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.

Refusing to be Distracted

https://julieroys.com/ohio-church-refuses-embrace-partisan-politics-shrinks/

The article was good and even refreshing to a degree, but it was not elaborated enough. It felt like there should have been a lot more explanation as to why these positions (what some take to be non-positions) are taken.

The confusion is demonstrated in the comments after the article.

Another Schizophrenic and Incoherent Commentary From the Right

https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2022/jun/02/star-parker-this-country-is-going-through-a/

What a mess. I filed this commentary away over a month ago. To be candid it's pretty worthless but reading it I had to laugh at the total incongruity and dissonance on display in the argument.

Deceit on All Fronts

I clicked on a CNN video the other night and gave up after just a few minutes. It was ridiculous. It wasn't news. It was just a juvenile editorial and misleading at that. Even if I agreed (for the most part) with what was being said, the presentation was disgraceful – the very sort of thing that is par for the course on FOX. The two channels are increasingly cut from the same cloth. Deceit reigns as the interests of mammon dominate the airwaves and both channels (in service to the Wall Street Establishment) are on a mission to blur and ignore context and the true nature of the problems that dominate this society and the larger world. Ratings, advertising, and thus entertainment are paramount and increasingly rage and fear are the tools to keep people energized.

Problems with the Evangelical Abortion Narrative

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5502785

Abortion is murder and sin. This needs to be stated in unqualified terms. The point of this inquiry is not to argue otherwise or muddy the waters on the core ethical points surrounding the practice.

However when abortion is considered in its political and social context, then the truth demands a wider discussion and necessarily a more complicated one. Again, this is not to give credence or standing to those who promote and defend abortion. Rather it is necessary as Christians to be honest with regard to how the issue has been framed and utilised, and to consider the narratives attached to it.

How Should We Then Live: The Schaeffer Legacy and the Great Evangelical Disaster

Though the series ended with Part 10, we're using this 11^th installment to reflect on the legacy of Schaeffer and his film. While at this point it's very dated, the leaders of contemporary Evangelicalism were greatly inspired by Schaeffer and his work. Whether they read his books or not, chances are they saw these films. Virtually every leader of the movement was either directly inspired by him or by those who took up his mantle. His presence both hovers and looms over the Evangelical world.

How Should We Then Live Part 9: The Age of Personal Peace and Affluence (II)

Switching gears somewhat Schaeffer turns to the question of 'arbitrary law' and the relativism born of it.

Abortion and Early 20th Century American Protestantism

https://pjmedia.com/faith/2017/05/09/no-new-york-times-christianitys-opposition-to-abortion-is-anything-but-new/

Hardly wishing to defend Kristof I would nevertheless point out that this author seems to be somewhat ignorant of Conservative ethics of yesteryear. Yes, he briefly mentioned Kristof's assertion that conservatives only began to care about abortion in the 1960's and 1970's, but he doesn't interact with it. Instead he turns to Church History.

American Catholicism's Breaking Point and Biden's Sodomy

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Blog/4989/good_grief_if_even_protestants_think_the_time_has_come.aspx

The Sacralist model of the Church has never been much for Church Discipline... that is with regard to those who at least nominally hold to the paradigm.

Abortion and the Wild West Approach to Law

Texas lost its Supreme Court battle over abortion. While abortion is an abomination I can't say that I feel very sorry for the so-called Pro-Life movement and its attempts to destroy it.

They argue that this was about women's health. No, it wasn't and they've been called out. This was politics pure and simple. It was an attempt to undermine and subvert the law... not a very conservative position or tactic.

Polish Sacralism

http://www.politico.eu/article/polands-church-state-alliance-to-ban-abortion/

This is the kind of relationship American Evangelicals long to implement. The Protestant Sacral model is one in which the Church advises the state, it acts as arbiter for official policy.

Trump and Punishing Women Who Seek Abortion

The Christian Right shouldn't be shocked by Trump's statements about punishing women who have abortions. Cruz and other professing Christians seem to want to capitalise on Trump's perceived error but don't want to follow through on the implications of the question. Their dismay strikes me as hypocritical and false.

Some Comments on: Dispatches (In God's Name)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gqhlRdOxJg

This episode of Dispatches is worth watching. It's one of those documentaries where you find yourself not really agreeing with anyone but it's informative and helps to make you aware of what's happening.

It's quite biased but I suppose that must be expected. As I watch this I sometimes wonder why these Christians are consenting to this. Do they not recall the teaching of the Scripture? The world will think we are fools. To put it on display (in this sense) is not helping the cause. We're sideshow freaks to them.