My thoughts on the use of religious iconography at the Paris Olympic Games.

 

My thoughts on the use of pseudo religious iconography at the Paris Olympic Games.

There are several scriptures in the Bible that refer to not creating images for worship. Here are a few key ones:

Leviticus 26:1: This verse states, "You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am the LORD your God."

Exodus 20:2-6: This passage includes the commandment, "You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below."

Deuteronomy 5:8: This verse says, "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath."

Deuteronomy 4:15-19: This passage warns the Israelites that since they did not see any form on the day God spoke to them at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, they should be careful not to act corruptly by making an image for themselves in the form of any figure.

Isaiah 42:8: This verse states, “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.”

Acts 17:29: In this verse, Apostle Paul says, “Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.”

1 John 5:21: The apostle John concludes his first epistle with this admonition, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”

These scriptures, among others, emphasize the prohibition against creating images for worship. Exodus 20:4-6 states, "You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods."

Therefore, regarding the recreation of de Vinci’s Last Supper at the Paris Olympics where a grossly unhealthy overweight woman of perverse sexual orientation portrayed the de Vinci’s Christ figure. The painting the Last Supper was created by **Leonardo da Vinci** which was commissioned by **Ludovico Sforza**, who was the Duke of Milan, for the refectory (dining hall) of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. The painting was completed between 1495 and 1498. It's one of the most recognized and admired works of art in the world.

Therefore, out of an attempt to be blasphemous while insulting Christianity the Olympic display of bad taste actually raises quite another critical aspect of Christian theology, namely why had the reformers from whom I am descended reject the use of icons and images in worship? The Reformed Christians, or Protestants, became iconoclasts (those who reject religious images) during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century³. This was largely due to their interpretation of the Bible, particularly the Second Commandment which states, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them" (Exodus 20:4-5)².

The Reformation was, in many ways, a revolt against what was perceived as the excesses and corruptions of the Catholic Church, including the use of images in worship³. The Reformers argued that the use of images in Christian worship was contrary to the word of the Bible². They believed that images limited God and wrapped God up in human ritual and convention⁴.

Moreover, by the late Middle Ages, the cult of saints had assumed forms which came very close to idolatry. Sculptures of saints were worshipped like gods and people prayed to them for help with specific difficulties in their lives². The Reformers saw this practice as conflicting with the Second Commandment and the principle of monotheism².

It's important to note that not all Reformed Christians were iconoclasts. Martin Luther, for example, rejected the cult of saints but did not see pictures and statues as dangerous in themselves². The degree of iconoclasm varied among different Protestant denominations and continues to do so today.

Source: Conversation with Copilot, 2024-07-30

(1) A Short Guide to Iconoclasm in Early History - JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/short-guide-iconoclasm-early-history/.

(2) Iconoclasm and Reformation – DHM-Blog - Deutsches Historisches Museum. https://www.dhm.de/blog/2017/08/08/iconoclasm-and-reformation/.

(3) The Case of Iconoclasm - Systematic and Historical Theology. https://theology.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2019/01/28/the-case-of-iconoclasm/.

(4) Why Have Christians Argued about Using Iconography?. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/christian-iconography.html.

(5) Iconoclasm | Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/christianity/christianity-general/iconoclasm.

(6) en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconoclasm.

Luther never truly rejected all his Roman Catholic sensibilities. His version of reformation was merely a stop gap measure which dealt only in part with the issue of iconography and the commercialising of the Gospel of Christ as big business where no one could buy or sell without the mark of the beast, namely the stamp of Papal approval. So, I thought I ought to weigh in regarding the freak show at the Paris Olympics and their attempt at a blasphemous portrayal of Christ as a fat bloated tattooed muff diver. When precisely have the French not adored perversion while persecuting the true Christian faith?

The French Wars of Religion were a series of civil wars between French Catholics and Protestants (called Huguenots) from 1562 to 1598. Between two and four million Huguenots died from violence, famine or disease directly caused by the conflict, and it severely damaged the power of the French monarchy.[1] One of its most notorious episodes was the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572. The fighting ended with a compromise in 1598, when Henry of Navarre, who had converted to Catholicism in 1593, was proclaimed King Henry IV of France and issued the Edict of Nantes, which granted substantial rights and freedoms to the Huguenots. However, Catholics continued to disapprove of Protestants and of Henry, and his assassination in 1610 triggered a fresh round of Huguenot rebellions in the 1620s.

The Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre alone saw the streets of Paris run with blood as with water when as many as 30,000 of the faithful were murdered in cold blood by rabid French Catholics who obviously hated true religion and by doing so persecuted Christ.

It is moments like the freak show in Paris that makes me regret Canada and her allies shed blood to free the French from tyranny when they return to it like a pig goes back to its slop trough!

From my previous blog entitled “Metanarratives, false doctrines, and the true Church” published on June 6^th 2024

In the wake of the Paris Olympics, I have heard evangelicals speculating on the coming of the antichrist and the beast foretold in the Book of Revelation forgetting how every single one of the protestant reformers knew that the office of the Pope had fulfilled this prophecy. So let us examine how the false doctrine of pretribulation rapture theory entered the modern evangelical church. It was John Nelson Darby who is credited with developing the pre-tribulation rapture theory, which he extensively taught and popularized. This theory suggests that Christ will remove the Church from the world before the period of tribulation. Darby, an influential figure among the original Plymouth Brethren, is considered the father of modern dispensationalism and futurism¹². His teachings had a significant impact on the Bible Church and evangelical Christianity, particularly through the spread of dispensationalism and his Bible translations¹. Darby's ideas were further popularized in the United States in the early 20th century, notably by the Scofield Reference Bible².

Source: Conversation with Copilot, 6/3/2024

(1) John Nelson Darby | Ligonier Ministries. https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts/5-minutes-in-church-history-with-stephen-nichols/john-nelson-darby.

(2) John Nelson Darby - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nelson_Darby.

(3) Who was John Nelson Darby? | GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/John-Nelson-Darby.html.

(4) Is the pre-tribulational rapture theory biblical?. https://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-the-pre-tribulational-rapture-theory-biblical/.

(5) en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nelson_Darby.

What parts of Darby’s doctrine had originated from Cardinal Bellarmine’s counter-reformation propaganda?

John Nelson Darby's development of dispensationalism was influenced by a variety of sources, including earlier works by Jesuit theologians such as Francisco Ribera and Cardinal Robert Bellarmine. While Darby is recognized as the father of dispensationalism, his ideas were not entirely original but rather built upon earlier theological concepts. The writings of Ribera and Bellarmine contained ideas that laid the groundwork for the future development of dispensationalism. These works were initially intended to counter the Protestant Reformation's interpretation of the Book of Revelation, which identified the Pope as the Antichrist and the Catholic Church as the whore of Babylon¹.

It's important to note that while Darby may have been influenced by the works of these Jesuit theologians, his own doctrine was distinct and developed within the context of his time and religious environment. Darby's dispensationalism emphasized what he falsely thought was a literal interpretation of the Bible and the separation of God's plans for Israel and the Church, which became a cornerstone of his theological framework¹.

Source: Conversation with Copilot, 6/3/2024

(1) Dispensationalism and Its Influence on Eschatology. https://www.jamesjpn.net/basic-bible/dispensationalism-and-its-influence-on-eschatology/.

(2) The Purpose and Origins of Futurism - Christian Observer. https://christianobserver.net/the-purpose-and-origins-of-futurism/.

(3) The History Of Dispensationalism - Christian Observer. https://christianobserver.net/the-history-of-dispensationalism/.

(4) John Nelson Darby - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nelson_Darby.

(5) Rapture Doctrine invented by John Darby in 1830 AD - The Interactive Bible. https://bible.ca/rapture-origin-john-nelson-darby-1830ad.htm.

(6) undefined. http://regal-network.com/dispensationalism/.

In conclusion:

So, I have a question to those of you who consider themselves to be Bible believing Christians. How are we to fight Cultural Marxist Critical Theory and its concerted attack on our faith if we have swallowed the lies of the Enemy to believe in false doctrines which were not received in Apostolic succession from the founders of the Western gentile Church? Persecution is coming for the Church so we must prepare ourselves. The word “rapture” does not appear in the Bible since it is not Scriptural. Christ will return and may we be found to be prepared when He does as we busy ourselves equipping His body for that return! Fulfilling this Divine commission is the only way we can stave off the ruin of godless Critical Theory in all of its manifestations whether that be gender or race theory since these false doctrines have now managed to infect the weaker churches who themselves have become WOKE!

The phrase "Be instant in season and out of season" is a Biblical reference from **2 Timothy 4:2**¹²³. In the King James Version of the Bible, the verse reads: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine."¹²³.

This verse is part of a charge that the Apostle Paul gives to Timothy, his disciple. The phrase "be instant in season, out of season" is often interpreted to mean that one should be ready to proclaim the word of God at all times, whether it is convenient or not¹²³⁴⁵.

Different translations of the Bible may use different wording, but the general message remains the same: to be prepared to always preach the word of God, and to correct, rebuke, and encourage with patience and sound teaching¹²³⁴⁵. So fat bloated lesbians aside whose attempt at being blasphemous has merely revealed yet another blasphemy, namely the worship of graven images!

Source: Conversation with Copilot, 2024-06-06

(1) 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season .... https://biblehub.com/2_timothy/4-2.htm.

(2) 2 Timothy 4:2 KJV - Preach the word; be instant in season, - Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%204%3A2&version=KJV.

(3) 2 Timothy 4:2 KJV - Preach the word; be instant in season, out of .... https://www.blueletterbible.org/verse/kjv/2ti/4/2/.

(4) Instant In Season And Out Of Season - Ernest Angley Ministries. https://www.ernestangley.org/read/article/instant_in_season_and_out_of_season.

(5) What does it mean to pray in season and out of season?. https://www.missionariesofprayer.org/2017/04/pray-preach-the-word-in-season-and-out-of-season/.

 

 

My thoughts on yesterday's attempt on Trump's life

I call myself the Reluctant Prophet for a very deliberate reason. I take no pleasure in being correct in my predictions as to the inevitable outcomes of pursuing idea pathogens which result in unmitigated devolution of our most sacred institutions. I posted two things yesterday prior to the attempt on former US President Trump’s life that were prescient in their timeliness. The first was the following taken from “How Cultural Marxism Threatens the United States (and the entire Anglosphere including Canada)—and How Americans and the rest of the Anglosphere Can Fight It” @ https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/report/how-cultural-marxism-threatens-the-united-states-and-how-americans-can-fight

SUMMARY: The United States has successfully confronted Marxist attempts to derail it from its historic path of liberty and order. The multifaceted effort to defeat the enemy, generally referred to as the Cold War, concentrated many of the best minds in the country. In 1991, when the Soviet Union dissolved, many Americans and others around the globe justifiably believed that communism had been defeated. However, American Marxists, making use of the complacency that victory often produces, have gained more influence than ever before. Cloaking their goals under the pretense of social justice, they now seek to dismantle the foundations of the American republic by rewriting history; reintroducing racism; creating privileged classes; and determining what can be said in public discourse, the military, and houses of worship. Unless Marxist thought is defeated again, today’s cultural Marxists will achieve what the Soviet Union never could: the subjugation of the United States to a totalitarian, soul-destroying ideology.

And in my second warning I stated that “Trudeau's promotion of the "grievance narrative" has helped to create a society where portraying oneself as a victim will be rewarded by the State. This prevailing "Cult of Victimhood" is responsible for destroying the equality of all before the law by replacing real equality with special treatment for those whom the State labels as victims of the State's "structural oppression". What Statists invariably ignore is that logically this idiotic notion makes the State both the author of and the solution for all oppression when obviously it cannot be both the disease and its cure!” Evidently this warning applies to the entire Anglosphere where due to this narrative being adopted by most if not all of the mainstream political parties and the 4^th Estate gullible citizens swallow these false doctrines hook, line, and sinker. And by what means has Cultural Marxism captured public discourse and narrative so completely? Since everything in Western society lies downstream of its education system, following the 1930’s, which is when the professors from the Frankfurt School fled Nazi Germany, Critical Theorists have captured our universities to use them as their vehicle to make disciples who would foment societal revolution.

Former president Trump was just minutes into his rally in Butler when around 10 popping sounds interrupted his speech, sending the crowd into chaos. The former president collapsed behind his podium, as red-capped supporters behind him screamed and tried to duck.

Secret Service agents immediately jumped onto the stage, eventually hoisting up Trump, whose face was dripping with blood. He pumped his fist before agents helped him off stage and into a security vehicle.

Trump has since said he is “fine,” revealing in a graphic statement that he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.” “I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” he said.

The shooting left one spectator dead and another two critically injured. Law enforcement officials said that a Secret Service sniper killed the shooter, who was outside the security perimeter.

Man outside of Trump rally claims he saw the shooter on roof before Trump was struck by bullet. A witness who was just outside the Pennsylvania rally where a gunman apparently attempted to assassinate Donald Trump Saturday night said he tried to alert Secret Service agents to a rifle-wielding man he spotted “bear crawling” onto the roof of a nearby building before gunshots rang through the crowd.

“We’re pointing at the guy crawling up the roof,” the witness, identified only as Greg, told the BBC of the surreal moment. “We could clearly see him with a rifle.”

“I’m standing there pointing at him for two to three minutes,” he continued. “Secret Service is looking at us from the top of the barn, I’m pointing at the roof...and next thing you know, five shots rang out.”

The witness, who was wearing a red Trump 2024 visor, told the BBC that it was “absolutely” clear the shooter — who he said was clad in “muted colors,” like “tan, tight clothing” — was killed.

“Secret Service blew his head off,” Greg said. “They crawled up on the roof, they had their guns pointed at him to make sure he was dead, he was dead. And that’s it. It was over.”

Law enforcement is investigating the incident as an attempted assassination of the former president. The Independent has called the Butler County District Attorney’s Office for more information.

Others have come forward to share their harrowing accounts of the chaos. Another witness, an emergency room doctor, recalled how he sprung into action to try to save a shooting victim in the crowd.

“I heard the shots. I thought it was crackers to begin with,” the doctor, who had blood stains on his T-shirt, told a CBS News reporter.

Someone had been screaming “he was shot, he was shot” so the doctor rushed over. The spectator had been shot in the head, and the doctor said he could see “brain matter.”

“The guy had spun around was jammed between the benches and a head shot here,” the doctor explained.

He then performed CPR and chest compressions on the man.

Emergency room physician says he sprung into action to help victim at Trump rally

“I was the only one that did it,” he told CBS News. “There’s a helicopter coming in to get him.”

Boston Globe reporter James Pindell said he noticed early on that Secret Service agents were pointing rifles at a spot away from the crowd. But it wasn’t until Trump was six minutes into his speech that there was a “loud popping noise.”

“When I looked up, the same agents were shooting in the same direction their guns had been pointed all along. I knew they were shooting because I could see smoke from their guns,” he wrote. “I had a clear view of the stage, but at that moment, I was typing up what Trump was saying. When I looked at the podium again, the agents appeared to have Trump on the ground, protecting him. Then other agents were on the stage.”

He said the crowd was in total “shock,” with most crouching down as they tried to take cover.  

“After Trump had been escorted to his car and people sensed the rally was over and they were safe, the crowd turned on the media,” Pindell said. “The crowd was angry. Middle fingers were everywhere. They asked the press if they were happy and blamed the media. ‘You did this,’ they said to reporters.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-shooting-rally-suspect-gun-b2579407.html

“How could such a massive breach in security happen?”, is the first question I need to ask. Secondly, the incident offers more proof that America has become a tinder box ready to ignite the flames of societal discord due to Cultural Marxist identity politics.

Society has become infected with ideas whose entire purpose is to sew discord and unrest, just as I have been warning since 2014 when my wife first informed me how she had learned about the Frankfurt School of Cultural Marxism while attending the University of Oslo. For her part she found these ideas so abhorrent that she could not believe that anyone could or would accept them. Yet just as Christ warned us in Matthew 12 (KJV):

43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

For this wicked generation has rejected Christ to accept godless Neo-Marxist ideas resulting in creating hell on earth!