Mohler: The Lesser Magistrate and the Heretic Nation

http://www.albertmohler.com/2015/09/03/in-this-world-you-will-have-trouble-welcome-to-rowan-county/

Mohler whether meaning to or not strikes at the core of the issue. The notion of the Lesser Magistrate is about violence and revolution. He correctly notes that without this doctrine there would have been no American Revolution.

NPR Continues Downward Slide

Or as my wife puts it- Dingy Chicks and Gay Men are Taking Over

Something has changed in the culture of NPR. For a long time PBS and NPR represented the only serious mainstream news outlets. This is not to suggest all of their programming was serious but their flagship shows certainly were.

Margolis Challenging the Mainstream ISIS-Refugee Narrative

http://ericmargolis.com/2015/09/how-to-end-the-refugee-flood/

There are many debates regarding the origins of ISIS but it's clear the official narrative is somewhat dubious. The US has worked to destroy the region stretching from the Levant to the Pamirs. A crisis has been unleashed and there's a real danger. These conditions may quickly spiral out of control. The world is teetering toward a dangerous state of instability. Obama deserves a share of the blame but conservatives are delusional if they think they can ignore US actions in the region that have overshadowed it for at least twenty if not thirty years and several presidential administrations. There's a long story arc at work... but few can stay focused for that long, remember more than the recent past, let alone put the ideas together into a coherent framework that helps shed light on what has transpired.

Preaching Blood and Violence- A Heritage Denying the Authority of Scripture

http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=010a95d4b48dd7b0a7d1b401f&id=a83af67ddc&e=60d11585a1

I was terribly disappointed to see this in my inbox. This is the 'Christian' academy we get our standardized tests from... the tests we have to administer at certain grade levels as per the laws of our state. I guess that's what you have to expect from an outfit selling the likes of Gary North, Gary DeMar and the regular crew of Dominionist Judaizers.

Another Tool in the Imperial Arsenal

https://theintercept.com/2015/09/09/u-s-special-forces-expand-training-allies-histories-abuse/

This is but an update or reiteration of an old and well known tale. Special Operations forces 'training' foreign police and military units are an almost mundane aspect of imperial expansion. This is but one means that empires employ to expand their power without having to micromanage colonial bureaucracies. It's rule by means of proxy.

Climate, Crisis and Collapse

This video is a helpful tool. It's brief, (20 mins) and aptly explains some of the salient issues surrounding climate change. Many scoff at the notion that a degree or two of temperature shift would really affect our lives. And then of course every winter there are those who point to the cold and snow and mock the very suggestion that the earth is warming. This video explains and dispels some of these misunderstandings.

The Crux of the Refugee Crisis

I mentioned this in a previous post but it's worth repeating. While there's no doubt the refugee crisis has in part been spurred on by the rise of Islamic Radicalism, one must step back and see the forest through the trees. The real cause is the total undoing of the Middle Eastern world.

Jim Bob Duggar: A Pimp in Need of Funds

http://www.designntrend.com/articles/58053/20150729/19-kids-counting-duggars-broke-asking-fans-cash-youtube-channel.htm

The only thing I can think to say is....

When you whore out your kids and your family, it can be rough. Or in the words of a bumper sticker I used to see around here...

Pimpin' ain't easy

Oh right, sorry that was their 'witness'.

An awfully expensive witness. The Duggars are judgment on the Church and on those who would support these false prophets of Dominionism who seek to make merchandise of God's people. 

The Fall of the US Backed Dictator in Guatemala

I don't think the US mainstream media has been giving it much attention but there are tremendous events afoot in Guatemala, events directly related to the CIA sponsored overthrow of Arbenz in 1954. The US allied oligarchy which has ruled since that time is beginning to crack. Indeed the president who just resigned headed a US-backed and CIA trained death squad in the 1980's.

Evangelicals and Donald Trump

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/why-do-evangelicals-support-donald-trump/403591/

Strong delusion and judgment.

The Military-Industrial Complex/Corporatocracy on Display

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/08/20/iraq-war-surge-general-ray-odierno-gets-new-job-jp-morgan-chase/

Investment banks can use generals, the knowledge they possess, their familiarity with the complex federal and military bureaucracy, their ease with the jargon and lingo of the military subculture and of course their contacts.

Modi and Indian Society: The Christian Dilemma

http://www.france24.com/en/20150717-documentary-india-christians-forced-pray-secret-rss-bjp-hindus

Libertarians are correct in identifying Corporatism with a Fascist tendency. Corporatism seeks to politicise economics and economise politics. Every aspect of society is bent toward the acquisition and growth of power and this is all related to not just money, but the control of it.

Bonds and Bondage: Cashing in at the expense of others

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-09-05/in-stadium-building-spree-u-s-taxpayers-lose-4-billion

The stadiums may present an extreme but very pertinent example of this. I am tired of hearing about financial advisors pushing and plugging municipal bonds. I'm wearing my economic minimalism on my sleeve here, but it seems to me that simply having money to invest shouldn't grant a person the right to make money off other taxpayers in order to get a return.

Right-Wing Militias and the Christo-American Heresy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OHQ5oMywMk

I apologise in advance as some will find this video to be offensive. It starts out with some bad language. I will also freely admit that it is heavily slanted and is not really attempting to be objective.

The Implications of a Cyber Pearl Harbor

After the recent data breach, blamed on China, there's a growing chorus warning of a Cyber Pearl Harbor. We've heard this for some time, but it is only in recent years, (in light of Snowden and Wikileaks) that we can fully appreciate the implications.

Kaplan's Apologia for Empire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZs5DYp_GWg

This is an instructive but also disturbing video. One thing it clearly demonstrates is that far from being liberal, PBS is firmly wedded to the Establishment.

Fidelity in the Face of Totalitarian Militarism

I'm sorry to admit it but the Jehovah's Witnesses conducted themselves marvelously under the Third Reich. There's a lot of material to be found on this but I was fairly impressed with the Wikipedia article's summary and narrative. In other words, it's a good place to start.

Dispensationalism's Bloody Record

http://www.npr.org/2015/07/30/427648642/huckabee-s-holocaust-remarks-further-complicates-evangelicals-relationship-with-

In this report, what is being called Evangelical Zionism is just a sociological way of describing Dispensational theology, the system Huckabee and most Evangelicals have embraced.

The Internal War and its Casualties

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/06/world/middleeast/sarkis-g-soghanalian-arms-dealer-dies-at-82.html?_r=0

The arms dealer Soghanalian represents yet another example of the house cleaning or board clearing that took place as the Cold War ended. The US began to break off old ties and alliances and re-orient for a new historical epoch, an American Century it was hoped. There were many casualties and betrayals. The 1998 film Ronin and its allusion to the story of the 47 master-less samurai captures a little bit of this mood, especially in the circles inhabited by the likes of Soghanalian.

Pollard and the USSR

http://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jan/12/julianborger1

This particular aspect of the Pollard spy story seems to have been largely forgotten. I suppose it presents a particular dilemma for Dispensationalists. Who do you show your greater loyalty to?

The Zionist State and its supposed eschatological implications,

or the idolized American Empire?

If he had spied for anyone but Israel a release wouldn't even be contemplated.

MH17, Politics and the UNSC

US Mainstream media is presenting the Russian Veto of the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution as an outrage. They proffer that the UNSC establishing such a tribunal is normative and Russia's rejections represent a real if not criminally moral failing.

Sacralist Swan Song? - The 2016 US Presidential Election

http://freedom2015.org/

Listening to Kevin Swanson talk about this conference I'm reminded of Jerome's famous lamentation in response to the sacking of Rome by the Visigoths in 410. Jerome like many Evangelicals had confused the Sacralist State with the light of the world and the inheritance of God and like many American Evangelicals he couldn't imagine a Church without the Sacralist state attached to it and protecting it.

Racist Killings

I believe I've said this before but it bears repeating.

The Internet is awash with examples of society at large and the mainstream media ignoring the deaths of white people at the hands of minorities and in particular blacks. This lack of coverage and attention is decried as an injustice. Why are the deaths of blacks getting covered disproportionately? Why don't white lives matter it is asked?

I must say I find these sorts of comments surprising but I guess I shouldn't.

Tariq Aziz, Green Zone and The Memory Hole

The recent death of Tariq Aziz brought back a lot of memories concerning American involvement in Iraq. Always a controversial and interesting figure it was noteworthy that his death passed with hardly any notice. It was mentioned in the news, but at this point some twelve years after the initial invasion, few seem to care. The rise of ISIS, a direct consequence of American meddling and destruction in the region has now overshadowed all previous concerns and narratives. But because all parties refuse to learn from the past, we can be almost certain the same evils will be perpetuated.

The Ordination of Women Priests and Diocesan Bishops in the Church of England

http://issuesetc.org/2015/07/23/3-the-impact-of-female-bishops-in-the-church-of-england-bishop-keith-ackerman-72315/

This audio segment is instructive because it demonstrates the mindset and epistemological posturing of Churches that have rejected Sola Scriptura and yet are trying to maintain historic traditions.

Frauds and Backlash in the UK

http://shoebat.com/2015/06/19/major-bishop-of-the-church-of-england-says-to-declare-that-jesus-christ-is-the-son-of-god-could-one-day-be-criminalized-in-the-uk/

Be wary of these types of stories which are promiscuously circulated in Christian circles. The Shoebat's are certainly frauds and when listening to them being interviewed it's very apparent their Christianity certainly ought to be in doubt. If the Mossad isn't paying them, then they're getting a lot of propaganda for free.

Russell Moore on Being an Exile

Remembering 80's Pop Culture and Some of its Warnings

I'm dating myself here. My wife and I are bona fide 80's aficionados. Though it will sound strange to the older generation we miss the 80's more and more everyday in the same way our parents talked about the 50's.

Prince of Peace, God of War

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM6Po862pGA

I rather enjoyed this documentary which deals with Christian non-violence versus Just War Theory. It was slanted to be sure. That said, though I disagree with them, I was somewhat impressed with the thoughtfulness, hesitancy and restraint exhibited by some of the proponents of Just War.

The Most Dangerous Man of the Hour

http://globalnews.ca/video/2120979/netanyahu-not-happy-un-security-council-approved-iran-nuclear-deal

Netanyahu speaks of hypocrisy. That's pretty rich coming from the leader of Likud.

And yet it must be said that at this moment Benjamin Netanyahu is probably the most dangerous man in the world.

Trans or De-formed?

Speaking of PBS' Frontline, I strongly recommend that people watch the latest episode entitled 'Growing Up Trans'.

It is profoundly disturbing and not an easy watch. Aside from the medical ethics and other disturbing aspects of what is taking place, the real import (and shocking at that) is in the mindset of the parents, doctors, and peers. The societal shift is happening at a rocket speed and like it or not we must deal with it and pray for wisdom in knowing how to do so.

Exiles in America

"Now we feel like exiles in our own land..."

I've heard numerous variations on this phrase in recent days. This has been said in reference to the Supreme Court ruling on homosexual marriage.

Greece 1967 / Greece 2015

http://www.ahistoryofgreece.com/junta.htm

The CIA backed Junta which took power in 1967 represented a reaction to the Greek left. They established a military dictatorship which ruled Greece until 1974 when the fiasco in Cyprus brought them down.

Biblical Law and Society

I use this example not to 'attack' anyone, but to make a point. There's something to be learned here.

This podcast on Biblical law and society demonstrates the way assumptions can govern discussions. I think of many people I know listening to this and would think it to be a good programme. 'These are good folks,' they would say, 'working out problems and striving toward a good goal'.

PBS/Frontline: Obama, Syria and ISIS

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obama-at-war/

PBS's Frontline is a good programme when it comes to covering topics like the prison system, banking and domestic politics. But it is all but worthless when it comes to covering the foreign policy of the United States or any international event that touches on American interests. It's hard to find one that doesn't concern the empire thus severely limiting the scope of a show like Frontline.

This was abundantly clear in the recent documentary 'Obama at War' which dealt with American policy regarding Syria and the rise of ISIS.

Conservatism, Christendom and Racism

http://www.albertmohler.com/?p=35137

Mohler like many other Evangelical leaders seems to all but miss the point when it comes to the issue of racism. While he is correct to reject racism as sinful and evil he demonstrates both a revisionist tendency with regard to the past and a certain degree of blindness when it comes to the origin of racism in Western society. It's a hard and bitter pill to swallow and there's a great reluctance and resistance to the truth in this matter.

The Charleston shooter displayed his racism through the patches he wore on his jacket, flags from Apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia.

Nuclear Sabre Rattling and Spin

Increasingly it is feeling like we're back in 2002 and a 'spin-job' is being performed on the American public. Those of us who had our eyes open found that to be a time of lies and manipulation... on a much grander scale than what we usually encounter. That's how bad it was. You spoke in a whisper and you kept your head down because any challenge to the narrative meant you were a traitor.

Waterloo

The battle took place on 18 June 1815

It was historic because it ended the Napoleonic Wars and ushered in the Pax Britannica. The 19^th century belonged to Britain. Until the rise of the United States, it was the grandest empire the world had ever seen.

The Lesser Magistrate and the Looming Conflict

https://generationswithvision.com/broadcast/the-state-of-texas-vs-the-united-states/

The march toward violence continues. Where will it end?

There is no scriptural basis for the doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate. It is all based on false assumption. It is a speculation, a deduction rooted not in Scripture but in Constantinianism.

http://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-lesser-magistrate-heresy.html

Chad and the African Game

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/11/you-might-not-know-where-chad-us-military-has-big-plans-it

Since the 1990's the United States has successfully laboured to woo Chad away from the French sphere of influence. Chad signed a big deal with Exxon in 1999 and has worked to aid US policy with regard to Sudan. The US has long opposed Khartoum and sought to facilitate the creation of South Sudan. American Christian groups and business interests have played no small part in this. Chad's own rebel movement was backed by Sudan and overlapped with the war in Darfur. Once again Chadian and American interests overlapped. Khartoum was the enemy, the same Khartoum that in the early 1990's harboured Osama bin Laden.

The Tragedy of Angola Lives On

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/05/06/christian-sect-killings-in-angola-shrouded-in-fear-and-mystery/

I'm sorry to say it but US backing of UNITA and Christian involvement through groups like the Heritage Foundation through the 1970's and 80's did not help the situation and the societal tension it has fostered.

A Healthy Response to the Duggar Scandal

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=5231518735


This isn't a sermon. It's a podcast and in it Reformed Baptist pastor Jeff Riddle discusses the Duggar scandal. I think his comments are appropriate and helpful and he expresses many viewpoints I share. He's rightly critical of the Duggars and felt that way long before this happened. That's how I've felt about it. I'm not only hostile to their Dominionism and their connections with Gothard but in general I did not like the way they were setting themselves up as paragons. Their message is misleading. It's easy to be the Duggars when you're wealthy. Others who would struggle to fill the gas tank of their bus, will find life to be considerably different.

The Angst of the 1990's and a Documentary on the Oklahoma City Bombing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT5PS_cIjgo

I've always thought this was one of the better documentaries on the background of the Oklahoma City Bombing. I would hope future documentary makers would spend even more time elaborating on the context and cultural milieu. People have forgotten the level of anxiety and how worked up the Right wing was in early 1990's. I remember. At the time, I was one of them.

Enemies Roaring in the Midst: Memorial Day and the American Church

https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/memorial-day-blasphemy/

https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/a-memorial-day-sunday-success-story/

The first story is par for the course. I suppose we can be thankful for the reported success in the second piece but to me it wasn't the 'success' that was of interest but the report of just how bad things have gotten.

To Protect and Serve the Corporatocracy

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/05/26/kinder-morgan-maybe-change-huge-oil-pipeline-company-something-hired-duty-cops-deter-protests-pennsylvania-pipeline/

I wonder how many people know this occurs? My guess is they don't know so many of our 'heroes' are for hire. One wonders did they use tax-payer funded/issued firearms or other equipment?

Hastert's Finale and Wheaton's Shame

I suppose the 'Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy' at Wheaton College may have to consider a name change.

It's amazing how many of these guys who went after Clinton and decried his immorality were themselves embroiled in scandal and the suppression of their own immoral behaviours and past conduct.

Falafel, Syrian Politics and Christianity

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/23/us-mideast-crisis-syria-palmyra-idUSKBN0O808H20150523

Just yesterday I was in a nearby city and stopped for a falafel at a 'Mediterranean' restaurant and engaged the Syrian owner in an interesting conversation.

Setting Up the Asian Gameboard for the New Cold War

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/05/23/scse-m23.html

While I don't know that I would go so far to suggest the US is provoking a 'Gulf of Tonkin' incident as a prelude to war, I do think it's likely the US is looking for low-grade confrontations it can exploit.

The Politicised Academy

I've told this story before but it helps to make a point. Many years ago while in seminary I wrote a review of JM Kik's "An Eschatology of Victory" and I passed it on to a friend who was attending a congregation with not a few Postmillennialists. They love this book, it's part of their theological canon and I knew my review would not be appreciated.

The Structure of Biblical Polity

New Testament Church Organization by Donald L Norbie

c.1977 Walterick Publishers

Covering a wide range of topics this volume by Donald Norbie concisely summarizes the New Testament's teaching on polity. He avoids labouring on unnecessary or obscure points but at the same time covers the salient ones.

Ukraine's Christian Militias

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/03/18/ukraine-part-3/

In some ways what is most interesting here is the admission that the militant wings of the Ukrainian Far-Right have participated in the Chechen Wars and the low-grade guerilla conflicts that persist in the Caucasus. It has long been posited the West has supported the Chechens in their fight against Moscow and its puppet regime under Kadyrov. It wouldn't be the first time the US has backed Islamists to serve a larger strategic goal.

2 Timothy 3.1-9

http://zionpath.blogspot.com/2015/05/2-timothy-31-9.html

Christianity in Singapore

http://www.echozoe.com/archives/2617

This was an interesting podcast on the state of Christianity in Singapore. Despite the rudeness of the host, the guest was well-informed and insightful and overall it was worth a listen. I am particularly struck by the influence of American Christianity on the worldwide Church. By and large it's not a good thing. American Christianity and the Empire it venerates are exceptional indeed.

 

Dispensationalism and 14 May 1948

Today is practically a holy day on the Dispensational calendar. Based on their misunderstanding of Christ's Olivet Discourse, they think part of Matthew 24 was fulfilled on this day in 1948.

Selling the Warfare State

It seems rather convenient that just as the NSA programme is being questioned by the judiciary, forcing the so-called Patriot Act to be reviewed, there is a sudden threat of ISIS cells in the United States.

The Danger of a False Antithesis

"If there is no visible difference between you and the world, depend upon it, there is no invisible difference." ~Charles H. Spurgeon

Globalisation in Indonesia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5uYCWVfuPQ

This is a great little documentary on Nike and their operations in Indonesia. It gives some good perspective on globalisation. I appreciate the guy's integrity. There aren't many people that are willing to stand up like that.

Sensate Theology, Power and Unbridled Zeal

Some are very moved by this type of video as am I but my response is a bit different. I'm not totally encouraged by what I'm seeing. There's a great deal of Emotionalism, but what's the nature of the content?

2 Timothy 2.20-26

http://zionpath.blogspot.com/2015/04/2-timothy-220-26.html

Mohler and Metaxas on Bonhoeffer

An interesting interview to be sure. They never specifically mention the Metaxas biography on Dietrich Bonhoeffer but it's quite obvious they have it in mind. It's the elephant in the room.