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Monday, July 6, 2015

Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth



Matthew 8:12 “But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The Supreme Court ruling apparently has Christians living as exiles in their own country, this according to Rod Dreher:

…orthodox Christians must understand that things are going to get much more difficult for us. We are going to have to learn how to live as exiles in our own country.

You might think that the verse I cite above is in reference to these exiled Christians in the United States.  You would be wrong.  I mean it as literally as Jesus meant it; this might help:

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Back to Dreher:

No, the sky is not falling — not yet, anyway — but with the Supreme Court ruling constitutionalizing same-sex marriage, the ground under our feet has shifted tectonically.

Dreher is right – the sky isn’t falling; it fell, long ago.  Nothing has shifted tectonically with this decision. 

It was American Christians that led the charge to public funding of education.  Millions of American Christians continue to send their children to public schools today.  The state will educate your children – how did that work out?

It is American Christians who demand that their Christian private schools meet all standards of government curriculum.

American Christians support the military and wars; the killing of countless millions of non-combatants – people who never presented a threat – does not cause a flinch.  On every holiday, they turn their house of worship into a house of warship.

American Christians support the brutality of the State of Israel.

American Christians support torture.

American Christians leave benevolent good works to the state.

American Christians support the drug wars, turning individuals who – at worst – have an unhealthy habit or addiction into hardened criminals.

American Christians look to salvation by the state:

Voting Republican and other failed culture war strategies are not going to save us now.

Now?  NOW?

How stupid do you have to be, American Christian, to have ever believed in salvation by state?  For by State are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of the Republican Party.

Name one example of when voting Republican “saved” you.  You have served yourself up on a silver platter.  Now you are being skinned.

Dreher’s solution?

It is time for what I call the Benedict Option….Throughout the early Middle Ages, Benedict’s communities formed monasteries, and kept the light of faith burning through the surrounding cultural darkness. Eventually, the Benedictine monks helped refound civilization.

This takes courage; it takes dedication.  The cost will be high.

American Christians couldn’t stand tall when the cost was minimal; why will they do so now?

11 comments:

  1. Damn Yankees!! Although many Southern Christians won't get the reference.

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  2. What about the salvation state verses in chapter 13 of Jerome’s epistle from Theodosius? Shouldn’t that monstrosity be dissected again? It confounds authority with power by using “authorities” as a synonym for rulers, and it directs the reader to the interpretation that even a casual reading leads to: Let everyone shut up and be subject to the rulers, e.g. Theodosius, his sons, and their respective crews of gangsters. Yes, shut up and pay your taxes, “for the authorities are God’s servants”.

    Recall that Theodosius came to power ca. 379, and in 382 the pope, Damasus I, commissioned a revision of what Wikipedia calls the Vetus Latina collection of texts. Well, perhaps Romans 13:1-7 was already part of Vetus Latina, but no Christian should find that flattering. And perhaps I attribute too much influence to Theodosius. Maybe the source text is ok, but it’s only the translations which are defective and toxic. Still, this would not flatter Christianty very much.

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  3. "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven"

    Try telling that to the American Christians who make a fetish of Ephesians 2:8-9. My experience with them is that most are fools with horribly polluted heads, and that many of the rest are well on the road to atheism. So I rarely bother to throw some pearls such as James 2:14, 17, 20, 22, 24, and 26, or, say, Eph. 2:10. It’s just not worth the effort, esp. with people who like “I heard and old, old story…”.

    Of course, maybe most of the alleged Christians aren't Christians at all but only members of a pseudochristian sect of useful goyim theists, i.e. a sect of foreigners who will help the IDF and the Israeli economy and who will have their sacrifices accepted at the temple, in the event that animal sacrifice is restored. (See Isaiah, the 50s I think, concerning accepting sacrifies of foreigners.) Whatever the case, a knowledgable welfare statist would understand the importance of James 2 and Eph 2:10 to Christianity. The welfare statist knows also how exhausting the works could become if it were insisted that faith is alive when, and only when, works are being performed. After all, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." But at every moment of the working day, one is truly doing “works”, for taxes are being siphoned off continually and directed toward this or that needy person. Problem solved. Theodosius and Damasus would be proud.

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    Replies
    1. Your most recent post will not make it through my personal spam filter.

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    2. well said bro!!

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  4. American Christians prostrate themselves to Romans 13 instead of embracing the true meaning of the Tribute Episode. For that, may God have mercy on their souls.

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  5. The true established church in America is the Government Religion:
    http://strike-the-root.com/apostate-from-government-religion

    Yeah, I don't have much use for Christians these days. Maybe they would have been better off to mind their own business, rather than employing government to repress those they don't like. The chickens have come home to roost.

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  6. Wow, Jonathan, you had me going. I thought that the preceding was written by Laurence Vance until I saw your name at the end of it over at LRC.

    It would have done Mr. Vance proud.

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  7. No where in the Holy Bible does it authorize or legitimize "monastic" lifestyles . That would go against the parable of hiding the Light of Jesus Christ . Second , roman papism and idol worship of the so called "orthodox" churches is evil . Goes against the clear commandments of keeping thyself from idols .
    3rd Infant sprinkling is contrary the Holy Sciptures .
    Whereas though I totally agree with most of the article .

    As long as governments reward evil and punish the good , they are under Divine judgement and resistance to tyranny is OBEDIENCE to the Almighty

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  8. Ouch!!!!!! that hurt"American Christians couldn’t stand tall when the cost was minimal; why will they do so now?"

    Can I use this at my church tomorrow?

    ooops too late, my church (mormons) already made conciliatory
    olive branch to LGBT.

    Nobody has any ass in there britches!!!
    Why doesn't some one say "I have two words for you, and it's not

    Merry Christmas!

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