Behind the Scenes, Fires of November, a Few Squibs, and More Pictures Than Usual

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Behind the Scenes

Some of the forces of diversity, as per their usual routine, spitting on the doors of our church office . . .

Consider this as something of an inaugural round-up of sorts.

So this last October, we here in Moscow had a little bit more excitement in the build up to November, more than other years at any rate. It turns out that our local intoleristas were far more wound up about our annual event than we knew, and so one false report that went off in their midst resulted in all eleven of their players lurching off sides.

It appears to have come about in this way. A week ago last Saturday there was an unfortunate accident that resulted in a shop south of town burning down, and a young man in our congregation was seriously burned. Nancy and I heard about that accident on Sunday morning when we prayed for him at worship the next morning (he is recovering well now). Later that day, we headed off to Louisiana for a gathering of the broader assemblies of the CREC—our presbyteries and Council—and so we were consequently out of town all week.

But before we left, earlier that same Saturday, we had filmed a portion of our NQN trailer, and some behind the scenes photos from that shoot were posted on Facebook. Some enterprising soul among the intoleristas used a favorite device of theirs called “a wild guess,” and started up a rumor that the shop fire had been part of our NQN shoot, which it wasn’t, and that I had been burned in the fire also, which I hadn’t been, and that was why I was not around. But I was not around because I was in Louisiana.

The first I heard of the rumor was near the end of the week. That was when I got a text from one of our adversaries here in town wishing me a good recovery from the fire, which was nice, but when I expressed bafflement, she then proceeded to say that I was a liar and the truth was not in me.

After we got home, and our family was marveling at the tenacity of the rumor, one of my daughters suggested that we could post a picture of me from right after my cancer surgery a couple years ago (there, to the right), but we decided that this would be giving way to what one friend of mine would call “bad Voddie.”

InstaBan

So the first NQN post went up Monday morning, and the NQN trailer went up Tuesday morning. So far that trailer is outpacing our previous years that dealt with couches, fields, and trucks, which is great, but I have already told the artistes at Canon Press that I would rather not deal with helicopters next year.

But then, adding to the general excitement, Instagram took down our NQN trailer for a brief period of time before they reevaluated, or reviewed, or repented, or whatever it is they do at Instagram. Here was their stated reason for taking it down, helpfully displayed to the immediate right here.

Coordinating harm or promoting crime, eh?

Thankfully they changed their minds, but still. For those of you who are concerned about us, and what we are up to, you can at least know that we are not coordinating harm or promoting crime. You can take it from Instagram.

Incidentally, since I don’t want this teachable moment to pass by, on things like rigged elections, and CDC guidelines, and what it means to follow the science, and all of that, some might say that it is all too complicated, and we don’t know “which position is the correct one.” Right. But we do know which side censors..

Enter The Guardian

And then came The Guardian article. This piece was written by a gent named Jason Wilson, no relation that I know of, who is just finishing up his stint at that newspaper. He is heading off to browner pastures, where he will serve as a senior investigative journalist for Hatewatch at the Southern Poverty Law Center, the world’s richest civil rights organization. If you are going to be investigating other organizations for hatred, harassment, and sexual misdoings, where better to work than the SPLC? It is really convenient because you can just go out in the hallway and practice your gotcha questions on fellow staff members. You are bound to get somebody eventually.

As already mentioned, the NQN video, which dropped on Tuesday, is proceeding briskly down the cyber road, well ahead of the trailers from previous years, those trailers being slackers. So I would be remiss if I did not thank Jason of The Guardian for his possible contribution to the excitement. They ran their hit piece, one that described us as an “ultra-conservative” group of Christians who tithe, and evangelize, and stuff. Now normally ultra is only used in a complimentary way if you are talking about something like a type of make-up for supermodels. Ultra in combination with conservative or Christian is supposed to be skeery and frightening, but thanks to The Guardian, now when people all over the world google my name in response to the article, up pops the NQN video.

And then the Drudge Report picked up The Guardian article, which means that somebody is continuing to violate the cardinal rule of making sure certain unsavory people keep getting ignored. Conservative Christians? Resisting mask mandates? Continuing to worship freely? What are the housing prices like out there?

In that video (if you haven’t seen it), I make the point that we are not being incendiary, but rather the world has gotten really flammable, and that people ought not to get those two things confused. The Guardian article made a point of saying that one of our elders is behind a housing development here, which is true enough, as though keeping the rain off families new to the community were a bad thing. To this I would only add that if you progressives don’t want conservative Christians congregating in Moscow, you should stop chasing them here. I merely suggest this, in a spirit of brotherly admonition.

Stop thinking of Australia as an aspirational goal. Or North Korea for that matter.

Memes That Go Haltingly

Yup. The left still can’t meme.

I generally go through my days blissfully unaware of how the local left is interacting with my presence, but sometimes awareness sort of breaks in.

I refer of course to those times when a well-informed parishioner or friend emails me stuff. I don’t where these memes come from, but taking in all the available evidence, my suspicions would run along the lines of lame.com.

Over the years, I have had occasion to thank the Lord for the caliber of my friends. But I would be ungrateful in the extreme if I did not also acknowledge His kindness to me in the caliber of my adversaries

These are humorless secular pharisees who have gotten themselves whizzed up into a state that Carl Jung once called “a tizzy,” and that Freud identified as being more of “a swizzle.” They are claiming that numerous Christ Church husbands rape their wives “every night,” that Janice McGeachin, candidate for governor in Idaho, dines at my house when she is in Moscow, that they have to sleep with 9mm pistols under their pillows because of us, and that my son murdered a gay guy back in the 90’s. Other than that, they are sober and responsible, contributing to healthy banter in the spirit of give and take.

I refer you back to the source I mentioned earlier, that old reliable called “wild guessing.” I think that all the energy they use in guessing is what leaves them drained when it comes to trying to come up with zinger memes.

Especially megalomaniac cult leaders who know how megalomaniac is spelled . . .
And I confess that this one has me baffled, apart from the confirmation of my earlier observation.

All in Good Fun

In the aftermath of the Vice article, a parishioner brought this by a couple weeks ago. This, and the still of the couch video, and the boat video, and the field video, and the truck video, and all the rest of the high jinks that go on around here, reminded me of something I heard recently from Chesterton’s Ballad of the White Horse. But first the pictures.

Zoom in to read the inscription, and take note of the make of the ball.

What King Alfred said to the pagans was this. You are victorious, and we are defeated, but you are miserable in your victory, and we are joyful in defeat.

So what are we attempting to do? We are seeking to save our nation from a terrible destruction. And we intend to have a good time doing it.

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David
David
2 years ago

My children enjoyed the video!

Marty
Marty
2 years ago

The Left Can’t Meme!

Malachi Tarchannen
Malachi Tarchannen
2 years ago

Absolutely brilliant endorsement by the Guardian!
Also, when there is no joy–as we see with the pagans–there can be no humor. We, however, not only can laugh, but laugh in the face of our adversities.
The thing that really bakes their noodle is when, after they have fallen into the pit they dug for us, we come along and lift them out…smiling all the while. And maybe laughing.

Because irony is funny.

Ben
Ben
2 years ago

“One sound shall sunder all the spears and break the trumpet’s breath:
You never laughed in all your life as I shall laugh in death.”
— also from Chesterton, “The Last Hero.” Very applicable here as well I think. Thank God and three cheers for Christ Kirk and NQN!

Jim
Jim
2 years ago

If the playbill frightens them so much, just wait till they see the show!

LifeguardLess
LifeguardLess
2 years ago

“Through You we push down our foes; through Your Name we tread down those who rise up against us .” Ps. 44:5

Stanley Schnickelfritz

They also TOOK OUT ADS promoting their wild speculation.

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Stanley Schnickelfritz

Another ad:

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The Commenter Formerly Known As fp
The Commenter Formerly Known As fp
2 years ago

Doug: “We are seeking to save our nation from a terrible destruction. And we intend to have a good time doing it.”

Which is why Let’s Go Brandon is so effective. Part of having a good time is mocking the Democrat/Media Complex, and this phrase does the trick perfectly.

What makes it even more fun is that the woke, like their father the devil, cannot stand to be mocked.

Timothy Schouten
Timothy Schouten
2 years ago

Let’s go Brandon is completely contrary to the many scriptural commands to honor and respect our governing authorities.

Bob Kleasen
Bob Kleasen
2 years ago

As Art Carney used to say to Jackie Gleason, “Sheesh! What a grouch!”

Nathan James
Nathan James
2 years ago

Maybe. And yet, Biden also rules other people on our behalf. He works for us. So we are obligated to judge him. Not only that but we have to mount persuasive and motivating political campaigns!

Ray D.
Ray D.
2 years ago

“Let’s Go Brandon” mocks the lying media, who are not our governing authorities, though they think that they are.

Cherrera
Cherrera
2 years ago

Many? Like “honor the emperor”? Newsflash: we don’t have an emperor. Our founders were very clear they didn’t want an aristocratic ruling class. Our elected officials work for us. Our highest honor and respect goes to the supreme law of the land in a constitutional republic. Resident Xiden isn’t above it and he’s making a mockery of it.

The Commenter Formerly Known As fp
The Commenter Formerly Known As fp
2 years ago

I’m sure you were right there, reminding your lefty friends they needed to honor and respect our governing authorities when Trump was President, weren’t you, Timothy?

Jonathan (the conservative one)
Jonathan (the conservative one)
2 years ago

Not knowing anything more about Timothy, I don’t think one can conclude from this single comment he’s a lefty. I too, while being a die-hard conservative Christian, who greatly disapproves of Biden by the way, still would not go chant that. However, it’s more a matter of conscience for me, and I can see both sides. My point is, you can disapprove of the chant while still being a conservative, so let’s not be too hasty to insult people based on something as minor as this chant ;) (of course, if you know he’s a lefty from other posts, disregard… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Jonathan (the conservative one)
Justin Parris
Justin Parris
2 years ago

As with my argument on the other thread about Game of Thrones and appropriate media, your premise is correct but your are utterly light years away in effort from having a coherent criticism of another Christian. Define “honor and respect” with clarity. How do I know your subjective sense of appropriateness isn’t intermingling with God’s? How do you determine governing authority? Can non-Americans say the meme? How about if they don’t believe Biden to be a legitimate governing authority either from believing the vote was tampered with, or else believing that Biden himself violates the constitution too frequently to be… Read more »

Justin Parris
Justin Parris
2 years ago
Reply to  Justin Parris

*you’re.

I normally wouldn’t add a comment for a typo but that one is embarrassing.

Val R
Val R
2 years ago
Reply to  Justin Parris

Haha! I appreciate your self-correction; I would not have pointed it out publicly, but I definitely noticed because I’m… let’s say detail-oriented as a nicer way of describing myself than I probably deserve. Your analysis is spot-on, in my opinion. And to add a NQN type of comment to which you are under no obligation to agree, I believe I could argue biblically for properly honoring and respecting your governing authorities requiring the inclusion of mocking them or harshly deriding them when they stray from the Lord’s given authority to them. As in, I respect, love, and honor you enough… Read more »

Nate
Nate
2 years ago

Hey, I was at that fire

agb
agb
2 years ago

And to think, these memes are among their better efforts.

Hannah Mindeman Shuman
Hannah Mindeman Shuman
2 years ago

The creator of those memes apologized for them and deleted them.

Heather
Heather
2 years ago

And hopefully they will also reconsider the hundreds of other memes they have generated that are equally slanderous (though not nearly as cute)!

Jane
Jane
2 years ago

Did they apologize merely for posting inaccurate memes, or for the more fundamental sin of believing an evil report and spreading it without certainty?

Hannah Mindeman Shuman
Hannah Mindeman Shuman
2 years ago
Reply to  Jane

“Our purpose on the Examining Moscow page is to curate primary source documentation. To that end, we have deleted a few posts that involved speculation, and went beyond confirmed information. Those posts had to do with the the filming of Doug Wilson’s annual No Quarter November (NQN) video, all of which have featured fire. In the posts we deleted, we speculated that Christ Church member Elijah Froh (who was life-flighted to a Seattle burn unit Saturday, October 23) may have incurred his burn injuries during the filming of this year’s NQN. We apologize for the speculation, and ask for continued… Read more »

Jane
Jane
2 years ago

Thank you.

Jonathan (the conservative one)
Jonathan (the conservative one)
2 years ago

Getting the post allowed on Instagram is basically a free waiver showing you are an upstanding citizen to any lefty who accuses you now! ;D

Kevin Bratcher
Kevin Bratcher
2 years ago

Having just watched the new Dune movie, my first reaction to the spitting video is “Aww, they’re giving us the gift of their water!”

An almost-religious devotion shown by these opponents.