The aftermath of the Kirk memorial

Don Lemon, formerly of CNN, wasn't happy with the over 100,000 who turned out to memorialize Charlie Kirk, according to a brief clip I saw. He's desperately afraid of the First Amendment. You know, the one that guarantees him the right to sleep in on Sunday and talk smack all he wants. I wonder if he noticed millions were attending church that same day, and no one seemed to show alarm at that.

Joe Biden closed down our churches and schools (technically it was governors) and most haven't recovered. Did Lemon complain? Nearly all churches have returned to in-person worship since the lockdowns ended in addition to their online services. Yet most churches still have not returned to their pre-pandemic attendance rates. Maybe we'll see an uptick, maybe not. But it wouldn't be a bad thing for people to return to regular church attendance. Interestingly, 23% of pastors of small churches (fewer than 50 in attendance pre-pandemic) report being up to 90%-100% of pre-pandemic attendance rates! This is much higher than for larger churches. (Lifeway Research)

Yesterday, I watched the Kirk memorial prelims and then 7 hours of the memorial itself. I'm feeling grief and sorrow for the likes of AOC, the Squad, the View, Jimmy Kimmel, Tim Walz, Kamala Harris and all the "leaders" elected or not of the Democrats. They know so little and have missed so much. In a nation of winners, they are losers. In a nation of abundance of good will and honorable people, they are poverty stricken, they are beggars with empty cups. It's so sad.

St. Patrick's Day is three days away

March is Irish American Heritage Month. My Irish beat the crowd and came to British America before the revolution, and no one was Catholic. I'm a huge admirer of that great missionary St. Patrick and liked this story.

Why I Hate St. Patrick’s Day by AMANDA TEIXEIRA

Imagine that you grew up uneducated. In your teenage years, you were kidnapped and sold into slavery in a foreign land. Your family was gone. You submitted to your masters and relied on God through this struggle, growing leaps and bounds in your faith. You escaped your slavery in an adventurous series of events. Later, you decided to go back to the land of your slavery to share the Gospel with the pagan land. In faith you began preaching, baptizing, giving your very self in love to the people who once enslaved you. They came to know Jesus Christ through your witness; they convert, their families convert, and eventually their whole country converts! They even decided, upon your death, to preserve that day as holy to celebrate your heroic generosity, bravery, and love.

Fast-forward 1700 years give or take. From heaven you gaze down to earth on your feast day…
And people are using it as an excuse to get drunk and be irresponsible as they stumble around with rainbows, shamrocks, and green beer flying in every direction.
Hello, St. Patrick!

Modern traditions didn’t pop up overnight, but these days most people in Western Civilization are decidedly Irish and Catholic on St. Patrick’s Day. Most saint feast days come and go without societal notice but St. Patty’s day has everyone jumping on the bandwagon. Even Wonka is aware of this.
OK, so I don’t really hate St. Patrick’s Day…I am Irish and Catholic; I can’t truly hate it. However, I can hate that the entire point of having feast days are lost in modern society.

Why do Catholics have saint feast days to begin with? To celebrate the life of someone who gave their life to Jesus Christ and shared him in heroic ways with the world around them. The reason for these days is to remind us of those older brothers and sisters who have gone before us and left behind a powerful witness. We are celebrating the grace of God in their lives as we also celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ over death and sin in our lives. We remember that we are but pilgrims on earth and, God-willing, one day will worship the Lord in heaven alongside the saint we are celebrating.

So, what can we do to reclaim St. Patrick’s Day? Or even take what’s already GOOD about St. Patrick’s Day and reintroduce the point of why it’s good to our culture?

Become a person who truly celebrates the REAL St. Patrick! Practically how can you do this?

1. Tell the real story! This man was sold-out for Jesus Christ and endured crazy hardships many people could relate to! Bring inspiration to those around you.

 
2. Become an evangelist! If Patrick was on earth for his feast day, this is what he would likely do. Remember the old legend about St. Patrick using shamrocks to explain the Trinity? Don’t hesitate to use the shamrock on his feast day to talk about God, who desires to be in communion with all people. Be bold and loving…not weird and creepy.

3. Drink some green beer! If you are 21 or older, feel free to have some beer on St. Patty’s dayin moderation. Set an example about how to use alcohol properly – to celebrate and make merry while maintaining sobriety. “Go, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a merry heart, because it is now that God favors your works.” Ecclesiastes 9:7

4. Celebrate with others! Feast days are opportunities to join in communion and camaraderie with others to enjoy their friendship. Go to a local Mass, attend a parade, cook corned beef and cabbage, meet up at a pub…with others!

5. Get into it! Wear the hats, beads, (appropriate) shirts, temporary tattoos, etc. and have fun with the day! These Patty’s Day symbols of the day can increase our silliness and joy as we walk around looking like goofballs with all our buddies. Remember the Party Blog? We certainly can’t show the culture how to truly celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with long faces.

Have fun this March 17th, celebrating the REAL St. Patrick – a father in our faith and a hero for the New Evangelization.

“Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.” -Saint Patrick

This article was originally published at Focus.

THIS ARTICLE IS MADE AVAILABLE COURTESY OF THE CATHOLIC EXCHANGE

Praying for Kamala Harris

Today I prayed for Kamala Harris to become a Christian. Sin is sin and hers don't count any more than mine at the cross, but she has a lot more power. If Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a former Muslim and now a former atheist, can see the light, why not Harris? Join me.

"Here is what makes her [Ali] public testimony a sign of the times: She states that she converted in part because she realized that a truly humanistic culture—and by that I mean a culture that treats human beings as persons, not as things—must rest upon some conception of the sacred order as set forth in Christianity, with its claim that all are made in the image of God. “Western civilization is under threat from three different but related forces,” she writes. These are resurgent authoritarianism in China and Russia, global Islamism, and “the viral spread of woke ideology.” She declares that she became a Christian in part because she recognized that “we can't fight off these formidable forces” with modern secular tools; rather, we can only defeat these foes if we are united by a “desire to uphold the legacy of the Judeo-Christian tradition,” with its “ideas and institutions designed to safeguard human life, freedom and dignity.” Carl Trueman, First Things, 11-30-23

Returning to The Blessing music of 2020

This morning I was listening again to the various versions of The Blessing, when hundreds of Christian groups came together during the 2020 lockdown ignoring denominational boundaries and squabbles and sang the Blessing from Numbers 6:24-26. Then I came across the one from Uzbekistan sung in Russian and Uzbek--I didn't even know there was a Christian presence in Uzbekistan. It was lovely, as was one of the comments.

https://youtu.be/pvYTUDivB4Q

"I am crying. As a young boy I grew up in Uzbekistan as an MK. [missionary kid] The early 2000's I recall them like if they were yesterday. I remember my Parents friends being afraid, being beaten by the police, I remember the police coming to our house everyday and taking away our car. I remember a car at night in our house, I remember helping carrying bibles translated to Uzbek and hiding them in our basement. I remember the Uzbek underground church and worshiping in silence from our houses. My family and I were kicked out of the country around 2006 and were not allowed re-entry. Many times I wondered what happened with our brothers in Christ in Uzb... until a few days ago I saw a news article about the growing Uzbek church and now I see this video and see how all those tears, all those times we felt impotent,... My parents work did not go in vain. To see the seed they planted and to see the beautiful garden it has become brings tears of joy to my heart. I long to go back to Uzb one day, to kiss the soil, drink choi eat Osh, and Thank God for his many blessings."

Yes, there were good things happening in the church during the lockdown. If you need a few blessings for the New Year, settle in and listen to 10-20 of these from all over the world, and crank up the sound. Thank you, cousin Gayle, for sending the Blessing in your note today.

Rodney Stark 1934-2022

I just read that Rodney Stark died this past summer at 88. I don't have many favorite authors (because I usually don't remember names), but I enjoyed his clarity, readability and style. That said, I really didn't know much about him. From Breakpoint: "His book "The Rise of Christianity" was published in 1996. In it, Stark argued that the incredible growth and spread of Christianity were because it offered more to people than any of its competitors. In particular, Stark argued that the rapid growth of the Church was, in large part, due to how Christians treated women. This, especially compared to the pagan treatment of women, led to more conversions, which led to the faith being spread through social networks. Also, prohibitions of abortion and infanticide led to an organic growth of the Church, and how Christians responded to persecution and plague led to a growth in credibility. "The Rise of Christianity" was so groundbreaking that it was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize . . . In 2005 Stark wrote what may be his greatest book, "The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success." "

So first century Christians saved babies from abortion and infanticide and their numbers grew. And Christians responded to plagues. Or maybe God blessed them. Just a thought.

2022-IJRR-Are-Religious-Nones-Really-Not-Religious.pdf (baylorisr.org) Are Religious “Nones” Really Not Religious?: Revisiting Glenn, Three Decades Late This 2022 article may be his last.

Kennedy v. Bremerton School District and SCOTUS

A Democrat FB-er (rhymes with fibber) claims there are no restrictions from the Democrats on speech and religion. Says it's just a myth. Wonder if he's aware of Kennedy v. Bremerton School Dist., a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court and was just settled in July 2022?

Really? A coach prays privately, after a game, on the field when lots of others were also milling around and expressing their like or dislike for the outcome, but because he prayed, he lost his job. That's not religious oppression? He'd been doing it for years, bothering no one, but some ONE supporting the opposing team complained to his employer. "The District disciplined Mr. Kennedy only for his decision to persist in praying quietly without his students after three games in October 2015." 

That he won his case is important of course, but that it ever went that far is a travesty. It shows the harassment of Christians, and religion in general, just like the case against the Nuns who would not pay for birth control coverage for employees and the baker who wouldn't design a wedding cake for gay customers (whom he served for other events) and the florist who wouldn't design arrangements for a gay wedding. There have been so many cases about the first amendment either on speech or religion making it to SCOTUS I'm amazed at the stupidity of those who get offended by someone else's beliefs and are upset that the activity is protected by the Constitution.  https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/21-418 The Decision was 6-3, and guess who wanted to dismiss the protections for religion and speech--yup--Breyer, Sotomayor and Kagan--the liberals.

I'm not familiar with the legal terms, but as a life time church member I know "establishment" of a religion or church takes a lot more work and time than praying silently on a football field for a few minutes and absolutely no one could construe that as a government activity or coercion. Except a Democrat.

"Monday’s ruling, Sotomayor concluded, “weakens the backstop” that the establishment clause provided to protect religious freedom. “It elevates one individual’s interest in personal religious exercise,” she contended, “over society’s interest in protecting the separation between church and state, eroding the protections for religious liberty for all.” (SCOTUS Blog, June 27, 2022) 

There is no phrase "separation between church and state" in the Constitution. It is written to protect us from the government not the other way around. At least for now, Congress opens each session with prayer.

St. Lorenzo Ruiz Feast Day

 One of the advantages of using a Catholic publication (Magnificat) for my morning meditation time is the history and fine art that I learn.  As a protestant, my exposure to Christian history, after the death of the disciple John, was whatever happened after 1708 (Church of the Brethren) or later when we joined Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, the dispersion and scattering of Christians into thousands of denominations after Martin Luther (German) and John Calvin (French) in the 16th century. 

On the Catholic calendar today is the feast day of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, and he was born around 1600 and canonized by John Paul II in 1987.  Although some U.S. Christians deny that Christians today are martyred or persecuted for their faith (the largest number by Communists), that's not what the statistics show.  Just because we have the First Amendment to our Constitution in the U.S. and do not feel personally persecuted doesn't mean it isn't happening in Asia and Africa where the growth is the strongest. 

"[He] and his 15 companion martyrs, all members and associates of the Dominican Order, were slain in Japan between 1633 and 1637.  Persecutions stemmed from a 1603 edict by the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu banning Christianity.  From 1623, suspected Christians were forced to tread on images of Mary and Jesus. Those who refused were executed.  The tortures from his period were designed to force the victims to renounce their Faith.  Some Christians did apostasize.  The men and women honored today spent their last excruciating hours with their hearts raised in prayer and hymns of praise." (Magnificat, vol. 24, no. 7, p. 388-389).  

So of course, I had to turn to the internet for more information since my personal library is not much help. His death is just too gruesome to repeat, I don't even recommend that you look it up, but I was struck by the fact he was sort of an accidental martyr.  Although a devout Christian, he really hadn't intended to be a missionary to the Japanese, and got there by accident fleeing his homeland on a homicide charge. He arrived in the middle of a terrible persecution, but his faith and early training held up and endured the most terrible torture. 

Because this group of Christians who were killed in the 17th century were in Nagasaki, one of the bombed cities at the end of WWII, I continued looking through historical material on the internet.  I found out a remnant of the Christians survived, and even had a thriving community in the 1940s.  That area of Nagasaki where they lived was at the center of the destruction and was destroyed.  One Christian survivor of the A-bomb  believes "the war ended because of our sacrifice.” https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2015/10/08/nagasakis-hidden-christians-survive-persecution-and-the-atomic-bomb/

Christian Persecution in the 21st Century - Good News Christian NewsGood News Christian News (goodnewsfl.org)

Saint Irenaeus of Lyon, a new Doctor of the Church

Bishop Robert Barron

WOF 306: The Genius of St. Irenaeus | The Word on Fire Show

Pope Francis just announced he’s planning to declare a new Doctor of the Church, St. Irenaeus of Lyon. Who was he? What were his key ideas? Why does he still matter? That's what Brandon Vogt and I discuss in today's episode. Topics include:

- What’s a Doctor of the Church, and why should Irenaeus be declared one?

- How did Bishop first become acquainted with Irenaeus?

- What was Irenaeus’ approach to battling Gnosticism?

- Irenaeus taught that God has no need of anything outside of himself. What does this mean, and why is it good news?

- How to understand Irenaeus’s pithy line, “The glory of God is man fully alive”?

- Irenaeus’ theology of recapitulation

- How Irenaeus remains a great spiritual and theological bridge between Eastern and Western Christians

- Why Irenaeus is still relevant today

A listener asks, how should I respond to the idea that nothing really exists because we can’t prove that it exists?

The Blessing in many languages

Yesterday I came across a new contemporary hymn called The Blessing, and it has caught the world by storm.  I think it was released live in March, and by May, because of Covid, it had become a world favorite using people of many lands and languages all singing together, although they weren’t. Each group is passionate about Jesus and their own country.  When Americans are patriotic, when they express love for country or Jesus, they are called xenophobic or racist by leftists, but when you see these people all working together despite their differences, you see that bond.  And since so many are singing in their own homes, in their own settings, you see how technology, fashion and music are really global.  I did this for over an hour yesterday, and it was mesmerizing.

https://youtu.be/m-UDnY1B0fI The India blessing, sung in English, Hindi, Urdu, Kannada, Gujarati, Odia, Malayalam, Punjabi, Nagamese, Bangla, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil.

And in Spanish https://youtu.be/13TuS5egUVI

And in French https://youtu.be/j1eCnolXi8s

And Arabic, 16 nations https://youtu.be/Qy0v69p5Jik

From Australia, asking blessings on their nation https://youtu.be/OOt7baaVSbE

And from Kenya, many blessings on their land https://youtu.be/G0BppDtl3_Q

Zimbabweans asking for blessing in time of Covid https://youtu.be/OA1tVs7VNcY

The Blessing Nigeria--tremendous creativity in this one--in English, Esan, Urhobo, Benin, Igbo, Tiv, Hausa, Brom, Yoruba, Kalabari, Ibibio, Okrika, Ijaw, and voice overs and prophecy. https://youtu.be/lewZ8ZhZB3Q

And the Swedes https://youtu.be/Z21Jyq7RPXo

Over 20 churches and groups in Lebanon sing for their country https://youtu.be/tQ818qHiHL0

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭7:9-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Spiritual resources for the pandemic

In the Ohio State Health Beat newsletter (on-line) today there is a section for well-being resources during the lock down/culture shock for the pandemic.  https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/features/covid-resources/staff/well-being  There are a number of links featuring ideas or publications for mental health, well being, coping and spiritual helps for employees. So I clicked on "Spiritual Resources" (listed after Mindfulness which actually IS a practice well within the eastern religions) and after Chaplin services, telephone support, audio spiritual pause, a prayer request link and poems, I came to "Faith specific prayers." Here's how they are listed. 1) Islam, 2) Buddhism, 3) Judaism, 4) Christianity, 5) Hinduism. Isn't that odd? Christians are the largest faith group in the world, and approximately 75% of Americans claim some connection to Christianity even if they are just Chreasters and only attend baptisms.

So I continue down the list to a link for "Sacred Texts" which is four links below poetry-- 1) Buddhist Scriptures (13 are listed), 2) Holy Bible, one verse from the NIV is listed, with a link to Bible Gateway keyword feature, 3) Holy Quran, individual links to 114 chapters that link to Meccan references 4) The Tenach (Jewish), with detailed links to the Torah, the Prophets, etc. Whoever put this together threw a dart at the internet religious resources and came up with a politically correct list, all turn key, assuring that no OSU employee would find anything Christian as a resource in this difficult time.

Let's hope they all are attending Bible studies on Zoom or something. Maybe they won't notice our government is shredding the First Amendment in a dangerous precedent while the Christian churches are silent because they can still shop at Walmart.

What is even more anti-Christian is a whole link https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/features/covid-resources/staff/well-being/daily-breathing-practice  devoted to "5 minutes of Mindfulness" on CarmenZoom, with links for each day by video. EACH DAY. Imagine (it's impossible, but try) if there were all those digital resources and planning from a state agency devoted to video links of a pastor or rabbi reading from the Psalms, or offering instruction for the devotional practice, The Rosary.

"Mindfulness" is a religious practice of Hinduism/Buddhism (you can find instructions at both Buddhist and Hindu sites), using an English term that sounds like it isn't religious since the brain doesn't need to be engaged. Well, my brain is engaged, and I'm calling foul on the state for advocating for one religious group over another and pretending it's something else. And shame on Christians for having your babes so poorly catechized that they go off to college and get "evangelized" for eastern religions at almost every turn.

Gabbe Health and Wellness which provides these breathing techniques daily is part of the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State. Today's topic is “Hope as a state of being,” and if you click on it the pleasant woman will provide instructions for the religious techniques.

Christianity Today stumbles badly

Although I'd never call Christianity Today a "far left" magazine, it poked a hornet's nest by attacking President Trump. Trump has done more for Christians, Jews, Muslims and atheists by protecting their religious liberty from socialism and appointing judges to balance out our leftist courts than any other president in my life time.

I’m so old I remember when conservatives were horrified that a Roman Catholic could be president; I’m so old I remember that Ronald Reagan’s divorce and remarriage was a topic of media gossip; I’m so old I remember when Gerald Ford’s wife’s divorce years before was grist for the media mill as well as the divorce of his mother and his adoption by his stepfather, named Ford; I’m so old I remember when abortion was taboo for most Christian churches, and now it’s only in the documents of the Catholics who also are ignoring their church’s teaching.  I’m so old I remember when marriage was between a man and a woman.  I'm so old I remember when Cher had a daughter and the Kardashians had a father. I'm so old I remember when ordinary people actually believed it was about medical qualities of marijuana, but presidents inhaled.

My letter to the editor:

Mr. Galli:  

I hope your magazine can survive your attacking our President. I haven't subscribed for years, but do occasionally pick it up at the library. Trump has done more for Christians, and all religious people, than any leader in my life time, and I'm 80. 

With your standards, Jesus would have left Zacchaeus in the tree and the prostitute with a puddle of perfume in the dirt. Plus, you've probably made most adult Christians look like hypocrites, including many pastors and priests. The very thing unbelievers criticize us for. 

I was a Cruz supporter, and didn't want a 3x married businessman/entertainer. But I held my nose; I've been pleasantly surprised to find out some presidents really do keep their promises.

Christians and politics

Politics for Christians is messy these days. I came across a clear explanation with good footnotes that I recommend. Due to the fractured nature of the church, no Christian will agree with all points. https://www.allaboutworldview.org/christian-worldview.htm, specifically, https://www.allaboutworldview.org/christian-politics.htm
Here's where a Christian world view differs with today's socialists in our government--they teach in our schools and proclaim in their power that because the founders were ordinary, sinful men with flaws, rulers in the 21st century are smarter, more righteous and more spiritual and able to take our God given rights and give them to the government.
"Christian Politics – The Source of Human Rights
Christian politics within a Christian worldview understands God as the source and guarantee of our basic human rights. Because we believe we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), we know that we are valuable. (This becomes doubly clear when we remember that Christ took upon Himself human flesh and died for humanity.) God grants all individuals the same rights based on an absolute moral standard.
The Declaration of Independence proclaims, “All men are created equal... [and] endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” Two assumptions are inherent in this declaration: 1) we were created by a supernatural Being; and 2) this Being provides the foundation for all human rights.
The knowledge that human rights are based on an unchanging, eternal Source is crucial in our understanding of politics. If our rights were not tied inextricably to God’s character, then they would be arbitrarily assigned according to the whims of each passing generation or political party—rights are “unalienable” only because they are based on God’s unchanging character. Therefore, human rights do not originate with human government, but with God Himself, who ordains governments to secure these rights.
Our founding fathers understood this clearly.
John Adams, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson in 1813, says, “The general principles, on which the Fathers achieved Independence, were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite... And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all these Sects were United... Now I will avow, that I then believe, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity, are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God.”2
John Winthrop says that the best friend of liberty is one who is “most sincere and active in promoting true and undefiled religion and who sets himself with the greatest firmness to bear down on profanity and immorality of every kind. Whoever is an avowed enemy of God, I scruple not to call him an enemy of his country.”3
Noah Webster wrote “The moral principles and precepts found in the scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. These principles and precepts have truth, immutable truth, for their foundation.”4
Alexis de Tocqueville says, “There is no country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America; and there can be no greater proof of its utility, and of its conformity to human nature, than that its influence is most powerfully felt over the most enlightened and free nation on the earth.”5
George Washington, in his inaugural address as first president of the United States, referred to “the propitious smiles of Heaven” that fall only on that nation that does not “disregard the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.”6"

Pastor Rich Nathan on why he opposes abortion

Pastor Nathan lists 10 points, but I’m just showing #3. http://www.richnathan.org/article/10-reasons-why-i-oppose-abortion?

The Christian church throughout history has been pro-life.

 
The Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights argues that the Bible does not forbid abortion. It is absolutely true that there are no explicit verses in the Bible opposing abortion. The reason is because during the biblical era, Jews believed that abortion was unthinkable. They regarded abortion as a form of murder and laws against murder were considered to be sufficient to cover abortion.

In the early church, Christians felt that they needed to take a stand because they were in an entirely different cultural situation. In the Greco-Roman world, both abortion and infanticide were widely practiced. The church unanimously and strongly opposed abortion from its earliest days:

• The Didache (likely written in the first century) says, “Do not murder a child by abortion nor kill it at birth.”
• The second century Epistle of Barnabas says, “You shall not slay a child by abortion.”
• Athenagoras, a second century Greek apologist, wrote, “We say that women who use drugs to bring on abortion commit murder… [for we] regard the very fetus in the womb as a created being, and therefore an object of God’s care.”
• In the early third century the African church father Tertullian wrote, “It does not matter whether you take away a life that is born, or destroy one that is coming to birth. In both instances, the destruction is murder.”
• In the fourth century, Basil of Caesarea, wrote, “A woman who deliberately destroys a fetus is answerable for murder.”
• In the same century, John Chrysostom, the most esteemed church father in Eastern Orthodoxy said, “Why do you abuse the gift of God… and make the chamber of procreation a chamber for murder?”
• Jerome called abortion, “The murder of an unborn child.”
There’s an unbroken chain of witness from the earliest days of the Christian church to the 20th century voicing strong countercultural opposition to abortion.

If you are interested in reading more of the church’s history of opposition to abortion check out: Third Time Around: A History of the Pro-Life Movement from the First Century to the Present by George Grant.  https://www.amazon.com/Third-Time-Around-Pro-Life-Movement/dp/0943497655

Week-end plans?

10 steps to ending poverty–Jay Richards

Guess what—it isn’t socialism!

This is a Christian solution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XyJd4w5f1g

He’s a little long winded, but when he gets to the point, this is it.

1. Rule of law.  Like the 10 commandments.

2. Limited government.  Methods in place to limit jurisdiction of the state.

3.  Formal property.  In Haiti, if you wanted to lease land from the gov’t it would take 19 years and 100’s of forms.

4. Economic freedom. Hong Kong is #1.

5. Strong mediating institutions.

6.  Purpose driven universe.

7.  Right cultural mores. Respect for rights of others.

8.  Understand wealth and poverty.  Set up win/win situations.

9.  Focus on your comparative advantage.

10. Work hard.  This works in the U.S., but not in all countries if you don’t have access to property or freedom.

The Sultan and the Saint by PBS, Friday movie at Lakeside

Based on the book The Saint and the Sultan.  https://washtheocon.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Book-Review-Moses-THE-SAINT-AND-THE-SULTAN.pdf

I left the movie after about 5 minutes.  First, I read all the opening credits—all but one were Muslim funding sources.  Now that is fine, but as the saying goes, “You dance with the One who brung you,”  and the production company is an Islamic non-profit. Second, I looked at the faces of the actors portraying the Christians in the opening scenes—they all appeared to be mentally challenged, or starving, or ugly.  Except the pope.  I think he was fat.  Not a good sign.  And the AC was blowing too hard, so I said to Joan (friend), See you later.  I found this review by someone who watched and took notes (which I’d intended to do). All I have is her pseudonym.

-------

I watched it all last night and took notes, writes Erikaspirit16 at the Catholic Answers Forum.

“First, Alex Kronemer is the exec. producer. [This is his production company, Unity Productions Foundation.] He has produced 9 movies on Islam, most of which have been shown on PBS (Spain, Islamic art, Muhammad, etc.). I can’t find out much about him, other than he has an MA in comparative religion from Harvard and he did a lot of work for the federal gov. in various positions. His wife has a Muslim-sounding name. Is he a convert to Islam? I don’t know. In any case, his movies are always very sympathetic to Islam.

If you looked at the sponsors / supporters of the movie at the beginning, other than the Sisters of St. Francis in Iowa (!), they are all Muslims. PBS tacked on a note at the end of the list saying a complete list of sponsors was online at PBS.org, but I couldn’t find it. But clearly this movie (and others by Kronemer) are very sympathetic to Islam, and show it in the best possible light. In other words, propaganda. There is no attempt to be even handed or objective. But of course that’s how it is presented: an accurate, objective presentation of the “facts.”

Is the movie “wrong”? Well, other than pretending a beach in Maryland is a beach in Egypt, no. But the sins of omission are many!

First, the title. They flipped it. The book by Paul Moses (who is one of the commentators) is “The Saint and the Sultan.” The movie is “The Sultan and the Saint.” Subtle, but it shows where it’s coming from.

We begin with Alexius, the Byzantine emperor, writing to the pope asking for mercenaries. No background is given at all. The impression is given that the Pope (who says “my armies” --hardly) began the Crusades as an imperialist venture. Nothing about the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 1009 by Sultan al-Hakim of Egypt; nothing about the interruption of the pilgrim routes; nothing about the Battle of Mantzikert in 1071 where the Saljuq Turks defeated a Byzantine army. All that is omitted. And of course the Byzantines had Western mercenaries in their service for a long time–this was not an innovation.

Then we have the Crusaders vs. Muslims story line. But of course (!) it omitted the fact that the Crusaders in the 5th Crusade had made an alliance with the Turks to occupy al-Malik al-Kamil’s brother in N. Syria. So you have Muslim Turks allied with Christian Crusaders. The Christian / Muslim divide isn’t quite so clear now, is it?

Then the population of Egypt is completely ignored. Most scholars think that at the beginning of the Crusades, Egypt was still a Christian country. Muslims were a minority. It’s only during the Crusades (particularly after the Crusaders burned Old Cairo (Fustat) in 1171) that the Christians began to convert to Islam in great numbers, not for religious reasons, but because they were seen as fifth columnists who would support the Crusaders given the chance. By the 5th Crusade, a large number of Egyptians were still Christian. The business about al-Kamil ruling in favor of the Christians against Muslims who wanted to tear down a church needs to be seen in this light. And even in Egypt today, Christians need a gov. permit to even repair a church, let alone build a new one.

There is some nonsense scattered throughout about “conflict” and the brain, etc. which seems to be there simply to emphasize the violence of the Crusaders vs. the peace-loving Muslims.

al-Malik al-Kamil. Poor Jeremy Irons spent the entire movie pronouncing the name as “Camille.” Why didn’t someone help him out??? It’s pronounced with the stress on the 1st syllable and the final ‘L’ as a “light” l . And al-Kamil, contrary to the impression in the movie, wasn’t the sultan at the beginning of the 5th Crusade. His father was. Al-Kamil came to power in Egypt only. Another brother got Palestine and southern Syria. A 3rd brother got N. Syria and what are now parts of Turkey and Iraq. Al-Kamil didn’t come to power smoothly–there was an attempted coup by a Kurdish regiment. (Al-Kamil and his family were all Kurds.) After the Crusade was over, there was conflict among the brothers, and the Ayyubid dynasty basically dissolved into family quarrels.

Massacre of the Jews in the Rhineland during the 1st Crusade. Yes, it happened. But the movie neglected to say that the Papal representative and the Church generally tried to stop it. And needless to say, there was not a peep about the massacre of the Jews in Granada in 1066—a massacre by the Muslims that most scholars think killed more Jews than the Crusaders did. Note that it was only about 30 years earlier.

At one point the young al-Kamil is reciting the verse about “no compulsion in religion.” Very true. But an objective presentation would have mentioned the imposition of the jizya tax on non-Muslims and the “Pact of 'Umar,” a very discriminatory set of rules for non-Muslims (they couldn’t ride horses, had to dress a certain way, had to make way for Muslims in the street, etc. etc.). Contrast that with a comment later in the movie: “Muslims were considered beasts” by the Crusaders. Not sure where that comes from–I’ve never come across it! And the idea that if only the Crusaders met “real” Muslims all would be well is just silly; Crusaders had been in Palestine well over a century by the time of the 5th Crusade. They had adopted many ideas from the Arabs and had lived with the Arabs.

At one point the movie talks about the “vengeful God” of the Christians. No balance; no other point of view mentioned.

Michael Calabria is the featured commentator, although there are others. From what I can find, he is a Franciscan friar and professor at Bonaventure U. He studied Egyptology. After he became a friar, he seems to have switched fields and now writes about Islam and Christianity (thus his presence in this movie). However, as a long-time student of the Crusades, I have never run across him or any of his work.

The movie portrays Francis as visiting the sultan’s camp to convert the sultan and / or his army. In the 13th century, Christians had the notion that they could make headway by converting Muslims, esp. their rulers. One of the reasons Thomas Aquinas wrote his Summa was as a tool to convert Muslim rulers in N. Africa. So the notion is not new or unique to Francis–he was simply one of many with that notion.

And the sultan allowing Francis to address his court is a common theme among Muslim rulers. This was not unique, it is mentioned often. But of course the idea was that the Muslim rebuttal of the ignorant Christian would show how great Islam was; it wasn’t simply a gesture of ecumenicism or toleration.

The similarities of the Fatiha and the Our Father have been remarked on before. As have the similarities of the 99 names of God vs. a litany of the aspects of God in Christianity.

The movie ends with the idea that the Crusades ended because the idea of a “loving God” replaced the idea of a “vengeful God” in Christianity. Nonsense. The final wish that “the road to peace runs through humanity that we all share,” is a pious hope we can all agree on.

Christian community—a how to do list

“A good way to start loving God divinely is by generously loving your spouse, children, parents, siblings, and friends. It is doubtful that we will love anyone else if we fail to love the ones closest to us.

Love is the key, love is the secret weapon. Forget about how you feel. Love is not a feeling; it’s a decision to prefer the good of others. Make a habit of this and you will start changing things around you and your work will be amplified.”  Douglas Dewey

And then the author provides 10.5 rules for accomplishing the commandment to love God and others—forming Christian community.  Some may surprise you. https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2018/07/28/10½-rules-for-forming-Christian-community/

Screen life isn’t real life

“Unfortunately, TV (any form of information/entertainment on a screen whether phone, video, film, computer)  floods the viewer with inauthentic images of real-life situations. This is why the Church has always had her doubts about theater and other forms of entertainment, not just because they can be bawdy, but because of the false vision of life that they present in such convincing ways. It’s our task to remain vigilant, to maintain a different way of viewing things, even when the spiritual dimension has been suppressed.” Bevil Bramwell, OMI https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2018/01/14/of-television-and-liturgy/

Trying to keep the TV and Facebook off today (a fast), but we do have a trip planned to the Columbus Museum of Art to see the Post Impressionism show after church.  Betty Zimmer, who’s had 35 years as a docent will be our guide, and we plan to have lunch there.

From the CMA website:

"In partnership with the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain, Columbus Museum of Art presents Beyond Impressionism – Paris, Fin de Siècle:  Signac, Redon, Toulouse-Lautrec and Their Contemporaries. CMA is the only U.S. venue for this extraordinary exhibition. Featuring approximately 100 paintings, drawings, prints, and works on paper, the exhibition explores the Parisian art scene, focusing on the most important French avant-garde artists of the late 19th century, including Paul Signac, Maximilien Luce, Maurice Denis, Pierre Bonnard, Félix Vallotton, Odilon Redon, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The Parisian fin de siècle was a time of political upheaval and intense cultural transformation."

The Impact of Islam on Christianity

Since the 7th century, the enslavement, rape, forced conversions and mass murder of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Greeks, Africans, Europeans, Persians, Jews, Turks, Egyptians--all in the Golden Age we hear so much about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxLa-5gy9pY

1400 years of Islamic history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj8J62BqRMo by J. K Sheindlin.

“There are 1.2 billion Muslims in the world today. Of course not all of them are radicals. The majority of them are peaceful people. The radicals are estimated to be between 15-25%, according to all intelligence services around the world. That leaves 75% of them - peaceful people. But when you look at 15-25% of the world Muslim population, you're looking at 180 million to 300 million people dedicated to the destruction of Western civilization."

Male and female he made them

In yesterday’s seminar on bioethics at Lakeside we heard about CRISPR and growing human ears on the flesh of lab animals, and the trans-human era so we can become the lie the serpent told Adam and Eve.  But the speaker (reformed tradition) also referred to “the church.” Just what is that, I wondered? How did we get here with dozens of Bible studies, feel good self esteem sermons, pot luck dinners and loud rock music, the only “church” people under 50—or maybe under 90—know. Before creating life in the laboratory, let’s look at it the old fashioned way—God’s way.  Male and female.

The so-called Christian church has no one to blame but itself for society’s capitulation to the LBGTQ anti-God, anti-history, anti-tradition agenda.  How did we get from sperm and egg to a personal choice based on feelings or mental illness?

Beginning in 1930, one by one the major Protestant denominations began to accept barrier, chemical and surgical solutions for limiting children, who are blessings from God.  The scariest “climate change” horror stories the Left can throw at us can’t compare to what Christians have accepted as “faith” or “mission” where family planning or women’s health are concerned. Eventually most Christian denominations also accepted abortion. Read your church head quarter’s documents—ELCA (Lutheran) accepts abortion for any reason, even sex selection. Some Protestant denominations use the loophole of disability, incest or rape, as though those little ones are expendable and deserve death because of their parents’ mistakes. Unborn children can distinguish between English and Japanese, but their own parents can’t figure out whether they are human?

Other churches just ignore the problem and stick to safe,  feel good, come to Jesus sermons and adding another "how to" Bible study.  In fact, I’ve been a member of 3 different denominations (Brethren, UCC and Lutheran) and I’ve never known Christianity in any form other than anti-life, anti-family, and anti-reproductive sex.  Not only have I never heard a sermon on the sin of abortion, I’ve never heard a sermon on the joys of marriage (except at the church wedding). Only the Roman Catholic church and perhaps Orthodox, but I haven’t researched that, elevates the role of male and female, marriage and family; and even some liberal European priests and bishops are getting squishy and caving to society’s desire to destroy God’s plan for creation. Most practicing Catholics I know, and their political leaders like Pelosi, Biden and Kerry, support abortion and contraception and ignore their church’s teaching.

https://www.ncbcenter.org/files/8214/6902/2602/MSOB124_The_Mystery_of_Male-Female_Complementarity.pdf

http://steadfastlutherans.org/2015/09/god-made-them-male-and-female/

http://www.umc.org/news-and-media/more-than-50-united-methodist-clergy-show-support-of-marriage-of-gay-couple

https://issues.cune.edu/the-lgbt-disputes-teaching-and-practice-in-the-church-2/the-reformation-and-the-reform-of-marriage-historical-views-and-background-for-todays-disputes/

http://www.ppl.org/index.php/educational-resources/pcusa-members/87-a-short-history-of-the-presbyterian-church-on-abortion-part-I

http://www.ucc.org/clergy_network_facilitated_safe_abortions_years_before_roe_v_wade_05222017