Mark, you write: "Surely reminding people of these old facts, and questioning the justice of it all, doesn’t make one a "jihadist sympathizer" or a "Jew hater"—or does it?"
Seems extremely problematic that one of the biggest hurricanes of all time is barreling towards Florida while FEMA is currently wetting its pants trying to respond to the last storm.
If the were smart...they would have Benning Stewart, Campbell and Bragg. all ready to go... Especially the medical, Engineer and Air units. You would also start a National wide PRE- call up of avalible National Guard units of the same type. There are also AF Red horse and naval Sea bees they could tap into. But with these guys in the Capital District, you just do not know if they think.
A post whose time had come! Tx Mark! For Hillary to claim that child pornography is the root of all evil (among its attendant ailments) - honey, wasn’t your hubby on that infamous guest list to Gilligan’s - oops! - Epstein Island? She is truly the face of nihilism.
Do we comfortably lack certainties? Are we reluctant to embrace certainties?
I would say that we are comfortable not examining our certainties. We embrace narratives provided by the media. I did. Israel good, fighting for its life, underdog; Muslims bad, resorting to terrorism, rabid.
Earlier this year I had a Christian friend lecturing me about who is the good guy and who is the bad guy, based on an interview she saw with Douglas Murray (!) defending Israel as the only western liberal democracy in the Middle East. Because the true measure of a society is how well it treats its most vulnerable people: gay men. Perhaps Mr. Murray has fond memories of times spent in Tel Aviv, but I have never been there and would not partake of the same delights as Mr. Murray and I do not need to visit the Holy Land before I die nor see the Temple rebuilt. As Mr. Crooke puts it, Mr. Murray holds to an ideology that is opposite to how I experience the world as a wife and mother in America.
The history of Zionism before 1948 is buried under 75 years of narratives. I've learned so much in the last year, but I can still recommend the documentary hosted by PBS, https://www.pbs.org/show/1913-seeds-conflict/ as a *very* polite exploration of the problem created by settling Jews in Palestine to solve a problem in Europe.
What I have found interesting is watching all these different governments and people lineup and lock step claiming they stand with the Jewish people and with the Israeli nation. What I would be interested in knowing just how many people within the Jewish community worldwide agree with the policies of Israel. Just like in any other diffuse situation I doubt that the Jewish people all agree Judaism is made up of different sects and beliefs is not a monolithic group of people who believe all in the same thing.
As an example, you have a number of Jewish people who are members of Zionist movement and believe whole hardly in that and you have a number of other Jewish people who are not members of the movement and do not buy in to that ideology whatsoever . I am sure that filters down in the theology and different interpretations of the Talmud and other religious doctrine within the Jewish people themselves.
Great post! I want to say that Aurelian has an intellect and insight far surpassing those of most. I have been following him for a few years and recommend him highly. Mark (as we all know) has the gift of a moral center and a great ability for communicating the "larger picture" and synthesizing geopolitical events with philosophical and religious undercurrents and spiritual guidance; a confluence of abilities almost unheard of these days. - THANK YOU.
On the subjects of nihilism, moral decay, decadence, etc.: I think it is quite apparent that there is no longer any moral basis by which the people who are running "our government" in the U.S. make decisions (Look at N.C.). It is a mistake for us to presume they have such a morality. Please do what you can to help privately. All decisions of the government "elites" are simply oriented toward their own survival and it is not that they are using a busted moral compass - they have no compass at all. Is it any wonder that Putin and Lavrov have no faith in the "morals" of the people in the West with whom they are dealing?
For past examples of our situation, look to the late Roman Empire and 1920's Germany (just for two). I recall conversing with people as far back as the '70s who were self-proclaimed decadents. Yep, the society and its moral underpinnings that gave them every physical thing they had still in their eyes deserved to be taken advantage of for their own pleasure and torn down. Go figure but here we are 50 years later. God has told us how to live and the consequences of not living that way. He has told us where idolatry and not giving thanks to Him for His gifts leads. Yet, here we go. Thanks be to Him, His grace and mercy are always available to us whenever we might turn to Him.
“All decisions of the government "elites" are simply oriented toward their own survival and it is not that they are using a busted moral compass - they have no compass at all. “
That’s what worries me about the 2024 election; what have we done to deserve God’s helping hand in the saving of our “Republic”? Society is fracturing, civilization is dissolving, & its nihilistic ways seem to drive its “ethos”. The broken souls (HRC, Kerry, et al) display their full on totalitarianism & large groups of people still support them & will vote for their endorsed candidates. I have a real difficulty wrapping my head around this.
In regards to Israel, as an ongoing student of The Bible it clearly states therein the Jews are God’s chosen people; angels are detailed to guard over every other country but God Himself looks out for the nation of Israel. This does not mean they are morally infallible nor above criticism. And - seems anymore - any criticism of Israel is immediately branded as “anti-Semitic” which is wholly unfair. You may love your brother but you can - & should - criticize him harshly when he errors.
I am not a Biblical scholar and so please search the scriptures and pray to the Holy Spirit for understanding of them. That said:
1) Christ said that "My Kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36). He was responding to Pontius Pilate's queries about what a threat he or his followers might be to the Roman Empire. So, Christ was saying that neither he nor his followers had any designs on worldly power. That should be how his followers today look at things. Live as he taught us, not to desire earthly power or fret about the lack of it.
2) Israel is the "chosen people" in the sense that they were tasked with showing and bringing about God's plan for the redemption of the world through Christ. A year or so back I found a really good website that explained this. I apologize that I cannot find it now. If I find it again I will post it.
The basic idea is that Israel and the Jews WERE/ARE God's chosen people to show how Christ was needed in the world and how He fulfilled His mission. The present-day political state of Israel and its power or destiny in worldly terms is really aside from that (except for perhaps the eschatology described in the Book of Revelation). In any case, Christ's mission has already been completed and the victory over Satan has been won, already. So I don't worry about the state of Israel at this point, knowing that God is in control of what will transpire and whatever happens it will be in accordance with His purposes.
Hillary in 2003, still available on You Tube; "I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you're not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration."...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJxmpTMGhU0
Doug Emhoff was a foul-mouthed 'a**hole' and 'misogynist' who hired a 'trophy secretary' because she was 'pretty' and 'retaliated against women who didn't flirt back' at LA law firm, ex-staff claim
Ray: They’re still trying to come up with something that will make the threshold and allow them to “takeover in order to save the country and our Democracy”. Be patient, because I’m sure that they’ll manage to manufacture some threadbare piece of political perfidy to suit their purposes. That’s what’s keeping me up at night.
Mark, you write: "Surely reminding people of these old facts, and questioning the justice of it all, doesn’t make one a "jihadist sympathizer" or a "Jew hater"—or does it?"
Are you really asking?
Obviously it does--from a certain perspective.
Thomas Jefferson said
"In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution.”
The Founder's, students of history, saw this coming.
Big Serge @witte_sergei
Seems extremely problematic that one of the biggest hurricanes of all time is barreling towards Florida while FEMA is currently wetting its pants trying to respond to the last storm.
If the were smart...they would have Benning Stewart, Campbell and Bragg. all ready to go... Especially the medical, Engineer and Air units. You would also start a National wide PRE- call up of avalible National Guard units of the same type. There are also AF Red horse and naval Sea bees they could tap into. But with these guys in the Capital District, you just do not know if they think.
A post whose time had come! Tx Mark! For Hillary to claim that child pornography is the root of all evil (among its attendant ailments) - honey, wasn’t your hubby on that infamous guest list to Gilligan’s - oops! - Epstein Island? She is truly the face of nihilism.
It boggles.
Do we comfortably lack certainties? Are we reluctant to embrace certainties?
I would say that we are comfortable not examining our certainties. We embrace narratives provided by the media. I did. Israel good, fighting for its life, underdog; Muslims bad, resorting to terrorism, rabid.
Earlier this year I had a Christian friend lecturing me about who is the good guy and who is the bad guy, based on an interview she saw with Douglas Murray (!) defending Israel as the only western liberal democracy in the Middle East. Because the true measure of a society is how well it treats its most vulnerable people: gay men. Perhaps Mr. Murray has fond memories of times spent in Tel Aviv, but I have never been there and would not partake of the same delights as Mr. Murray and I do not need to visit the Holy Land before I die nor see the Temple rebuilt. As Mr. Crooke puts it, Mr. Murray holds to an ideology that is opposite to how I experience the world as a wife and mother in America.
The history of Zionism before 1948 is buried under 75 years of narratives. I've learned so much in the last year, but I can still recommend the documentary hosted by PBS, https://www.pbs.org/show/1913-seeds-conflict/ as a *very* polite exploration of the problem created by settling Jews in Palestine to solve a problem in Europe.
What I have found interesting is watching all these different governments and people lineup and lock step claiming they stand with the Jewish people and with the Israeli nation. What I would be interested in knowing just how many people within the Jewish community worldwide agree with the policies of Israel. Just like in any other diffuse situation I doubt that the Jewish people all agree Judaism is made up of different sects and beliefs is not a monolithic group of people who believe all in the same thing.
As an example, you have a number of Jewish people who are members of Zionist movement and believe whole hardly in that and you have a number of other Jewish people who are not members of the movement and do not buy in to that ideology whatsoever . I am sure that filters down in the theology and different interpretations of the Talmud and other religious doctrine within the Jewish people themselves.
Great post! I want to say that Aurelian has an intellect and insight far surpassing those of most. I have been following him for a few years and recommend him highly. Mark (as we all know) has the gift of a moral center and a great ability for communicating the "larger picture" and synthesizing geopolitical events with philosophical and religious undercurrents and spiritual guidance; a confluence of abilities almost unheard of these days. - THANK YOU.
On the subjects of nihilism, moral decay, decadence, etc.: I think it is quite apparent that there is no longer any moral basis by which the people who are running "our government" in the U.S. make decisions (Look at N.C.). It is a mistake for us to presume they have such a morality. Please do what you can to help privately. All decisions of the government "elites" are simply oriented toward their own survival and it is not that they are using a busted moral compass - they have no compass at all. Is it any wonder that Putin and Lavrov have no faith in the "morals" of the people in the West with whom they are dealing?
For past examples of our situation, look to the late Roman Empire and 1920's Germany (just for two). I recall conversing with people as far back as the '70s who were self-proclaimed decadents. Yep, the society and its moral underpinnings that gave them every physical thing they had still in their eyes deserved to be taken advantage of for their own pleasure and torn down. Go figure but here we are 50 years later. God has told us how to live and the consequences of not living that way. He has told us where idolatry and not giving thanks to Him for His gifts leads. Yet, here we go. Thanks be to Him, His grace and mercy are always available to us whenever we might turn to Him.
concur!
“All decisions of the government "elites" are simply oriented toward their own survival and it is not that they are using a busted moral compass - they have no compass at all. “
That’s what worries me about the 2024 election; what have we done to deserve God’s helping hand in the saving of our “Republic”? Society is fracturing, civilization is dissolving, & its nihilistic ways seem to drive its “ethos”. The broken souls (HRC, Kerry, et al) display their full on totalitarianism & large groups of people still support them & will vote for their endorsed candidates. I have a real difficulty wrapping my head around this.
In regards to Israel, as an ongoing student of The Bible it clearly states therein the Jews are God’s chosen people; angels are detailed to guard over every other country but God Himself looks out for the nation of Israel. This does not mean they are morally infallible nor above criticism. And - seems anymore - any criticism of Israel is immediately branded as “anti-Semitic” which is wholly unfair. You may love your brother but you can - & should - criticize him harshly when he errors.
Dutchmn007,
I am not a Biblical scholar and so please search the scriptures and pray to the Holy Spirit for understanding of them. That said:
1) Christ said that "My Kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36). He was responding to Pontius Pilate's queries about what a threat he or his followers might be to the Roman Empire. So, Christ was saying that neither he nor his followers had any designs on worldly power. That should be how his followers today look at things. Live as he taught us, not to desire earthly power or fret about the lack of it.
2) Israel is the "chosen people" in the sense that they were tasked with showing and bringing about God's plan for the redemption of the world through Christ. A year or so back I found a really good website that explained this. I apologize that I cannot find it now. If I find it again I will post it.
The basic idea is that Israel and the Jews WERE/ARE God's chosen people to show how Christ was needed in the world and how He fulfilled His mission. The present-day political state of Israel and its power or destiny in worldly terms is really aside from that (except for perhaps the eschatology described in the Book of Revelation). In any case, Christ's mission has already been completed and the victory over Satan has been won, already. So I don't worry about the state of Israel at this point, knowing that God is in control of what will transpire and whatever happens it will be in accordance with His purposes.
Agree.
here is a logic analysis of the "chosen people"concept. It is a creation of mine and I hope it helps.
https://thelastwillandtestiment.substack.com/p/are-the-jews-the-chosen-people
" A year or so back I found a really good website that explained this. I apologize that I cannot find it now. If I find it again I will post it."
Send the web site when you find it. Thanks
Robert, thanks for the link to your blog. Your analysis is very good and I appreciate it.
I think this is the site I to which I was referring:
https://bibleproject.com/articles/who-has-god-chosen/
I liked it because it was clearly and plainly written, doctrinally sound, and relatively short.
Thank you and it is appreciated. You are right. They did a great job of explaining the idea.
Jean-Claude Juncker: 'When it becomes serious, you have to lie'
Funny... the chart showing Israel's favourability rating in Britain mirrors Starmer's favourability rating in Britain.
Hillary in 2003, still available on You Tube; "I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you're not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration."...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJxmpTMGhU0
File under--tell me something I never woulda guessed:
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4269636/posts
Doug Emhoff was a foul-mouthed 'a**hole' and 'misogynist' who hired a 'trophy secretary' because she was 'pretty' and 'retaliated against women who didn't flirt back' at LA law firm, ex-staff claim
October Black Swans so far:
- Israel
- Ukraine
- Hurricanes and incompetence of FEMA
Ray: They’re still trying to come up with something that will make the threshold and allow them to “takeover in order to save the country and our Democracy”. Be patient, because I’m sure that they’ll manage to manufacture some threadbare piece of political perfidy to suit their purposes. That’s what’s keeping me up at night.