French Fighter Jets, the BJP and 2019 (updated)

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-45636806

N.B.- I had to make some changes to this article. Modi has just stunned everyone by cutting a deal with Putin. The narrative has shifted. These moves will certainly be the talk of the town for the people within the military-intelligence complex. For them this shift will be a far bigger story than the Supreme Court circus.

The information here is hardly earth-shattering but nevertheless indicates and confirms a few points.

India is clearly expanding its military and making plans for the possibilities of a two-front war. The ever closer Pakistan-China alliance and the fact that India has fought wars with both countries means that New Delhi believes it must plan accordingly. A future conflict could quickly become multi-faceted and escalate into a regional war.

GCHQ: Spying on Brussels at America's Bidding

https://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/belgian-inquest-implicates-uk-in-phone-spying/

This won't exactly endear London to the folks in Brussels and it demonstrates once again that the UK (more than ever) is Washington's lap-dog.

Social Upheaval in Modi's India

India is experiencing a strange dynamic. The Modi government is involved in a clampdown against dissidents and the RSS paramilitaries are harassing Christians and others who are deemed less than Indian.

The EU, Nationalism and Censorship

Politico reports that European Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova has given a speech in Vienna in which she discussed the problem of rising nationalism.

Trump +610: Mueller Probe Misperceptions and Whitewater Ghosts

https://www.thenation.com/article/the-mueller-investigation-is-sending-people-to-jail-but-not-for-collusion/

The media campaign is relentless. And yet who can deny, Trump has compromised himself at various points. He's corrupt and in clear violation of numerous laws and precedents. In terms of policy, his opponents make noise but then largely capitulate. There are dozens of issues that could be pursued but instead the focus is almost exclusively on the Anti-Russia campaign.

Ukrainian Autocephaly in the Context of Orthodox Ethnophyletism

The linked articles (below) provide a Roman Catholic analysis of the pending schism within Eastern Orthodoxy. The issue is over Ukraine. While Constantinople has the historical claim of episcopal primacy, Moscow has for centuries held the upper hand in terms of the Orthodox world. This coupled with Moscow's 'Third Rome' doctrine has created some rather interesting dynamics.

The Empty Nike Controversy

I find this whole discussion to be somewhat silly but it's getting so much attention that I feel compelled to say a quick word.

New Testament Christians don't show reverence to the flag and don't participate in patriotic rites and ceremonies. While I don't 'take a knee' I don't stand for the national anthem and I will not say the pledge of allegiance. That's fairly basic to me but I realise Evangelicals in their confusion and distortion of the Scriptures believe the exact opposite is not only right but mandatory and something that should be performed with great zeal and a spirit of devotion.

Encouraging reports from Central Asia

Regardless of what you think of Open Doors and Brother Andrew, these reports are encouraging. Many of these organisations can be disappointing at times and are not above doctrinal criticism... and in some cases the reports from abroad are mixed. Sometimes it's disappointing to find some bad doctrine is creeping in. We can pray for them and pray that as these churches are in their formative stages they will come under solid teaching.

Real World Elements in The Bourne Legacy (2012)

As a follow-up to the piece I wrote about Jason Bourne (2016), I thought some might be interested in a similar piece on the 2012 film.

Not as popular as the Matt Damon installments this movie also contained some interesting and suggestive elements. In some ways this episode took on a slightly more science-fiction based theme.

Suicide and Therapy: Sufficiency Denied and Disparaged

https://www.christianpost.com/news/pastors-arent-substitutes-for-therapists-suicide-survivor-apostle-bryan-meadows-says-224852/

This article came up as a suggested read in light of a 'pastor', one Andrew Stoecklein's suicide. I don't know anything about him, I can only go by what I see and read and to be honest it's not something I'm interested in giving more than a few minutes to.

In one sense I am hardly surprised that such 'Church' leaders are collapsing into scandal and now suicide. And yet who ever heard of such a thing? While the congregation is grieved I'm sure, what a startling thing to realise they were being led by someone so unqualified, so apparently divorced from New Testament Christianity! But so it is with modern Evangelicalism. Its rotten fruit is plain for all to see. Evangelicalism is built on a false foundation. Seeking friendship with the world, they've lost their way and they no longer know what the solutions are. They don't even know what questions to ask.