https://hslda.org/post/as-homeschooling-grows-in-romania-government-cracks-down
As mentioned in previous posts, I'm not a fan of HSLDA and
its Dominionist approach to homeschooling and larger questions concerning the
law. Confusing Christianity (its doctrines and ethics) with the Western (and
more often the American) cultural tradition, their overall approach theology,
ethics, and jurisprudence are (to me) seriously misguided.
As many readers will already know Paivi Rasanen is the
Finnish MP who has been brought up on charges regarding her anti-homosexual stand
and public statements she has made to that end. Her trial is complete and if
found guilty she faces jail time. It signals a real warning to Christians in
the West that the Sodomite factions that have come to dominate large sections
of Western capitalist society intend to prosecute dissidents.
It's evident to all in the West that Russian media twists and distorts the Ukraine War narrative. The state obfuscates the extent of the war, downplays its intensity, ignores and spins civilian deaths and in general misleads its public as to the nature, cause, and goals of its policies.
In addition to this and to the outrage of many, Vladimir
Putin the Russian president quotes Scripture and draws parallels, even
blasphemous comparisons between the 'sacrifices' made by Russian soldiers and
the death of Christ. He presents a picture in which the Russian public is led
to believe that God is with them and their cause. He stands by their troops and
their cause is just and righteous.
Indeed it is sickening and could even be described as evil.
https://www.breakpoint.org/is-it-biblical-to-honor-our-nation/
Evoking the memory of the apostate Richard John Neuhaus, BreakPoint commentator and Colson protégé John Stonestreet attempts to address the dangers of idolatry regarding nationalism, and yet in keeping with patterns often seen in his commentaries he misses the central point and falls into error.
Rather than seriously seek to limit or warn concerning the
dangers of nationalism, he in fact encourages it and blurs the lines that
already cloud contemporary Evangelical thought.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been placed into a difficult position by recent events and yet he hardly deserves sympathy. As he has specifically sought to exploit Turkey's Eurasian identity and potential role as a kind mediating power – then he should have expected this, being in a situation where he has the power to deal but few friends. His recent diplomatic attempt to bring the forces of the Ukraine War together has been interesting. It was also noteworthy that his recent summit attempt had little support from the United States which clearly (and despite its official rhetoric) doesn't want the war to end.
Energy Independence. The words are inescapable if you turn the news on. It has become a battle-cry for the Right in 2022. Representing the interests of the petroleum industry they have used the present crisis as a means to bolster the interests of that economic sector and yet at a most basic level it's misleading.
https://www.mnnonline.org/news/russian-invasion-brings-threat-of-persecution-to-ukraine/
The warning that a Russian occupation of Ukraine will
potentially invite forms of persecution is true enough but at the same time it
must be noted that Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), Mission Network News (MNN), and
many other missions and Evangelical organisations like Door of Hope
International (DOHI) are not to be fully trusted. Some radio programs spread
more false information than anything else especially when it comes to politics
and certainly international relations.
https://biblebased.wordpress.com/2022/03/07/should-reformed-christians-be-supporting-putin/
In this essay Andrew Webb continually begs the question. He
falsely assumes that Christians should be 'supporting' either side. Christians
certainly should not support Vladimir Putin. Some have been captivated by a
very misguided narrative that he somehow supports a re-establishment of
Christendom or that he stands for anti-liberalism (itself a confused term and
concept). Rather than muddy the waters as to whether or not Russia is a
'Christian' country, the concept itself needs to be exposed as intrinsically
false. The entire framework for the discussion needs to be re-tooled.
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2022/03/09/lockheed-military-manufacturing-saudi/
Biden and others in the American
Establishment have sought to cast the new Cold War in terms of the Liberal
Democracies versus the Authoritarian States. This claim is as farcical as the
Capitalist Free World versus the Communist Bloc of the first Cold War. The
truth is always far more complicated.
In something of a cultural watershed the US government is openly allowing for and promoting crowd-funding for the Ukrainian army. Viewed as a just cause, once again it's clear Washington has no desire for this conflict to end in the near term.
For Christians there should be no doubt about books like
Harry Potter and the Twilight series. They're rubbish and they're not the type
of books I would encourage my children to read.
That said, burning the books is little more than a political
stunt. It would be one thing if there was a genuine Spirit-wrought outpouring
and people did this as a form of repentance and renunciation (as seen in
Ephesus) but that's not what's happening here.
I wish to extend a 'thank you' to Terry Mattingly for
publishing this. I don't always agree with him but I appreciate his
thoughtfulness and in this case he's one of the few voices that's pleading for
a bit of reflection – perhaps before some very terrible lines are crossed.
Putin fell for a geopolitical trap in the invasion of Ukraine, and US president Joe Biden has fallen for a series of traps set by his domestic political opposition.
The US wanted to send fighter aircraft to Ukraine but finally someone realised that Ukrainian pilots are trained on Soviet and Russian models – Sukhoi's and MiG's. And so sending them F-16's and the like will do little good. I'm sure they could fly them but they won't be proficient without training.
The NPR story – but one of an endless stream – attacks Russia
for its alleged use of cluster bombs. The weapon has long been condemned
because of the high percentage of 'bomblets' that don't actually explode and left
exposed on the ground, they lead to future injuries in the months and years
following the conclusion of the war. People are maimed and killed long after
the fighting has stopped.
Listening to the chants on the radio of 'USA Help Ukraine', I wondered if it ever occurred to any of these people that it was America's 'help', its meddling in Eastern Europe and Ukraine in particular that led to the current crisis? Had the United States remained in its own hemisphere, and had Washington avoided sponsoring a militaristic eastern expansion on the part of NATO, then perhaps the world wouldn't face this crisis. Are they aware of America's 'help' for Ukraine in the 2004 and 2014?
After several vicious rounds of advance and retreat, it would
seem the Tigray War may be stabilising. At present there is a cease fire and we
can hope that it holds. Everyone is tired of fighting and both sides have
suffered considerably – not to mention the vast number of civilians who have
been brutalised.
While there's a ceasefire, the situation is by no means
resolved. The Tigray region is basically (at this point) autonomous and they've
proven that they can hold their own against the Abiy government in Addis Ababa
– which is now a government in crisis.
