The Death of an Arch-Hypocrite and False Christian

Ken Starr has died and while his name will be forever associated with the Clinton-Lewinsky affair, he remained a well-known and active figure in Right-wing circles, even into the Trump era.

Demographic Changes in Northern Ireland

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-62980394

https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-unionist-nightmare-in-ulster.html

This represents a rather noteworthy change in the demographics of Northern Ireland – and at a particularly interesting time. Sinn Fein now holds power which in some respects is the outward expression of this now verified demographic reality.

AFR: The Deceit Factory and the Deceived Deceivers that Run It

I had to drive down into AFR world today – that is I had to drive within range of the American Family Radio signal. This station, considered a titan in the Evangelical world is to put it simply a disgrace. Every time I listen to it I have to shake my head in disbelief. The programming is appalling. Clearly the Wildmon clan exist to serve the interests of the GOP and the various monied interests of the American Right.

Hints and Lessons Regarding German Militarisation

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2022/09/16/germany-military-best-equipped/

This story appeared last month. To be honest, I'm surprised it didn't get more attention. Scholz's statements are a more than subtle indicator regarding German militarisation and its true goals. This isn't about Ukraine, this about German leadership in Europe and it tacitly suggests that Berlin is thinking in terms beyond NATO.

A Ukraine Miscellany XIII: War and the Destruction of Civilian Infrastructure

In light of battlefield defeats, the Putin regime has turned to punitive attacks, and a form of total warfare. Using airstrikes and drones, he's now targeting Ukrainian infrastructure, primarily hitting water and power stations. The goal is to generate suffering, break morale, and degrade Ukrainian society's will and ability to continue the war. He wants to force them to the negotiating table – all the more as Putin is desperate for a way out of the conflict. NATO can keep pouring weapons into the country but if Ukrainian society is falling apart the will to continue will fail.

Turkey, NATO, and the SCO

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/21/turkey-shanghai-cooperation-organisation-membership-nato-west-alternative

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/9/turkey-resumes-gas-exploration-in-the-eastern-mediterranean

Under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey continues to carve out what can only be described as an independent geopolitical course. Long viewed as an essential member of NATO, due to its unique cultural and geographical position, under Erdogan's AKP the Eurasian nation continues to anger its longtime allies and sponsors by reaching out to Western rivals and adversaries and in pursuing policies that the EU and NATO would describe as reckless, defiant, and even treacherous.

Kidnapped: The Poison of Russian Sacralism and the Twin Dangers of Persecution and Seduction

https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/19077/pastor-and-wife-in-mariupol-kidnapped-after-refusing-to-open-premises-for-annexation-referendum

It's very sad to read of this couple that has been seemingly kidnapped by Russian soldiers. Being in Eastern Ukraine, their congregation has undoubtedly suffered from schism, the horrors and violence of war – and now this.

The Trump Justice Department, Integrity and Policing Wall Street

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/20/1124043768/how-trumps-doj-pressured-the-southern-district-of-ny-to-aid-the-white-house

This episode of Fresh Air encouraged a deluge of thoughts and considerations. Listening to the account by the former US Attorney and his reports of the corruption in the Trump administration and specifically of former Attorney General Bill Barr, I could not help but immediately think of LPR's Issues Etc.

A Ukraine Miscellany XII: Thank You USA (II)

The US for its part is returning to the George Bush posture of post 9/11 – you're either with us or against us. In other words if you're not on board with Washington's global design, you're being relegated to the enemy column. And yet the Bush threat of 2001 carried more weight than it does under Biden in 2022. This is not because Biden is weak per se, but rather he presides over a nation that is undergoing social disintegration and even while it flexes its international muscle – domestically it faces deep systemic problems and is even now living under the shadow of civil conflict. And as things presently stand it looks like there's a good chance Trump could be president again in a couple of years which will effectively dash America's standing on the world stage.

A Ukraine Miscellany XII: Thank You USA (I)

One feels as if the propaganda has reached a new level, and with it the stakes and danger have become even greater. At the end of September a series of explosions heavily damaged the Nordstream pipelines which bring natural gas across the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. The two Nordstream 1 lines were rendered inoperable and apparently despite the explosions one of the two Nordstream 2 lines remains viable. In other words, three of the four pipelines have sustained serious damage.

Khan and US Drones in Pakistani Airspace

https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/dont-expect-pakistan-to-host-us-military-bases/

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-accuses-pakistan-allowing-us-drones-use-its-airspace-2022-08-28/

In some respects this is a small story and received little attention but it deserves a second look. The Taliban has protested regarding US drone strikes in Afghanistan and particularly the targeted killing of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. They are of course upset with Washington but the real target of their accusations and perhaps their ire is Pakistan. The Taliban accuses Islamabad of hosting US drones or at the very least allowing them to strike from its airspace.

Right Wing Evangelicals in Brazil and the Embrace of Fascism

https://theworld.org/stories/2022-07-29/brazil-s-evangelicals-work-us-political-mission

https://theworld.org/stories/2022-07-29/brazil-s-evangelicals-stand-president-bolsonaro

I have visited this topic more than once but with today's election in Brazil it once more comes to mind. The rise of Bolsonaro isn't that surprising as we see Right-wing and fascistic movements waxing everywhere. But it is the Evangelical support for Bolsonaro that is particularly of interest and the fact that like Trump he has all but announced that if he loses the election he will not accept the results – and has indicated he's willing to entertain extreme measures to reverse the result.

War and the Authoritarian Clampdown in Russia

People seem shocked that Vladimir Putin is making aggressive moves to silence dissent and punish social nonconformity. They shouldn't be and I'm not just saying that because it's Vladimir Putin. All states, whether already authoritarian-leaning entities such as Russia and China or even so-called liberal democracies like the United States, resort to some form of internal clampdown whenever the war machine is running under full steam.

A Ukraine Miscellany XI: Escalation, Ticking Time Bombs, and Endgame (II)

Until now the US has been keen to drag this war out and wear down Moscow but it would seem that the Kharkiv Offensive marks the moment that they've decided to initiate its endgame. It's a dangerous moment as Putin is also desperate and escalating the stakes by his mobilisation and his recent appeals to Beijing at the SCO meeting in Uzbekistan. If China begins to aid Russia, this war could swing the other direction and again the threat of a global war only intensifies. These are all factors explaining why the West is beginning to push hard and break the stalemate.

A Ukraine Miscellany XI: Escalation, Ticking Time Bombs, and Endgame (I)

There has been an escalation. This is a point on which I think all parties would agree. But as to the nature of that escalation, there are sharp divisions based on one's understanding of events.

The Living Legacies of Forgotten Wars: El Salvador

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/8/30/keeping-up-disappearances-in-el-salvador

The El Salvador Civil War (1979-1992) was in some respects ignored even while it was taking place. It received some coverage, and there were some flashpoints and massacres, namely the raped and murdered nuns, and most famously the dramatic assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero in 1980.

A Ukraine Miscellany (X): Clashes on the Russian Frontier and Charges of Torture

The longstanding conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has flared up and dozens are dead as a result of skirmishes. The evidence suggests this latest round of violence was instigated by Baku as Armenia is all but broken and still recovering from its serious defeat in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. It is highly unlikely that they would pick a fight at this time – a point even Western academics and commentators are willing to concede.

An Update

First, I wish to thank all of those who have prayed and those who have been kind enough to drop a personal note to me. God has been good. Our son is doing well – all things considered. The main thing is that he is stable.

The Hidden ISIS Policy

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62726954

This article reveals (perhaps without meaning to) the nature of NATO relations with ISIS during the movement's first phase. ISIS was rightly presented as a horrific apocalyptic Salafist organisation and its terror was channeled by Western media to reinvigorate support for Western intervention in the Middle East – the so-called War on Terror, even as figures like Obama were attempting to disentangle Western interests from it and 'Pivot to China'.

Blinken in Kyiv

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/08/1121901822/blinken-announces-more-security-aid-to-ukraine-during-a-surprise-visit

Ostensibly arriving in Kyiv on 8 September 2022 to offer aid, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was there to further promote the war. Visiting with the injured and afflicted was a photo op – fodder for the media to continue its propaganda campaign directed at the American public. The images and statements are meant to promote outrage and yet in other contexts (where the victims are the result of American operations) these same images and realities are covered up.

A Controversy over Missions among the Sioux

https://www.npr.org/2022/08/15/1117605626/a-reservation-in-south-dakota-bans-outside-missionaries

I caught this NPR story a few weeks ago while driving home and it made me groan inwardly – yet another compelling story, but one in which I find myself disagreeing with all involved.

A Ukraine Miscellany (IX): The Global Context and the Shadow of World War (Part II)

One has to be blind to not see that the world is at the very least creeping toward a global war scenario. And the pace is intensifying.

A Ukraine Miscellany (IX): The Global Context and the Shadow of World War (Part I)

It's a point already made but one that bears re-stating – the larger story and context of the Ukraine War is moving well beyond the immediate setting of Eastern Europe and the Black Sea littoral. Its impact and ramifications are increasingly global and so are the consequences and dangers.

Long Covid and Unemployment

While sitting in the Emergency Room with my son I was privy to many nearby conversations and happenings – whether I wanted to overhear them or not. Some were tragic, some sad, some semi-comical, and then of course there was the obligatory mental case – a screaming woman in one of the special locking rooms with a camera.

The Kurds and the Israeli Doctrine of the Periphery

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2022/07/28/iran-israel-agents-kurdish-rebels/

The Mossad will deny that they're working with these Kurds but in fact Israel has been working with various Kurdish paramilitaries for some time. This was not always the case but the Turkish realignment under Erdogan has made it so.

Mastriano, Dominionism, and Mennonite Capitulation

https://currentpub.com/2022/05/19/where-does-doug-mastriano-go-to-church/

https://www.inquirer.com/politics/doug-mastriano-governor-christian-nationalism-qanon-20220504.html

Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate and GOP nominee Doug Mastriano represents the extreme edge of the Trumpite spectrum. A Christian Nationalist – or in terms used here, a Dominionist and Christo-American, Mastriano promotes the many lies of the Far Right and even the myths and delusions of QAnon. His ties range from the Far Right fringe to sections of the Neo-fascist militia movement.

My apology to readers. We've had a family catastrophe. My son broke his back on Saturday in a bicycle accident. It's been touch and go with him and as the hospital is over two hours away there's been lots of driving and little sleep, accompanied by anguish and considerable stress. I hope to return to posting soon. In the meantime, for the few readers that are left (my readership has plunged about 70% over the last year) your prayers are greatly appreciated. We give thanks that he's alive and so far has avoided paralysis, but it's touch and go. Either way, God be praised.

Thanks,

John (Protoprotestant)

BreakPoint on a Roll

It would probably be in my interest to avoid the BreakPoint website or listening to its radio commentaries. I'm afraid I could work full time simply refuting and deconstructing Stonestreet and company. Like his mentor Charles Colson he's almost always wrong, stunningly so – and even when he's right on something, it's for the wrong reasons and often the given justifications are confused and ultimately undermine his position.

Sometimes it's too much, day after day. That's how it was in late May when I encountered these three commentaries.

Evangelicals Once More Celebrating Disobedience and Stupidity

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/high-school-football-coach-scores-big-win-supreme-court-post-game-prayer

Given the magnitude of the Dobbs v. Jackson abortion decision, the Kennedy v. Bremerton ruling regarding the religious liberty of a football coach was in many ways under reported. It's getting some attention but if Roe v. Wade had not been overturned, this ruling would be front and center. Its implications are potentially vast.

Roofs, Insurance, and Shakedowns

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/roofing-scams-florida-property-insurance-hurricane-rcna29649

This article exposes the inherent immorality of the American tort system. When individual Right-wing people go after institutions by means of shake-down lawyers, then it's just fine. It's the American way. In fact there are large numbers of so-called Christian lawyers engaged in this very practice. But when insurance companies are being taken advantage of by means of a coordinated effort, then it's a problem that even GOP governors want to address.

A Ukraine Miscellany (VIII): Sober and Sound Thinking Regarding Russia and Ukraine

https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/05/27/an-appeal-to-russia-haters/

This article raises several excellent points. The Ukraine War is being utilized by various interests as a means of distraction. The media could make quite a bit of hay out of an analogy with the Yemen War but has instead chosen to ignore it. And while the Ukraine War is highly destructive, the Yemen War has been far worse.

The JD Hall Scandal: Ecclesiastical Failures All Down the Line

https://julieroys.com/j-d-hall-removed-church-failure-demonstrate-repentance/

As sad and pathetic as the JD Hall episode is, this follow-up article only further demonstrates how askew this congregation is. We already know that JD Hall is unqualified to lead a congregation and this was evident even before the recent revelations. They simply confirmed this to be the case. He is not Biblically rooted in his thinking and now his conduct and response to exposure simply shine a light on this.

Jubilee and Growing Nationalism in British Evangelical Circles

This only about eight weeks late but it doesn't really matter. As much as I might enjoy doing so I'm not running a news site or current events blog. If it were up to me I would publish a couple of articles a day along with other essays and what I'd really like to do – more doctrinal and Scriptural studies. But work and other obligations means that's not possible. And as this year is proving to be one of the most difficult I've had in almost a decade, there's less time than usual as I'm putting in extra hours in an attempt to make ends meet. And in terms of writing, I'm playing catch up.

A Usurious Alliance: Evangelical Avarice and Anabaptist Defection

While visiting the BreakPoint website I made another discovery which I must say initially startled me but upon reflection it wasn't too surprising. I noticed the website was promoting Eventide Mutual Funds as a form of Christian investment. That name was familiar to me. I clicked on the link and within a few seconds I had the answer.

The Stench of Media Moralizing and the Bout Exchange

Finally after many years it sounds like Russia and the US may cut a deal to release Viktor Bout. Back in 2013, I honestly thought Putin might trade Snowden for him but it turned out that Snowden was a bigger deal than initially thought.

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.

All Eyes on Italy and Other Pressures Mounting in Europe

On the one hand the manipulations that led to the Russian invasion of Ukraine have proven very successful. NATO dissent has been largely quashed and the EU has been brought into a kind of subservience to the US. NATO is set to expand, and the US has forced Europe to shift its energy policy, in ways largely favourable to US interests.

Covid and the Two Weeks Narrative

https://off-guardian.org/2022/03/25/two-weeks-to-flatten-the-world/

Over the past year I've encountered in person and via websites expressions of frustration and disgust from many Christians arguing that they tried to obey the government protocols regarding Covid in good faith. They were promised 'two weeks' to flatten the curve and it didn't happen. As such many of these church leaders have shifted over to the Covid-sceptic position and remain bitter that they're open to criticism and in some cases attack from those who questioned it from the beginning.

More New Calvinist Nonsense from G3

https://g3min.org/on-baby-grands-and-expensive-hymnals/

This would have to be reckoned as a sequel to a previous post responding to G3 on the issue of pianos. Apparently this ministry website excels at missing the point.

The Sad Saga of Glenn Greenwald: A Tale of Abandoned Integrity

https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/05/27/apologist-for-tucker-carlsons-racism-glenn-greenwald/

I wasn't surprised to see this article. In some respects I'm surprised more people aren't commenting on this. I was glad to see Greenwald leave The Guardian in the aftermath of the Snowden revelations. The founding of The Intercept looked promising but that too began to degenerate. And then in 2020, Greenwald went out on his own – it was real display of integrity, or at least so I thought.

LPRs Sacralist Allegiance to a Confused and Counterfeit Right-wing Kingdom

https://issuesetc.org/2022/06/21/1721-the-restoration-of-citizenship-dr-victor-davis-hanson-6-21-22/

Listening to this exchange with the Hoover Institute's Victor Davis Hanson it was hard not to be struck by the fundamentally non-Christian approach of the interview, which is a strange thing because supposedly I was listening to a Confessional Lutheran radio programme.

The Cover of World War II Narratives

Millions of their people were killed during World War II, and as a result this country believes that they are exempt from the normative rules of conduct in terms of international affairs. The crisis engendered by the war was of such a nature, such an existential threat to their existence that the only imperative is this – never again.

Scott Brown Still Peddling Vision Forum's Dominionist Filth

https://mailchi.mp/churchandfamilylife/freedom-is-not-free-but-these-books-are-on-sale-1339937?e=176146d50d

When it comes to ethics, the ministry of Scott Brown rests on a foundation of sand – a denial of Scriptural Sufficiency. When Brown and company talk about finances, patriotism, history, ethics, and certainly their concepts of manhood and the like, the Scriptures play little part in their thinking.

Vietnam and Ukraine

You can't make this stuff up. This has happened multiple times and in connection with different media and news outlets. Today while driving home NPR reported that Biden was giving Medals of Honor to Vietnam veterans – men that for whatever reason had been neglected for the past fifty years. Now they're getting their recognition for their bravery and service – or at least that's the official narrative.

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.

First Christo-Americanism, Now Christo-Trumpism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx8tsompfiM

This disturbing video was released in late May and yet just a month later the context has dramatically changed. The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, ruled in favour of tax money being used for private and thus religious schools, thrown out gun restrictions, ruled in favour of the coal industry and restricted the EPA, and now the court has ruled in favour of an Evangelical football coach praying in connection to school events. More than ever the Christian-Right is energized and they believe their 'victories' are due to Donald Trump.

Two Defeats for the Empire in Latin America

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.

The Spectrum of Received Text Advocacy

https://www.thegreaterheritage.com/product/why-i-preach-from-the-received-text-an-anthology-of-essays-by-reformed-ministers-book/

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.

A Soldier Worthy of Salute and Memory

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.

Evangelical Disobedience and the Courts

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.

Bush Isn't Funny

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.

Sri Lanka and Russian Oil

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.

Media Coverage of a Boeing Crash in China

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.

Mass Killing by Knife and Evangelical Gun Culture

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.

Locke and Hall: Dominionism Gone to Seed and the Formal Rejection of New Testament Doctrine and Ethics

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.

Morrison's Fall and a Shake-up in Canberra

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.

Rejecting the Sodomite Rainbow

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.

The Rank Hypocrisy of NPR and the Mainstream Media on Ukraine

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.

Academia, Christendom, and the Question of Censorship

https://www.ironsharpensironradio.com/podcast/may-4-2022-show-with-dr-kevin-clauson-on-reconquering-the-academy-for-christ/

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.

Great Replacement Confusion

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.