Tag - Machiavellli °

Cover for Evil: Machiavelli, Ledeen, Bush, and Jesus

Missing Jesus: Replaced by Machiavelli

What is Christian Nationalism? It Wears Christian Words & Symbols Like Sheep’s Clothing.

Posted: October 18, 2023

What is Christian nationalism? It’s nationalism – sort of “my country, right or wrong” stuff – but seems to be Christian only in superficial, dishonest ways.

0 comments

Justice is What Love Looks Like in Public. Why Resist It? Is It Possible We Hate Loving Our Neighbors?

Posted: October 8, 2023

Cornel West: Justice is what love looks like in public.
John Ruskin: We hate justice.
All of Us: We don’t hate loving our neighbors!!

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What Do You Think? Please Share Some Thoughts. (12 Questions – Pick 1 or 2)

Posted: September 8, 2023

What do you think?
We’re all in this together, you know.

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Christofascism – It’s Real, It’s Deadly, And It Intends to Dominate Us All

Posted: July 30, 2023

The book “Confronting Christofascism,” makes this starkly clear:
“We are dealing with something far beyond the contents of the Christian Gospels.” (p4)

1 comment

Micah 6:8 – He Turns Us Toward a Beautiful Life After His Anger

Posted: July 15, 2023

Justice – Mercy – Humility, all “required” by the Prophet Micah.
No excuses apply, of theology, creed, Bible interpretation, politics, economics, race, class, whatever.

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Book Reviews: I’ve RE-read 10 Excellent Ones Recently (List 1)

Posted: June 15, 2023

Here are brief reviews of books I’ve chosen to RE-read in the last two or three years. That means they’re worth a lot to me, because there’s a bunch I still need to read for the first time.

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Right-Wing Violence: Pope Francis’ Early Experience

Posted: May 21, 2019

Pope Francis knows by experience – when the true thugs hold the levers of power it matters little what their alleged politics are. But in his case in Argentina it was the “conservatives” or “right wing” doing the violence …

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Spiritual Tune-up. YOUR “HABIT and Cherished Thought.” (Gen J L Chamberlain)

Posted: January 20, 2019

The importance of habit was not only Chamberlain’s theory, you know, like we all say cliches about life. He lived it. This is from his explanation of why he was truly ready at a crucial moment during the Civil War’s Battle of Gettysburg.

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Evangelicalism is Broken. Do They Know? Do They Care? (review of Labberton’s “Still Evangelical?”)

Posted: January 14, 2019

Many “Evangelicals” see no crisis, judging from 5 of the 12 articles in Mark Labbertons’s recent valuable book Still Evangelical? (pub’d Jan 2018).

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If You Do Not Love Your Neighbor Whom You CAN See – Can You Love God?

Posted: February 20, 2017

If you do not love your neighbor – the author of “1 John” makes a blunt and very logical analysis of our emotional attachments – or professed attachments. And it involves neighbors.

6 comments

Nonviolence – Turn the Other Cheek MEANS Resist Them Courageously, Non-Violently

Posted: October 18, 2016

Should Christians practice resistance, practice nonviolence? Is it ever appropriate for Christ-followers to resist people in authority? There is much in the behavior of prominent influencers, including politicians, that cries out for criticism and resistance.

49 comments

“With Malice Toward None” – A Necessary Standard!

Posted: February 18, 2013

In pretty much his last words to the American people, Abraham Lincoln began the wrap-up of his Second Inaugural Address with these famous, beautiful ideals: With malice toward none, with charity for all . . . And I think he really meant it. In a nation that was an ocean of anger and blaming and […]

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Jesus Emphasized Issues that Churches Avoid

Posted: July 16, 2008

John Howard Yoder vigorously believes that the teaching of Jesus was very practical and very this-worldly.

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Declaration of Independence – Kids’ Version. Pretty good.

Posted: July 5, 2008

This is helpful. A version of the Declaration of Independence particularly for kids.

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Christian Theocracy (Some Religious Group or Other Runs the Government) – We’d Regret this Nightmare for Democracy.

Posted: September 21, 2006

I am a church person, a person of Christiain faith, but opposed to Christian theocracy (or any kind!). I don’t think we need a government that rules as if it were the voice of God.

4 comments

Koran 9:11 Offers Some Hope to ‘The Eagle’

Posted: June 21, 2005

I received an email yesterday pointing out how much of Old Testament history happened in or referred to the area that is today’s Iraq. That part of the email was fairly accurate. Then it added this alleged quotation from the Koran, the holy book of Islam. Quran (9:11) “For it is written that a son […]

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Was Jesus Violent When He Harassed the Temple Money-Changers?

Posted: June 20, 2005

When considering “was Jesus violent?” one incident often comes up – the time when he overthrew money-changers’ tables in the temple compound in Jerusalem.

18 comments

Why Many Christians Do Not Vote Republican

Posted: February 10, 2005

The problems remain. This was written 20 years ago. We (and I) have learned some things since then. But Wow! The problems remain, and have grown; which means these things still need thinking and talking about. (References and Bible quotations are at the end.) The very reasons for BEING a Republican Christian are also the […]

33 comments

The Dangers of Christian Dominionism – the Christian Right’s Lust to Control You

Posted: January 8, 2005

[I do not know the author of this. See note at the bottom.]
The dangers of christian dominionism are not new, but let’s be familiar with what it stands for
to avoid being oppressed, or deceived by its heresy.

14 comments

Hitler Pretended to Respect “My Lord and Savior” Jesus

Posted: January 2, 2005

It is not pleasant to study the face of evil, but it seems good that some of us be aware of its common habits, intentions, and techniques, and spread our findings around a bit. I’ve been browsing again in the speeches of Adolf Hitler*.

15 comments

What If Christians Don’t Listen to Jesus? See 5 Very Short, Very Important Stories from Matthew 7

Posted: September 28, 2023

If a pastor tries to listen to Jesus and a church member complains ‘Where did you get those liberal talking points?’ – then we know US “Christianity” has problems.

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Our Sometimes Silly Beliefs Don’t Matter Much to God. 3 Ways God Views Our Beliefs.

Posted: August 29, 2023

Your beliefs don’t matter. WHY WOULD your beliefs matter to God? We hear all the time, or feel, that they surely do matter – but why? How?

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Christofascism – It’s Real, It’s Deadly, And It Intends to Dominate Us All

Posted: July 30, 2023

The book “Confronting Christofascism,” makes this starkly clear:
“We are dealing with something far beyond the contents of the Christian Gospels.” (p4)

1 comment

Tyranny – We’re in Danger but Have Options – 20 Short Lessons.

Posted: July 25, 2023

Very short book, and very valuable!
“The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew,
the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy.
Today, our political order faces new threats …

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Young Climate Prophets, Wise and Blunt Against Earth Abuse

Posted: April 25, 2023

Climate prophets use the burning Notre Dame cathedral as a gut-grabbing illustration of what’s happening –
to our climate, Our Cathedral Home, this beautiful, ancient, and precious Earth.

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Christians Love Lies About Gandhi. But He Loved Jesus More Than Most Of Them.

Posted: June 20, 2019

Why so many lies about Gandhi?
What if deep, genuine love and respect for Jesus
– like Gandhi practiced –
is actually more holy, more saving …

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Gandhi Said Freedom Is Connected to Equality, and is Crucial to Humane Life

Posted: May 25, 2019

If I think of another person as having true and legitimate freedom, being equal with me in having freedom …

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Right-Wing Violence: Pope Francis’ Early Experience

Posted: May 21, 2019

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Follow Micah; Be Christian Activists When Possible. Call Out Evil Doers, Who Hurt Us Because They Can.

Posted: May 17, 2019

Some argue against us being Christian activists or whistle-blowers,
saying believers should avoid questions that have been politicized …

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“It Will Happen Here.” Solidarity is the Only Possible Response, or Good People Will Suffer and Die.

Posted: May 4, 2019

When so many groups are under attack, solidarity – a decentralized collective response – is the only response. They’re attacking all of us to make us feel atomized and fearful.

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Not Pro-LIFE: They Betray Life by What They Ignore and What They Insist On

Posted: March 10, 2019

They’re not pro-LIFE – you can tell what they want by what they do, much more than by what they so emotionally say.

3 comments

Evangelicalism is Broken. Do They Know? Do They Care? (review of Labberton’s “Still Evangelical?”)

Posted: January 14, 2019

Many “Evangelicals” see no crisis, judging from 5 of the 12 articles in Mark Labbertons’s recent valuable book Still Evangelical? (pub’d Jan 2018).

0 comments

The Trump Problem: Naomi Klein Finds Hope – In “Killing the Trump Within”

Posted: November 26, 2018

A Strong Call to Insistent Courage and Hope
Naomi Klein calls us to action and hope in “No is not Enough.”

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Speak Up! “Lift your voice; declare to my people their sins.” – Isaiah 58

Posted: November 22, 2017

God requires the prophet Isaiah to speak up about what he sees – what is clearly going on in the economy of his nation.

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Jesus and Racism – Samaritan Lives Matter – Black Lives Matter

Posted: November 20, 2016

The phrase “Samaritan lives matter” would have been very offensive to the racism in Jesus’ cultural surroundings, in which he was a teacher and doer of good.

4 comments

Are Matters of Economics Moral Issues – Spiritual Issues? Isaiah Pushes It!

Posted: September 20, 2016

Why do you suppose Isaiah bothers himself so much with economics? Very unspiritual for a Prophet, eh?

7 comments

Jesus Emphasized Issues that Churches Avoid

Posted: July 16, 2008

John Howard Yoder vigorously believes that the teaching of Jesus was very practical and very this-worldly.

0 comments

Veterans ask: Support the Troops? “Ma’am, We ARE the Troops.” Put your money where your mouth is.

Posted: September 15, 2006

Veterans replied “Ma’am, we are the troops” to a woman during the Vietnam War who urged protesting Vietnam Vets to “support the troops.”

2 comments

Letter from Birmingham Jail: 14 Often Disturbing Quotes from Martin Luther King

Posted: January 15, 2005

Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is one of many treasures
often ignored in American liberal democracy and in bringing Christian moral theology to public life.

4 comments

Hitler Pretended to Respect “My Lord and Savior” Jesus

Posted: January 2, 2005

15 comments