Paul Random

Tucker Carlson Says Rage Motivates Him. Is that Bad?

It’s been almost two years since Tucker Carlson departed Fox News, a high-profile firing that eventually led to him launching his own streaming service.

The “Tucker Carlson Network” is a subscription-based entity of several hundred thousand followers. While the popular pundit has been taking the show on the road to dozens of international destinations, a secluded studio in rural Maine is world headquarters.

Carlson doesn’t do many interviews beyond his own network these days, but he recently sat down with Michael Savage, another highly controversial pundit and host of a new weekly television show on Newsmax.

Carlson told Savage that he agreed to the interview “Because there’s nothing I love more than people who persist, who keep going.”

Michael Savage is two months shy of his 83rd birthday.

Towards the end of the near hour-long interview, Savage asked Carlson what motivates him to keep going professionally.

“Rage,” Carlson answered. “I’m so deeply offended by the destruction of things. I hate vandalism. I see the world in binary terms. You’re either creating or destroying. God creates. Satan destroys.”

The former Fox News pundit continued:

I really believe that. That’s my core belief, actually, of life. And so I prize creativity and creation above all. It’s why I have so many children. And I’m watching our leaders destroy the things that our ancestors, my ancestors, built, every institution in the United States, the physical United States.

We’re in a period of destruction. It’s not creative destruction. There’s no such thing as creative destruction, actually. There’s just destruction and creation. Those are the choices. And we’re in an unusually destructive period. I’m really, really mad about it. I couldn’t be madder about it. I’m enraged to the point where it affects my sleep. But not at any individual, but at the spirit of destruction unleashed on the country. And I want it to stop more than anything.

Despite some unorthodox and uneven opinions on a variety of issues over the years, it’s that palpable passion that’s drawn so many to Tucker Carlson over the years.

There are some Christians who might be uncomfortable with the idea of “rage” motivating anyone, but the Bible makes clear of the distinction between righteous and unrighteous anger.

Righteous anger is not only an understandable reaction to some of what’s unfolding in culture today, but it’s also biblical. Jesus despised hypocrites (Matthew 23:25-32), grew indignant when children were disrespected (Mark 10:13-16) and raged red hot when His house was used to cheat people (Matthew 21:12-17).

This type of anger is rooted in what angers God. It’s a humble but indignant response to sin. It’s productive and not destructive.

We get understandably angry at children being killed by abortion, abused by pedophiles, and encouraged to mutilate their bodies because of sexual confusion. We’re angered by infidelity, lies, and injustice.

God gets angry, too.

Solomon writes that God hates “haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil” (Proverbs 6:16-18).

Conversely, unrighteous anger is selfish and reckless. It morphs into bitterness. It rages and accomplishes nothing beyond the fire and the fury.

When Tucker Carlson references seeing the world in “binary” terms, the opening lines of the Didache, an early Christian writing dating back to the second century, comes to mind:

There are two ways, one of life and one of death; but a great difference between the two ways. The way of life, then, is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, your neighbor as yourself; and all things whatsoever you would should not occur to you, do not also do to another.

We likewise read in Deuteronomy, “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil” (30:15).

If what makes God angry doesn’t make us angry, there’s a good chance we’re apathetic, emotionally detached, unconcerned with those struggling and mired in sin. We get angry because we care – not that things aren’t going according to our plan, but going in a way that will ultimately lead people to misery, death and eternal destruction.

Deadly DC Air Collision and a Call to Pray for the Heartbroken

The heartbreaking midair collision of an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River on Wednesday night likely claimed 67 lives – 64 on the commercial flight and three on the military chopper.

Prior to Wednesday’s tragedy, the last commercial air catastrophe came in February of 2009 when a Continental Airlines jet crashed into a house in Buffalo killing the 49 onboard along with one person on the ground.

On Thursday morning, officials pledged to get to the bottom of the disaster.

“We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas,” President Trump told reporters assembled at the White House.

Over the last half-century, flying has become increasingly safer, statistically speaking. Back in the 1970s, there were six fatal commercial flights for every 165,000. Until Wednesday night, that ratio had dropped to one fatal flight for every two million.

That commercial airline crashes are so shocking and rare demonstrates just how far the world has come with the science of flight itself.

Many prominent and educated people declared flight an impossibility until the Wright Brothers successfully demonstrated otherwise.

In 1895, Lord Kelvin, president of the Royal Society, concluded that “heavier than air flying machines are impossible.” In 1901, the United States Navy called the idea of man flying to be a “vain fantasy.” Two years later, The New York Times suggested it would take millions of years of mathematical calculations to figure out what it would take to put a machine in the air.

As Christians, we believe that man’s ability to discover and innovate comes from God. After all, He is the ultimate Creator, and since we’re made in His image (Genesis 1:27), it follows that He allows us to blaze all kinds of previously untrekked paths – including the skies.

Reports are beginning to emerge concerning who were on the flight.

U.S. Figure Skating has confirmed that “several” members were passengers on the American Airlines jet.

“We are heartbroken to learn that figure skaters, along with their families, friends and coaches, are understood to be among those on board,” the association said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport — it’s a close-knit family — and we stand together.”

Russian figure skaters were also reported to have been onboard.


At the Broadmoor Hotel here in Colorado Springs, there is a “Skate Bench” memorializing the members of the U.S. World Figure Skating team who died in a plane crash on February 15, 1961 in Brussels, Belgium.

En route to the World Figure Skating Championships, Sabena Flight 548, the entire 18 member team was lost in the tragedy, along with 54 other people.

The bench is positioned in front of where the Broadmoor Ice Arena once stood, where the skaters honed their extraordinary skills and routines.

“The death of a beloved is an amputation,” wrote C.S. Lewis. “Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything.”

Writing on Facebook on Thursday morning, Virginia governor Glenn Younkin urged:

“Today, we grieve together for the families facing unimaginable loss. Let’s pray for them, support, and ensure they know they are not alone in this terrible tragedy.”

In the coming days, we will read stories of those lost in the horror, extraordinary lives cut short, all important, each one unique and beautiful.

We pray for the hurting and the heartbroken, asking for mercy and comfort for all those who grieve.

Image from Shutterstock.

RFK, Jr’s Secret Weapon: Christian Conservative Homeschool Moms

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department Health and Human Services (HHS), is having his day in the spotlight as senators question his qualifications to run the sprawling $1.7 trillion, 80,000 employee division. 

Kennedy, son of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy (the third of 11 children) is an unorthodox pick from a Republican president.

Before running for the Democrat nomination for president of the United States in 2023, Kennedy’s career had a rocky start. Originally hired as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan following law school, he struggled with drug addiction before turning his attention to the environment.

In recent months, Mr. Kennedy has developed a spirited following from those who share his concerns about America’s declining health. For years, he’s served as either chairman or chief legal counsel for the Children’s Health Defense. 

Anticipating criticism of his previous statements and positions on vaccines, Kennedy’s opening remarks were an attempt to make clear of distinctions within his perspective.

“I want to make sure the Committee is clear about a few things,” he stated. “News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry. Well, I am neither; I am pro-safety.”

Throughout both his campaign for president and while supporting President Trump’s candidacy, Kennedy has had a lot to say about the chemicals, dyes, and other engineering of America’s food supply. He told senators that he’s not “the enemy of food producers.” Instead, he insisted, “American farms are the bedrock of our culture and national security… I want to work with our farmers and food producers to remove burdensome regulations and unleash American ingenuity.”

He went on, “Should I be so privileged to be confirmed, we will make sure our tax dollars support healthy foods. We will scrutinize the chemical additives in our food supply. We will remove the financial conflicts of interest in our agencies. We will create an honest, unbiased, science-driven HHS, accountable to the President, to Congress, and to the American people. We will reverse the chronic disease epidemic and put the nation back on the road to health.”

It’s that commitment that has enthused a broad coalition of supporter, especially socially conservative and often, homeschooling, mothers.

The New York Times has picked up on this energy.

In Tuesday’s edition, the Old Grey Lady highlighted several mothers who are concerned about the country’s “contaminated soil and waterways, factory-farmed meat and the lobbying by agricultural corporations.”

Among home-schooling mothers like Ms. Gleaton, Mr. Kennedy has long been seen as a bold truth-teller, one who understands their skepticism about the education and health establishments … And his rising profile comes as this particular constituency is also coming into its own politically and culturally.

“He’s saying what parents like me have been thinking for a long time,” said Nicki Truesdell, a mother of five and a home-schooling activist in Gainesville. “In the ‘crunchy’ world, he’s very well known and loved.”

This “Crunchy Mama” demographic may have once been a quiet subculture, but that’s not the case anymore.

COVID-19 vaccine mandates for children in some states was a bridge too far for many moms and dads. That Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was willing to acknowledge concerns over “Big Pharma” and “Big Ag” has served to encourage and turn one-time spectators into outspoken defenders of Kennedy’s nomination.

“Parents are waking up,” Gleaton told The Times. “The rebel stuff is starting to be normalized.” 

Christians championing Kennedy’s nomination have been forced to address and reconcile the nominee’s long history of supporting abortion. Wednesday’s hearing may have provided those of us who champion the protection of preborn life some measure of comfort.

“I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy,” Kennedy said. “I agree with him that we cannot be a moral nation if we have 1.2 million abortions a year.” When it comes to the life issue, Mr. Kennedy has vowed to follow President Trump’s lead.

A heated exchange with Senator Maggie Hassan on Wednesday also suggested the pro-abortion crowd isn’t enthusiastic with the prospect of a Secretary Kennedy heading up HHS.

An exasperated Senator Hassan referred to abortion as “direly needed healthcare” and questioned whether she or any other abortion zealots could depend on the nominee.

In a deeply divided United States Senate, Kennedy’s confirmation faces strict scrutiny. Either way, it will be close. But you can be sure that if a large contingent of conservative mothers has anything to say about it, RFK, Jr. may very well soon be the 26th secretary of HHS.  

The Preacher Who Carried a Cross Around the World

It’s a captivating image, a young man carrying a 12-foot high and 6-foot wide, 110-pound cross up Fifth Avenue in New York City, pausing just in front of Hallmark’s Gotham office.

As he makes his way, he’s handing out Bible tracts.

His name was Arthur Owen Blessitt (his real name) and he held the distinction, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, of taking the “longest walk” of anyone in recorded history.

Arthur Blessit died earlier this month at the age of 84.

A Southern Baptist street preacher and pastor, Arthur began walking from his church in Hollywood, California across America on Christmas Day in 1969. He didn’t stop walking for two years, arriving in New York City in 1970.

Pastor Blessitt wasn’t walking for the publicity, wasn’t trying to glorify his own ego or garner notoriety to land a book and movie contract.

Simply put, he began walking because he heard (not audibly) God tell him to “Go!” – and so that’s what he did.

Only Arthur Blessitt didn’t stop walking when he reached New York. All told, Arthur covered 43,340 miles across all seven continents. He was arrested 24 times. Weather never deterred him. He carried the cross when it was 20 degrees below zero in Nova Scotia and 135 degrees in Yemen and Iraq. Arthur even carried the cross up Bronzal Pass on the Pakistan and Afghanistan border (18,200 feet) and down into Carlsbad Cavern in New Mexico (850 feet below sea level).

But Arthur didn’t just carry the cross on his many journeys. Instead, he talked about the cross and the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice on it.

“The most important thing you will ever do is whatever Jesus tells you to do next,” he often said.

Coming of age in the late 1960s, Blessitt resisted the drug culture and instead mocked it by talk up the benefits of having Christ in your life.

“If you want to get high, you don’t have to drop acid,” he wrote. “Just pray and you go all the way to Heaven. You don’t have to pop pills to get loaded. Just drop a little Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.”

On his numerous worldwide treks, Arthur crossed paths with everyone from Dr. Billy Graham to Yasir Arafat and Bob Dylan, to name just a few celebrity encounters.

But once again, Blessitt didn’t see it as a time to glad hand or gawk, but instead, leverage any and every encounter to tell people about Jesus.

“I’ve climbed to the top of the long winding road,” he wrote. “Looked beyond and saw the Glory. The sweat and tears, the joys and the pains. All seem to blend in the amazing love of Jesus. 

He continued:

“The cross is my road companion and we grow old together walking in the Shadow of the Presence of God. The cross needs some repairs with chips gone and bangs from the roads. My body has endured the longest walk in history and cries out for eternal rest. But we press on together with a smile.”

In classic Arthur Blessitt fashion, his obituary was written in the first person. Here is how it begins:

I, Arthur Blessitt have completed my walk and mission on earth. I departed to heaven on January 14, 2025. I was just a donkey and pilgrim, lifting up the cross and Jesus and loved the people of the world. What a glorious journey of life with Jesus my Lord and Savior. ]
I’ve really been looking forward to this walk in Glory. These feet that walked so far on roads of dirt and tar will now be walking on the streets of gold. Ready to see Jesus again! I rejoice in Jesus, now, and in the hour of my passing. “Father, into Your Hands Jesus I commit my spirit.
I am home at last, this was my last trip! I have been an evangelist, soulwinning preacher, pilgrim and cross carrying witness of Jesus.

Arthur asked that rather than a memorial service, “The greatest thing you could do would be to go out and lead one more soul to be saved. The second thing would be that you would support this ministry of the cross in sharing the message of Jesus with the world.”

Well done, Arthur Owen Blessitt.

Image from AP.

Will Supreme Court Allow Nation’s First Religious Charter School?

Just in time for Catholic Schools Week, the United States Supreme Court has announced plans to review the constitutionality of a new publicly funded Catholic charter school in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma City’s “Saint Isidore of Seville” was supposed to open back in 2023, but a lawsuit has stalled its anticipated opening.

Isidore of Seville, who died in 686 A.D., has been referred to as “the last scholar of the ancient world.” In fact, back in 1997, Pope John Paull II designated Isidore as the patron saint of the internet, an acknowledgement of his significant contributions to communicating vast amounts of knowledge.

But supporters of what would be the nation’s first Christian charter school have faced resistance, including push back from inside the otherwise conservative Oklahoma government.

Gentner Drummond, the Sooner State’s attorney general, has opposed the formation of the institution, suggesting it violates the state constitution.

“The approval of any publicly funded religious school is contrary to Oklahoma law and not in the best interest of taxpayers,” Drummond has warned. 

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has strongly disagreed, suggesting that to prohibit the publicly funded charter school sends a chilling and discriminatory message.

“I’m glad the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing the St. Isidore case,” he wrote last week.

“This stands to be one of the most significant religious and education freedom decisions in our lifetime. I believe our nation’s highest court will agree that denying St. Isidore’s charter based solely on its religious affiliation is flat-out unconstitutional. We’ve seen ugly religious intolerance from opponents of the education freedom movement, but I look forward to seeing our religious liberties protected both in Oklahoma and across the country.”

In crafting the school’s mission statement, organizers made clear that being a Catholic isn’t a prerequisite for admission.

Here’s St. Isidore’s founding aim:

Guided by our Catholic faith, [St. Isidore] serves God and families by spiritually and academically preparing students, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, for lives of intellectual excellence, holiness, and service to others with the ultimate goal of eternal salvation by bringing quality, Catholic education to all parts of Oklahoma. 

Focus on the Family has historically championed the belief that mothers and fathers should be allowed to spend their educational tax dollars as they so wish. Whether at a faith-based school or some other private institution, no parent should be forced to fund the increasingly woke propaganda that’s masquerading these days as age-appropriate public-school curriculum.

We also believe religious organizations should be given the same rights and privileges as any other secular group.

Oklahoma’s Supreme Court voted 7-1 last year to block the school’s opening, agreeing in large part with AG Drummond’s legal reasoning.

Justice Dana Kuehn offered the lone dissent.

“Contracting with a private entity that has religious affiliations, by itself, does not establish a state religion, nor does it favor one religion over another,” Kuehn wrote.

Alliance Defending Freedom’s Chief Legal Counsel Jim Campbell cheered the High Court’s decision to accept the case.

“Oklahoma parents and children are better off with more educational choices, not fewer,” Campbell wrote. “There’s great irony in state officials who claim to be in favor of religious liberty discriminating against St. Isidore because of its Catholic beliefs.”

He added, “The U.S. Constitution protects St. Isidore’s freedom to operate according to its faith … We’re pleased the U.S. Supreme Court will hear this case, which is of the utmost import to families and children in Oklahoma and throughout the country.”

Back in 2022, the High Court ruled that Maine’s attempt to exclude religious schools from its tuition-assistance program violated the First Amendment. 

Given the Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments this winter or spring, we can expect a decision by summer.

Image from Shutterstock.