equality for all segments of our population. It took years of change in societal thinking and legislation to start leveling the playing field. But this idea, this belief in equality, has been the beacon that guided our country and our policies. I know there are many people that are worried about the future of America. I am not. Yes, we have challenges to overcome. Every generation has challenges to overcome. But we will overcome them. Because what was true in 1776 is still true today: All men and women are created equal. We will prevail because God has Blessed the United States of America.

Our Declaration accentuated by an F-18 Fly Over…

Our Declaration of Independence doesn’t bury the lead. It starts with the core element of what this country is supposed to be about: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Unfortunately, that statement has become only a lofty aspiration and not a reality. Now, we have made some progress in terms of achieving equality. But nowhere near enough. As a country we’ve talked a good game. Then you turn on the news and you see what happens. You look at our more recent history and its full of stories of segregation, voter suppression, prejudice and discrimination – and not just of people of color. And it’s always been there. So… how do we break through and break out of this cycle? I’m talking with James Parker, and we’re talking about his story, where we are today, and what we both experienced throughout our lives. Our hope is that you’ll listen to our conversation and that it can make you think, and maybe be the catalyst for how you can reach out to others to start your own conversations.This Episode Sponsored by: Theresa Springer, Movement Mortgage - Constant ContactSubmit Your Story Idea! https://www.youdontsay.net/tell-me-about-itLinksEp. 8 – Memorial Day – Korea – Jess Brown & Tom Hudner 1619 - A podcast from The New York TimesBlack America Since MLK: And Still I RiseThe New Jim CrowNetflix: When They See Us - 13th - LA9212 Years a Slave: Book : FilmThe Wretched of the Earth , Frantz FanonFebruary One: The Story of the Greensboro FourI Am Not Your Negro

Featuring Ginna Green, Isaiah Rothstein, and Yehuda Kurtzer. Mentioned in this episode: - Danielle S. Allen, "Our Declaration": https://www.amazon.com/Our-Declaration-Reading-Independence-Equality-ebook/dp/B00FPT5KYW - ‘Believe us’: Black Jews respond to the George Floyd protests, in their own words: https://www.jta.org/2020/05/31/united-states/believe-us-black-jews-respond-to-the-george-floyd-protests-in-their-own-words

Danielle Allen, bestselling author of the book Our Declaration comes to our Beyond Aporia podcast to talk about the origins of the Declaration of Independence, and what it means for the country today.

Released in 2004, The Punisher marked the return of the infamous Marvel character to live action. It had been 15 years since his first appearance in 1989's film of the same name, and a lot had changed in the landscape of comic book cinema. The world was at the precipice of what would become a boom, an unfiltered and unfettered influx of properties—not all of which were of the utmost quality. This was pre-MCU, a time before Disney put a stranglehold on characters that fell within Marvel's kingdom. This version of the Punisher is an exemplar of those wilder times—in both good ways and bad. The good: It's an unapologetic, hard-R, in your face, kick ass and take names action movie filled with an array of bullets, blood, and fisticuffs. Oh, and classic performances from both Thomas Jane as the central protagonist and John Travolta as the wonderfully hammy villain Howard Saint. The bad is just about everything else. Lacking the budget of other comic properties of the time, The Punisher's seams begin to burst under the weight of its ambition. Its script, which waffles between hackneyed and preposterous, is only saved by the actors giving their all in service to the material. It is truly a B-movie wrapped up in the body of an aspiring blockbuster. But that is also what makes it so damn good. Unfortunately, as I referenced above, it was released in a time when superhero cinema was not guaranteed to rake in the big bucks. Premiering the same weekend as Kill Bill Vol. 2, it placed second with just over $13.8 million and finished its run with $54.7 million worldwide. Costing just around $33 million, it wasn't a huge flop; and it did do good numbers upon home release. That did not save it, though, from becoming a one and done. It's tepid response (29% from critics with 170 reviews), coupled with its mediocre receipts, spelled the end for this version of the character; he was relegated to the junk heap of history and rebooted only four years later (The less said about that movie, the better).  The world is poorer for it. In a sea of increasingly derivative comic book movies, there's something to be appreciated about this film's aesthetic. It's gritty and gruesome. It embraces it's silliness while also delivering on its promise; the Punisher does what all fans of him expect him to do, slaying gangsters in a slew of barbaric ways. It's also infinitely rewatchable. Cheers to you, Thomas Jane! So sit back, pour yourself a shot of Wild Turkey, and grab your finest acoustic guitar as I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt. Cash, and Chumpzilla map out an incredibly convoluted revenge plot! This Week’s Segments: Introduction – In the swan song of Travolta Month, we break down everything pertinent to The Punisher (2004)—from the best action sequence to the most grisly kill. (00:00) Interesting Facts about the Movie and Our "Declaration of Intent" Punisher Trivia Challenge – After offering up some lesser known truths about the production of this movie, I challenge Capt. Cash and Chumpzilla to trivia about its making, as well as its titular character. (57:31) Recommendations – We close the show with our Punisher/Thomas Jane-related picks for the week; in addition, we "unwrap" a surprise episode to follow Terminator: Dark Fate. If the pun didn't tip you off, it's seasonally appropriate. (1:13:22) And, as always, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook to check out all the interesting factoids—the Punisher's day at the laundromat and more—from this week’s episode! You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, and Spotify!

Joshua 1:8 tells us how to find success. Psalm 144:15 promises happiness for “those whose God is the Lord.” Our Declaration of Independence said our God-given rights were “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This podcast guides you to how you enjoy what God designed for your life.  Visit Larry's websites at larrytomczak.com or bullseyechallenge.com

Joshua 1:8 tells us how to find success. Psalm 144:15 promises happiness for “those whose God is the Lord.” Our Declaration of Independence said our God-given rights were “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This podcast guides you to how you enjoy what God designed for your life.  Visit Larry's websites at larrytomczak.com or bullseyechallenge.com

Joshua 1:8 tells us how to find success. Psalm 144:15 promises happiness for “those whose God is the Lord.” Our Declaration of Independence said our God-given rights were “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This podcast guides you to how you enjoy what God designed for your life. Visit Larry's websites at larrytomczak.com or bullseyechallenge.com

Joshua 1:8 tells us how to find success. Psalm 144:15 promises happiness for “those whose God is the Lord.” Our Declaration of Independence said our God-given rights were “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This podcast guides you to how you enjoy what God designed for your life.  Visit Larry's websites at larrytomczak.com or bullseyechallenge.com.

Our Declaration of Freedom: Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Our Declaration of Faith (02-24-2019 AM) by Sundown Church

Why "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is a compromise, what you should put on your tombstone, and other insights from Our Declaration author Danielle Allen.

Our Declaration has for some students touched a very specific nerve. And that nerve is representation.

You are listening to the Conservative Christian Movement Podcast, Episode 005 Titled "The Meat Grinder of Politics."  This episode was Recorded February 17, 2018. Show Notes can be found at CCMPodcast.com or Facebook.com/CCMPodcast. Today I’ll give details on Saul Alinsky’s fourth rule for Radicals. I’ll talk about how ideas go through the meat grinder and may come out a law. I’ll finish with the latest liberal Rant. Let’s jump right into it… The verse of the day: Matthew 22:21— They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. Clearly in Biblical terms Government has a place among men (and women). We are expected to do our part to pay the cost of governing. There comes a time, however when the government taking of what is ours becomes excessive, spending exceeds what is necessary and exceeds the funds collected. The US Government has been a burden for some time now. As I record this episode, it is the weekend of President’s Day. As the men, and someday perhaps women occupy the highest office in the land, it is important to remember one thing about this day every year. It is still President George Washington’s birthday. Let us not forget the man who became the first president, the man who delivered us a victory over British tyranny and helped us to become the nation we have become. Making this political, there is no law which has even been passed by congress making this holiday anything but Washington’s birthday, yet the holiday is mis-named on calendars and even inside our government. Perhaps a law can be passed or better yet, an executive order making it known as George Washington’s Birthday “officially.” Let’s jump right into it with the Fourth Rule for Radicals— Over the past three weeks I have been presenting Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals. The first rule of making your enemy think you have more strength than you really do, and the second and third, remaining inside your skill zone while moving your opponent out of theirs. This week’s rule makes it more important than ever you live by principles and stick to them. * The fourth rule is: Make the enemy live up to their own book of rules. You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity. Have you ever witnessed an example of hypocrisy? One way to lose face with anyone is to say one thing and do another. The principle of do as I say, not as I do rarely brings favor to anyone. This is the basis of Alinsky’s fourth rule for radicals. I’ll go out on a limb here and state what is obvious to me— maybe you as well. Most politicians crumble when faced with a choice to follow their principles or risk re-election. A group who want action contrary to Biblical principles can use the fourth rule against a weak politician, or one that buckles under pressure. More than one law has begun based on a phone call from a voter, someone like you— a person with a concern for how something is happening or not happening. Our Declaration of Independence states clearly, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Isn’t it interesting how Blacks and Women continued to be treated differently for many years after we became a free nation? Why would that be? Certainly some people, lawmakers didn’t seem to read those words or take them to heart. It took a grass roots movement to bring about real change. Strong leaders within the government passed the laws and the president signed them. That is why YOU are important. What we see today is gridlock in what makes lawmaking, just as it was back in the day, even worse. Two major parties exist. Both separated by ever increasing differences in philosophy, both hanging on,

This year, Northwestern students will read Danielle Allen’s book Our Declaration. But the book is just the beginning. Listen along with us as Wildcats wrestle with one of our country’s most fundamental documents, the Declaration of Independence, and figure out what equality, and independence mean in the 21st century—for Northwestern, for the country, and for the world. Support for One Book, One Northwestern: The Podcast is provided by the Northwestern Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, and One Book One Northwestern.

We start with some feedback and thoughts on the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, criminal law, and Christian’s brush with Upstream Color greatness. Also Joe’s thank-you notes. Then we’re joined by Mary Ellen O’Connell to talk about international law, weapons, hacking, Stuxnet, war, and killer robots. Mary Ellen maintains that the law we have is perfectly capable of dealing with what seem like new challenges. This show’s links: Mary Ellen O’Connell’s faculty profile and writing Danielle Allen, Our Declaration The Declaration of Independence Upstream Color Dan Goodin, Meet “badBIOS,” the Mysterious Mac and PC Malware that Jumps Airgaps Oral Argument 70: No Drones in the Park (guest Frank Pasquale) Mary Ellen O’Connell, 21st Century Arms Control Challenges: Drones, Cyber Weapons, Killer Robots, and WMDs About Stuxnet Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, including Article 51, which Mary Ellen references Mary Ellen O’Connell, Banning Autonomous Killing Special Guest: Mary Ellen O'Connell.

We open the burgeoning mailbag. And oh what a bounty! Side A: 1. Georgia’s assertion of copyright over its annotated statutes. 2. Law school application, rankings, and preparation. 3. The utility for law of having a Ph.D. 4. Substantive due process and Lochner. 5. Would law school be better without the study of the Supreme Court or constitutional law? Side B: 6. Voting rights and proportional representation. 7. Whether we’ve had a fair discussion of the death penalty. 8. What makes legal writing good or bad? 9. Other podcasts. 10. Race and the law. 11. The utilitarian case for manual override of driverless cars. 12. Facebook’s ability to create “bad” desires and preferences. Drugs and entertainment. 13. The rogue Kentucky clerk and the difference between civil disobedience and sabotage or revolution. This show’s links: Oral Argument on Twitter and on Facebook About Carl Malamud Georgia Accuses Public Records Activist of Information “Terrorism” Episode 68: Listen to My Full Point and Episode 12: Heart of Darkness Episode 62: Viewer Mail Episode 30: A Filled Milk Caste Episode 66: You’re Never Going to Get It All Done (guest Kareem Creighton) and Kareem Creighton’s tweet to us about this question Chris Elmendorf, Making Sense of Section 2: Of Biased Votes, Unconstitutional Elections, and Common Law Statutes Episode 56: Cracking and Packing (guest Lori Ringhand) Episode 67: Monstrous Acts (guest Josh Lee) Callins v. Collins (Scalia’s concurrence citing the brutality of a murder in a case in which the defendant was later proved innocent) Danielle Allen, Our Declaration; Robert Cover, Violence and the Word ; Jedediah Purdy, After Nature: A Politics for the Anthropocene Undisclosed: The State v. Adnan Syed, a podcast recommended to us Episode 69: Contaminated Evidence (guest Brandon Garrett); see also Episode 45: Sacrifice, Episode 64: Protect and Serve (guest Seth Stoughton) The Our National Conversation about Conversations about Race podcast Episode 70: No Drones in the Park (guest Frank Pasquale) Episode 72: The Guinea Pig Problem (guest Michelle Meyer) A youtube of David Foster Wallace talking about drugs and entertainment in Infinite Jest (2m23s) Anthony Kreis’s tweet about civil disobedience

00:09:41 Ryan LeStrange On How the Religious Spirit Hates the Prophetic 00:37:02 Patricia King - How Strong is Your Core? 00:47:47 Touré Roberts - Your Standing on a Well 01:06:14 Sermon Review: The Power of Our Declaration by Emily Foster