The Daily Briefing highlights the news of the day and research that reveals the spirit of the day.
The Daily Briefing is a newsletter sent straight to your inbox every morning that provides biblical insight on today's news.
Top News
6. ICE, Florida officials arrest over 750 in 4-day operation (ABC News)
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and law enforcement from the state of Florida have arrested 780 migrants who are in the United States illegally in a four-day operation beginning Monday, according to statistics obtained by ABC News.
“The operation, dubbed "Operation Tidal Wave" uses ICE's 287(g) authority, which allows for state and local law enforcement agencies to be deputized and to arrest those in the U.S. illegally. State and local agencies allow for ICE to be in jails and on task forces, according to the agency.
"I think the main reason why this operation is significant is because it's the first of its kind," Todd Lyons, the acting ICE director, told ABC News. Since the beginning of the administration, there have been 428 new 287(g) agreements signed with state and local law enforcement agencies, representing a 371% increase."
Do you suffer from toxic empathy, especially when you read stories like this? In her book Toxic Empathy, Allie Beth Stuckey writes that such empathy “bullies us into believing that the unwise, immoral, and unbiblical position is actually the righteous one.” She focuses on 5 issues in which this can be the case: “Abortion is health care,” “Trans women are women,” “Love is love,” “No human is illegal,” and “Social justice is justice.”
Toxic empathy is a form of “emotional manipulation,” according to Stuckey. It functions as a “poisonous counterpart” to God’s word and the “capable minds he gave us as our guides.” For Stuckey, empathy “should never compel us to affirm that which God calls sinful or to advocate for policies that are ineffective at best and deadly at worst.”
Should we forsake empathy and only rely on reason and our minds? This is a fatal conceit, according to Friedrich Hayek. This refers to the idea that "man is able to shape the world around him according to his wishes." Hayek recognizes that this complex world is full of known and unknown variables that have the propensity to remind us how “little we really know about what we imagine we can design.”
The Scriptures resoundingly testify that our minds, just like our emotions, are broken and in need of renewal (Rom. 12, Col. 3, Eph. 5, Gal. 3). Echoing Paul in Rom. 7, David Hume noted that our reason is but a slave to our passions. It was reasonable for David to think he should build the temple. However, God had different plans. But instead of falling into the false binary of either building or not building, David decided to collect materials to help the person who would build the temple. Or consider the Good Shepherd. Was it reasonable to forsake the 99 to pursue after the 1? Reason is a good thing but it isn’t the only thing…
Toxic empathy can be real, but this world is complex. Consider the kids. Here in the US, there are approximately 370,000 children living in the foster care system, which is currently overwhelmed. If every illegal immigrant is deported, roughly 1.8 million US-born kids will be added to the foster care system because those kids live in households with 2 undocumented parents. 5.5 million US-born children live in households with at least 1 undocumented parent.
We don’t have to forsake empathy and compassion in the pursuit of truth and justice. As the proverb notes, we should celebrate when justice comes, like for the violent criminal who is here illegally. We can also follow the example of King David, refusing to succumb to the toxic false binaries that are put before us. We can’t let everyone in, but there are other ways to love and have empathy for our neighbors.
5. Judge Hannah Dugan arrested by FBI for allegedly helping undocumented immigrant 'evade arrest' (ABC News)
“A Milwaukee County circuit judge has been arrested by the FBI over allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant "evade arrest," according to FBI Director Kash Patel. Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested on obstruction charges, according to Patel.
"The FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on charges of obstruction -- after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week," he posted. "We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject -- an illegal alien -- to evade arrest."
She went from interpreting the law to helping someone evade the law. In a past interview, she shared how she "used the law" to "advance social change for those who are most vulnerable."
What causes someone to go from interpreting the law to breaking it? The licensing effect. Known sometimes as moral licensing or self-licensing, this is when people allow themselves to do something immoral after doing something good. This often manifests itself in two ways: past good actions justify future bad actions or future good gestures warrant current bad behavior.
She may have thought she was doing good, but our perceived righteous acts are "filthy rags" before a holy God (Is. 64:6). Our good is never good enough for God, and our bad is never bad enough to disqualify us from his grace. Dugan has allegedly fallen short and will suffer the consequences, but Jerry Bridges was right: “Our worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.”
4. Former Rep. George Santos sentenced to more than seven years in federal fraud case (USA Today)
“Former Rep. George Santos, a Republican from New York, was sentenced on April 25 to more than seven years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert, who was appointed by former President Clinton, granted the Justice Department's request of seven years and three months in prison during the sentencing in Long Island.
“U.S. Attorney John Durham told reporters that Santos was also ordered to pay more than $370,000 in restitution and forfeit another $200,000. Santos was ordered to surrender to federal custody by July 25. "From the moment he declared his candidacy for Congress, Santos leveraged his campaign for his own enrichment and financial benefits," Durham said. "He did this by targeting specific supporters and constituents. He saw them as easy marks and he made them victims of his fraud."
Zach Top may Never Lie, but Mr. Santos does… An interesting study focused on lying among politicians with their supporters. It found that loyalty to a person trumps reliability to the truth. Essentially, we are more willing to bear with someone on our side who stretches the truth than someone who sticks to the truth on the other side.
In her book The Confidence Game, Maria Konnikova highlights this dynamic. “The confidence game—the con—is an exercise in soft skills. Trust, sympathy, persuasion. The true con artist doesn’t force us to do anything; he makes us complicit in our own undoing. He doesn’t steal. We give. He doesn’t have to threaten us. We supply the story ourselves. We believe because we want to, not because anyone made us. And so we offer up whatever they want—money, reputation, trust, fame, legitimacy, support—and we don’t realize what is happening until it is too late.”
With a word, God made the world; with an untrue word, a dishonest person distorts the world. Jesus described himself as the way, the truth, and the life, offering his followers the chance to join him in his glorious project of making his kingdom come on Earth as it is in heaven. When someone lies, they aren’t just distorting the truth; they are setting back the project. (Gen. 1, John 1, 14, Mt. 5)
Cultural News
3. Ice bucket challenge returns with new focus on mental health (NBC News)
“The “Ice Bucket Challenge,” a viral fundraising campaign that raised millions for ALS research in 2014, has been reimagined by students at the University of South Carolina to tackle a new issue: mental health awareness.
“The Mental Illness Needs Discussion (MIND) club’s #SpeakYourMIND campaign, launched on Instagram in March, adapts the challenge’s format to raise funds for Active Minds, a nonprofit whose mission is to mobilize youth and change mental health norms. Participants pour ice water over themselves, post the videos and nominate others to join — all while emphasizing the importance of speaking candidly about mental health… The campaign surpassed $100,000 in donations on Friday and has attracted participation from high-profile figures such as former NFL players Peyton Manning and Emmanuel Sanders.”
Take A Look At Me Now – Phil Collins and those who participate in viral challenges. From planking to icing, these challenges are a byproduct of the contagion effect. This refers to how one event or action can cause a chain reaction or domino effect.
In his book Contagious: Why Things Catch on Fire, Jonah Berger identifies six qualities that make things go viral: social currency, triggers, observability, usefulness, storytelling, or emotional resonance (causing people to want to share the experience with friends). In this instance, this is a combination of social currency and emotional resonance, with individuals wanting to raise awareness for a virtuous cause in a comedic manner.
Be like Mike… or Paul? The church at Corinth needed great help. There was deep disunity, sexual immorality, loud outbursts inspired by questionable theology during services, false teaching, claims of spiritual superiority, etc., etc. To this chaotic church in need of great help, Paul wrote them a letter with a bold claim: Imitate me, as I imitate Christ. He did more than identify what was wrong; he was willing to audaciously show them how to live right. There is nothing wrong with dumping water on your head, but there is something beautiful about living a life that inspires imitation that doesn’t require you to be doused… (1 Cor. 11:1)
News You Can Use
2. Texting someone when you get home
Watch it here. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.” (Rom. 12:10)
1. Families getting ready for church
Watch it here. “Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.” (Pro. 21:5)
