Contents
Chasing Something Down
Just a question, if I may. In a recent post entitled, “Classical Charter Schools as a Cut Flowers Display,” You mention a quote from Peter Berger…”you should learn how to identify the future that has already happened.” May I have the specific source of that Berger quote? I am interested in learning more.
Love the blog!!!Justin
Justin, I read that in a collection called The Daily Drucker, but the note there says it is from a book called The Age of Discontinuity.
Sin Begets Sin
This is not in response to any specific blog post that I have read, but simply a request for your advice.
My wife and I have been married for 23 years and now have five children. In spite of the fact that I grew up in a Christian home, and have done mission work in various Latin American countries (and REALLY knew better) I fell into the trap of pornography. After five years or so of denying the truth to myself, to God and to my wife, I came clean, and the proverbial excrement came into direct contact with the blades of the rotational air delivery device.
I have gone to several Christian counselors, attended a Christian purity group, and by the grace of God, have eliminated that vice from my life. I have not consumed pornography for five years now.By His continuing grace, I have confidence I will never return to it.
Understandably, the results of my marital infidelity (it’s really the same thing as an actual physical affair) have been that, among other things, my wife has begun drinking considerably more than she should. It is not an every day occurrence, but when she drinks, she gets entirely out of control. What is a godly response to this? Or have I made my bed and now have the dubious privilege of lying in it?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.AFS
AFS, I would suggest three things. First, spiritual leadership in the home consists of much more than “not using porn.” So in all the nooks and crannies of your home, apart from these two issues, make sure that you are taking responsibility. Family devotions, getting everybody to church, praying with your wife daily, and so on. Second, make sure that you are taking the appropriate masculine responsibility for ordinary things—working hard, providing for your family, etc. And third, though you may feel disqualified in leading your wife in this area directly (or she may feel you are, and won’t let you near), you are not too disqualified to seek pastoral help. Make sure you are in a church that will provide it when you ask for it.
The Men Behind the Screen
First, I just wanted to say how much I’ve appreciated your content over the years. I find your courage to please God over and above any other worldly (and evangellyfish) pressure to be contagious to myself and so many others. So thank you.
My question is about social media. I’ve found that the postmill view has brought the likes of Moscow and others like Apologia to use social media for the kingdom. And you guys do it so well. But one thing I’m wondering is about how you view the centralized nature of it. In other words, how do you apply the myth of neutrality to social media seeing that it isn’t necessarily a neutral tool like a shovel or even a phone. There are people behind the feeds. What you see is curated and meant to propel you to further action. The algorithms are coming from human minds and are influencing a lot of your own interactions with social media.
You’ve been very careful to discern sources and the people who are behind bigger movements. So what are some principles as we consider the people that are behind “tools” like social media? Do we blindly jump in with two feet? If not, why not, and how should we take the leap?Lucas
Lucas, yes, we are aware of this. There are two aspects to it. One is how things get curated, and the second is how things can get cancelled. We are working toward a position of real independence in both areas.
Is CN a One Size Fits All Thing?
This is an honest “exploratory” (sort of “litmus”) question about the nature of Christian Nationalism that comes from a long time (off and on) follower, and one who really likes and respects you . . . (and you’ve probably discussed this before but I haven’t been keeping up as much lately).
Is your understanding of Christian Nationalism something that would be suitable for Russia, North Korea, China, etc. as much as it would be in the U.S.A?
The reason I ask is because it seems like some/much of your supporting evidence/argumentation/reasoning *seems* to include in it our original founding and our form of government here in the U.S.
Thank you for reading and considering this question.Robert
Robert, you are correct. The form of it that I am working to promote has a distinctly Anglo/American character, and that character was made possible by centuries of preparatory labor. Simply transplanted into a culture without that prep work would get a different result, say, in North Korea. But that different result would still be better than what they have there now. And this relates to the larger issue. CN is simply not a possibility without widespread evangelism and church planting. It will not just spring into being anywhere.
Homosexual Temptation and Christians
Your reply:
“Peter, in the first part of this letter, you are catching the distinctions I am trying to make exactly. But in this last paragraph, the question is pastorally untenable. I have known men who live for Christ, and who would die for Him, and they live decent, respectable lives. But when they are tempted sexually, they are tempted in a same sex direction. They are diligent to mortify the sin, resisting the temptation. If my pastoral duty were to inform them that they must not be a Christian because of this resisted temptation, I shouldn’t be surprised if at some point the temptation shifted to that of wanting to eat a pistol.”
Questions:
As someone who’s not a pastor, and has a long way to go understanding and obeying Scripture, my question is if Scripture clearly makes the distinction between lawful and unlawful desire and then also between natural and unnatural desire, why does it matter if something is or isn’t “pastorally untenable”? You are essentially saying that a regenerate person can have an unfit mind (which is evidence of God’s wrath), for only an unfit mind is tempted with homosexuality.
Wouldn’t it be better to call a spade and spade, let the cards fall where they may, and deal with temporary despair rather than burn for eternity? After all, the most pitiable of all are those who think they are saved but are not (Matt. 7).
Thanks,P
P, I do not mean a pragmatic adoption of what is “pastorally untenable” over against the clear teaching of Scripture. And I say this because according to Scripture, when it comes to the force of temptation, all of us have unfit minds. That’s what remaining sin is.
Moving Out of Range?
I know a young lady who is 19 and lives with her parents. The parents confess Christ but their home has absolutely no peace. They fight amongst themselves and with their children continually, and four out of five children have left home (married or left out of frustration). The youngest daughter, who I’m talking about, still lives with them, but she’s desperately waiting for an opportunity to leave home. Her parents do not attend a healthy church.
I’ve encouraged the daughter to listen to “Fire on the Mountain” and try and honour her parents the best she can. However, I can see that it is an extremely hard burden.
Should she continue to endure the toxic environment and seek to honour her parents the best she can, or should she leave home without her parent’s permission and seek out a godly fellowship?
Thanks,Pete
Pete, I would encourage her to seek out a godly fellowship first, and begin to attend there. She would then be in a position to seek out counsel and oversight when the time comes for her to move out of her home.
Jordan P Once More
I am very interested in your take on the Jordan Peterson / George Janko interview. Would you consider doing a Doug Responds video on it?
Apart from the massively obvious intellectual mismatch between the two, and setting aside how awkward and unwatchable the interview is, I found George’s childlike, literal faith laid bare the sandy foundations of JP’s “faith”—whatever that means to him. In a sense, JP comes across as a Pilate: his whole shtick when confronted with literal questions of Christ and salvation is “what is truth?”
Would be so interested in your take on the conversation. For me, it illuminated how far JP really is from The Kingdom.
Thank you, and may God continue to bless you and your family and your ministries richly. We pray for you constantly.Mark
Mark, thanks for the suggestion. And I grant that he is far from the kingdom. But so was Saul of Tarsus when he got on his horse.
Not to Meddle . . .
I’m a pastor of a Baptist church. We currently do not have any deacons. Years ago, the deacon body was the typical nightmare (arguing, power struggles, trying to control the pastor, etc.). Eventually, so many deacons got too old to serve or were asked to step down for various familial issues that the chairman of deacons and then-pastor determined to do away with the title “deacon.” Their argument was that people can still function as deacons without the title. The next pastor also agreed with that position, but here I am, one year into my tenure and disagreeing.
I made clear to the church in the hiring process that I intended to reinstate functioning, titled deacons if hired, and they assented. I believe 1 Tim. 3 demands certain men be explicitly labeled as deacons. My questions are these: 1.) What steps should I take (other than obviously teaching the Biblical view) to reinstate deacons. 2.) how do I prevent things reverting to the nightmare state?Caleb
Caleb, not to meddle with typical Baptist polity or anything, but I think you need both deacons and elders. The deacons would be responsible for practical helps and logistical organization, and the elders would have more pastoral responsibility. If you agree, and if you want to go slowly, I would reinstate the office of deacon, but with a role more biblically circumscribed than before. Then, if that goes well, establish the office of elder.
Losing Down Here
John MacArthur and others insist “We don’t win down here, we lose.” To my ear, these are men permanently living in the Saturday prior to the resurrection. Winning or losing is not ours. We are not alone fighting a losing battle. We have won already. Jesus won the victory on the cross (to our benefit). Christ rules and reigns now in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). The temporal fortunes of the visible church have waxed and waned over the last 2,000 years but the direction is ever upward as Christ is putting all enemies under His feet (1 Cor. 15:25). Have I missed something? Does MacArthur’s dictum have some merit?
Thank you,Alan
Alan, I don’t think you have missed anything.
Isianic Context
Re: An Apple Core With Ants All Over It Thank you for your continually thoughtful and provocative posts. I appreciate being pushed to think harder about things whenever you take up your digital pen.
I’m struck by your use of Isaiah 60:12 at the beginning of the post. That would be quite a compelling verse to make your case. However, in the context of Isaiah 60, “thee” is clearly the nation of Judah and not the Lord. In this chapter God is speaking in the first person to his covenant people.
” 12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish;
Yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
13 The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee,
The fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together,
To beautify the place of my sanctuary;
And I will make the place of my feet glorious” (Is. 60:12-13).
I understand it’s not difficult to argue from “nations must serve God’s covenant people” to “nations must serve God.” But with that said, how might a more precise reading of Isaiah 60:12 nuance your larger point?
Thanks for considering.Peter
Peter, thanks for that additional context, and you are quite right. But I believe it all amounts to the same thing. As the kings bring their honor and glory into the New Jerusalem, which is the Christian church, they become nursing fathers to the people of God (Is. 49:23). This is how they demonstrate their fealty to the true God—by recognizing His people, and by joining them.
Grape Juice Gospel
I heard you recently mention that Jesus left us with four weapons: water, Word, bread, and wine. This triggered a quest to understand the Lord’s Supper more deeply since it is one of those things that I can conceptualize, but the meaning has become a bit dusty over the years. I read some Puritans on the matter, which was very helpful, and then I stumbled upon a piece by Keith Mathison talking specifically about the use of wine over grape juice, and the history of how the switch was made. As I am sure you are aware, the recipe for the switch called for two heaping scoops of hyper-moralism, unrefined exegesis, and maybe a dash of Pelagianism. I couldn’t believe how such an important symbol given by Jesus to remember the most important occurrence in history could be so easily abandoned for the safety of a lesser substance.
Jesus told us to use wine, a substance rich with meaning throughout the Bible. God uses wine as a symbol of blessing, mirth, and unity tied to obedience, and wrath, curse, and barrenness in disobedience. There is a blessing and a danger in the fermented grape, and when we share in the Lord’s Supper, drinking his blood symbolized in wine, we remember the curse that Christ became for us and the blessing of joy we have in His life.
I have never been to a church that uses wine—all grape juice. And I can’t help but think that this switch is a symbol all on its own: a symbol of the church defanging Christ, a commitment to niceties, a liberality with His commands, and a gentler-than-Jesus, bosomy Christianity. I feel like my communion cup should come with a straw.
If Jesus could have used anything he wanted as a symbol, then his choice of what that symbol is ought to be honored. No one would be okay with substituting water for a baptismal full of mayonnaise, since, hey, it’s only a symbol right? Yes, wine is a symbol, as is water and bread, but do we really get to fiddle with the symbols and swap them for a more sensitive and cautious knock-off?
But I also recognize that I can be somewhat of an idealist, and perhaps there is a sense of betrayal feeling like I have been trained with Nerf swords my whole life and no one in my sphere so much as mentioned Jesus intended for us to use Damascus steel. I am willing to be told to chill out.
What are your thoughts on the importance of wine over juice, is it a big deal? Am I overreacting?Tim
Tim, I don’t think you are over-reacting. There are depths in what you are saying.
CN Questions
I agree with some of the principles you have laid down the last 3 years concerning CN. It’s interesting, being Canadian, that our charter and constitution receives its authority from God to this day (not that anyone honours that anymore). Even if they inevitably try to get God out of the constitution they still have to bind the power of it to something ultimate (good luck, my dudes).
This is my criticism of CN:
Nobody can agree on what it is and no matter how hard Doug and friends try to spell it out I’m not convinced we will ever arrive at a consensus. Though I agree with a lot of what you’ve put down in principle, because this world is fallen I worry that this is an approach that could spin out of control. Doug and friends mean well, but what what about dark forces that come later , a new leadership that didn’t know Doug and friends? In that case, CN becomes one evil replacing another evil. I trust you, I don’t trust the people that one day would take up your mantle, excuse my lack of faith.
Further, the criticism from Lindsay I agree with is not that it’s an op but that forces much larger and more powerful want you to succeed handily in order to drive their regime harder towards totalitarianism. “See, we told you Christian Nationalism was a threat, trust us more now.”
I’m not suggesting you back away from your post-mill convictions (unthinkable I’m sure, I’m amill in case you were wondering) but I am suggesting that if Doug could be faulted for one thing it’s that he is needlessly provocative and that Christian Nationalism is a term that is not redeemable, you lose the audience before you start speaking and even when you gain one, few (so far) can agree on what it is without reading a 3 year series of 2000 word blogposts, Twitter spars, and the book to go alongside it. I am not saying a simple name change resolves this or that you just wash your hands and give up but a completely different approach might be more effective. I don’t have one, no. (Worst type of critique, I know)
It’s probably too late to pivot at this point but have you considered an approach which retains your fundamental post mill convictions but does not alienate faithful Christian allies, potential Christian converts, and draw the interest of the FBI, DHS, and media industrial complex, OR, is that what you are actually going for because raising significant fracas is the best way to get the ball rolling on CN?
Not trying to be insulting, sincerely wondering .Jordan
Jordan, I don’t think your critiques are wrong exactly, but I do think they are misplaced. Like it or not, CN is going to a hot political issue in this coming presidential campaign. And people who would never have dreamed of using the phrase are going to be tarred with it simply because they believe in God. I believe that there is more room in “yes, but” than there is in “no, no, no, no.” There will be all sort of rascally maneuvers around the phrase, such as the current attempt by some antisemites to make “Christ is king” into a imprimatur for their moronic strategeries. If they are successful, then I am done with the phrase. But until then, it is quite useful.
Hi Pastor Doug, I trust you’ve seen this one?
“It’s a Good Time to Start Worrying About Christian Nationalism” by David Corn
Many blessings,Dan
Dan, thanks.
Refusal to Vote Trump?
How would you respond to someone who decided not to vote because they think that Trump is truly evil inside and they don’t want to vote for someone who they think is corrupt. They can acknowledge that he’s better than Biden, but they still refuse to vote for the lesser of two evils. Or in other words, they only want a Josiah, and don’t care if we get a Jehu instead of an Ahab.Reagan
Reagan, I would thank them for their convictions, shake them by the hand, and leave them alone. What we should not abide would be the “character matters” characters who wind up voting for Biden.
Red Heifers
I’m just now hearing about the red heifers purchased by Israel in October of 2023. Do you have any thoughts, concerns, and or encouragement? Our world seems to be at a troubling pass, with much turmoil. I try to continue to look to the Lord, who holds all things and knows all things. The spirit within me prays “come Lord Jesus, come.” But my flesh still fears the ground we must cover before He does return.Peter
Peter, I wouldn’t worry about the heifers . . . it sounds to me like yet one more alarmist eschatological rumor. Much turmoil, yes, but Jesus knows how to walk on that kind of wave.
Hypothetically Speaking . . .
What’s the plan for all the Mormons and Jews who don’t fit your “Trinitarian” requirements?John
John, in a government strictly limited by biblical boundaries, we don’t need to have a plan for them. They would need to develop plans for the new circumstances, but most of those plans, I think, would involve coming to grips with the new levels of liberty they were experiencing.
Kept from Women
I saw your reply to a question about refraining from intercourse during a woman’s cycle. I’m curious how you think about how God often restricted Israel from intercourse prior to or during holy days. Do you see that carrying over for example to Sundays for Christians to refrain?CF
CF, no, I don’t. I believe that the typological and ceremonial aspects of that restriction, and all others like it, were fulfilled in Christ.
Looking at Watts
In today’s Letters to the Editor, the last post was Tyler’s letter titled Satan’s Dominion.
He asked about resources for his study of Psalms usage in the New Testament. Yesterday, I came across a book by Isaac Watts that I think will be right up Tyler’s alley. He can read the commentary about its contents at Amazon, using the title The Psalms of David: Imitated in the Language of the New Testament and Applied to the Christian State and Worship. May he benefit from this holy journey.David
David, thank you.
Charter Schools
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts.
I taught for 3+ months this past academic year in the South at one of the most established high schools of a large, secular charter school network. The character of those I work with and the culture (for both students and faculty!) the school has created, are intensely edifying; their mission lofty yet pursued with cheerful, effective practicality; and their impact (on local communities and college-entrance stats) astonishing.
The culture is holistically celebratory of very many good (and noble, right and pure, etc.) things. Occasionally we celebrate in language suggestive of a rosy-eyed myopia to the (near-at-hand) enemies of the True, Good, and Beautiful. Stories of unprecedented growth of classical education, its plaudits among the technocratic élite, its inherent satisfaction, abound. But while we are tempted to forget how good we have it here—never tempted to triumphalism, of course—I do often tell my colleagues how incredible this place is. Collectively, we give thanks profusely for each other, and for the Good Life. Rarely do we collectively and explicitly give thanks to the Giver of all good things—officially, that is.
1. Before coming, I asked the headmaster about the existential threat. “Little fires” existed, they said, that demanded much more behind-the-scenes work than we’d know; but they did not seem afraid of being overtaken and undone. How much time remains for strategic action? Will charter schools go the way James Lindsay thinks churches will go: register with the State or perish? You’re welcome to comment on the chilling Australian situation . . .
2. A friend asked me whether students were being trained (at school) of the importance of self-sacrificial courage in defense of the Good, True and Beautiful—that is, defense of that which they are being taught to love. His point struck a note within me. How bad a blind spot do you think this is?
3. Our administration could be described as desiring to live Christian lives while serving a non-Christian public. Taking your prophetic warning a step further: how might a Christian director of a classical charter school faithfully steward the sheep against the hyenas in the days to come? And can we do so by keeping any of the corporate infrastructure, branding, and brick-and-mortar schools? (How much of the classical ed. show is actually *not* Caesar’s property, I wonder, and “portable”?)
If you think these questions are more fully and helpfully addressed offline, I’m happy to take it up (at Repairing the Ruins, or with Compagnon, or elsewhere).
With sincere respect, and with gratitude for your time,
Al
P.S. I’ve noticed there are a lot of Muslim families who send their kids here too—our high standards for modest dress, good behavior, respectful and charitable instruction, and much more, is attractive to this very conservative sub-population. To what extent should we consider these families a non-threatening and welcome “market” in which to offer Christian classical ed . . . or even secular classical ed?Al
Al, all my central concerns were laid out in my article. I believe that at some point, the name of Christ must be named. Everything you describe is an orderly and beautiful house (as I believe it really is), but with no foundation. And everything rides on whether a storm is coming, which it is.
If you are in the business of reacting (or rather, responding) to content relevant to Christian faith and practice, I would love to see you interact with Michael Knowles’ interview of Pearl Davis on his YouTube channel. It’s a discussion about marriage and the roles of men and women, and it is quite religious throughout.
Pearl’s basic claim is that marriage and divorce laws are so unfairly geared against men, to the point that a man who chooses to get married is effectively making a risky business deal with a partner who is incentivised to take everything away from him at the drop of a hat. Michael’s basic response is that (a) a man should find the right partner so this doesn’t happen, and (b) men are supposed to shoulder responsibility and risk anyway. Towards the end, Michael does a great job of identifying Pearl’s beliefs as being actually quite liberal, in that it absolves men of personal responsibility and recommends they ‘choose their own path.’ Even so, his stance is far from perfect in my opinion.
Both Michael and Pearl claim to be Catholic, and so it would be fantastic for a Reformed Protestant to weigh in with some Biblical sanity.
P.S. There was also a recent discussion between Joe Rogan and James Lindsay on the need for and uniqueness of Christianity. The more I hear, the more Rogan is getting familiar with Christianity and starting to appreciate it. The Holy Spirit is working in high places.Sean
Sean, thanks for the suggestion. I agree with you and Knowles that marriage is not supposed to be risk free. But I agree with Pearl that the built-in risks ought not to be augmented with stupid or malicious laws.
Thanks pastor Wilson for taking my question about CN in other countries and for the helpful and clarifying explanation. Keep up the good work!
Alan, Though you might not have missed anything on MacArthur’s views regarding the future of humanity, that doesn’t mean MacArthur is wrong. I would encourage you to keep an open mind as the future unfolds since this is not a salvific issue. Prophecy or eschatology is certainly ripe for interpretation and if our faith is dependent on our views with respect to eschatology some might become disillusioned and fall away from the faith, especially if this world continues for spiral downward. That in no wise suggests Christ has left us vulnerable. He even tells us to pray that we may… Read more »
It does mean “we lose down here” is wrong if Alan is right that scripture says that Christ is reigning, combined with the truth that we are united with Christ. How can those identified with the victor be losers?
The problem comes in when people misidentify what “winning” and “losing” look like.That we win is incontrovertible with scripture, but a right understanding of what winning looks like during this age is needed to make sense of that.
Can someone explain to me the relationship between postmillenialism and Christian Nationalism? Do they share the same vision?
Since CN hasn’t been entirely defined, that is hard to say with certainty. IMHO, the biggest similarities are an optimistic eschatology.
Thanks for the response. It was a serious question. So CN has to do with eschatology?
One thought I have is that ill defined terms shouldn’t be bandied about too freely.
I think that CN and an optimistic eschatology have similar things in mind – Kingdom victory. To quote Ken Gentry “.. the Lord Jesus Christ will be exalted in all areas of life, the Word of God will be the directive for all of human society… righteousness and godliness as defined by God’s Law will prevail…” (He Shall Have Dominion, pg 507). For most of my life, I have been steeped in two-kingdom thinking that the Church does spiritual things and the world does everything else. That led to bad missteps, such as turning to ‘conservatives’ in politics for help… Read more »
Christ is risen! Wherever He is preached the Kingdom is at hand. Believe the good news, now!
Oh yeah! Amen & Amen!
My brief take: CN (rightly defined) ought to be desired by all Christians – we pray for the salvation of all people including kings and those in authority, we want all to acknowledge Christ and live consistently with it etc. If you’re poat-mil you’ll believe it will happen (which in turn might make you more likely to advocate for it and work for it), if you’re not post-mil you’re left uncertain about whether it will happen, and if it does it may/will (depending on your eschatology) be undone.
Thank you. “Rightly defined” does acknowledge one of the problems. Really there is no need for CN if it only means what you describe.
Can one be a CN, but not postmill?
This is tangental, but do Calvinists pray for the salvation of all people?
That last question puts me in mind of Charles Spurgeon’s response when challenged as to why he did not preach only to the elect: Show me the elect and I’ll preach only to them.
Otherwise, the outward call of the gospel still legitimately goes out to all who may hear and receive.
Hi John, I was waiting for someone more articulate than me to answer your question…but since it interests me, I’ll give you my short take. Postmillenialism in brief to me is the optimism/confidence that the earth will be successfully evangelized before Christ’s return. That means the Great Commission is still in effect. With that worldview/goal in mind, how should the nations be governed? Though I fall short, I am personally responsible to follow Christ. To the best of my ability, I encourage/lead/teach/model that responsibility to my family. If it’s good enough for me and my family, certainly then I want… Read more »
J.F., thanks for responding. Now, how does postmillenialism intersect with Christian Nationalism, or do you understand them to be one and the same? It seems to me the thing we want to call The Great Commission is… “The Great Commission”. Note that The Great Commission has to do with nations, plural. What, if anything, does the postmillenial vision have to do specifically with America? I ask because CN is being advocated and debated in America, with America in mind. Of course the goal of The Great Commission is to make disciples, who if they are disciples need only be taught,… Read more »
I definitely don’t think them to be one in the same. But I do think to be consistent with eschatology, PMs should be working harder for CN than those of other views. What’s the saying…Live like He’s coming tomorrow, plan like He’s coming in 1000 years? What do those plans look like? Water, energy, infrastructure, transportation all need stewardship, not to mention borders/language/culture…and I believe that guidance should come from the Word. As for nations, plural, I don’t think every nation needs our form of government…but they need some form. They do all need Christ. As a nation we’ve wasted… Read more »
If I am understanding it correctly, there are certainly pre- and postmills who count themselves among this loose category of “Christian Nationalism”; but…. if you are postmill your whole worldview tends towards an understanding of Christ as Lord over all in the here and now and the idea that part of our living out a true Biblical life includes being Christians in EVERY area of our lives, every single decision we make we acknowledge Him and strive to never go against His word. Therefore, it follows that if we (as His body) are doing our job of baptizing and properly… Read more »
Thanks Laurel. It seems to me postmills don’t need Christian Nationalism, but I’m neither a PM nor a CN. I would also point out that a Christian doesn’t need to be postmill to understand Christ as de facto Lord over all here and now and that we are to be Christians in every area of our lives. However, there is no expectation that non-Christians can or will do that. A nation will become more Christian when more of its inhabitants become Christians, not when Christians take over authority. The authority won’t matter so much if the citizens are Christian disciples.… Read more »
It’s been said that it’s very difficult to believe that God is both all powerful and totally good. Well it’s a lot harder to believe both of those things and also observe that the church is corrupt and shrinking and the world is spiraling towards exactly the situation that John MacAthur’s eschatology would predict.
In short, both are copes.
Regarding CN challenges…. I am stumped on why so many want to distance themselves from the term. The moniker ‘Puritan’ was initially a slur, now it’s (mostly) embraced. IMHO it should be the same for CN… as others have said, we certainly don’t want Pagan Nationalism. Nor do I understand the impulse to just walk away from anyone making disparaging remarks about CN. If somebody completely misrepresented some aspect of Christianity, we would often be quick to call them out ie salvation, Calvinism, etc. True, CN is not well defined, but we can dispel bad ideas through a joyous and… Read more »
“So Big Eva refers to the soft left of conservative evangelicalism. This is the side of evangelicalism that can be steered by articles in The Atlantic, by opinion pieces in the Washington Post, and by the sneers of never-Trumpers.”
Two news cycles of Kanye West had you scrambling to rewrite your church doctrine.
While I agree that Doug probably needs to grow in his understanding of the Jewish question, (as we all need to grow in some areas), he is one of the best things we’ve got going for us in the marginally mainstream. That he has to some extent defended a type of special concern for one’s people, and acknowledged a few negative actions of certain Jews, however feebly, is enough to qualify him as truly brave in this culture.
Fundamentally a liberal, regurgitates globalist warmongering propaganda, can’t/wont formulate an argument because he’s a “wit”, anti-white, supports Jewish censorship of social media, smugly incapable of introspection or critical thought, has literally referred to himself as the rightward bound of acceptable discourse.
Gotta support him because he’s the best we’ve got? That’s loser Conservative thinking. Every pastor Ive ever had has been more sensible and right-wing than Doug Wilson simply by virtue of not having to maintain a social media/trad media persona. Let Rabbi Shmuley buy his books.
“ smugly incapable of introspection or critical thought”
I have noticed some weaknesses in Doug’s arguments and I have read many of your comments .
Not to say Doug is perfect but your comment here is like the pot calling the freshly fallen snow black. It appears you are projecting your character flaws on others.
Well, if you all your pastors are more conservative than him, you’re pretty lucky. Only one I had would say the Jewish leaders killed Christ, and there was one who, after a certain point, would talk about race or feminism every two or three Sundays on average, always on the liberal side. Remember that any form of white advocacy is very heavily frowned upon by the big bad world. It would be wise to attack the issues rather than the man. Save personal attacks for those who deserve it–MLK, Bruce Reyes Chow, and the BLM people.
I’m attacking his ideas. He just recently wrote that attending an Alt-right barbecue is the equivalent of attending a gay wedding. A group of people under making any effort to organize after decades of cultural assault is akin to an abomination to God. Got it. Friends like that I don’t need. I’m more charitable to Wilson than he is. I actually engage with his writing.
Every barrel of Doug Wilson rhetorical wine contains a quart of sewage and I’ll keep pointing it out. Until I get bored.
Well, I certainly was disappointed by that statement.
It’s not like he officiated the wedding of a known pdf or anything, or supports slavery.
When Wilson chose to comment on “It’s OK to be White” he insisted the it be changed to “Its OK for YOU to be white”. In other words as a white person you must remain atomized. Please explain the difference between what Wilson is saying and “abolish whiteness”.
Are we back to keeping the Aryan race pure?
Answer the question Kenboy.
OK, as one who believes that being white is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy (and that seems to be Doug’s position as well), it’s not about abolishing whiteness. There’s nothing I or anybody else can do about the amount of melanin in our skin, nor should anyone want to. What needs to be abolished is the idea that being white is somehow special or entitles one to special treatment. It’s not, and it doesn’t.
“There’s nothing I or anybody else can do about the amount of melanin in our skin.”
The tanning industry would beg to differ.
Kathleen Liezinski: “What needs to be abolished is the idea that being white is somehow special or entitles one to special treatment.”
‘Scuse me, ma’am, could you direct me to the following organizations?
You missed White Lives Matter (WLM)
Indeed I did. My list isn’t even the tip of the iceberg.
Can you please explain the historical necessity for such organizations given that whites were never historically disadvantaged for being white? It’s like the old joke about why is there a Father’s Day and a Mother’s day but no Children’s Day, to which the answer is that every day is children’s day.
How do you walk around with such a heavy chip on your shoulder?
The Irish called. They would like to talk to you about all the overwhelming advantages they had in turn-of-the-century New England. The Italians and Germans would also like to have a word. After all, it’s not like they were interned during WWII or anything. Robert Davis also called. He would like to talk to you about his totally fictional book Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast and Italy, 1500-1800. You wish I had a chip on my shoulder. What I’d like to know — and I’m laughing as I type this — is how… Read more »
So you want reparations? Take it up with those governments.
We can only collectively deal with what happened here by this government. Which up until the 60’s, and arguably today but at least until the civil rights act, were legally oppressed.
And I’m sure there are some freaks around here that say that’s where the downfall began but it’s really just an angry cope with losing cultural power that could be enforced legally *Tiny violin plays*.
And Boston does in fact have an Irish-American Bar Association. There are all kinds of lodges and social organizations for German-Americans, Italian-Americans, and my husband is the treasurer of the local Sons of Norway. And I haven’t read the book but based on the title I’ll assume that Davis had to go back to 1800 to find white slavery, which tells us something all by itself. Those organizations are out there, and the fact that you had to be reminded that they exist is also very telling. But you know what? None of this has anything whatsoever to do with… Read more »
“Being pro-white is not anti-black” – a phrase that would never roll off the lying lips of Kathleen. This is especially true since there’s nothing “praiseworthy” about being white but it’s perfectly fine to be “pro-black.”
Given that you yourself lied about my position in an earlier thread — you falsely claimed that I opposed prosecuting looters and rioters; my actual position is throw the book at them — I’m not inclined to take seriously your claims that someone else is lying.
No, at least halfway justified the Burning Looting Murder actions of the Floyd rioters, while saying you didn’t really “defend” it. The “throw the book at them” line is something you made up 2 years later. I realize you may lie through your teeth daily as part of your professsion, but the lying/projecting/doubling-down you’re now doing is off the charts.
Please tell me exactly what I said that even remotely suggested that I didn’t think they should be prosecuted. I have never, ever said they shouldn’t have been prosecuted because my position has always been that they should be, so unless you can come up with a link to the contrary, I will say unequivocally that you are the one who is lying. And even if I said something along the lines of I can understand why they are doing it, that is not the same as excusing it. I understand why people do any number of bad things, but… Read more »
Kathleen is a programmed midtwit IQ type who vastly overestimates her cognitive abilities. This is another good book on white slavery, totally ignored by modern historians but very well documented. If this were taught in schools, it would undermine the entire guilt-manipulation ploy employed by academia, Hollywood and the gov’t They Were White and They Were Slaves: The Untold History of the Enslavement of Whites in Early America.: Michael Hoffman: 9780929903057: Amazon.com: Books Remember, too, she’s in the left-leaning side of a profession that’s perfectly fine with double-standards like this and use of lawfare and a mind-boggling two-tiered “justice” system.… Read more »
Of course there have been white slaves throughout history; who is claiming otherwise? But there was not the organized white slave trade, in which thousands of people were kidnapped and transported across the ocean as slaves. White slavery wasn’t written into the Constitution itself, nor were white slaves 3/5 of a person for census purposes. And whites weren’t subjected to a century of Jim Crow once their slavery ended. To compare the two is just ridiculous.
I’ve already provided a source, and yes, there was a large-scale white slave trade, too. Just because you didn’t get programmed with it in your college history classes or lamestream books you’ve read since doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. The source material is there.
As someone who has lost well over 6 figures due to being a white male, that statement is imbecilic, even for you. I’ve known dozens of similar white guys spread across various industries, in the public and private sectors, with the same experience. You obviously believe the garbage peddled by the likes of Robin DiAngelo, along with the laughable “Guns, Germs and Steel” nonsense you’ve mentioned before. In the real world… 92% of violent crimes (assaults, rapes, robbery, and murder) committed between whites and blacks are committed by blacks according to FBI crime stats The stats are even more skewed… Read more »
And I forgot to say, you get to be humiliated in struggle session-style classes where you hear about your imaginary white privilege. They’re usually run by minority females with 10% of your technical skills.
Somehow my comment ended up in the wrong place; my comment that begins “Given Cherrera’s willingness” was in response to his comment that begins “as someone who has lost”
Now, same question as to fp: How do you even walk around with that heavy chip on your shoulder?
No chip here–but plenty of projection from you, as usual.
And is it a slow day at the law firm? No one to sue? You sure have ample time to comment during business hours.
Given Cherrera’s willingness to play fast and loose with the facts — such as when he falsely accused me of supporting the non-prosecution of looters and rioters — I am not inclined to take his first paragraph at face value without more. That said, the problem with making sweeping denunciations of groups based on the bad behavior of individuals is twofold. First, every group tends toward its own misbehavior; over 90% of rapists are males but nobody is seriously claiming that that proves there’s something wrong with being male. Financial crimes are over 80% white but nobody seriously claims that… Read more »
“Financial crimes are over 80% white”
It’s funny how Bernie Madoff, Sam Bankman-Fried and many others are “white” when it’s convenient but “Jewish” if they were victims of a “hate crimes.”
It is possible for someone to be more than one thing at a time. Madoff/Bankman-Fried are/were both white and Jewish. If one of them were to be a victim of a hate crime, which would be more likely: That they were attacked for being generically white, or that they were attacked for being specifically Jewish? And herein lies your problem: You see the world in stark black and white (literally) when in reality it is a lot more nuanced than that. You see everyone as either being on the side of the angels or doing the work of the devil.… Read more »
Oh my god what a racist toddler
From a guy (or however you identify) who admittedly gets all of his/her morality from the MSM and pop culture and couldn’t handle a semi-bright middle-schooler in a debate. You’re the one who thought it was funny for a completely innocent man to be tortured and murdered. There are crackheads and street walkers with a better sense of morality than you.
Oh wow sick burn you so got me this time 🥱😪😴
I’m confident enough with myself that I don’t need a book to tell me not to kill people. I guess you’re built different.
Know I know your opinion on some loser YouTuber, what’s your take on the death of someone like, Huey Newton?
Warum?
Surely there is a better use of your time than repeatedly attempting to “correct” someone you evidently consider so obtuse, intransigent, and unworthy.
I’m not going to change Wilson’s mind by maybe I can teach a few people to read. When Wilson writes “Wife Spankers Har Har!” what he’s saying is that it’s fine for a child to live under authority of a man but it’s offensive to the basic human dignity of an adult woman. You can emanations and penumbras that back to the Bible but it’s a modern humanist concept. It carries a lot of implications for the individual, the family and society and people deserve to at least think it through instead of having Doug Wilson sneak it past them… Read more »
Barnabas, A basic exercise I undertake when I read something that offends me, such as, for example, Doug’s “envy bro” stuff (not that that offends me anymore), is to ask myself, “Is this for me?” Meaning, was I the intended audience for this? Sometimes it’s easy to tell, but sometimes it’s not. For example, The Gospel Coalition might write an article addressed TO conservative evangelicals (about their racism or whatever), but it’s not really FOR them. Rather, it’s FOR the leftists they’re trying to appeal to. Same with Doug. 120+ IQ white Gen-X/millennial guys with serious concerns about Jewish malign… Read more »
I disagree with Armin on quite a lot, including quite a lot of this post, but Armin is correct in some of his conclusions here. “Doug has 1) a small media company he’s trying to build, 2) some kind of denomination that he’s leading (I don’t know much about it), and 3) the FBI threatening his family. In other words, engaging in good faith with “trolls” is just not going to be something someone like him cares about.” It would be a borderline negligent act for Doug to spend any significant amount of time fighting commentors on this blog. It… Read more »
Mass communicating falsehood is nothing to be proud of and the Bible says that a man that calls himself a man of God has a greater responsibility that the CEO of a butter company. On judgement day “But I had a lot to lose” is going to sound pretty lame.
“Mass communicating falsehood” The issue under discussion with you and me is not whether he was committing mass falsehoods, but whether he owes it to you, a random stranger, to prove that he is not. “a man that calls himself a man of God has a greater responsibility that the CEO of a butter company.” Think your arguments through to their conclusion. The higher degree of responsibility demands *MORE* of his time, not less, be spent on the most important activities. Debating every random stranger on the internet is not the most important activity. There are literally infinite of you.… Read more »
I haven’t asked for a debate or even a response half-wit suckup.
You’re demanding he take the time to defend his position from your accusations.
There is no meaningful distinction.
Curious, am I also a meanie poo poo head?
Quote me
Its a logical entailment of things you’ve said many times, just as you now saying “Quote me” does not specifically say that you demand I spend my time debating you, but it is inherently necessary to the demand that you did make. I don’t even need to scroll. Armin suggested that Doug will never stop to argue with you. I agreed. You objected to my agreement that Doug will never do that, and argued that Doug “has a greater responsibility that the CEO of a butter company”, directly referring to my simile. My simile was specifically and only about the… Read more »
What FBI threats?
Ask Armin.
My words are my words, his words are his words.
Would that be the same Land O Lakes company that took the Indian princess off the butter box, but kept the picture of just the land?
Yes?
Not sure how that’s relevant to the example. When formulating the sentence I thought of a few examples but decided that butter churning provided the best visual of wasting your time on a task fundamentally not worth doing.
Part of it may be unwillingness to give up ideas of liberty, racial equality, and related things. That is quite understandable, because I only gave up them when I had to, in order to stay sane and intellectually honest. Now, I never go around saying, “oh, I wish all man was equal,” or, “I wish blacks were as capable of building civilizations as everyone else,” or, “I wish democracy was the best form of government.” Not that he does either, but that is the quicksand which modern America is built on. To some extent, he has recognized, more or less,… Read more »
He doesn’t have to wade into topics if he’s scared but if you can’t say something true just dont say anything.
There’s been a problem among the right with complete demoralization and infighting after a loss. Richard Spencer, for instance. He wasn’t an idiot or a fed or acting in bad faith. He didn’t necessarily have a bad strategy. He just went up against the most powerful ideology the world has ever seen and lost. That being said, don’t take it so hard. Enjoy your wins where you can and take some comfort from the fact that nature is your ally. I’ve raised a house full of kids who believe as I do and I rolled back the 19th amendment on… Read more »
Richard Spencer does not even consider himself a conservative, but a moderate.
“The notion of listing my politics as ‘conservative’ makes me cringe.”
What a hero 🥱
“John MacArthur and others insist “We don’t win down here, we lose.” “
The Gospel of Failure is very convenient in that it absolves you of trying harder after losing. In fact, no matter how much you might lose, you need never critically examine your own choices. If you’re a head pastor, and naturally head of your own home, and you aren’t beholden to any standards of success or failure, gosh, you’ve insulated yourself from ever dealing with any mistakes of any kind haven’t you?
Is Peter attempting to cast same-sex attraction/homosexual temptation as the unforgivable sin?
Dear Mr Wilson, any plans to publicly condemn the recent events in CDA?
Jonathan, no current plans. Until you wrote, I knew absolutely nothing about it. Having looked it up, I now know next to nothing about what happened.
Commenter reminded me to catch up on my Nick Fuentes. Watching his commentary on Candice Owens vs Rabbi Barclay with my kids. Sent it to my extended family.
On odyssey.com
Jump 35 min in
https://odysee.com/@AmericaFirstClipArchive:8/candace-owens-destroys-unholy-rabbi-barclay-2024-03-19:7
Pretends he wants to marry 16 year old girls when really, we all know the deal.