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Billionaires Taking $1.01 Billion from Taxpayers to Finance a Football Stadium — Distracting You is Expensive

APRIL 2, 2022

by Matt Agorist

“Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with neighbors, films, football, beer, and above all, gambling filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult….” ―

George Orwell, 1984

It’s no secret that the federal government has little restraint about using taxpayer dollars for non-essential initiatives and projects. One venture, in particular, continuously shouldered by taxpayers is the building, maintaining, and renovating of sports stadiums. These stadiums are often built with the help of federal subsidies as well as funding through state and local taxes. This issue is not new, as study of subsidized stadiums by the Department of Economics at the College of the Holy Cross noted that “construction costs alone for major league professional sports facilities have totaled in excess of $30 billion in nominal terms over the past two decades with over half of the cost being paid by the public.”

Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with watching sports. However, it has become far more than just a game in this country. It is used to promote militarism, divide, and serve as bread and circuses while the empire spreads across the globe. As the study mentions above, all of this comes with a hefty price tag, too. Americans are quite literally financing their own distraction.

As Reason magazine reported this week, if approved by the New York legislature, the New York Bills’ taxpayer-funded stadium would be the biggest public handout in NFL history.

State and local taxpayers will contribute about $850 million toward the estimated $1.4 billion stadium project. Most of the public funds are coming from the state but Erie County, where the Bills’ new stadium will be built down the street from their current home, will contribute $250 million of the total. That’s a huge contribution from a local government that in 2021 spent a little more than $1.5 billion on its entire budget. The Bills owners, which include multi-billionaire Terry Pegula, are chipping in just $300 million while the NFL will cover the remaining $200 million with a loan to the team, according to the Times. “It’s a great day for western New York and I’m really proud to negotiate such a good deal for the state and our many, many fans,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said, according to the Associated Press. While the sticker price for taxpayers is just $850 million on the surface, Neil deMause at Field of Schemes reminds us that the county — funded by taxpayers — will spend $75 million out of this year’s budget, and bond out the other $175 million and pay it back later. What’s more, the taxpayers are on the hook for another $6 million a year, for 30 years for a “Capital Improvement Fund” which will be used to upgrade the stadium for the next 30 years, plus an unknown additional amount of money from the county; and $6.67 million a year in state money for 15 years toward a “maintenance and repair fund.”

As deMause points out, “without counting that undetermined county expense on future upgrades, that’s worth about another $160 million in present value, bringing the total public subsidy to $1.01 billion — pretty much exactly what Hochul and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz swore last week it was not.”

Sadly, despite the long history of robbing Americans to build sportsball stadiums, the trend continues. According to a report presented by The

Brookings Institution providing extensive insight into the staggering costs of federally subsidizing sports teams, football and baseball received the most in subsidies, followed by basketball and hockey. Since 2000, the MLB received $1.41 billion; the NFL received $1.1 billion; the NBA received $444 million; and the NHL received $236 million. The report states that “the federal government has subsidized newly constructed or majorly renovated professional sports stadiums to the tune of $3.2 billion federal taxpayer dollars since 2000” resulting in $3.7 billion in lost revenue.

Taxpayers are often lured into approving public dollars to be spent on stadiums based on the idea that they will provide an economic boost to their local area. “The first, friendlier approach to secure a new stadium is the myth that a new stadium will leadoff to an economic boom. For cities that already have stadiums, the hardball approach of threatening to move to a new city works wonders,” notes Eric Peterson of the Washington Examiner and Americans for Prosperity.

Proponents claim that job growth will soar, and that tourists will enrich the area by spending money on hotels, restaurants, and other local attractions. As enticing as it sounds, the projections rarely come to fruition, as The Tax Foundation’s Jared Walczak points out:

“Nearly 80 percent of all professional sports facilities in the U.S. were replaced or underwent major renovation between 1987 and 2005, with 71 percent of the funding coming from government coffers. But for governments, the numbers never added up: in 1997, all amusement and recreational services combined—a category in which professional sports is just one of many components—accounted for a mere 0.06 percent of the more than 55 million jobs located in counties populated by more than 300,000 persons. These jobs accounted for ‘one-tenth of 1 percent of the $1.5 trillion in income reported for these 161 counties.’”

Despite these historical trends, Hochul and her ilk are once again making these empty promises about “jobs” and “economic growth.”

“New Yorkers can rest assured that their investment will be recouped by the economic activity the team generates,” Hochul said Monday.

Sure thing.

Sadly, this is business as usual for government and corrupt ties to billionaires who have an increasing amount of influence over them.

Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project.

https://www.activistpost.com/2022/04/billionaires-taking-1-01-billion-from-taxpayers-to-finance-a-football-stadium-distracting-you-is-expensive.html

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Trump another Putin?

Introductory Comments and Article

From across the European continent comes this observation from an attorney in the Netherlands. She sees beyond the American political landscape observing the dangerous precedent set by the whole debacle concerning Donald Trump, and its effects on US democracy and that of other nations. The similarities between Trump and Putin are so striking that they should generate grave concern for 2024 and the prospect of his return to power or at least the chaotic effects on the American democratic process. What Putin has done is what Trump would like to do, use lies, gross exaggerations, false narratives and enable a host of power-hungry sycophants to accomplish his misguided dreams. If he does achieve power, either directly or through his loyalist worshippers, he will turn the American dream into the world’s nightmare. (RJG)

Marcia Meoli: How do Americans not see that Trump is just another Putin?

Marcia Meoli
March 18, 2022·
The Holland Sentinel

For those of you out there who still support former President Trump, I thought it would be important to mention what he has said about Vladimir Putin’s action to have his country invade Ukraine this past month.

Before I do that, however, I want to mention what Putin said on his way to attacking his brother country. He made false statements about Ukrainian atrocities against Russian-speaking people in Ukraine and that Western nations want to use Ukraine as a springboard to invade and destroy Russia.

He has never accepted that some of countries the USSR dominated after World War II joined NATO after the dissolution of the USSR. NATO is an organization created in reaction to the Soviet domination of Eastern Europe. But the last time NATO admitted a former Soviet country was in 2004. (Other countries joined in 2009, 2017 and 2020, but they were previously part of Yugoslavia, which was a dictatorship, but not Soviet.) So, assuming NATO expansion is a threat to Russia, nothing has happened in that direction for 18 years. He seems to blame the West, and U.S. in particular, for most of the problems of Russia and its predecessor going back to WWII and before.

All hogwash.

And nowhere does Putin seem to spend time thinking about what the people in those countries, like Ukraine, want. He alone will decide what happens to them and force his view upon them. Then he warns anyone who tries to intervene: “Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.”

Sound familiar? This is what former President Trump said more than once while in office. He said it in 2017 when he threatened North Korea with “fire and fury like the world has never seen.” One year later, in 2018, he declared that North Korea posed no nuclear threat after meeting directly with the North Korean dictator, posing with photos with that man and leaving with nothing. So far as I can tell, the situation with North Korea at the end of his presidency was not different than at the beginning. He made no progress on that problem.

Which brings us to Trump’s statements about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He referred to Putin as “savvy” and “genius” and the invasion as “smart.” His admiration here reminds me of his numerous statements of admiration for dictators who forced their will on people in their own countries. Remember, in 2018, what Trump said after the Chinese leader Xi Jinping secured indefinite rule over his country: “Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot some day.”

Well, maybe, if Trump gets back in office, we will give it a shot to attack another country (again). Or perhaps we can see the poisoning of political opposition leaders. Trump already called the press the “enemy of the state” as Putin has, so that can resume. Trump can take a page from Putin and advocate for laws which make it illegal for the press to cover certain events. (Sound familiar? Isn’t that what some states are now doing with education on subjects which make white people feel guilty?) We can watch Trump copy Putin to basically use the entire government to consolidate riches for himself. With the various investigations going on, we may find out soon in detail how Trump already did that while in office.

One thing seems certain: With Trump, we get a constant stream of false narratives on just about everything. Like Putin.

People who voted for Trump — and the Republican Party which still enables him — need to think about this as they go forward. How much are you willing to stomach? Calling Jan. 6, 2021, “legitimate political discourse” is illegitimate political leadership. It is no less culpable than giving a gun to a troubled teen and sending him off to school.

Another thing seems certain: If people continue to support Trump and put him back in office, he will interpret that as the go-ahead to do all these things and more. And it won’t be as simple as someone getting shot on Fifth Avenue, New York.

— Community Columnist Marcia Meoli is a Holland attorney and resident. Contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Marcia Meoli: How do Americans not see that Trump is just another Putin?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/marcia-meoli-americans-not-see-041509994.html

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Mike Johanns, Heidi Heitkamp

Mon, April 4, 2022, 5:37 AM

The war in Ukraine is impacting the global food supply and agricultural production in a profound and lasting way.

Together, Russia and Ukraine provide over 30% of the world's wheat supply, just under 30% of the world's barley supplies, about 15% of the global corn supply, and over 70% of the world's sunflower oil.

We also can’t forget that so far, millions of Ukrainian citizens have fled their country and are desperately in need of a stable food supply.

Planting season is right around the corner for Ukraine, but it’s hard to imagine a good crop yield in the war-torn country, even if it was possible to deliver the necessary seeds and fertilizer.

Sanctions are rightfully closing Russia's trade with the rest of the world, and Russia has simultaneously suspended fertilizer sales to other countries. They currently supply about 14% of the worldwide urea market and 21% of the potash market. A significant portion of natural gas, the most expensive part of producing nitrogen fertilizers, comes from Russia.

For all intents and purposes, the Russian fertilizer market is closed for the foreseeable future. Although American farmers do not buy fertilizer or ingredients from Russia, countries that do will have to start buying from U.S. suppliers, which will force prices even higher.

All these new challenges come after two difficult years for agriculture. Drought has strained food production in many parts of the world. Now, dwindling grain stocks and skyrocketing fertilizer prices are all being dramatically aggravated by the war in Ukraine.

There has never been a clearer example of U.S. food security being critical to national security. It is crucial that we as a nation rally our resources to support agricultural production and step into our role as a worldwide food supplier.

It is not an overstatement to say we’re in the early stages of a global food crisis and that its ripple effect will be felt by U.S. consumers. The burden of solving this crisis will fall on the shoulders of the American farmer and rancher, and they will need help from the federal government to meet these challenges.

Now is the time for the president and Congress to act. Farmers and ranchers need to use technology and innovation to adapt their operations—and Washington can truly be their partner in this effort.

For example, many agriculture businesses are claiming the Research and Development Tax Credit to increase production and feed a hungry world. They can qualify for this benefit by simply adapting their daily activities to improve yield and production, such as experimenting with different types of fertilizer and irrigation techniques or integrating new technologies into their workflow. While the R&D tax credit is currently the largest permanent incentive available to the agriculture industry, it needs expansion to account for what is happening on the world stage.

The recent amortization delay has also made this benefit far less effective. Agricultural businesses used to be able to claim the full deduction during the year they incurred R&D expenses, but now farmers who invest in research and development won’t see these full financial returns for five years.

Delaying this benefit is highly counterintuitive, especially when the industry is already saddled with skyrocketing fertilizer and fuel costs. To remedy this, Congress must revert to its prior protocol, as well as allow a portion of fertilizer, fuel costs, and new technology investments to qualify for the R&D tax credit.

Aside from bolstering financial resources, it’s imperative that our nation understands its significant role in feeding the world. This is not the time to retreat from the good work that has been done in opening trade opportunities and leveling the playing field for farmers and ranchers in the U.S.

Especially in this time of war, we can't leave farmers questioning whether their heavy investments to increase crop yields are worth the risk. G7 agriculture ministers said it best when they stated recently that they are determined to “do what is necessary to prevent and respond to a food crisis.”

It is our hope that Washington will join the agriculture industry in this effort and show the world, once again, the true strength of the American farmer.

Mike Johanns is the chairman of agriculture at alliantgroup. Johanns served as the U.S. secretary of agriculture from 2005–2007 as well as the governor of Nebraska from 1999–2005 and the state’s U.S. senator from 2009–2015.

Heidi Heitkamp is the director of agriculture at alliantgroup.Heitkamp represented North Dakota from 2013 to 2019 and was the first woman ever elected to represent the state as a U.S. senator.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/food-crisis-coming-help-american-093700352.html

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Note (Seduced by Sunday, this thoroughly pagan celebration has become a conduit for more pagan/papal fallacies. So-called Protestants arrogantly display their rebuke of the Protestant Reformation when they adopt more and even more of Romanized paganism, as they perform various degrees of theological gymnastics to justify their rebellion) RJG

Is Lent becoming more popular among Evangelicals?

By Nicole Alcindor, CP Reporter
Monday, April 11th 2022

For the first 23 years of his life, Pastor Douglas Ponder had never heard of the word “Lent” because he was raised in a Southern Baptist household. Now, over a decade later, the 38-year-old pastor can’t get enough of the Lenten season.

Lent is an annual season of fasting that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends the day before Easter Sunday. This is a period of 40 days plus Sundays, as Sunday is a day of rest and is not considered part of the observance.

Although more commonly practiced among Catholic and mainline Protestant denominations, some Evangelical and non- denominational Christians are observing the traditional liturgical season of Lent.

For Ponder, who founded and serves as teaching pastor for the Acts 29-affiliated Remnant Church of Richmond, Virginia, Lent became part of the fabric of his faith shortly after he entered seminary school in 2012.

“I discovered Lent in seminary school as I studied a lot of older church authors, church historians, and discovered that there were lots of practices that were common at different points in Church history that weren't part of my upbringing. And so Lent was among those,” Ponder said in an interview with The Christian Post.

“As I began to read and study more widely, I thought, ‘Hey, the Bible has a lot to say about fasting. And it would be great to take a season to fast more and focus on the work of Jesus leading up to Easter and identifying with Him through that.'"

Ponder said some of the ways he practices Lent is by setting aside time during the 40 days for daily meditation, Scripture reading, and focusing his mind on what Jesus has done through prayer.

The pastor said for the duration of the days of Lent he also selects something that has become a major part of his daily routine to cut out of his life, such as sugar or television.

For Ponder, over the past few years, the season of Lent, he said, has really changed his whole perspective on Christianity and it helped him to get in a more fixed spiritual rhythm of giving and loving and to remember more closely the sacrificial grace that comes from Jesus Christ.

When he does more faith-based things and denies himself something during the season each year, Ponder said it helps him to remember those who go without unwillingly, while remembering that no need is greater than the human need for Jesus Christ.

While many Christians are accustomed to hearing about Lent as a holiday practiced mostly by Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist and Episcopalian churches, within the past few years, Ponder said, trends have changed to show that more Protestant, Evangelical and nondenominational churches have started to adopt the Lenten practice in their houses of worship.

With a church that averages 750 people a service, Ponder said that about 20% of his nondenominational church celebrates Lent. Even though
Ponder celebrates Lent every year, he said, he tells his church that it’s a personal and private decision for each Christian on whether or not they choose to celebrate the season.

or the members of his church that choose not to celebrate Lent, Ponder said, he encourages them to incorporate regular spiritual rhythms in their lives where they are doing things that Jesus encourages His followers to do.

Our church doesn't celebrate Lent officially. But I counsel the members of my church, to see the freedom that they have in Christ to do it or not.
If they want to observe Lent, I encourage them to use it as an opportunity to do the kinds of things that God says are good all the time; such as: reading from God's Word, spending time in prayer and cutting out things from their life that has taken up too much of their time and attention,” Ponder said.

As more counter-traditional denominations begin to adopt Lenten practices, Ponder said this can potentially be a beneficial thing. However, he added, more churches celebrating Lent simply because it’s “trendy and popular” could be problematic.

“I think that the trend is mainly becoming popular in nondenominational churches that do not have a deep history; or deep connection with the Christian Church's history. These types of churches sometimes feel rootless and they go in search of ancient practices, to feel more connected with their faith,” Ponder explained.

Ponder also noted that the Bible is full of warnings against people approaching their faith in a way that is all about chasing after a religious practice or concept or idea, even if it is a longtime practiced custom.

“I've seen a trend among people who just sort of mindlessly began doing Lent simply because it's popular. They don't ask questions like:
‘Where did this practice or idea come from? Has it always been practiced? If it was rejected, why was it rejected? Were those good reasons?

Are they bad reasons? Do I have good reasons for doing it? Bad reasons for doing it? Is this something I have to do? Is this something I'm free to do,'” Ponder said.

“Adopting Lent mindlessly is not always a bad thing, but it certainly can be because then these churches begin to do and practice things not because they understand what they are, but because of the feelings that it brings,” Ponder added.

Lent has the potential to bring someone much closer to Jesus if practiced unto the Lord, according to Ponder.

“It really all depends on how you approach Lent. In other words, it really boils down to what you think it's doing, and not doing. If somebody was not in the habit of reading God's Word, praying regularly, focusing on the Gospel and thinking more consciously about their life. Can Lent help them do that?

Absolutely. That's a beautiful thing. And if that's what it does for people, I praise God for it,” he said.

Ponder said, however, that Christians who are just beginning to practice Lent need to be mindful about their motives in doing so, telling CP that while "Lent can be beneficial," it can still "have an opposite effect."

"Remember that in the Bible, there are two ways to miss Jesus. There's sin on one side, but there's also self-righteousness on the other side,” Ponder explained.

“Self-righteousness is that path that people walk where they think that they're becoming closer to God because of what they do. They think that if they do good things, then God thinks better of them because they avoided bad things and as a result; they think they're becoming a good person."

Christians should be careful not to become like the Pharisees of the Bible, Ponder said, who he said can be viewed as enemies of Christ in the Gospel. Ponder said he takes a neutral stance on the growing trends as long as churches that do start to practice Lent and those who don’t practice Lent are all doing so unto the Lord.

“There's a kind of irony here that we have to be careful of. There are some people who practice Lent, and in the process of doing it, they become more self-righteous than they were to start with. And that actually pushes them further away from Jesus,” Ponder continued.

“Because instead of coming to a place where they are more thankful for Christ's work on their behalf, their eyes are not focused on Jesus, but they're focused on themselves and all that they've done; thinking that what they've done has brought them closer to the Lord,” he said, adding that the Lord does not get the glory in these cases.

While Ponder has noticed an overall increase in Protestant, Evangelical and non-denominational-churches adopting Lenten practices in their houses of worship, another long time-pastor Linda Bulloss of New York, who has observed trends in churches over the past two decades, said she has not seen this trend occurring all too often.

As the assistant pastor of Little Neck’s Edge City Church, Bulloss, who is affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America denomination, told CP that she has noticed that although some Protestant, Evangelical and nondenominational churches are switching over and adopting Lenten practices, she said she believes the majority of the churches within those denominations are remaining closed off to the idea of celebrating Lent.

“I think by and large, Lent is still ignored and still looked at as a religious activity that has no value. But, I think in churches that are rediscovering old, true traditions, the older Church fathers and the traditions; in some of those churches, they're revisiting these things as a spiritual discipline. And spiritual disciplines yield good fruit,” said the 74-year-old pastor, who has been practicing Lent since she became a Christian in 1975.

Bulloss predicts that some churches are remaining closed off to celebrating Lent because their leaders could be worried that Lent won’t be taken seriously because their congregants will think the idea of giving up something small for something bigger has little meaning. Other churches, she said, might have a fear of becoming too sacramental or ritualistic and a fear of appearing too much like the denominations that typically celebrate lent traditionally.

“Although there is no specific biblical call to honoring that 40 days between the resurrection and Ash Wednesday, I think it evolved over time as people felt like there was a need inside of their souls to do something; a commitment to rise to a different level of commitment, by doing a time of fasting and prayer and attention to the Lord because of all that He's done for us,” Bulloss said.

“Because to put our attention on His sacrifice, death and resurrection during this time is a small price to pay for what He's done for us; even though it's not spelled out, particularly in the Scriptures,” she added.

Bulloss said that the way in which a church presents Lent to its congregants is very important because if it’s presented in the wrong way, the congregants will not benefit from the season.

“If it's presented in a trivial sort of way, like you give up the thing that maybe you don't even like anyway, then it doesn't really have much importance. But if one introduces it as a way of looking toward something or looking more fully at something, and other things falling away, I think it could have great benefits,” Bulloss said.

“I think it can change our souls. It can change our perspective. And anything that we do to just say no to our own pride and selfishness, and look to the Savior allows for the Lord to make us more Christ-like,” she added.

For others who have practiced Lent alongside a denomination that has been known to traditionally practice the season, the idea of other more counter-traditional Christian denominations adopting the season as a new practice is not necessarily bad news.

Paul Jarzembowski, the associate director of the laity of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that he loves when there’s an opportunity to learn from other denominations and he is glad that other Christians aside from Catholics are adopting Lenten practices.

“I know in our Catholic tradition we've learned from Evangelical mainline Protestant communities and we’ve kind of incorporated and learned from the wisdom there. And so Lent is part of the tradition that Catholics have held onto for many years. And so, I hope that whoever celebrates it and experiences it, even if it’s not part of their normal tradition, I hope it’s a gift and that it is a grace for them,” Jarzembowski told CP.

“It has been a special part of our Catholic tradition, so if it can benefit others what a wonderful thing. It speaks to the ecumenical desire. It makes me think about the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus said: ‘Lord I pray that they may be one as you and I, Father, are one,’" he added.

In a way, as many different Christian denominations commemorate the experience of Lent together across religious traditions, Jarzembowski said, that shows the unity that Jesus prayed in the New Testament.

“That must make the Lord smile, to know that at this time there is a oneness, there is a unity that is being brought — maybe not complete unity — but it’s a beautiful thing,” Jarzembowski said.

“It speaks to our common faith in Jesus Christ and that gives me great joy to know that I share that with others."

For the churches that believe that Lent is unbiblical and therefore do not follow the season, Jarzembowski said, they could potentially find within the Bible why Lent could be viewed as a precedent.

We can all keep learning from each other.….The exact word 'Lent' is not in the Bible. So there's accuracy in that. And it’s not specifically mandated that we celebrate Lent. But it is an opportunity for us to draw inward,” he said.

The 40 days of Lent, Jarzembowski said, could potentially be viewed as a mirroring of a few different aspects of Scripture, noting that it "is reminiscent of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert."

"Not a Lent, but it is a time where Jesus took time away to spend time in prayer and fasting. We know that Moses spent 40 days on the mountain on Mount Sinai to receive the 10 commandments. Again, not exactly Lent, but again, it was a dedicated time where, he too, could be focused and in intense prayer and fasting,” Jarzembowski said.

“And so, we too, at this time, follow in the footsteps of Moses and Jesus who took those 40 days. So in some respects, there is a biblical precedent to Lent."
https://www.christianpost.com/news/is-lent-becoming-more-popular-among-evangelicals.html

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By Joseph Mattera, Op-ed Contributor
CP VOICES | SUNDAY, APRIL 03, 2022

By Christian nationalism, I refer to a belief that a particular nation's values, culture, and laws should respect or reflect biblical ethics and morality. The following are four popular historical views that I have observed related to this subject.

1. Religious nationalism

The first view is when church and state are completely integrated so that the opinions and identity of a church will coincide with the values and identity of a particular nation and culture. A prime example of this is the Eastern Orthodox Church. Their churches are so intertwined with the culture and nation that they are named after their country, for example, the Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, and Polish Orthodox.

If there is a civil war or a segment of a nation experiences a geo/political split, the Orthodox Church within that nation will also experience an ecclesial split based on its political alliances. Currently, we are witnessing ecclesial division between the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox leadership. They are each blessing the respective armies of their nation during the present Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is a very unbiblical form of Christian nationalism since the Gospel should never be subservient to the dictates and politics of any nation.

2. Cultural Christian nationalism

Since the early centuries of Christianity, church and state have been mingled in certain periods. During the Protestant Reformation, a person was considered either a Roman Catholic or a Protestant based on which nation they were born in. For example, "The Peace of Westphalia" in the 17th century ended the "30 years war" by allowing certain lands to be either designated as Roman Catholic or Protestant.

Even today, we have people born in Germany or Norway who consider themselves Lutheran, or if they were born in England, they tend to identify as Anglican. This is unbiblical since God has no grandchildren; every person has to be born from above, not of flesh and blood or through the will of men (John 1:12-13). Almost 80 years ago, the world witnessed a horrific example of Christian cultural nationalism when Hitler equated an Arian German with being a historic Lutheran Christian. He even used some of the later quotes of Martin Luther to rile up sentiment against Jewish people and support his notion of the so-called Reich Church. Consequently, just because you are born in a certain nation does not grant you citizenship in Heaven. The Gospel of the Kingdom transcends all geo/political identities because, as King of Kings, Jesus claims all nations for Himself (Psalm 2).

3. Political/Christian nationalism

Since the American Revolution, we have seen some Christians connect the Kingdom of God with the United States. Based on their interpretation of "Manifest Destiny," some have even called America the "New Israel" because they claim this nation was the only other nation besides Israel that was founded upon a covenant with God. For example, when men signed the Mayflower compact and initiated a covenant with God. However, Abraham, the father of Israel, never initiated a covenant with God. God initiated it with Abraham and the nation of Israel (Genesis 15:7-20; Hebrews 6:13-19). In recent days, some of the so-called prophets and their followers seemed to connect the Kingdom of God with the political destiny of America, with some even saying that Donald Trump has been crowned as the only recognized U.S. president in Heaven. Connecting any political party, person or secular movement with the Kingdom is unbiblical. The Kingdom transcends all nations and systems and never depends upon a top-down political control to prosecute the will of God.

4. Salt and light nationalism

This form of Christian nationalism comes about through Gospel permeation, not top-down political coercion. True Gospel permeation in society eventually influences a nation with Judeo/Christian principles. After all, Jesus called His followers "the salt of the earth and the light of the world," not the salt of the church and the light of the pew (Matthew 5:13-16). This is an express declaration by Jesus that He expects Believers to be prophets to the world.

The Lord's prayer takes it further as it involves praying for God's Kingdom and will to be done on earth (not just in church buildings for two hours on a Sunday morning) as it is in Heaven (Luke 11:2-4). Thus, since God claims the earth for Himself, there is no such thing as neutrality in this world. A nation bases its laws and policies upon Biblical ethos or autonomous humanism.

Consequently, all Christ-followers should work for biblical righteousness in their civic government and model the values of the Kingdom in their particular sphere of influence. If every church were making disciples and releasing them to serve in the workplace, their nation would see the transformation from the bottom up through changed hearts and minds.
As far as "salt and light" Christian nationalism, we are responsible for loving our neighbor as we love ourselves as individual believers. We cannot care for others if we do not take care of ourselves. The Apostle Paul also commands Christians to manage their household and care for their family members (1 Timothy 3:5; 1 Timothy 5:8).

The command to take care of one's own family first can be logically expanded to include providing first for your nation since a nation sustains the ecosystem needed for healthy biological families. Ergo, a responsible Christian should prioritize reaching their nation and support policies that advance the quality of life of their own country if they truly love their immediate family and community. For example, if you're a believer living in the U.S., a case can be made for an "America First" mindset, as long as it doesn't involve the abuse of other nations.

In conclusion, Christian nationalism is biblical if it is based upon influencing one's nation through bottom-up community service, advanced problem solving and Gospel permeation that then results in the exaltation of Christ in every sphere of society.

Dr. Joseph Mattera is an internationally-known author, consultant, and theologian whose mission is to influence leaders who influence culture. He is the founding pastor of Resurrection Church, and leads several organizations, including The U.S. Coalition of Apostolic Leaders and Christ Covenant Coalition

https://www.christianpost.com/voices/4-biblical-and-unbiblical-forms-of-christian-nationalism.html

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2:00PM EDT 4/14/2022 SHAWN A. AKERS

For more than five years, administrators and participants in the 24/7 National Strategic Prayer Call have diligently acted as intercessors for the United States of America. It's a calling from the Lord they don't—and haven't—taken lightly.

During that time, people involved in the movement have been engaged in a spiritual battle, what they like to call a "warfare of love." While Americans have become distracted over issues that are intended to undermine and destroy the American way of life, these intercessors have been fighting on their knees to battle these demonic forces with the most effective weapon at their disposal: prayer.

And this Sunday—Resurrection Sunday—these prayer warriors will once again be engaged with the enemy in what they say is one of the most crucial moments in U.S. history. Pastors and intercessors from throughout the country will gather in Barrow, Alaska—at the northernmost tip of the United States—to welcome the King of glory to spark what they hope will soon be the next Great Awakening for America.

The "Welcome the King of Glory Alaska" event begins Thursday and will end Sunday. On Sunday morning at 2 a.m., under the lights of aurora borealis, the group will "proclaim the marriage covenant with our Lord Jesus Christ" on behalf of Alaska. With others joining in throughout America, the 24/7 National Strategic Prayer call will canvas the entire country, bathing it in prayer to turn the hearts of those who are opposed to freedom and the sovereignty of God.

It is the latest of dozens of "Welcome the King of Glory" events hosted by the 24/7 National Strategic Prayer Call since 2017. The events have encompassed all four corners of the United States and many locations in between.

Pastor Ioan Peia, a co-administrator of the 24/7 National Strategic Prayer Call, says the Holy Spirit prompted the group to come to Alaska for "a time such as this."

"We have been summoned here by the Holy Spirit to welcome the King of glory," Peia says. "We believe this Resurrection Sunday is very significant for the U.S. This is a trigger in the spirit realm for the entire nation. There will be a connection from Barrow to thousands of intercessors who will join us in prayer to form a canopy over the country to welcome the King of glory into the United States early that morning.

This is in alignment with a prophetic word I received in Aurora, Colorado, in 2011 that spoke to me about the end times destiny of the United States," he adds. "It was about restoring the Christian foundation of this nation. We are a covenant nation for God. This nation will once become as it has been destined to for world evangelism.

"The love of God for the United States has never ceased," Peia says. "This nation was created by God, and the vision for it is beautiful. A Great Awakening is just around the corner. It will be coming like a tsunami. The Lord is taking over his right of inheritance, and we are there to be his witnesses. He's exposing everything—the darkness and the evil. It must be corrected and the nation must be restored. This is a time of manifestation of the grace of God."

Alaskan team coordinator Richard Stoffel, one of the facilitators of the event, says his life has changed since getting involved with the 24/7 National Strategic Prayer Call. He has become on fire for the Lord to
intercede for this country to overcome the darkness that has enveloped it in recent years.

"You want to know why there is so much anger and hatred in this country?" he asks. "The root of that, I personally believe, is unforgiveness. It's one of the best weaknesses individuals have in this country. It is a lack of forgiveness. The country was built on a foundation of love and forgiveness. We are lukewarm as a whole. We're all the church, and we need to help one another to overcome the religious spirits and the spirits of darkness."

Maureen Bravo, one of the co-administrators of the 24/7 National Strategic Prayer Call, agrees and says the vision for this Alaskan event is to end the divisiveness the enemy has perpetrated on the United States.

"Scripture says 'perfect love casts out fear' (1 John 4:18)," Bravo says. "Fear is the root of the hatred and anger we are experiencing. We receive God's love for the people who are ruled by this. We hope to open their hearts and let them know that Christ is in them and that He is the hope of glory.

"What we are focused on is unifying the country," she adds. "Alaska is the northernmost state in the U.S. We're on the top of the world looking down on creation, as the old song says. We are asking God to move in an unusual way, and we know that he can do the work that is needed."

The 24/7 National Strategic Prayer Call has chapters in 40 of the 50 states in the U.S., but the hope is to soon encompass all 50 states.

Shawn A. Akers is the online editor for Charisma News.

https://www.charismanews.com/culture/88907-prophetic-intercessor-says-the-christian-foundation-of-this-nation-will-be-restored

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Shortages Of A Few Items Now Will Evolve Into Hundreds Of Products Later In 2022

BY MICHAEL SNYDER/END OF THE AMERICAN DREAM APRIL 28, 2022

What we have witnessed so far is just the beginning of the story. The global response to the COVID pandemic during 2020 and 2021 created the most epic supply chain crisis in modern times, and now "black swan events" such as the war in Ukraine and the bird flu pandemic are making that supply chain crisis even worse. Unfortunately, more global difficulties are coming.

There will be more war, there will be more pestilences, there will be more natural disasters, and even the United Nations is admitting that we are heading into the worst global food crisis since World War II. So if you think that global supply chain problems are severe now, just wait until you see what is coming next.

If you go into most major retailers today, you will notice that stock levels are lower than usual and there are some empty shelves.

But most items are still available most of the time, and that is good news.

Of course there are certain product categories that have been experiencing chronic shortages for an extended period of time. For example, supplies of canned pet food have been extremely tight for months on end...

The next time you go to the pet store don't be surprised to see some empty shelves.

Many pet stores are facing a shortage on canned pet food.

Right now, there just aren't enough cheap sources of chicken and turkey due to the bird flu pandemic, there is an ongoing shortage of aluminum, and there is a shortage of factory workers.

So the canned pet food shortage is not likely to be fixed any time soon.

Another shortage that is going to affect much of the country as we head into the summer months is the growing chlorine shortage.

I was not even aware of this shortage until a reader alerted me. Apparently this shortage was originally caused by the destruction of a manufacturing facility in Louisiana by Hurricane Laura...

While the pandemic takes its share of the blame, the even larger reason for the current chlorine shortage is that a major chlorine manufacturing plant in Louisiana was destroyed by Hurricane Laura in late 2020. A fire on the premises leveled the facilities and took nearly 40% of the country's chlorine tablet supply with it.

The manufacturing plant is being rebuilt and is currently under construction; it was due to reopen by mid-to-late 2022, but those plans could be pushed back due to the ongoing construction material shortages.

I find it ironic that the nationwide chlorine shortage could be extended thanks to the nationwide construction material shortage.

Anyone that is trying to build a home knows how painful the construction material shortage has become, and I anticipate that it will only become more severe in 2023 and beyond.

Meanwhile, the nationwide baby formula shortage just continues to get even worse... Janis Burnson is one of many parents having to work around a national baby formula shortage.

"Go around in our area, St. George, any stores I can, can't find anything around here. I have friends in northern Utah, they're having to send me stuff, so I'm having to pay even more," she says.

One local reporter in southern Utah decided to check this out for herself, and when she visited local stores she discovered "bare shelves where baby formula should be."

What a nightmare.

But at least we can be glad that things are not as bad here as they are in Europe.

Over there, widespread rationing of certain products has already begun. For example, it was just announced that Tesco is now limiting each customer to three bottles of cooking oil...

If record-high food prices weren't enough. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has choked off the world of sunflower oil supply, forcing the largest supermarket in the UK to begin rationing.

The Guardian reports that Tesco, with more than 4,000 retail stores, placed buying limits of three cooking oil bottles per customer. It follows Waitrose and Morrisons, other supermarket chains that set limits of just two per customer.

This particular shortage is directly related to the war in Ukraine, and David Einhorn is warning that this war is making a whole host of our ongoing problems even worse...

The common refrain about COVID was that it sped up changes and trends that were already happening. We believe the same is true of the war. Inflation, supply chain problems, and shortages of energy, food, raw materials and labor were already issues that the war has now accelerated.

Sadly, he is quite correct, and at this point there appears to be no hope that this war will end any time soon.

Russia and Ukraine normally account for approximately 30 percent of all global wheat exports, and we were already facing an unprecedented global food crisis even before the war erupted.

When U.S. Senator Roger Marshall was recently asked about this, he openly admitted that a "worldwide famine" is definitely going to happen...

"Did you just say there will be a famine in Europe in the next two years?" Host Maria Bartiromo asked.

"This will be a worldwide famine. I think it will be even worse next year than this year. So if 12, 15% of the wheat comes from Ukraine that's exported, and they're having problems getting fertilizer, they're having tractors in the field, all the diesel fuel is going towards their war efforts, right?" the senator said.

Prior to 2022, can you ever remember a time when a sitting member of the U.S. Senate publicly warned us that a "worldwide famine" was coming?

The good news is that nobody is starving to death in the United States right now.

But food prices are certainly going up dramatically, and the mainstream media is doing lots of stories about it. For example, the following originally comes from USA Today...

Kevin Tave stretches a pot of spaghetti for three days of meals. Esmerelda Cortez gets eggs and bread from the food bank so she can afford laundry detergent at the store. Donnie Whitfield buys generic cereal instead of the Kellogg's he prefers.

Although unemployment continues dropping and wages are on the rise, all across the country, low-income people are struggling to put food on the table as skyrocketing inflation and high gas prices take a bigger bite of their already-small paychecks.

Needless to say, as conditions deteriorate it is not a good thing for Joe Biden's approval ratings...

During Joe Biden's fifth quarter in office, which began on January 20 and ended on April 19, an average of 41.3% of U.S. adults approved of the job he was doing as president. The latest average is essentially unchanged from the 41.7% in his fourth quarter but significantly lower than his first three quarterly averages.

But what most Americans don't understand is that it is too late for a political solution to this crisis.

No matter what Joe Biden and his minions decide to do, they are not going to be able to prevent the nightmarish conditions which are rapidly approaching.

As Senator Marshall admitted, there will be a worldwide famine.

There is no avoiding that now.

These are such troubled times, and they are only going to become even more troubled as the months roll along. Originally published at End Of The American Dream - reposted with permission.

https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=5333

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Opinion: The divide in the Christian church has become a chasm Henry Zorn

Thu, April 14, 2022,

It is Holy Week, the most sacred time of the year for Christians. Within this context, it causes me great pain to offer this response to the April 6 Enquirer article, "Fight for American values plays out."

In what is known as Jesus’ "High Priestly Prayer" that He spoke during Holy Week, our Lord prayed, "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one." (Emphasis added.)

Throughout history, these words have motivated Christians to work for ecumenical unity. The report of the Cincinnati Men’s Conference only confirms what I have been feeling and experiencing for decades in ministry: the divide in the Christian church in the United States has become a chasm! Even more troublesome and lamentable is that this divide is shaping up along partisan political lines and that the animosity is becoming more pronounced.

Subjects of Christian faith voiced at the conference were identified in the report: abortion, gender identification, gay marriage, premarital sex, and public school curriculum. I do not agree that those matters are primary for followers of Jesus in our time. As I read the Bible and attempt to interpret it for our day, I find it speaking to social issues like immigration and welcome of the "alien" (the need for compassionate, comprehensive immigration reform), Creation care (God gives humans dominion of the Earth to be exercised by stewardship of its resources), providing welcoming and safe churches for people who are in marginalized communities, for example, the LGBTQIA+ community (discerning the image of God in others), interfaith relations (we will never solve any global challenges or challenges especially germane to our nation, such as racism, if we do not work cooperatively across religious lines).

In addition, I was troubled by and found irony in the thought expressed in the conference that "evil prevails when good men do nothing." I believe that some of our most significant evils have resulted because good women have not even been invited to the table!

My grief is that the Christian expressions on each side of the chasm are likely irreconcilable at this time in history. My hope is that we might at least find some common ground to give witness to the "oneness" for which Jesus prayed. This summer, the church that I pastor will make its 18th disaster relief trip since Hurricane Katrina. We will head to western Kentucky to share the gospel with hammers, nails and hugs. We have previously ministered in both "red" and "blue" communities. Surely, rebuilding homes and lives devastated by natural disaster, feeding the hungry, pursuing peace, and loving our neighbor through other humanitarian efforts is an expression of Christian faith that we can agree on!

I am troubled that the voice of Christianity expressed at the men’s conference comes across as the dominant expression these days, leaving the uniformed to believe that it is the true and exclusive expression of Christian faith. Indeed, I have had numerous interactions with gay people, people of color, immigrants, young people and others of marginalized communities who have heard and experienced the welcome expressed by my congregation and responded, "I didn’t know a church like yours existed!" Yet, we are not alone. There are many others.

For those turned off by hearing Christian messages of exclusion and dogmatic moralism, I want you to know that there are places of welcome for you in the church. We believe that when Jesus spread His arms on the cross, they reached wide enough to include you!

Rev. Henry Zorn is pastor of Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Anderson Township.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Opinion: The divide in the Christian church has become a chasm
https://www.yahoo.com/news/opinion-divide-christian-church-become-020039979.html

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Note: (The temporal sword has lain dormant too long,” says the author. When and against whom will it be unsheathed?) RJG

Catholic Fighting Men in America Launch Crusade Against Communism

Logan Frati January 14, 2022
Selected Excerpt from longer article as named above.

The Battlefield

Take a look around. I trust that I am not breaking new ground with any readers of OnePeterFive when I say that the fabric of our society is coming apart before our very eyes. The foul poison of Communism courses through the veins of our republic. This concoction of the Adversary is a most bitter cup to swallow, but by and large our nation has done so. Let us lay bare his works:
o Corrupt elections
o Critical Race Theory and gender ideology in classrooms and public entertainment
o Lockdown and vaccine mandate regimes destroying livelihoods
o Tolerance of every conceivable criminal behavior in our streets
o Fentanyl and the opioid epidemic
o Open borders o Runaway inflation o Increased suicide rates
o The continued unborn holocaust o Weak and self-interested politicians and prelates
o A lying and degenerate media Prior to these last two years, few would have said our homeland could have descended to such a level of tyranny in such a short period of time.

And the Ark of Salvation, the Catholic Church? The Divinely-instituted society, whose object is to combat the world, the flesh, and the devil and save souls? How does she fare in the storm? She fares about the same way she did when her Divine Head was being crucified on Calvary—the great majority of her prelates having fled the battlefield. On the other hand, maybe she is as she was just prior to Pentecost—her members praying, yet cowering in fear in the upper room of the Cenacle. Perhaps worst of all, he who is supposed to be her leader, the Vicar of Christ, has recently with his motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes, cast aside her greatest weapon, her Durandal: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in its traditional form. This, of course, only being the latest installment of the Church’s own “Great Reset” promoted by heretics since Vatican II. Lamentably, the above only seems to be accelerating. As others have noted, it seems as though there is a race against time in the backdrop, which the forces of darkness are attempting to provide against.

That being said, this initiative will continue, regardless of clerical participation. Far too long has the temporal sword lain dormant, unwilling to take bold action without a little kiss on the forehead from priest or bishop—the true clericalism infecting the Church. If they will not be soldiers of Jesus Christ, as their Holy Orders especially oblige them to be, if they will not be on the front lines
like some of their illustrious forebears (the Polish and Spanish martyr priests of the last century against the Communists come to mind), then so be it. We will not be denied. “Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully: and cursed be he that withholdeth his sword from blood” (Jeremias 48:10).

Join us and take up the cross like our fathers did. Only changed men change the world. Our time is short. But above all, let it not be said that we pursue any of this with a bitter zeal, but always in true charity. Let us rather be described like the heroes in the story books, in a way such as this:

At risk of sounding like an ever-bemoaned “prophet of doom,” I’ll stop there. The question I pose to you is this:

If you can read the above, and you don’t have a fire in your belly, and you aren’t burning with anger, what’s wrong with you?

Pardon my being blunt, but if my intended audience is being reached, they’ll get it. This is the bottom line—the above is the future we are allowing to be created for our children. It cannot be allowed to continue.

When we stand before our Judge, if we have not taken every natural and supernatural means at our disposal to defeat these great evils, save our country, and protect our children, what shall we say? What testimony shall we then give? We must banish to hell the pacifistic hippie distortion of Our Blessed Lord created for us by our culture and perpetuated by our current masters. We must embrace the violence of charity (Matthew 11:12) and fight like our forefathers. We must regain the crusading spirit.

It is time to sell the cloak we have been hiding behind: our past obeisance to this wicked system, our complacency with the sin and vice in our own lives, our timidity and false mercy; and instead buy a sword (Luke 22:36).

The Plan

Luckily for us, heaven has revealed the means by which we can hope to surmount these Flight 93 odds, “For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12): Jesus Christ Our Lord. We must redouble our efforts to be “other Christs” in every sphere of our lives. We will have no peace without the Prince of Peace. This August Prince chose to save the world from the tyranny of the devil and sin by one means—the Blessed Virgin Mary, His mother. More than just an appeal to personal holiness, my appeal is that we storm heaven in and through her as she, the destroyer of all heresies, has asked on behalf of Her Son.

Note well the language of the consecration, and my appeal to all active and retired military, law enforcement, firefighters, and first responders to participate. It is paramount that we, the fighting men of this country, those most responsible for and having the greatest duty towards the common good, the temporal sword of the Church in our nation, show heaven our willingness to sacrifice and fight under the banner of Christ the King. Outside Him, all our efforts in our vocations are in vain. Furthermore—this consecration asks for marching orders. Once we get to the cockpit, what do we do?

In our country, we do not have the luxury of a Catholic majority, a Catholic heritage in our government, and a General Franco to take the helm as my ancestors did in Spain. Temporarily speaking, we are mostly without leaders. Our Lady is where we must turn for an answer to this problem.

Clergy and prelates of the traditional orders and the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) are being contacted, as well as diocesan clergy and even bishops. Our desire is to have the greatest number of parishes, clergy, and prelates involved in this Crusade, especially for the simultaneous consecration on Saturday the 26th. I implore you all who are reading this to send this up the chain of command, as it were, and make some noise. As my brother-in-arms recently wrote on this site about occupying the churches, perhaps it is also time to occupy some chanceries or bishop’s residences to make this happen? After all, we would only be “making a mess” as we are supposed to do…Just following orders, Your Holiness!

That being said, this initiative will continue, regardless of clerical participation. Far too long has the temporal sword lain dormant, unwilling to take bold action without a little kiss on the forehead from priest or bishop—the true clericalism infecting the Church. If they will not be soldiers of Jesus Christ, as their Holy Orders especially oblige them to be, if they will not be on the front lines like some of their illustrious forebears (the Polish and Spanish martyr priests of the last century against the Communists come to mind), then so be it. We will not be denied. “Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully: and cursed be he that withholdeth his sword from blood” (Jeremias 48:10).

Join us and take up the cross like our fathers did. Only changed men change the world. Our time is short. But above all, let it not be said that we pursue any of this with a bitter zeal, but always in true charity. Let us rather be described like the heroes in the story books, in a way such as this:

https://onepeterfive.com/catholic-fighting-men-in-america-launch-crusade-against-communism/