John Adams said the Constitution was made for moral and religious people because morality is needed for our government to work. I think he had a point,not that we have to be regular attendees at houses of worship but that a free people need to be virtuous.
While I agree with that sentiment, would you say John Adams was good when he signed the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798? The ink was barely dry on the Bill of Rights (1791) when the Adams administration began locking up publishers promoting “democratic republicans” who supported Thomas Jefferson during the election of 1800.
That said, actions always speak louder than words. God gave us the 10 Commandments and Jesus’s two most important commandments (Love God, Love Others as we Love Ourselves) and if we follow those guides, we find our actions will be good.
I have no knowledge of that Act, but something most Americans are not aware of was the mandatory mass deportation out of the American Colonies post-1776, applied to persons still supporting the British Crown. They had to sacrifice their land, and most moved into British North America, which became Canada by 1867.
These were the United Empire Loyalists, whose descendants then populated large swathes of Ontario and the Maritimes.
Just to be upfront here, I have many United Empire Loyalists in my family tree.
I think it is crass for Canadians right now to be led into Anti-Americanism or Americans to be led into anti-Canadianism. Someone is pulling peoples' strings there.
Don't you suspect that your thoughts are being steered on this issue? Americans rarely even thought of Canada until recently. And most Canadians were OK with that; we lived a good life here. Until the Troodo years, we preferred what we had in Canada.
And now this Anti-Americanism/Anti-Canadianism is breaking out? Because the media is pushing it. People on both sides of the border are suddenly being mind-controlled. What is that all about? What is the end goal of this?
The media is pushing it? How about Trump? Trump: “I think Canada would be much better off being the 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada. And I’m not going to let that happen,” he said. “Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially a subsidy to Canada?” And 'Canada is “not viable as a country” without U.S. trade, and warned that the founding NATO member can no longer depend on the U.S. for military protection." [Sure, we really want China invading Canada and continuing south into the US].
Canadians recognize that what Trump really wants is to take Canada's resources. They same thing he wants from Greenland..
But there are many Canadians who are desperate to rid themselves of Troodo and his party. He does not represent the majority in Canada, and never has.
Don't blame the average Canadian for what Troodo is. He has only a minority govt., propped up by another political traitor who offers him coalition with the leftwing NDP party.
I don't blame the average American for what Biden was.
I don't think you understand the United Empire Loyalist issue. Some of these families arrived with the Puritans by 1620s in Massachusetts. They were the original Americans. Under British rule.
My family arrived in 1650. Then they bought Block Island, RI along the way. Post 1776, they sided with the British Crown still. So they had to sacrifice their land (it was taken) and moved north to what is now Canada. No quibbles.
Historians have estimated that during the American Revolution, between 15 and 20 percent of the white population of the colonies, or about 500,000 people, were Loyalists. Including many who were descended from the original American colonists of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Those family lines continued in what is now Canada, instead.
The majority of Anglo Canadians are descended from at least one family line that began with the original Americans; we are the same people in that sense. You might say we are even more American in pedigree than many Americans who arrived much later to the USA.
Ontario and the Canadian Maritimes were largely descended from these Loyalists and from Scottish Highland/Irish immigrants, until mass immigration from the third world began in the 1970s.
I should have added a piece about The New England Planters, who were involved in the first significant migration by American colonists out of those colonies and into British North America, or what is now eastern Canada.
They were settlers from the New England colonies who responded to invitations in 1759 by the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia to settle lands left vacant by the Acadian Expulsion.
The NE Planters arrived in what is now the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, particularly the Grand Pré area previously held by the French.
Approximately 80,000 New England Planters left the American colonies between 1759 and 1768 in order to settle in Maritime Canada.
Would I say John Adams was good? Hmmm. I would say that John Adams thought he was protecting something and like many human beings, he got it very wrong in execution with the A&S Acts. Adams was a believer, perhaps not in the evangelical sense we have today, but in that solid, a-mighty-fortress-is-our-God Lutherian seat. From what I have read, I do think he was good; he also knew he was proud and thus prone to error. I also kind of wonder if being president was way over his head; when we get in such a position, we tend to make terrible mistakes. He was brilliant and mercurial and abrasive, but he was anointed to be a part of the Constitutional Convention. He also passed on to his son, John Quincy, the knowledge that the providential God abhorred slavery and JQ's stance against it, acting in Congress after his presidential term, was simply thrilling in its methodical resolve (see *Arguing About Slavery* by William Lee Miller). Both Adams left a profound legacy. (And Abigail had her wisdom to offer as well.)
Adam’s was difficult for people to like without his better half, Abigail. The French greatly disliked him as he disapproved of their dissolute lifestyle, and Abigail was not with him to soften the edges.
Yes, the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 were the biggest blots on John Adams' otherwise pretty righteous career. But he does deserve credit for keeping "The Quasi-War" of 1798-1800 with France from becoming a full-fledged conflict, as many Jeffersonians were urging.
The authors of the Declaration believed implicitly that the pursuit of happiness was connected to the pursuit of virtue, i.e., a "happy" (successful) life was a virtuous life. It is us moderns who have forgotten that basic truth.
Without God, who decides what is virtuous? Each person? Like when someone says "my truth" is what is important as if they have discovered right and wrong based on their own thoughts. That is scary.
He was widely regarded as an atheist, but this is a Federalist slander. He believed that the Universe had been created by a Creator, just not the details - and the Creator established certain physical laws, which were followed - and excluded miracles... but he did not know that the set of physical laws was incomplete - and which no one did until Einstein came along with the idea of quantization of energy levels... and quantum mechanics is still not complete.
I think a good number of the founders were Deists. The First Great Awakening had occurred in the generation before most of the founders, Franklin excepted. There was distancing away from religion in the founders youth. My understanding was that the extraordinary things that occurred during the Revolution, the Divine Providence, convinced a fair number that God was active in the world and doing miracles.
But Jefferson did love Christ. He took all the words of Christ out of the Bible to make his own Bible. Whether he believed him to be the savior/ransom for mankind, I don't know (also wanted to do more reading about him).
No, he did not. He made a point of taking out everything that was supernatural. He regarded Jesus as a great moral philosopher, but nothing more. I think Jefferson was wrong about that. It seems to me that Kant's Categorical Imperative, more or less "You are not a privileged character", is better. Otherwise, there is a danger of getting into "soft love", which can easily do more harm than good in the long run, rather than "tough love".
I have long (at least 50 years) been aware that Jefferson was a Deist. But that was not good enough for Adams. Their main point of dispute, according to my understanding, was whether there is a soul that survives the death of the body.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Moreover, He has set eternity in their heart” - Ecclesiastes 3:11 TLV
I believe it was Augustine who said the soul is restless until it finds its rest in God. When I turned ten, I asked myself, “What’s the point?” And I heard very clearly, “God.”
“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ‘you will find rest for your souls.’ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30 TLV 💞🙏🏻
I am 76 years old and in 1981, (at the age of 33), I was given a personal Revelation of the Deity of Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God. I was stunned to learn God had become Flesh. In the Spring of 1981, I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior and 44 years later it is the best thing that has happened to me.
Sasha, there is a site called the Bible Project that might interest you. Based in Portland, OR, they have cliff note artwork videos for of each book of the Bible (overviews), plus a lot of other content.
I stumbled upon an ad for the Hallow app last February & thought I’d give it a try. I participated in last year’s Lent program & found it to be comforting & thought provoking. Little did I know that I would rely on it daily to help me cope with the grief associated with the sudden death of my husband in April. The app has been a try comfort to me when I’m feeling particularly overwhelmed & anxious. I pray you find the same.
He goes before us to provide and prepare us for such trials. Bless our Lord, who knows what we will need before we do. Thank you for sharing your experience.
In my church this year, each parishioner has been encouraged to start each and every day by reading Psalm 23. We each received a printed card to place on the bed stand:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Many years ago my husband’s father was electrocuted while in the jib (not sure now what that’s called?) of a crane. As the crane driver swung the thing around, the “jib” connected with power lines and whammo! His Dad was flung into the air and down. He landed on his back and his small tobacco tin literally imbedded into his backside. He was blackened all over, but survived, and as he was coming out of a coma the nurses and doctors heard him muttering to himself, so they put their ear to his mouth and listened intently to hear what he was saying.
It was Psalm 23.
He went on to live a few more decades, but, an interesting note, his wrist watch never needed winding and when he died, it also died. Just like the old song about the grandfather clock.
When I heard this story, I immediately learned off by heart that wonderful Psalm. It never fails to create peace, assurance and trust in the One above.
Thanks for sharing this, Aussie Grandma. Amazing grace. Psalm 23 literally speaks to all ages and generations, no matter what stage of life you are in. It's utterly beautiful and reassuring.
Thanks Libertarian. My wife and I go to Evangelical non-denominational church but with sermons that always point directly to Jesus. When I visit my Mom though, I enjoy Catholic Mass (as I was raised and she is very much a devotee). I enjoy the tradition of the Catholic Mass a lot, especially the hymns and rituals.
Sorry for your loss, GabeReal. Life can hit you hard sometimes. Yes, encourage you to take time to grieve your loss, it is so good for your mind and body, alike. My current season is watching my elderly Mom being diagnosed with cancer and it now spreading throughout her body. She lives several hours from me so every other weekend I'm trying to go spend time with her until the inevitable. We like to listen to 1874 Christian song 'It is Well with My Soul' which comes from 1 Kings 5:4. This hymn written by Horatio Spafford who lost his fortune to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and then later economic downturn of 1873.
Thanks for the sentiments Matt. Yes it’s been rough. I feel like I may have rushed through the grieving process, I needed to keep moving forward with my life and all the changes occurring, but the grief is still there (probably always will be) and I realize there are things I still need to process.
Like you, I have an aging mom, now in her 80’s, and it seems like she aged rapidly after my brothers passing. She’s still ok, but it’s now gonna be all on me to oversee her aging process and all that comes with it, as both my dad and only sibling are gone. It’s a heavy burden that I’m unprepared for. I was already kind of depressed before all this, and now it’s kicked in to overdrive. I’m currently searching for a good therapist…
I think we may be similar aged Gabe. My Mom is 80 this year. I lost my older brother when I was 19 and he 22. There isn’t a day that goes by I don’t think of him in some small way, and his death was 32 years ago. And like you, my Dad also passed already. That is tough for you to solo burden your Mom. I have 3 other siblings to lean on still. But I look to my younger brothers and think ‘who will be there for you’ when your time comes (they are childless). I went into depression when I found out news of my Mom. Like couldn’t eat much and best part of day was sleeping, kind of funk. Just scared of life without this person who meant and means so much. I went to the doctor for 1st time due to mental health and it was a really good decision. I received the help I needed and I’m stable again, still feeling all emotions but okay to operate. Yeah, talk it out if you can. It’s really the way to heal. We are meant to be in relationship, and take care of one another.
The phenomenon of Christians supporting the far left puzzles me. The woman who lectured from the pulpit at the National Cathedral is an example. Religion-based NGO’s facilitating illegal immigration. The Pope supporting the far left.
My SIL is a former Catholic nun. She is an enthusiastic supporter of Democrats and leftists, although she says she is not political. Why? Because she, and the “social teaching” doctrine she follows, believes that “government is a valued partner” in the effort to form a truly Christian society.
She doesn’t understand that leftism is a rival religion, and will have no use for Christianity as a “valued partner” if they gain the power they seek. Authoritarians of all stripes have always made suppressing religion a top priority. But she doesn’t see it. They are her friends, you see, working toward the same things she believes in.
I think it’s cognitive dissonance – they refuse to see it and acknowledge it. Look at Minnesota now. They now have the largest population of Somalians who refuse to assimilate – all brought in by the good intentions of the Christian churches.
We’re supposed to be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove. Unwise actions – regardless of intent - cause harm to too many people in their communities because they can’t see what they are doing as harmful, and in fact reward themselves for their good intentions and kindness.
I’m continually working to understand this phenomenon. I keep asking the Lord to wake those up and give them eyes to see, ears to hear, who truly seek the good.
I guess the Episcopalians own the property so they can say what they want there but why it is the NATIONAL Cathedral. That gives a once powerful but now dying religion way to much authority.
I suppose some of it is an ignorance of the history of every leftist group that has gained power, or else a fervent hope that somehow this group will be different.
The Anglicans and Episcopalians left Christianity decades ago. They now preach the high-WOKE religion.
In fact, this must have been common knowledge in the Washington, DC set of powerful people. So why did Trump's staff arrange the inauguration service at the National Cathedral? They must have known what would be preached.
Good question. I will note that the Americans and Africans who call themselves Anglicans are much more traditional than American Episcopalians and British Anglicans
Standard Canadian Anglicans (the few who are left) are thoroughly WOKE too. Christianity is gone from their churches.
But the National Cathedral and its staff are Americans. And most of the powerful types in Washington must have known what the National Cathedral is about. Trump's staff could not have been unaware of this.
Growing up, I was taught by an Order of Sisters who eventually "went bad" as I think of it...through subscribing to this "social teaching" ideology. Known as Liberation Theology.
Popular in South America. Pushed by the pseudo-Pope Francis. The Jesuits are often behind it.
These are the Useful Idiots of the Catholic Church. Though there is another stream of Catholics who want nothing to do with this nonsense and destructive ideology.
I have a close friend who's a former Catholic nun and one of the most conservative people I know. She has an amazing website called Mystagogy.com with lectures on the mysteries of the church.
I read this letter (link below) to the Catholic Church from Archbishop Vigaro (the so called renegade man of the cloth who is a champion in actual fact for Truth). I am not a Catholic though I was raised one until I walked out at age 15. I am now a Messianic Believer and have been for 45 years after a time in the “wilderness”.
What the Archbishop had to say is spot on for Catholics and heathens alike. Enjoy!
What you describe is how I came to believe God exists. Religious institutions I question but not the existence of God for the very reasons you describe.
Since its inception,Christianity manifests as counterculture. Christianity has always been inherently set apart from the way of the world, challenging societal norms and human nature itself. Jesus made this clear when He said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first,” highlighting the obvious tension between His semi-hobo followers and the prevailing culture. His teachings: calling for self-denial, love for enemies, a redefinition of power through servanthood, etc. directly opposed the values of the dominant cultures of His day.
C.S. Lewis echoed this idea, writing, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.” Christian orthopraxy requires a radical transformation that usually contradicts cultural trends, requiring believers to resist conformity and instead pursue truth, holiness, and sacrificial love. For those reason, I like to push back against expressions of state religion or Christian nationalism. But, I do love The Chosen.
Anyway…You’re more than welcome to the fray. It seems like you’ve already been doing the hard part😂
Amen. When someone tries to promise comfort, security, and success as the rewards of following Christ, beware. That certainly isn’t what Jesus promised.
I love this story about Sister Teresa of Avila: As she was praying to the Lord about a trial she was suffering, Jesus said to her, “This is how I treat all my friends.” To which she replied, “And this is why you have so few friends!”
I loved hearing John Voight's testimony about how he “heard” a voice beside him. I wish I could remember the exact details now, it was discussed on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News a couple of years ago.
He was down and out at the time, his career in the tank, divorced, drinking heavily and depressed. At one point he was crying and asking “why does it have to be so hard?”
He heard something that goes like this: “It’s meant to be difficult.” Or words to that effect.
He was flabbergasted. The next day he was dealing with “issues” and he turned on the radio and a song played that was a direct answer to what he was thinking. He knew then, God was real and was there for Him. God is in the tiny minuscule moments of our lives as well as the monumental ones. The difficulties are for our own good as is expounded in so many Epistles. Romans 8 is brilliant at painting the picture.
That’s true. I just think that most folks equate comfort and security with financial success.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword."
"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?"
Miss Sasha, you're on the right path. God will nudge you in the direction he wants you to go when he is ready for you to see it and understand. You may be approaching that time. This former atheist and Nietzschean will keep praying for you.
God Bless. Viva Cristo Rey.
+ In Nomine Patris, et Filli, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Perfect timing or divine timing? I’m feeling the call so profoundly & speak of the pendulum swing often. Society, like our body, craves homeostasis & when we swing to wildly one way, it’s only logical that there will be a pull in the opposite direction. Let’s hope this go ‘round, we find the sweet spot. 🙏
What a fascinating article, Sasha. We can define spiritual as something that cannot be examined in the laboratory, and that doesn't imply bad or good, Godly or atheistic. We all know there are such things: we can describe things physically by weight, color, mass, shape, etc., but qualities like loyalty, optimism, and joy don't fit physical descriptions. Yet, they are what matters when looking for a spouse, friend, or business partner.
As G.K Chesterton said, 'When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything.' The Left over the past decades clearly has had beliefs and saw those who didn't agree with them as heretics. Personally, I'm Jewish, yet I share values and meaningful conversation more easily with Christian friends of strong belief than with atheists of strong belief, even if they are ethnically Jewish.
Highly recommend reading & learning from Bible in a year. The foundational learning is necessary even if one doesn’t yet believe it as real or truth. I found this way of beginning to learn the Bible worked. it provided an organized way to learn. All that is needed is some time & discipline to devote to the project. Loved the Chosen as it brought Bible stories & characters to life. Obviously there is some dramatic license, but worthwhile nonetheless. Especially memorable is the scene of the woman who had a bleeding condition for years that made her an outcast. She struggled through the crowds to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe. ReTold in Matthew, Mark & Luke. It’s hard to find a more touching scene in film.
I'm doing his Catechism in a Year right now and love it as well as him. He brings even a book like that to life. I plan on doing the bible next year. I can only take so much podcasting in a day :-)
I just wrote and self-published one called Sibyl Rights: How a Lefty, New Age, Hollywood Party Girl Quit Drinking, Found God, and Left the Democrat Party. Lots of crazy stories!
Wow. I bet this past year of watching people like Nicole Shanahan and Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr testify to their faith has been fun for you. It certainly has been for me!
Absolutely. God is so clearly making Himself known. I have been praying for years that the truth (about all things political and social) would be revealed. And it's all coming out, much to the dismay of the Left.
The enemy will be working overtime to destroy, block, hinder this. We have to stay vigilant and practice courage to shine the light and expose the lies. Jesus said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Light.” And He is.
Amen to that. Sasha is the finest blogger on Substack and the unfolding of her journey is like a 21st century “The Pilgrims Progress.” I am absolutely fascinated by her story and it deserves a much wider audience.
“In reading Chesterton, as in reading MacDonald, I did not know what I was letting myself in for. A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading. There are traps everywhere — "Bibles laid open, millions of surprises," as Herbert says, "fine nets and stratagems." God is, if I may say it, very unscrupulous.”
C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
A fairly normal man stumbles into Fairyland, where his travels acquaint him with longing, fear, strife, endurance, exaltation, humiliation, and grief, in exaggerated form, before disappointment leads him back to the mundane world. Yes, fairies are real, although not even in Fairyland does everyone believe in them. They are quite as real as flowers, equally fragile too—and equally alien to man. And yet, the visitor to their world sheds tears for the affairs of this life, reflected in vivid color in every aspect of that alternative universe. The path through enchantment passes by extravagant beauty under very dark skies.
Enjoy...You're never to old for Fairy stories! Keeps you in touch with your inner 6 year old!
“Christianity, specifically, but traditional religion in general, is fast becoming a unifying force and direct opposition to what the Left offers,”
Simone Weil is my favorite Western mystic. Ethnically Jewish but a Christian mystic who also admired the Eastern religions and believed they also led to God.
“We know that if missionaries destroy the myth of a people, they destroy them. They degenerate. They are lost. And no civilization can live only from welfare. It needs a myth to live. Great civilizations, when they were flourishing had a living myth. And I think that the myth on which we have lived, has degenerated.” Marie-Louise Von Franz. Carl Jung’s closest collaborator.
“Logic is not all. One needs heart to follow an idea. If people are going back to religion what are they going back to? Is the modern church a place to give comfort to a man who disbelieves in God? How can we draw inspiration to support these two pillars, science and religion, of Western Civilization so that they may stand together in full vigor, mutually unafraid. Is this not the central problem of our time?” Richard Feynman. Physicist
Saint Hildegard of Bingen is my favorite saint; Hildegard von Bingen, c. 1098 – 17 September 1179), also known as the Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German Benedictine abbess and polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, and as a medical writer and practitioner during the High Middle Ages.
Simone shared her understanding of the self-emptying God. In that self-emptying disposition God discovers and experiences humanity’s griefs and trials and thus identifies more fully with those He has created. Psalms tell us that He keeps in mind that we are dust, He understands our fragilities and does not condemn us for them. Judge us, yes, but righteously so for our inevitable salvation.
Understanding that God has self-emptied INTO His creation, we then see that God is “embedded” as it were, into everything as the Hindus teach, though I don’t go along with their pantheon of gods which they see as expressions of Him because they also only believe in one God.
As a Messianic, I see God completely at One (the Shema ie) with ALL of His creation.
God cannot divorce Himself from His creation as He is incarnated into His creation as understood more fully within the context of the personage of Yeshua HaMashiach (Christ Jesus). God’s ultimate plan is to create children. The Apostle Yochanan (John) said it in 1st John 3:1-3:
“Now are we the sons of God and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is.”
Eventually, according to Scripture, and not the churches who have distorted this picture for personal monetary gain following on from Rome’s original dictates, ALL will be saved into glory that is Yeshua HaMashiach. Yeshua is not a failure. He didn’t come to save some, but the entire world - John 3:16 and the wonderful verse those of the cloth like to expound always leave out the next verse (look it up). This is how and why we are commissioned to love not hate because God has a plan for all, not endless punishment otherwise He is a liar and a failure, which He most definitely is not.
Another Catholic saint Therese Little Flower (whom I love) said that it was not impossible for God to save the most heinous of sinners. Because He is the author of repentance and He grants it where He will. Father God YeHoVaH is loving, righteous, glorious, benevolent, even though He “chastises those whom He loves”.
John Adams said the Constitution was made for moral and religious people because morality is needed for our government to work. I think he had a point,not that we have to be regular attendees at houses of worship but that a free people need to be virtuous.
I agree that a free people need to be virtuous. Although I think you meant virtue in the Judeo-Christian sense. Which is fine by me.
It is just that the WOKE produced out of thin air their own definitions of virtue. Which led to all sorts of trouble.
Yes, we went from "virtue" to virtue signaling... Not good...
...and as Rush used to say, they're all about 'symbolism over substance'. Fake, that is.
The Left placed a false idol (themselves as god) before and in place of the One True God. Ancient Israel also learned this tragic lesson.
While I agree with that sentiment, would you say John Adams was good when he signed the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798? The ink was barely dry on the Bill of Rights (1791) when the Adams administration began locking up publishers promoting “democratic republicans” who supported Thomas Jefferson during the election of 1800.
That said, actions always speak louder than words. God gave us the 10 Commandments and Jesus’s two most important commandments (Love God, Love Others as we Love Ourselves) and if we follow those guides, we find our actions will be good.
I have no knowledge of that Act, but something most Americans are not aware of was the mandatory mass deportation out of the American Colonies post-1776, applied to persons still supporting the British Crown. They had to sacrifice their land, and most moved into British North America, which became Canada by 1867.
These were the United Empire Loyalists, whose descendants then populated large swathes of Ontario and the Maritimes.
Just to be upfront here, I have many United Empire Loyalists in my family tree.
I think it is crass for Canadians right now to be led into Anti-Americanism or Americans to be led into anti-Canadianism. Someone is pulling peoples' strings there.
Trudeau has been moving us toward anti-Canadianism for way too long now.
Don't you suspect that your thoughts are being steered on this issue? Americans rarely even thought of Canada until recently. And most Canadians were OK with that; we lived a good life here. Until the Troodo years, we preferred what we had in Canada.
And now this Anti-Americanism/Anti-Canadianism is breaking out? Because the media is pushing it. People on both sides of the border are suddenly being mind-controlled. What is that all about? What is the end goal of this?
WAKE UP!
Getting rid of Troodo is what we want. We were fine until he came in and the trucker thing set us off and his Trans crap.
I agree with you in general for sure.
The media is pushing it? How about Trump? Trump: “I think Canada would be much better off being the 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada. And I’m not going to let that happen,” he said. “Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially a subsidy to Canada?” And 'Canada is “not viable as a country” without U.S. trade, and warned that the founding NATO member can no longer depend on the U.S. for military protection." [Sure, we really want China invading Canada and continuing south into the US].
Canadians recognize that what Trump really wants is to take Canada's resources. They same thing he wants from Greenland..
But there are many Canadians who are desperate to rid themselves of Troodo and his party. He does not represent the majority in Canada, and never has.
Don't blame the average Canadian for what Troodo is. He has only a minority govt., propped up by another political traitor who offers him coalition with the leftwing NDP party.
I don't blame the average American for what Biden was.
You shouldn’t blame the “average person” for Biden or Troodo. You should blame leftist loonies, liberals, and freaks.
Anyone who has allegiances to another country before the US should not be a citizen and surely must not be allowed to settle here.
I don't think you understand the United Empire Loyalist issue. Some of these families arrived with the Puritans by 1620s in Massachusetts. They were the original Americans. Under British rule.
My family arrived in 1650. Then they bought Block Island, RI along the way. Post 1776, they sided with the British Crown still. So they had to sacrifice their land (it was taken) and moved north to what is now Canada. No quibbles.
Historians have estimated that during the American Revolution, between 15 and 20 percent of the white population of the colonies, or about 500,000 people, were Loyalists. Including many who were descended from the original American colonists of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Those family lines continued in what is now Canada, instead.
The majority of Anglo Canadians are descended from at least one family line that began with the original Americans; we are the same people in that sense. You might say we are even more American in pedigree than many Americans who arrived much later to the USA.
Ontario and the Canadian Maritimes were largely descended from these Loyalists and from Scottish Highland/Irish immigrants, until mass immigration from the third world began in the 1970s.
I should have added a piece about The New England Planters, who were involved in the first significant migration by American colonists out of those colonies and into British North America, or what is now eastern Canada.
They were settlers from the New England colonies who responded to invitations in 1759 by the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia to settle lands left vacant by the Acadian Expulsion.
The NE Planters arrived in what is now the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, particularly the Grand Pré area previously held by the French.
Approximately 80,000 New England Planters left the American colonies between 1759 and 1768 in order to settle in Maritime Canada.
Would I say John Adams was good? Hmmm. I would say that John Adams thought he was protecting something and like many human beings, he got it very wrong in execution with the A&S Acts. Adams was a believer, perhaps not in the evangelical sense we have today, but in that solid, a-mighty-fortress-is-our-God Lutherian seat. From what I have read, I do think he was good; he also knew he was proud and thus prone to error. I also kind of wonder if being president was way over his head; when we get in such a position, we tend to make terrible mistakes. He was brilliant and mercurial and abrasive, but he was anointed to be a part of the Constitutional Convention. He also passed on to his son, John Quincy, the knowledge that the providential God abhorred slavery and JQ's stance against it, acting in Congress after his presidential term, was simply thrilling in its methodical resolve (see *Arguing About Slavery* by William Lee Miller). Both Adams left a profound legacy. (And Abigail had her wisdom to offer as well.)
Adam’s was difficult for people to like without his better half, Abigail. The French greatly disliked him as he disapproved of their dissolute lifestyle, and Abigail was not with him to soften the edges.
Perfectly stated.
Yes, the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 were the biggest blots on John Adams' otherwise pretty righteous career. But he does deserve credit for keeping "The Quasi-War" of 1798-1800 with France from becoming a full-fledged conflict, as many Jeffersonians were urging.
Exactly. Maybe the Declaration could have explicitly referred to the pursuit of virtue as equally important as the pursuit of happiness?
The authors of the Declaration believed implicitly that the pursuit of happiness was connected to the pursuit of virtue, i.e., a "happy" (successful) life was a virtuous life. It is us moderns who have forgotten that basic truth.
Without God, who decides what is virtuous? Each person? Like when someone says "my truth" is what is important as if they have discovered right and wrong based on their own thoughts. That is scary.
I think Adams regarded Jefferson as not "moral and religious".
He was widely regarded as an atheist, but this is a Federalist slander. He believed that the Universe had been created by a Creator, just not the details - and the Creator established certain physical laws, which were followed - and excluded miracles... but he did not know that the set of physical laws was incomplete - and which no one did until Einstein came along with the idea of quantization of energy levels... and quantum mechanics is still not complete.
I think a good number of the founders were Deists. The First Great Awakening had occurred in the generation before most of the founders, Franklin excepted. There was distancing away from religion in the founders youth. My understanding was that the extraordinary things that occurred during the Revolution, the Divine Providence, convinced a fair number that God was active in the world and doing miracles.
But Jefferson did love Christ. He took all the words of Christ out of the Bible to make his own Bible. Whether he believed him to be the savior/ransom for mankind, I don't know (also wanted to do more reading about him).
I have a copy of The Jefferson Bible, he cut all the miracles out, it is believed that he thought Jesus was only a wise philosopher.
No, he did not. He made a point of taking out everything that was supernatural. He regarded Jesus as a great moral philosopher, but nothing more. I think Jefferson was wrong about that. It seems to me that Kant's Categorical Imperative, more or less "You are not a privileged character", is better. Otherwise, there is a danger of getting into "soft love", which can easily do more harm than good in the long run, rather than "tough love".
I have long (at least 50 years) been aware that Jefferson was a Deist. But that was not good enough for Adams. Their main point of dispute, according to my understanding, was whether there is a soul that survives the death of the body.
Ha! True.
If you need a pedophilic cult to teach you how to be moral, you were never moral in the first place.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Moreover, He has set eternity in their heart” - Ecclesiastes 3:11 TLV
I believe it was Augustine who said the soul is restless until it finds its rest in God. When I turned ten, I asked myself, “What’s the point?” And I heard very clearly, “God.”
“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ‘you will find rest for your souls.’ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30 TLV 💞🙏🏻
I am 76 years old and in 1981, (at the age of 33), I was given a personal Revelation of the Deity of Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God. I was stunned to learn God had become Flesh. In the Spring of 1981, I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior and 44 years later it is the best thing that has happened to me.
Same here, and you can never go back after that, you can never 'not see' God's work, or God at work, in our lives.
Sasha, there is a site called the Bible Project that might interest you. Based in Portland, OR, they have cliff note artwork videos for of each book of the Bible (overviews), plus a lot of other content.
https://bibleproject.com/
https://youtu.be/WQA6fbSoq-g?si=2CcOSlkJsCP_HB2Z
So beautiful 💞🙌🏻🙏🏻
https://youtu.be/rc5wtRjgaI8?si=YLf0vGEmW3R_GTRD
Perfectly said
I stumbled upon an ad for the Hallow app last February & thought I’d give it a try. I participated in last year’s Lent program & found it to be comforting & thought provoking. Little did I know that I would rely on it daily to help me cope with the grief associated with the sudden death of my husband in April. The app has been a try comfort to me when I’m feeling particularly overwhelmed & anxious. I pray you find the same.
I am sorry for your loss. May the Lord bless and keep you.
And make his face shine upon thee.
He goes before us to provide and prepare us for such trials. Bless our Lord, who knows what we will need before we do. Thank you for sharing your experience.
In my church this year, each parishioner has been encouraged to start each and every day by reading Psalm 23. We each received a printed card to place on the bed stand:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Matt, I have a story for you.
Many years ago my husband’s father was electrocuted while in the jib (not sure now what that’s called?) of a crane. As the crane driver swung the thing around, the “jib” connected with power lines and whammo! His Dad was flung into the air and down. He landed on his back and his small tobacco tin literally imbedded into his backside. He was blackened all over, but survived, and as he was coming out of a coma the nurses and doctors heard him muttering to himself, so they put their ear to his mouth and listened intently to hear what he was saying.
It was Psalm 23.
He went on to live a few more decades, but, an interesting note, his wrist watch never needed winding and when he died, it also died. Just like the old song about the grandfather clock.
When I heard this story, I immediately learned off by heart that wonderful Psalm. It never fails to create peace, assurance and trust in the One above.
Thanks for sharing this, Aussie Grandma. Amazing grace. Psalm 23 literally speaks to all ages and generations, no matter what stage of life you are in. It's utterly beautiful and reassuring.
Excellent story, Aussie. Thanks for sharing it.
Nice parish, Matt.
Thanks Libertarian. My wife and I go to Evangelical non-denominational church but with sermons that always point directly to Jesus. When I visit my Mom though, I enjoy Catholic Mass (as I was raised and she is very much a devotee). I enjoy the tradition of the Catholic Mass a lot, especially the hymns and rituals.
My brother passed last October, and I’ve been feeling that I may not have finished the grieving process. Maybe I’ll give the app a try…
Sorry for your loss, GabeReal. Life can hit you hard sometimes. Yes, encourage you to take time to grieve your loss, it is so good for your mind and body, alike. My current season is watching my elderly Mom being diagnosed with cancer and it now spreading throughout her body. She lives several hours from me so every other weekend I'm trying to go spend time with her until the inevitable. We like to listen to 1874 Christian song 'It is Well with My Soul' which comes from 1 Kings 5:4. This hymn written by Horatio Spafford who lost his fortune to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and then later economic downturn of 1873.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY5o9mP22V0
Thanks for the sentiments Matt. Yes it’s been rough. I feel like I may have rushed through the grieving process, I needed to keep moving forward with my life and all the changes occurring, but the grief is still there (probably always will be) and I realize there are things I still need to process.
Like you, I have an aging mom, now in her 80’s, and it seems like she aged rapidly after my brothers passing. She’s still ok, but it’s now gonna be all on me to oversee her aging process and all that comes with it, as both my dad and only sibling are gone. It’s a heavy burden that I’m unprepared for. I was already kind of depressed before all this, and now it’s kicked in to overdrive. I’m currently searching for a good therapist…
I think we may be similar aged Gabe. My Mom is 80 this year. I lost my older brother when I was 19 and he 22. There isn’t a day that goes by I don’t think of him in some small way, and his death was 32 years ago. And like you, my Dad also passed already. That is tough for you to solo burden your Mom. I have 3 other siblings to lean on still. But I look to my younger brothers and think ‘who will be there for you’ when your time comes (they are childless). I went into depression when I found out news of my Mom. Like couldn’t eat much and best part of day was sleeping, kind of funk. Just scared of life without this person who meant and means so much. I went to the doctor for 1st time due to mental health and it was a really good decision. I received the help I needed and I’m stable again, still feeling all emotions but okay to operate. Yeah, talk it out if you can. It’s really the way to heal. We are meant to be in relationship, and take care of one another.
Sorry, Gabe. Said a prayer just now for both of you.
The phenomenon of Christians supporting the far left puzzles me. The woman who lectured from the pulpit at the National Cathedral is an example. Religion-based NGO’s facilitating illegal immigration. The Pope supporting the far left.
My SIL is a former Catholic nun. She is an enthusiastic supporter of Democrats and leftists, although she says she is not political. Why? Because she, and the “social teaching” doctrine she follows, believes that “government is a valued partner” in the effort to form a truly Christian society.
She doesn’t understand that leftism is a rival religion, and will have no use for Christianity as a “valued partner” if they gain the power they seek. Authoritarians of all stripes have always made suppressing religion a top priority. But she doesn’t see it. They are her friends, you see, working toward the same things she believes in.
I think it’s cognitive dissonance – they refuse to see it and acknowledge it. Look at Minnesota now. They now have the largest population of Somalians who refuse to assimilate – all brought in by the good intentions of the Christian churches.
We’re supposed to be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove. Unwise actions – regardless of intent - cause harm to too many people in their communities because they can’t see what they are doing as harmful, and in fact reward themselves for their good intentions and kindness.
I’m continually working to understand this phenomenon. I keep asking the Lord to wake those up and give them eyes to see, ears to hear, who truly seek the good.
That woman is a strident political activist, wearing the cloth....
I guess the Episcopalians own the property so they can say what they want there but why it is the NATIONAL Cathedral. That gives a once powerful but now dying religion way to much authority.
I suppose some of it is an ignorance of the history of every leftist group that has gained power, or else a fervent hope that somehow this group will be different.
The Anglicans and Episcopalians left Christianity decades ago. They now preach the high-WOKE religion.
In fact, this must have been common knowledge in the Washington, DC set of powerful people. So why did Trump's staff arrange the inauguration service at the National Cathedral? They must have known what would be preached.
Good question. I will note that the Americans and Africans who call themselves Anglicans are much more traditional than American Episcopalians and British Anglicans
Standard Canadian Anglicans (the few who are left) are thoroughly WOKE too. Christianity is gone from their churches.
But the National Cathedral and its staff are Americans. And most of the powerful types in Washington must have known what the National Cathedral is about. Trump's staff could not have been unaware of this.
Growing up, I was taught by an Order of Sisters who eventually "went bad" as I think of it...through subscribing to this "social teaching" ideology. Known as Liberation Theology.
Popular in South America. Pushed by the pseudo-Pope Francis. The Jesuits are often behind it.
These are the Useful Idiots of the Catholic Church. Though there is another stream of Catholics who want nothing to do with this nonsense and destructive ideology.
Former Prime Minister of Canada decades ago - Pierre Troodo - called himself Catholic and Communist, both.
He had an intensely cozy relationship with the Jesuits...and only the Jesuits. No one else in the Church.
Connect the dots.
I was taught by Sisters of Mercy and Jesuits. Overall it was a very good education.
I have a close friend who's a former Catholic nun and one of the most conservative people I know. She has an amazing website called Mystagogy.com with lectures on the mysteries of the church.
HeyJude, not all Catholics are “equal” it seems.
I read this letter (link below) to the Catholic Church from Archbishop Vigaro (the so called renegade man of the cloth who is a champion in actual fact for Truth). I am not a Catholic though I was raised one until I walked out at age 15. I am now a Messianic Believer and have been for 45 years after a time in the “wilderness”.
What the Archbishop had to say is spot on for Catholics and heathens alike. Enjoy!
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/archbishop-vigano-letter-american-catholics/
Religion is simple. Walk outside. Look around. Smell the air. Touch a tree. Watch the ants. The squirrels. Ponder oxygen. Time.
Now tell me this is all one big accident
What you describe is how I came to believe God exists. Religious institutions I question but not the existence of God for the very reasons you describe.
Randomness could never have created this world of nature. Far too complex, with patterns everywhere. Had to be an intelligent creator behind that.
Completely agree.
Nice to see you again, Libertarian.
That creator also gave us the intelligence to find the truth if we take the time and effort to reflect on the world around us.
Yes, I’ve never been religious, but that is how I’ve accessed my spirituality and connection to source, not in a church.
I was repulsed by church as a child. So I went out and found God where he really is. I am nature's greatest admirer
Indeed. Also I love how Science is at a complete loss to explain how the universe was created from Absolute Nothingness. Lol.
As R.C. Sproul wrote: Not a chance!
Since its inception,Christianity manifests as counterculture. Christianity has always been inherently set apart from the way of the world, challenging societal norms and human nature itself. Jesus made this clear when He said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first,” highlighting the obvious tension between His semi-hobo followers and the prevailing culture. His teachings: calling for self-denial, love for enemies, a redefinition of power through servanthood, etc. directly opposed the values of the dominant cultures of His day.
C.S. Lewis echoed this idea, writing, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.” Christian orthopraxy requires a radical transformation that usually contradicts cultural trends, requiring believers to resist conformity and instead pursue truth, holiness, and sacrificial love. For those reason, I like to push back against expressions of state religion or Christian nationalism. But, I do love The Chosen.
Anyway…You’re more than welcome to the fray. It seems like you’ve already been doing the hard part😂
Amen. When someone tries to promise comfort, security, and success as the rewards of following Christ, beware. That certainly isn’t what Jesus promised.
I love this story about Sister Teresa of Avila: As she was praying to the Lord about a trial she was suffering, Jesus said to her, “This is how I treat all my friends.” To which she replied, “And this is why you have so few friends!”
I loved hearing John Voight's testimony about how he “heard” a voice beside him. I wish I could remember the exact details now, it was discussed on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News a couple of years ago.
He was down and out at the time, his career in the tank, divorced, drinking heavily and depressed. At one point he was crying and asking “why does it have to be so hard?”
He heard something that goes like this: “It’s meant to be difficult.” Or words to that effect.
He was flabbergasted. The next day he was dealing with “issues” and he turned on the radio and a song played that was a direct answer to what he was thinking. He knew then, God was real and was there for Him. God is in the tiny minuscule moments of our lives as well as the monumental ones. The difficulties are for our own good as is expounded in so many Epistles. Romans 8 is brilliant at painting the picture.
Love that story. Thank you.
Comfort and Security is definitely offered by Jesus. IMO. Not success. And the security is that of knowing one is looked after.
That’s true. I just think that most folks equate comfort and security with financial success.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword."
"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?"
In that way, and you are right many think of security as a good pension, then yes. But real security only comes from above.
Wow and Amen. I’d never read that before. Beautiful and haunting.
Miss Sasha, you're on the right path. God will nudge you in the direction he wants you to go when he is ready for you to see it and understand. You may be approaching that time. This former atheist and Nietzschean will keep praying for you.
God Bless. Viva Cristo Rey.
+ In Nomine Patris, et Filli, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
I give Trump much credit for this shift. He has mentioned God and Almighty God more than any previous President.
Perfect timing or divine timing? I’m feeling the call so profoundly & speak of the pendulum swing often. Society, like our body, craves homeostasis & when we swing to wildly one way, it’s only logical that there will be a pull in the opposite direction. Let’s hope this go ‘round, we find the sweet spot. 🙏
I have been telling people about the Golden Mean throughout my adult life. Mostly, they do not get it.
We live on spectrums. We must seek balance within them.
What a fascinating article, Sasha. We can define spiritual as something that cannot be examined in the laboratory, and that doesn't imply bad or good, Godly or atheistic. We all know there are such things: we can describe things physically by weight, color, mass, shape, etc., but qualities like loyalty, optimism, and joy don't fit physical descriptions. Yet, they are what matters when looking for a spouse, friend, or business partner.
As G.K Chesterton said, 'When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything.' The Left over the past decades clearly has had beliefs and saw those who didn't agree with them as heretics. Personally, I'm Jewish, yet I share values and meaningful conversation more easily with Christian friends of strong belief than with atheists of strong belief, even if they are ethnically Jewish.
God bless you. I also recommend Father Mike Schmitz (The Bible in a Year Podcast).
Amen sista.
You GO SashaStone!
Highly recommend reading & learning from Bible in a year. The foundational learning is necessary even if one doesn’t yet believe it as real or truth. I found this way of beginning to learn the Bible worked. it provided an organized way to learn. All that is needed is some time & discipline to devote to the project. Loved the Chosen as it brought Bible stories & characters to life. Obviously there is some dramatic license, but worthwhile nonetheless. Especially memorable is the scene of the woman who had a bleeding condition for years that made her an outcast. She struggled through the crowds to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe. ReTold in Matthew, Mark & Luke. It’s hard to find a more touching scene in film.
I'm doing his Catechism in a Year right now and love it as well as him. He brings even a book like that to life. I plan on doing the bible next year. I can only take so much podcasting in a day :-)
Love your profile pic of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Child. And yes the Rosary is also a nice way to reflect.
I SWEAR TO GOD if you're not beginning to write a memoir I'm gonna be sooo disappointed in you.
Get to work. I can help you self publish and market it. (I kinda have a clue how to do that! :D )
I just wrote and self-published one called Sibyl Rights: How a Lefty, New Age, Hollywood Party Girl Quit Drinking, Found God, and Left the Democrat Party. Lots of crazy stories!
Wow. I bet this past year of watching people like Nicole Shanahan and Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr testify to their faith has been fun for you. It certainly has been for me!
Absolutely. God is so clearly making Himself known. I have been praying for years that the truth (about all things political and social) would be revealed. And it's all coming out, much to the dismay of the Left.
The enemy will be working overtime to destroy, block, hinder this. We have to stay vigilant and practice courage to shine the light and expose the lies. Jesus said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Light.” And He is.
And as my pastor says, "Do not return evil for evil."
No ebook version?
I've been meaning to do that! For now it's $12 on Amazon. But thanks for reminding me to adapt it to an ebook.
Amen to that. Sasha is the finest blogger on Substack and the unfolding of her journey is like a 21st century “The Pilgrims Progress.” I am absolutely fascinated by her story and it deserves a much wider audience.
I hope you're right about that shift!
I love the Hallow app
I started it 13 months ago when my 34 year old son in law died from suicide
The prayers saved me
Sr Miriam James has been especially helpful
I honestly don’t know how anyone without faith can survive some of life’s tremendous tragedies
God’s Grace is more comforting than anything
Sasha Be Careful
“In reading Chesterton, as in reading MacDonald, I did not know what I was letting myself in for. A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading. There are traps everywhere — "Bibles laid open, millions of surprises," as Herbert says, "fine nets and stratagems." God is, if I may say it, very unscrupulous.”
C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
:-)
I’ve read all the GMD novels and short stories at least once, and I’m rereading Chesterton’s “The Flying Inn” right now!
Phantastes A Faerie Romance for Men and Women by George MacDonald Audiobook
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEPw1R6pseY&t=1102s
Mar 17, 2023
A fairly normal man stumbles into Fairyland, where his travels acquaint him with longing, fear, strife, endurance, exaltation, humiliation, and grief, in exaggerated form, before disappointment leads him back to the mundane world. Yes, fairies are real, although not even in Fairyland does everyone believe in them. They are quite as real as flowers, equally fragile too—and equally alien to man. And yet, the visitor to their world sheds tears for the affairs of this life, reflected in vivid color in every aspect of that alternative universe. The path through enchantment passes by extravagant beauty under very dark skies.
Enjoy...You're never to old for Fairy stories! Keeps you in touch with your inner 6 year old!
“Christianity, specifically, but traditional religion in general, is fast becoming a unifying force and direct opposition to what the Left offers,”
Simone Weil is my favorite Western mystic. Ethnically Jewish but a Christian mystic who also admired the Eastern religions and believed they also led to God.
“The Living Philosophy of Simone Weil.” (13 min)
The Living Philosophy. Jun 20, 2021
https://youtu.be/9-8uvrcPkTk?si=pSjZHnG7tvRjZQft
“We know that if missionaries destroy the myth of a people, they destroy them. They degenerate. They are lost. And no civilization can live only from welfare. It needs a myth to live. Great civilizations, when they were flourishing had a living myth. And I think that the myth on which we have lived, has degenerated.” Marie-Louise Von Franz. Carl Jung’s closest collaborator.
“Logic is not all. One needs heart to follow an idea. If people are going back to religion what are they going back to? Is the modern church a place to give comfort to a man who disbelieves in God? How can we draw inspiration to support these two pillars, science and religion, of Western Civilization so that they may stand together in full vigor, mutually unafraid. Is this not the central problem of our time?” Richard Feynman. Physicist
Saint Hildegard of Bingen is my favorite saint; Hildegard von Bingen, c. 1098 – 17 September 1179), also known as the Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German Benedictine abbess and polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, and as a medical writer and practitioner during the High Middle Ages.
Fascinating people.
Simone shared her understanding of the self-emptying God. In that self-emptying disposition God discovers and experiences humanity’s griefs and trials and thus identifies more fully with those He has created. Psalms tell us that He keeps in mind that we are dust, He understands our fragilities and does not condemn us for them. Judge us, yes, but righteously so for our inevitable salvation.
Understanding that God has self-emptied INTO His creation, we then see that God is “embedded” as it were, into everything as the Hindus teach, though I don’t go along with their pantheon of gods which they see as expressions of Him because they also only believe in one God.
As a Messianic, I see God completely at One (the Shema ie) with ALL of His creation.
God cannot divorce Himself from His creation as He is incarnated into His creation as understood more fully within the context of the personage of Yeshua HaMashiach (Christ Jesus). God’s ultimate plan is to create children. The Apostle Yochanan (John) said it in 1st John 3:1-3:
“Now are we the sons of God and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is.”
Eventually, according to Scripture, and not the churches who have distorted this picture for personal monetary gain following on from Rome’s original dictates, ALL will be saved into glory that is Yeshua HaMashiach. Yeshua is not a failure. He didn’t come to save some, but the entire world - John 3:16 and the wonderful verse those of the cloth like to expound always leave out the next verse (look it up). This is how and why we are commissioned to love not hate because God has a plan for all, not endless punishment otherwise He is a liar and a failure, which He most definitely is not.
Another Catholic saint Therese Little Flower (whom I love) said that it was not impossible for God to save the most heinous of sinners. Because He is the author of repentance and He grants it where He will. Father God YeHoVaH is loving, righteous, glorious, benevolent, even though He “chastises those whom He loves”.
Well, I don’t know about you, but sign me up!