After forcing myself to listen to the local Evangelical station, I was again struck by the constant refrain found in the latest CCM songs - themes that were not present in the music back in the 80's. Over and over again the singers talk about believing lies about themselves and how now they understand they are wanted, special, etc.
To understand the shift I thought of some questions or statements and how today's theology (expressed in music) understands and answers them.
I really object to the notion that 'legislation' feminized the Church. The connected issue (if one accepts their assumptions) is not the legislators per se who are officials in the Babel-kingdom of America. The issue is Church leaders who did not teach their people the difference between the holy and the profane, who did not separate Christian identity from American citizenship. Brown has no standing on this point as he is guilty of the latter and heavily promotes the Christian America mythology and the muscular pseudo-piety of the Christian warrior. As such he celebrates America's wars and all the lies, murder, and bloodshed they represent. I laugh at his concerns regarding women able to get into West Point, VMI, The Citadel, and the like. Paul would say, 'what have I to do with those who are outside? God will judge them.'
https://agendaweekly.com/the-war-to-destroy-the-family-and-feminize-the-church-with-scott-brown/
I was disappointed but not surprised to find that Scott Brown appeared on the podcast run by Curtis Bowers, a far-right lunatic and disinformation agent that holds a seat in the Idaho House of Representatives. I thought Brown was (despite his grave errors) a little more sober and grounded - in possession of some degree of dignity. I guess I was wrong.
https://banneroftruth.org/us/reports/obituaries/2026/paul-helm-1940-2025/
Given that Helm died last December and the fact that this is only now appearing will give readers some sense of how far behind I am in terms of my articles list.
https://ministrywatch.com/st-andrews-chapel-salaries-well-above-median-salary-in-the-region
This report matters because these are 'respected' ministries and leaders and yet their conduct (as reported in the article) raises eyebrows. I think it is glimpse behind the veil. I think this kind of corruption is far from being an anomaly. There are abuses of power on many levels, corruption, and rank greed. The numbers involved aren't on the level of a Wall Street scandal that makes the national news but for individuals these are serious salaries that pay for a very nice lifestyle and the people in these institutions and bureaucracies are not going to just give them up and go away quietly.
Some might be excused for thinking I do nothing more than read bad articles and listen to egregious podcasts and radio shows. What's the point, someone might ask me?
It gives me no joy I can assure you but I am consistently astonished by what is taking place in the Church today - the bad teaching, the twisted ethics, the flawed reasoning, and the corrupt leadership. I encounter people that just drink this stuff in without stopping and thinking - and realizing that what they're being told doesn't add up, isn't Scriptural (despite the claims), and is ultimately misleading. At that point we have to ask 'why'? What is happening?
https://www.asianews.it/news-en/New-arrests-of-house-church-members-in-China-64608.html
There are some serious problems with this article - with the reporting as well as the underlying assumptions.
Imagine if a US-based pastor went over to China, met with the most militant members of the People's Congress and CCP, men that openly speak of war with the United States and the threat it represents.
Further, he aligns himself with monied interests in China, receives awards, and then returns to the United States and agitates - flouts the laws, tax and building codes, and speaks openly of transforming US culture into something conformable to China.
How would US authorities likely respond?
The Reformers were divided on the question of Christmas celebration.
The Church historian in question suggests we split the difference. Luther was for the celebration of Christmas and all of other traditions that he deemed did not specifically undermine or contradict the gospel. The Reformed wing of the Magisterial Reformation tended to argue that ecclesiology is also regulated by Scripture and therefore Christmas was suspect.
Davis dodges the theological issue and tries to create a binary dilemma between sacred and secular elements of the Christmas celebration - enjoy it, but be careful.
But that's not the issue if we're talking about the divide between the Reformers. This is to miss the point entirely.
Challies is a popular figure within New Calvinist/Evangelical circles. He rightly denounces the counterfeit mysteries that seem to be so popular in Evangelical and Charismatic circles - the Bible code books, visions of heaven and hell, hidden prophecies tied to contemporary politics, or perhaps the latest 'key' to understanding the Dispensational End Times scheme. There are plenty of examples we could point to and Challies rightly denounces this tendency.
But then he said a few things that I found to be troubling.
When I saw that Chris Arnzen was going to cover the topic of Why America Hates Biblical Christianity, I decided to listen. I wondered if his guest would peel back all the layers of ideology, history, and obfuscation and touch on some of the core and foundational problems with the American mindset. Well, that just turned out to be wishful thinking.
https://www.972mag.com/gaza-human-shield-mosquito/
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/5/29/israeli_soldiers_using_palestinians_human_shields
This story broke wide open back in May and since then I've watched and waited. Would any Christian outlets cover this story? Would any self-described Evangelical 'news hounds' like FLN's Bobby Price dare to report on this?
The answer is no.
https://wng.org/opinions/this-is-like-an-old-time-revival-isnt-it-1758521481
Mohler celebrates the supposed revival taking place in connection to the death of Charlie Kirk. He favourably quotes Trump to that end. An old time revival? What exactly does that mean?
https://coreyjmahler.com/adolf-hitler-christian/
I already touched on this issue a couple of years ago when LPR's Issues Etc. chose not to cover a story of an LCMS minister caught up in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election in favour of Donald Trump.
https://g3min.org/book-review-the-puritans-in-africa-by-w-de-klerk/
Cantrell offers some insightful commentary regarding Afrikaner Theology and how it devolved into Apartheid. I'm not sure I buy the True/False Calvinism distinction though. First, there's the issue and question of Calvinism which is broad and difficult to define. Second, there is the Dutch Calvinist legacy and its heavy emphasis on an integrated culture - seen particularly in the thought of Abraham Kuyper.
I was asked to comment about Josh Buice and the scandal surrounding him. G3 Ministries is one of the big names in New Calvinism - even though I think Buice would want to distance himself from that label.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=1ckd_Jx_obk
https://clearlyreformed.org/on-culture-war-doug-wilson-and-the-moscow-mood/
It's been a year since Doug Wilson released his 2023 No Quarter November/Thanksgiving video. I saw it at the time and followed some of the responses to it. I thought DeYoung's comments were fairly astute but missing one important element regarding the 'mood' - Donald Trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BcZlxGt3xs
Since he was named by Time Magazine as America's Best Theologian in 2001, Stanley Hauerwas rightly raises some eyebrows. He's at his best when he's applying New Testament ethics and yet his theology is bankrupt. Sadly those sacralists and Right-wing adherents who oppose New Testament teaching can use Hauerwas' theological liberalism as a vehicle to discredit and dismiss what he says about ethics - even if it reflects apostolic teaching. This is why he's always frustrated me a bit. I have not found his books to be helpful and I never recommend them and yet he often makes decent standalone statements and has plenty to offer in the way of historical and cultural commentary.
Since I've been reading and writing about Abraham Kuyper as of late this interview clip caught my eye.
https://julieroys.com/how-shannon-harris-kissed-biblical-womanhood-goodbye/
This article is about the wife of Josh Harris and with her story the sad circle of apostasy is now complete. Both of them have abandoned Christianity in what is another mark against New Calvinism testifying to its often superficial and shallow nature.
https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/02/desecration-at-st-patricks-cathedral
Is Trueman still a Protestant? One is baffled by his line of argument. Historically Protestants would have viewed the Roman Catholic temple as a blasphemy and its rites as a desecration of the New Testament. What Trueman is arguing about is sacral categories in terms of society - and who controls the symbols and sacred spaces.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/mainline-methodist-left/
Mark Tooley continues to mislead regarding the 'conservative' Global Methodist Church (GMC). Conservative by what standard? In terms of historic Protestant orthodoxy, the new denomination is not conservative but theologically liberal. When compared to the New Testament, the GMC represents a serious departure with its attitudes regarding everything from feminism to the embrace of higher criticism and much more.
