Tag: Christ

SubscribeStar Saturday: Systemic Wokeism

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If the assassination of Charlie Kirk highlighted anything, it was the systemic nature of woke Cultural Marxist ideology in our institutions.  Most everyone knew of that sinister influence already—even and especially the Cultural Marxists—but Kirk’s assassination cast the lethal extent of this brainwashing into sharp relief.

There are demonic forces at work in the United States and the West that seek to promote confusion about sex, biology, faith, and Truth.  The reigning mantra of the institutions is to “speak your truth,” “your truth” being whatever subjective set of assumptions and experiences cobble together into a narrowly solipsistic worldview.

It’s the mantra of unmarried women with overpaid jobs that are essentially daycare for grownups.  That’s fitting:  if you’re trying to build a worldview that just encourages people to consume until they die, it makes sense to frame it in the language of advertising and target it towards the demographic that spends the most money.

And in an increasingly feminized world, it’s the sales pitch of a lifetime:  do and be whatever you want, as long as you’re not a mean old conservative.  Worship whatever you want, especially yourself—just don’t worship Jesus Christ, because He Has Rules that might limit “your truth.”  Consume as much as you want—just don’t get your hopes up about buying a house.  Make your family look like whatever you want—just so long as you have god-like powers over slaying unborn children and snipping off your toddler’s wangdoodle when he starts playing with Barbies at his cousin’s house.

There is big money in transgenderism; just ask the Pritzkers, the bizarre family of overweight, moon-faced dwarves investing heavily in gender-altering surgeries.  All of it, it seems, is in service to a devilishly Gnostic belief that technology will allow humans to transcend life and death—that we will truly be our own gods.

The price for these elite fantasies of apotheosis is the price that is always paid to make the waking nightmares of empty people come true:  death and degradation for everyone else.

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SubscribeStar Saturday: Legion

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“And he answered, saying, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.'” – Matthew 5:9b

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” – Ephesians 6:12

Charles James “Charlie” Kirk was assassinated on Wednesday, 10 September 2025, while holding an open, civil debate.  Coupled with the (racially motivated) murder of Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte light rail, my heart has been heavy.

I saw the Zarutska surveillance footage on Telegram before I even knew the story.  When I first saw it, I thought she’d been punched violently in the throat—until I noticed her bleeding out.  I watched it a second time and realized with horror that I had just seen a woman die.  The look of utter fear and confusion on her face still haunts me, and will for some time.

I’ve been on that light rail.  The murder occurred very close to where Dr. Fiancée purchased her wedding dress.  It is a good, generally safe part of the city.  But evil goes where it wants, and it took the train that night.

So far I’ve avoided the close-up footage of Kirk’s assassination, but I’ve seen long-range footage.  From the commentary I’ve heard, as well as Dr. Fiancée’s medical expertise, it is likely that he died instantly, or at least very quickly.  He may not have felt it before he went into the loving arms of Jesus.

Yours portly was never a big Charlie Kirk listener, but I certainly knew of his impact.  He was a bog standard conservative Christian, very much like most people I know and love.  He might have been a bit milquetoast on some policy positions, but he was an incredibly effective speaker, debater, and organizer.  His organization, Turning Point USA, did real yeoman’s work to reach out to people that historically have not found a ready place in the modern Republican Party:  young people, blacks, Hispanics, homosexuals, etc.  Kirk’s efforts likely won Pennsylvania and other key States for President Trump in 2024.

Kirk was also openly and unapologetically a Christian.  He spoke boldly about his faith in Christ, and urged Americans not to be afraid, but to find strength and peace in a saving knowledge of Christ.  He never, it seems, brandished his faith as a way to gain cheap political points, but espoused it sincerely, forcefully, and effectively.

His effectiveness is, likely, one part of why he was murdered.  I believe that his faith had an even larger role to play.

Satan is powerful.  He will lose in the end, yes—and that is why he tries to drag so many souls to Hell with him.  Satan can only be in one place at a time, but his demons are many—and manifest.

His favorite tool right now seems to be the inherently atheistic, nihilistic, life-hating, angry doctrine of Cultural Marxism.  Masquerading in a cloak of compassion and understanding, this woke ideology demonizes anyone that is not in complete lockstep with its ever-changing orthodoxies.  Just like Satan, this ideology twists good concepts like compassion, sympathy, and health and applies them to the most wicked of goals:  abortion, assisted suicide, catch-and-release policies, racial division, and on and on.

The modern Left is demonic.  It promises that every person can be their own god, but all it produces is misery, emptiness, corruption, and death.

When the bullet ripped through Kirk’s neck, I am sure that Hell was rejoicing.  But Christ, not Satan, Is King, and He Uses even horrible acts of evil for His Glory.

Turn away from this wicked ideology and embrace Jesus.  Please—please!

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SubscribeStar Saturday: Conviction

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Yours portly sometimes gets a bit strident when sharing his views, particularly when it comes to immigration.  I do believe that immigration—both legal and illegal—is one of the major problems facing the United States and Europe today.  I also believe that not all cultures are created equal, and that Western Civilization is, broadly speaking, the best and highest form of cultural and civilizational expression ever achieved.

A great deal of that greatness—indeed, so much so that, like a fish in water, we don’t even realize how subsumed in it we are—comes from Christianity.  So much of the morality we take for granted in the West comes from Jesus Christ’s Teachings:  charity, patience, love, and—perhaps most importantly—forgiveness.  Christ Died on the Cross to pay for our sins—not His.  He Is the Spotless Lamb, Sacrificed to take on the burden of our sin once and for all.  He Was Resurrected and will Return.

That idea of forgiveness—merely ask and believe, and Christ Will Cleanse you of your sins and Welcome you into His everlasting Kingdom—is hugely powerful, and often cuts against human nature.  “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31) is probably the hardest teaching in Christianity, especially when “your neighbor” includes loving your enemies (Matthew 5:44).  And, boy, do enemies abound in these blasphemous times.

I struggle mightily with the injunction to love my enemies.  Indeed, I’ve been feeling a great deal of conviction about it lately.  The enemies of Goodness and Righteousness and Truth are many, and they are cruel.  But as Nietzsche put it (proving, too, that Truth can emanate even from those who are lost), “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”  Gulp!

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TBT^4: Chapel Lesson: Listening

The Portly Politico1 Comment

One of the appeals of teaching is that there is a rhythm and regularity to the school year.  The same events occur at roughly the same times each week, each month, each year.  I became a teacher for many reasons, but the predictability of the schedule has always been a major appeal.  I like a structure of routine that allows for great variety of experiences and activities within that larger structure.

So it is that we have come, once again, to the first day of Chapel for the new academic year.  We have Chapel every Thursday morning during our Morning Break/Meeting time.

Very occasionally, yours portly is called upon to deliver a brief Chapel lesson.  Here is one from a few years ago.  My only regret is that I did not do more to tie the message specifically and overtly back to Christ.

With that, here is 22 August 2024’s “TBT^2: Chapel Lesson: Listening”:

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TBT^2: A Discourse on Disclaimers

The Portly Politico5 Comments

What a difference a year makes.  It seems as though the election of Donaldus Magnus last November ushered in a profound cultural shift.  Being Left is cringe and gay.  It always was, but now normies are saying it out loud.

Sure, there’s still a lot of weirdos out there, but it’s fascinating to see how the culture has moved so wildly in such a short amount of time.  The age of needless disclaimers may very well be coming in—or, perhaps, it will intensify during the death throes of hand-wringing.

Well, we’ll see.  In the meantime, life is too short to bottle everything up.  Drop Truth Bombs, my friends!

With that, here is 27 June 2024’s “TBT: A Discourse on Disclaimers“:

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Reblogged Guest Post: Reflections on Lent

The Portly Politico26 Comments

Regular contributor Ponty abstained from commenting on blogs and social media during the Lent season.  He really stuck with it, too—I didn’t hear a word from here, save for some very good news on on occasion.

The sacrifice of something you enjoy for Lent is an exercise in refocusing your attention on God.  By giving up even a small pleasure (or vice), it helps us to reflect on what that “small” thing actually costs.  Could it be that small indulgence is a stumbling block to our faith?  Could it be keeping us from achieving more valuable and enduring things?

Ponty explores these and other themes in this beautiful post about his Lenten journey.  Ponty originally published this piece at FreeSpeechBacklash.com, a site in the broader Portly Politico Multiverse (or maybe The Portly Politico is just a site in the broader FSB Cinematic Universe—who knows?).  Graciously, Free Speech Backlash isn’t picky about its writers republishing on other sites, so I’m taking the opportunity to do so here.  I think the piece is well worth your time.

With that, here is Ponty with his “Reflections on Lent“:

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Good Friday

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Today is Good Friday, a day to remember the Sacrifice Christ Made on the Cross so that we might be saved.  The fun part of the celebration is Easter, when Christ Arose from the tomb, proclaiming victory over Death.  Today, we Christians reflect on the magnitude of His Sacrifice.

I’ll be spending this evening with Dr. Girlfriend, and we’ll be enjoying the Easter weekend together.  We are both looking forward to a relaxing and prayerful weekend after some very busy months.

Thank God that He Sent His Son to Die for our sins.  We don’t deserve it; Christ Did not deserve it.  That makes it all the more powerful.

Praise the Lord!

—TPP

TBT^4: Go to Church

The Portly Politico1 Comment

At present, it feels like the United States is experiencing a major Christian religious revival just below the surface.  It seems like being a professing Christian has become—dare I say it?—cool.  The desire for genuine connection with Christ and a body of likeminded believers ripples throughout the nation, potentially bucking the long, depressing trend of declining faith.

While Boomers seemed to embrace the excuse to stay home from The Age of The Virus—they left churches and never returned—at least some young people are realizing the benefits of church attendance.  It feels like something is changing, that the Holy Spirit Is Moving in mighty ways.

Let’s hope that feeling is correct!  Regardless, in good times and bad (especially bad), we should be going to church, engaging in the our Christian walk with fellow believers.  The Easter season is the perfect time to get back into the habit.

With that, here is 25 April 2024’s “TBT^2: Go to Church“:

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Open Mic Adventures CXV: “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains”

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The Sunday before the Inauguration I cheekily proposed to my pastor and our deacon that we should sing “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains” for our morning congregational hymn in honor of Trump’s then-upcoming Inauguration.  I had practiced the piece a bit Saturday evening, but with a pretty gnarly bout of sinus drainage, I found the high notes hard to hit.

Instead of singing the piece—a very old missionary tune by composer Lowell Mason, with words by Reginald Heber—either on my own or in church, I played it a few times as a bit of instrumental prelude music.

The melody for the piece is interesting, with a few suspensions and some unusual timing, like the long half-note pickup at the beginning and midway through the piece.

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