October 2024: The Multi-Faceted Crisis and the Spectre of Global War

The world is in turmoil and at such a degree and tempo that it's almost impossible to keep up with events. I could post multiple articles a day and it would not suffice. We are in a rather intense news cycle at present. Many of these issues qualify as mere 'news' and as such are somewhat beyond the purview of this project which among other things seeks to contextualize the Church in the world we live in today and explain how history, events, and ideas are impacting the Church for good and evil. Given the failures of Church leaders and in many cases their capitulation to the world, or in other cases their heresy and their corruption, I believe this task is important even if few will hear it.

A British Evangelical's take on Faith, Work, and Culture War

https://evangelicalfocus.com/multimedia/video/24261/Dan_Strange:_Faith,_work_and_Culture_Wars

There's a lot packed into this 12-minute interview. If you have your eyes and ears open it's rather instructive. But first, consider the context.

The Meloni Problem (I)

God, Family, and Country – what's wrong with that? This is the response of the Christian Right to the electoral victory of Giorgia Meloni and her choice slogan. In fact it sounds a lot like what one hears with the Trumpite movement. Meloni who is all but set to be the next prime minister of Italy has certainly been making the rounds and has garnered considerable support in American Right-wing circles. Fluent in English she has been able to blend in nicely at the National Prayer Breakfast and CPAC.

Scott Morrison, Dominionism, and Evangelical Politics in Australia (II)

Scott Morrison, Dominionism, and Evangelical Politics in Australia (I)

https://www.crikey.com.au/2021/10/12/its-time-to-call-it-out-scott-morrison-doesnt-care-about-secular-accountability/

https://www.crikey.com.au/topic/god-in-the-lodge/

The Crikey series is worthy of consideration and yet typical of such journalism it offers a secular assessment that deals with issues that at times the authors and editors clearly don't understand. Given that the name of the publication is tantamount to blasphemy, one must expect a degree of hostility to the Christian faith. But it shouldn't scare us or cause to dismiss the reporting out of hand.

Libertarianism and The Oligarchic Progression

Some forms of libertarianism posit a near anarchic view of society in which government is minimal and many of the functions and services commonly associated with the state are privatised or in some cases eliminated.

This thinking fails to take into account the vacuums that are created in society by a lack of explicit authority. As many have repeatedly pointed out, corporations actually want laws to provide a framework for contracts and some libertarians will allow for this to some degree. But they fail to take into account that as companies turn into monopolies, an economic oligarchy begins to develop – the corporations turn into a corporatocracy.

Pompeo, Venezuela's Religious Institutions and Evangelical Exploitation

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/exclusive-pompeo-opens-up-about-venezuelas-opposition-says-keeping-it-united-has-proven-devilishly-difficult/2019/06/05/85385a33-8eae-4ba5-a9ac-6b7b8c3d5762_story.html?

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo got caught on tape and his comments only confirm what many of us have already known.

In addition to admitting that the CIA was attempting to overthrow Maduro during his tenure as head of the CIA, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo now admits that the CIA has sought to utilise religious institutions.

This should make every Christian shudder.

Unfortunately many Evangelicals will not understand that statement and in fact heartily embrace such collaborations.

The Fool Wang Yi and the Dark Side of Calvinism

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/world/asia/pastor-wang-yi-detention.html

I read this article the other day and it disheartened me to say the least.

It's one thing for a state to allow illegal activity if that activity stays low-key and off the main street so to speak. But when those engaged in illegality (as defined by the state) move to conspire and collaborate with the enemies of the state, their actions are no longer back-alley subcultural exploits but instead become overtly political.

The Lausanne Harvest (1974-2019)

http://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/4136/julia_doxat_purser_brussels_Christians_are_now_better_at_thinking_biblically_about_politics_than_25_years_ago

Ah yes, the Lausanne Movement. This is the face of Evangelicalism in Europe and it has its parallels in Latin America and elsewhere. Lausanne refers to the 1974 congress organised by John Stott and Billy Graham on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Historical Lessons not Learned: British Nonconformity, Classical Liberalism and a Cycle of Self-Destruction (Part 2)

For almost two centuries large factions of Protestants have championed Classical Liberalism and now like a Golem or Frankenstein monster turning on its creator, the system is effectively at war with social and religious nonconformity. By conflation, Classical Liberalism has eroded Christian thought and Liberalism's failures have driven society in a communitarian direction, even while retaining many liberal concepts and forms. As a consequence Christians, who often held to communitarian positions themselves are left imperiled and confused and their large-scale social projects in the post-Enlightenment period have turned into something of a nightmare.

Historical Lessons not Learned: British Nonconformity, Classical Liberalism and a Cycle of Self-Destruction (Part 1)

Scotland made international news with its Named Person programme in 2014. This programme would effectively assign a social worker to every child so that the state would be involved in that child's life from infancy. Parents, privacy advocates and others were horrified at this attempt of gross intrusion by the state as well as the potential for abuses and in principle the loss of parental power and autonomy.

There was resistance and the act was partially blocked in 2016, though Edinburgh is still trying to implement it. Recently there was a scandal as a video emerged of local authorities encouraging teachers to override parental consent regarding collected personal information about children and their families. In other words the state is keeping files on everyone and teachers are being effectively trained to disregard parental concerns and objections. They know best of course. For obvious reasons Christians and others are alarmed.