Unreal and Heinous Hypocrisy: A PCA Pseudo-Scandal

https://theaquilareport.com/its-been-five-years-and-the-time-is-right-an-earnest-appeal-to-the-authors-of-2020s-heinous-killings-statement-at-byfaith/

Generally speaking I have appreciated Tom Hervey's commentaries that have appeared at The Aquila Report - I even bought his book of essays on Amazon. I'm sorry to say this was an exception. He excoriates those in the PCA that in 2020 condemned the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd and these same Presbyterians even described them as heinous.

Freedom by Means of Authoritarianism

https://justandsinner.libsyn.com/how-the-modern-world-misunderstands-freedom-a-conversation-with-brad-littlejohn

Littlejohn of The Davenant Institute is an avowed disciple of the Doug Wilson sect and offers his appreciation to not only Wilson and Douglas Jones, but Peter Leithart. This reveals a great deal in terms of his formation.

Mike Johnson and Berger, the Eminence Grise

https://www.propublica.org/article/mike-johnson-evangelical-pastor-steve-berger-roommates

Given Berger's penchant and drive for Dominionist political activism, the claim that he and Mike Johnson don't discuss policy is not credible. Also, given that Berger is obviously connected (and this explains the reason why Johnson stays there), the claim is even less believable. Such arrangements are strategic - not expressions of generosity or mere hospitality. And it's not because Berger thinks Johnson is just a great guy.

The Mainstream Media has Turned John Bolton into a Centrist, a Voice of Reason and Moderation

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/11/g-s1-48112/john-bolton-greenland-national-security

I've been touching on this lately - but here's another example. The mainstream media (following the DNC) is tacking Right when it comes to economic and foreign policy issues.

The American Right's Spin of the AfD

https://americanreformer.org/2024/12/what-is-happening-in-germany/

This article typifies the misunderstanding on the part of the American Right with regard to the rise of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, its values, and its political platform.

The Poison of Consequentialist Historiography

https://web.archive.org/web/20180615140225/https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/right-wing-celebrities-play-fast-and-loose-with-history/

In keeping with the Establishment, DNC and media's shift to the Right (on certain issues) the once discredited pariah and pseudo-historian Jonah Goldberg is now mainstream and frequently appears on NPR. His 'liberal fascism' narrative continues to tickle Right-wing ears and though prima facie false, it is conveniently ignored by the Democrats and media who have at this point in time all but embraced the ideology of the Neo-Conservatives and their foreign policy.

Gabbard Sells Out on FISA

https://consortiumnews.com/2025/01/15/patrick-lawrence-the-predictable-capitulation-of-tulsi-gabbard/

Gabbard was one of those interesting people that captured a lot of attention from the Left and within Alternative Media circles for her opposition to the war in Syria and her general scepticism regarding US foreign policy at the time. It was the second or late phase of the War on Terror - the fallout from the Arab Spring, the campaigns in Syria and Libya, and the war against ISIS. She was a backer of Bernie Sanders and generally speaking had become a pariah to the DNC Establishment. The GOP viewed her as something akin to a traitor.

Spinning the Ceasefire in Gaza and Just About Everything Else

The news broke today regarding a Gaza ceasefire. Let us pray that it holds true. I reflected for a moment when someone pointed out how the fire devastation in Los Angeles has struck a chord with the American public. The pictures look not unlike the devastation in Gaza which is many magnitudes greater - but it doesn't impact the American public the same way. There's no comparison. It makes one think doesn't it?

One of the Chief Heretics of our Day

https://www.npr.org/2024/10/04/nx-s1-5123626/christian-nationalist-election-workers-lance-wallnau

I know - everyone is tired of the 2024 US election. I'm no exception, but as the dust settles it helps to consider all the angles in order to understand what happened and why - especially in the context of the Church. This will help us (the Church) to understand what's coming in the years ahead.

Revisionism and the Appropriation of Bonhoeffer

https://religionnews.com/2024/10/21/stop-taking-bonhoeffers-name-in-vain-scholars-warn-eric-metaxas-and-other-christian-nationalists/

https://baptistnews.com/article/bonhoeffer-family-and-scholars-warn-against-metaxas-and-christian-nationalists/

Evangelicals are excited. There's a new Bonhoeffer movie coming out from Angel Studios, the same people who produced The Sound of Freedom - based on Tim Ballard, a Mormon QAnon advocate and liar. And from everything I've read, this Bonhoeffer movie is basically another example of twisted history and propaganda. But this is nothing new. Bonhoeffer was hijacked by the Evangelicals years ago.

Recess Appointments and Originalism

If facing resistance from the Senate, the incoming Trump administration has indicated it would like to utilise 'recess appointments' for incoming cabinet members - a provision granted in the Constitution. The new Senate majority leader John Thune has signalled he may be willing to facilitate this by taking the body into recess for no reason other than allowing Trump to push his cabinet nominees through.

A Ukraine Miscellany (XX): The End of the Biden Regime

 I more or less dispensed with these 'miscellany' posts in the summer of 2023 due to the ongoing stalemate. There wasn't much to say.

The big events or developments since then are the August 2024 Kursk Offensive in which Ukraine tried to flip the narrative and invade Russian territory. After some initial and yet modest gains the situation turned into another stalemate and now as 2024 comes to a close, they are rapidly losing this captured territory to Moscow.

The Church and Election Subversion

 https://www.cpr.org/2024/10/03/tina-peters-former-mesa-county-clerk-prison/

I don't believe in the American system. I've made this very clear but it continues to baffle me how these Evangelicals (and others within the orbit of the Christian Right wave their flags and step over each other to display their patriotism) have (in the Trump era) turned to actions that fundamentally undermine the system they profess to love and believe in. Everything they do testifies to the fact that if it means they lose - they don't believe in it either.

Washington and the Banderites

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/09/13/czgh-s13.html

It had been a few years since I picked up Russ Bellant's Old Nazis, the New Right, and the Republican Party, the 3rd edition published in 1991. The scandals he reports surrounding World War II-era fascists and the Nixon, Reagan, and GHW Bush administrations have been all but forgotten. And yet it was the Ukrainian angle that drove me to revisit the work - and it revealed some interesting bits of information.

NPR on Trump: The Threat of Authoritarianism Challenged by the Imperial Establishment

https://www.npr.org/2024/10/21/nx-s1-5155005/trump-threatens-to-use-the-military-and-doj-to-go-after-those-who-are-disloyal

It's enough to make you take to your bed. The media storm has become such a morass, such a realm of chaos. It's often case of liars calling out liars and answering distortions with what can only be described as manipulation.

To make sense of this story or exchange it helps one to think of clash between the Roman Empire under the Late Republic and the threat of Sullan Dictatorship. Both were evil entities and yet the political winds are noteworthy and applicable. Lives were affected as was the course of subsequent history. That's no less true today. As Christians we live in this society and even though we're strangers and pilgrims it behooves us to understand what is happening.

The Twisted Attempts to Sanctify a Stunt

It's all over Christian media - two protesters shouted 'Christ is King' and 'Jesus is Lord' at a Kamala Harris rally. Though the nature and context of her response is disputed, she replied by telling them they were at the wrong rally. They were (like all protesters) removed by security. The two men proceeded to hit the interview circuit and have been making as much hay as possible out of all this - insisting they were verbally and physically abused. The narrative is meant to imply persecution.

We all know that 1 John 2 says that anyone who denies the Son is antichrist - therefore (it's argued or implied) Harris is antichrist.

Cheney May Oppose Trump but is still Loyal to the Right

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/15/liz-cheney-ginni-thomas-january-6-investigation

Since opposing Trump, participating in the January 6 investigation, and be ousted from office, Liz Cheney is often presented as some kind of moderate. In reality she remains a Far Right member of the Republican Party and an advocate of the Neo-Conservative policies championed by her father. She rejects Trump and his movement but this does not make her a centrist. One might argue that right or wrong she retains some principles and convictions as opposed to the raw fascistic power-grab represented by Trumpism. It's a case of Bush-era Far Right politics vs. outright fascism.

Democracy in Crisis

https://theworld.org/segments/2024/09/18/democracy-is-under-strain-across-the-globe

Advocates for democracy are concerned. The once seemingly inevitable and unstoppable 'progress' of their system seems to be struggling. Some would say it's under strain, others would put in more stringent terms and simply say that democracy is in a state of crisis. They would point not just to the rise of authoritarian regimes but the strain on democracy within Europe and the evident fragility of the American system - supposedly the very nexus of modern democracy, the nation upon which the narrative depends.

The Dominionist Ziklag

https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-ziklag-secret-christian-charity-2024-election

The Christian Right's fundraising and lobbying machine is a veritable labyrinth and this is by design. Money is effectively laundered and the smoke and mirrors make it all but impossible to tell where the money is coming from and where the power is located. There are certain names that always seem to appear - these are in some cases key agents or actors. Sometimes they are the powers, the 'movers and shakers', other times they are the action-arms of the powers - which are often very wealthy people or the people that manage the wealth. It's complicated.

The GOP's Sociopathic Behaviour Regarding Israel

Watching a PBS Frontline episode on campus violence the other night I fully expected to see some clips of the congressional hearing with university presidents - a dialogue that was largely misrepresented in the mainstream media. It goes without saying this was misrepresented by the Right.