Repugnant beliefs

The church is tarnished enough without Christian antisemites making things worse. Gerald McDermott, Anglican clergyman and academic theologian, offers an impassioned rebuke of them here. To my mind, there is nothing to object to here. 

https://www.christianpost.com/voices/new-antisemitism-rising-among-christians-is-heresy.html

Is Putin the most vile man in Europe?

Any impartial observer of the Russia-Ukraine War would be aggrieved at the innocent suffering of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia's immoral and unjust invasion of their country. I commend this new documentary, A Faith Under Siege, to my readers. 

In Ukraine's eastern regions, once known as the post-Soviet "Bible Belt," a thriving Evangelical and Protestant community faces existential threats under Russian occupation. A Faith Under Siege explores the brutal persecution of Ukrainian Christians caught in Russia's imperial ambitions. Deemed heretics by the Russian Orthodox Church—a key Kremlin ally—these believers endure systematic oppression: their churches demolished or confiscated, pastors subjected to torture or execution, and families fractured through forced religious "conversions" or kidnappings. Despite facing extrajudicial killings and conducting worship in secret, while thousands of children are transported to militarized Russian camps, an unexpected solidarity has emerged. Christians across denominational lines have united in resistance, bolstered by international supporters determined to spotlight their ongoing suffering.

https://www.faithundersiege.com

Is this what things are coming to?

Heaven's special whites only section

Christians who have their fingers on the pulse of church trends will be aware of the alarming rise of the Stone Choir movement. To be brief, this movement, which originated in the Lutheran Church, is made up of a subset of Christians who are dogmatic antisemites and racists. Let's not beat around the bush; they are actually fascists. Not only do they believe that the Bible requires them to hate Jews, they also believe that being Caucasian merits special favour in the eyes of God. 

This podcast from the prominent American Christian apologist and pastor, James R White, is a useful primer on the insidious threat this movement poses to the church. It must be confronted urgently. As White himself says in this podcast, if this movement has not yet infiltrated your church, it soon will. 


https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/answering-antisemitism-with-gospel-truth/id1186473673?i=1000704611763 

Idolatry is a dirty word

AI image of Baal. 

Uncomfortable but necessary reading. 

Baal, Molech, and Ashtoreth: How Ancient Demons Are Rewriting Australia’s Culture - The Daily Declaration

The Putin facade

Putin playing his favourite Christian worship song

These thoughts are prompted by a social media post I came across the other day, outlining Russian President Vladimir Putin's domestic policy agenda. He is a strong supporter of the Russian Orthodox Church, and in his speeches and other public statements, rejects identity politics, and the redefinition of marriage, family, and gender, in much of what is described as the post-Christian West. 

This resonates with an alarmingly high number of Christian social media users in the west, not just in the United States, but throughout the English speaking world. I come across them almost every day.  

As Michael Bird observed, Putin is "is considered by many American evangelicals to be the defender of an ethnically homogenous “Christian society.” 

This is presented as evidence of Putin's genuine and strong personal Christian faith. Their line of reasoning is that because Putin has pro-Christian policies, he must be one himself. They appear to overlook what Putin is actually doing. 

Firstly, is Putin's God okay with him muzzling his political opponents, killing journalists who criticise him, and invading other countries? I wouldn't want to worship a God who lets someone get away with such evil actions. 

Secondly, how can Christians accept the notion that Putin is fighting against Christophobia while also perpetrating it, by restricting the religious freedoms of Russian Christians in other denominations? This is widely reported, and irrefutable.

I don't understand why too many of my fellow Christians cannot see through his façade. 

The prophet Isaiah warned against pretending to be God-fearing, while actually having a corrupt and evil heart (Isaiah 29:13)

Similarly, in his letter to Titus, the apostle Paul writes of such men as Putin, who were, to be blunt, fake Christians:

“They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.”

Titus 1:16

He’s just another politician using Christian symbols and language as a political prop, to make himself look good. He has done this from the very day he took power in 2000. Far from being a genuine Christian, and an exemplar of a strong Christian politician, it would be more accurate to describe Putin as a cunning and evil hypocrite.

https://www.abc.net.au/religion/michael-bird-why-american-evangelicals-venerate-putin/103550090

https://www.persecution.org/.../what-putins-re-election.../

https://time.com/6969273/russias-war-against-evangelicals/

Putin the Jesus freak

Messing about with an AI app, I created this picture of Jesus with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, looking chummy. I am making a point about Putin's dubious claims of being a Christian, which too many people, at least in the social media world, have been taken in by. 

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/womantowoman/2025/03/is-putin-really-a-christian-the-answer-may-surprise-you/
 

Feeble fanatics

Not much to disagree with here. Antisemitism is a poison on the Christian world. Unmanly Anti-Semitism - First Things

Polarisation

Christmas is not pagan

 A self identified atheist and sceptic gets it. Why don't some Christians, then? 

Pagan Christmas, Again. - History for Atheists

Merciless skewering

Hey man, that's catchy

This musical gem escaped my attention until it was posted on social media by Michael Sweet, lead singer of Christian heavy metal band, Stryper. It is the daggiest earworm I have heard in quiet a while. It was recorded by Sonseed, a Catholic pop band that formed in New York in the late 1970s. 

https://www.newreleasetoday.com/artistdetail.php?artist_id=2835

Keeping it in the family

Among the smattering of readers of this blog will be fans of the Australian born Christian singer, Rebecca St James, and her brothers, Joel and Luke Smallbone, who form the duo, For King and Country. Their family's story is the subject of the recently released feature film, Unsung Hero. Back in 1996, Rebecca St. James released the single, God, from the album of the same name. Its grungy sound is influenced by mainstream artists of the period, minus the bitterness and angst. 

Christians are a bunch of dills

An excerpt from Gerard Henderson's Media Watchdog blog, that I felt compelled to repost here. A leftist media outlet attempts to give former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, well known for being a Pentecostal Christian, a fair interview. 

 Issue 683 – The Sydney Institute

Devastation

A short video about the Lisbon Massacre, which came to an end on this day in 1506, in which almost 2000 Portugese Jews were killed. 

It's Friday, but Sunday is coming

This spoken word song by Jimmy Needham narrates the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and challenges the listener to consider the claims of Jesus upon his or her life. May it speak to you as it spoke to me. 

Do what you can

Petra were also known for their songs about social issues. Homeless Few, the closing track on their 1988 album, On Fire, is about homelessness. Jesus's parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37), and the first epistle of John (1 John 3:17). Christians cannot ignore this issue. 

https://www.eternitynews.com.au/australia/the-homelessness-emergency-we-cant-ignore/

Fossil fuels

More Petra, this time from their 1993 album, Wake Up Call. The single Midnight Oil is a call to Christians to live in anticipation and expectation of the return of Christ, based on the parable of the ten young women in Matthew 25. 

Turn the cassette over

Back when I was in high school in the 1980s, a Christian friend got me into the American Christian rock band, Petra. I haven't listened to them in years. They were mentioned in the 2021 documentary, The Jesus Music, which explores the origins of the contemporary Christian music industry. Petra, formed in 1972, were one of the pioneers of this genre. As an older listener, I have a newfound appreciation for the theological depth of their lyrics. 

Think a little

I have been doing a lot of thinking about leadership, character, integrity, and manhood. The CNN article below prompted this post. A passage from 1 Timothy in the New Testament of the Bible has a lot to say about such matters: 

"Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money."

In context, this was originally written as instructions to the early church, for vetting potential leaders, but its principles also speaks to leadership in other areas of life, including politics. To my mind, a voter should be careful about whether somebody with an unstable personal life should be given the responsibility of elected office. For male political candidates, they should be good husbands to their wives, and good fathers to their children.

They should also be level headed, and not constantly lashing out verbally at their opponents. This speaks to the importance of self-control, being respectable, hospitable, kind, able to learn and grow, and not arrogant and greedy.. This also extends to being scrupulously honest in handling money. These are the things that I hope my American friends are weighing up as they enter yet another election cycle over the next eighteen months. 

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/07/politics/casey-desantis-iowa-campaign/index.html

Unpleasant to think about

Antisemitism refuses to die. I wish it would. It's even more grievous when it's perpetuated by Christians, of all people. 

https://mosaicmagazine.com/response/politics-current-affairs/2023/06/unchurched-christians-and-anti-semitic-ones/