First there was the failed summit in Los Angeles. This was the Ninth such meeting for the Organization of American States (OAS) which has long been a tool for US imperialism in the region. More than once it has given cover to US policies and machinations.
A friend and I frequently exchange notes regarding the text
of the New Testament and some of the controversies surrounding it. We're both
committed to the now minority position regarding the so-called Byzantine Text
and the Textus Receptus and we both reject the Critical Text which has been
widely embraced even by many who would otherwise claim to be conservatives
and/or Confessionalists.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/05/30/memorial-day-salute-to-a-repentant-ex-marine/
The article cites the new book – Gangsters
of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, The Marines, and the Making and Breaking of
America’s Empire
by Jonathan Katz (St. Martin's Press 2022).
This is a book that I want to read. Butler is a fascinating
character and one soldier that I too would salute. He was a true hero, not for
his soldiering but for his courage and willingness to tell the truth about it –
something that actually took more courage and exacted a heavier price than all his
battlefield exploits.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/usps-can-require-christian-to-work-on-sundays-court-rules.html
This is a case of worldly thinking
being passed off as Christianity applied. It's more rights-based ethics – file
a lawsuit and call on the state to compel your employer to give you what you
want. It's an abnegation of gospel testimony, an attempt to wed Christianity to
the power of the state. And this thinking is the result of Dominionism, the
utter confusion of the True Kingdom that calls us to take up the cross with a counterfeit
kingdom that seeks to sanctify the world and its hallmarks – the sword and the
coin. Bow to its ethic and its fallen prince will grant you the kingdoms of the
earth. This is how far removed from the New Testament this doctrinal and
ethical system is.
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/5/22/george-w-bush-is-not-funny
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEg6Ht2pNH0
For
several years – but certainly for the past few months we have been subjected to
media expressions of moral outrage and disgust over Putin's actions and his invasion
of Ukraine. And it goes beyond the media – celebrities, the public sector,
corporations and the like have all jumped on this bandwagon. Even a regional
Russian Festival was canceled as it was deemed inappropriate to celebrate
Russian culture at this time – which ironically it must be noted that about
half of the music and dances in the event were... you guessed it, Ukrainian.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/sri-lanka-is-open-buying-russian-oil-pm-tells-ap-2022-06-12/
As a country in a state of turmoil and caught between
political and financial forces based both in China and the West, Colombo is
looking for other options. And for obvious reasons Moscow is also looking for
new markets. While the Russian oil industry has jumped through numerous hoops
and played games with pricing to keep their markets open, the possibility of
new markets must be appealing for those in Russia.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61488976
This story sure caught my eye. I don't believe such a
narrative would fly in Western coverage. Whether the story is true or not, the
propaganda campaign against China has reached a point that any and every story
that can be used or spun is posted – anything to cast a shadow over the
character of the Chinese people and state.
https://www.news10.com/news/rensselaer-county/police-deescalate-hostage-situation-at-troy-stewarts/
You don't read about mass killings by knife too often do you?
I've written about this before, as have many others. Here's another recent
case, pertinent in light of the recent wave of mass shootings in the United
States.
We already knew Jordan 'JD' Hall was far afield in terms of New Testament Christianity. For him Christianity is a confused construct of America, guns, and some kind of truncated cowboy cheap-grace gospel. To practice one's piety you spread spin and lies and do so by means of creating a click-bait factory. When I see the posters promoting filth like 'God, Guns, and Trump', I think of JD Hall and the poor lost souls that follow him.
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/21/1100533342/australia-scott-morrison-concedes-election
I wanted to comment on this a couple of weeks ago but like
many readers I'm getting pretty beat up right now financially and work is consuming
a lot of my time. At present a forecast of rain means a loss of income for the
day but it gives me some time write and catch up on things.
Evangelicals were thrilled when several Tampa Bay baseball players refused to wear the 'rainbow' patches on their uniform for some kind of Sodomite pride day – something their team wishes to promote. As Sodomy is all the rage we are subjected to rainbow-washing in all sectors of society. Not saying something is to say something and so many companies and institutions that probably don't care all that much about the issue are keen to make a statement even if it's just a token one.
https://www.npr.org/2022/04/23/1094444837/opinion-the-failed-promise-of-never-again
I've been listening to
NPR on and off for a long time, although much less so in recent years. The
network has changed and I increasingly find it to be a waste of time.
Thankfully my regional public radio station (WPSU) has some other programming that's
worth while and so I still tune in from time to time.
I already knew that I disagreed with the premise of the show.
I don't believe that academia is something that can be recaptured because I
don't believe it was ever the province of the Church to begin with.
The Great Replacement theory appears in various forms and has undergone numerous permutations. For some it's about race, for others it's race on one level, but primarily it's a question of culture.
