The Time for Choosing is at Hand

Posted on by charliej373

ICELAND

By Charlie Johnston

I spent a good chunk of last Sunday meandering in the mountains, with an hour in contemplation and prayer at the foot of Mt. Meeker. I actually wrote a lot last week – but I’ll deal with that another time.

People frequently call to ask me if this is it. Well, it certainly is becoming more and more of a global civil war fought on cultural lines. I think this is a sort of warning, a foreshadowing of the fullness of the storm, and an opportunity for all of us to take stock of where we are and of who we have become. I think it is clear that most of us are not ready for serious trials right now, though I hope it is the unreadiness of the Pacific Fleet right after Pearl Harbor. It went to sea to carry out punitive exercises in response and discovered that, though it had good equipment, it was pathetically unable to carry out any serious mission, so it came back to base and started relentlessly drilling. It became one of the finest fleet forces in world history once it took things, including rigorous training, seriously and with sober resolve.

The devil almost always attacks you at your weakest point. It is a classic of basic tactics. Only a fool would attack the castle at its strongest point – unless he were setting up a diversion to draw attention away from the weakest point in order to mount a subtle attack or ambush there. So, if you actually ARE attacked at your strong point, guard your weak point all the more. Sometimes silly men boast because their faults are not the same as others. The gambler says, “At least I am not a womanizer,” and the womanizer says, “At least I am not a gambler,” and both say, “At least I am not a drunk.” What fools! When you have such profound failings yourself for which you have required so much mercy, how can you dare be miserly to others with the mercy you have received in such abundance? Do you think God will be impressed? Do not view, through the beam in your own eye, the mote in your neighbor’s eye with satisfaction. Instead, bear each other’s burdens, live solidarity, cover your father’s nakedness as Shem and Japheth did for Noah (Genesis, Chapter 9). Always keep in mind that the devil seeks to inflame our greatest passions into disorder and then to sin. Thus fear, anger, envy, lust, greed, and wrath are all things he seeks to infect and inflame. Yet these ugly passions are often merely the disordered side of qualities the Lord bequeathed us that we need for our work. Seek to use your passion for the purposes for which the Lord has given them to you – and armor them against the satan’s attempts to inflame them into disorder and chaos. Frankly, these past couple of weeks I have been struggling with deep anger and disbelief.

The majority of what matters has already been revealed; the lines of battle are hardening; and so, inevitably, comes the moment when a decisive choice must be made by each person. Such is the time of visitation that will form the course of the rest of each person’s life. It is amazing to me. I have been present at the moment of visitation of many individuals – that moment when they must make the fundamental decision that sets the course of the rest of their lives. I have never seen a moment of visitation come to all at almost the same moment. The whole world has entered into a moment of visitation. I have found that most people do not recognize their moment of visitation until after it has long passed. Many of those who choose well never recognize it, for they just continue in their way of steady honor. Those that choose poorly almost always come to recognize it – and are either embittered or haunted by the loss entailed by their choosing poorly. It makes me wonder how many, even now, recognize the crossroads we have come to.

We are coming through the third worst general pandemic of my lifetime. While the media recently trumpeted that the Covid virus death toll recently reached 100,000, even Dr. Deborah Birk, head of the White House task force, said that these deaths have been overstated by “at least” 25 percent. With all the cancer, heart attack – and even traffic accident, shooting and stabbing fatalities wrongly attributed to Covid, I suspect her estimate is substantially low. But let’s take her at her word. That means that Covid deaths are actually no more than 75,000 – at the upper range of a normal flu season (30,000-80,000). I expect it will top off at about 90,000 in real deaths. The Asian Flu of 1958-59 claimed about 100,000 lives in America, while the Hong Kong Flu of 1968-69 claimed about 115,000. Still, though Covid is in the range of normal notably rough years, it has had a more devastating effect than the worst in American history – because we decided to quarantine the healthy and shut down the American economy. As bad as all that is, I am more shaken by what the hideous over-reaction has revealed about all of us than I am by the over-reaction itself.

I already knew that a great diabolic disorientation had overwhelmed the modern left: they use compassionate buzzwords to leverage absolute power to themselves, which is all they care about anymore. So I was not surprised when petty officials throughout the land used the Covid scare to impose arbitrary rules unrelated to any rational analysis on what they consider to be their subjects. I had suspected that “experts” had succumbed to the same feverish politicization of everything, so I was not terribly surprised that they made what Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) called “wrong prediction after wrong prediction after wrong prediction.” I was a bit taken aback that their serial public beclowning of themselves did not lead to any humility or prudent restraint – but just led them to ever more bitterly demand obedience to their dictates. This is ever the behavior of frauds as their power and prestige starts falling away. We have reached the “pay no attention to that man behind the curtain” stage of leftist bureaucratic rule. The wizard, when caught, had the grace to own up to his deception. The modern left more frantically fires up the thunder and lightning engines.

Though I was not surprised at the attempted usurpation of unconstitutional and unjust power, I was startled by how quickly and easily we submitted and by how eagerly some policemen were to become the instruments enforcing that immoral power grab. I expected all of this to end by the fourth week, certainly no later than the fifth, when ordinary Americans made it clear we would not submit and police officials determinedly refused en masse to enforce unlawful orders. Boy, was I ever wrong! What really shocked me, though, and has still left me a bit shaken, is how many very good people let fear get hold of them and drive their decisions. By the third week of closures, simple objective research showed that this virus was manageable with prudent, cool heads. Even had it been the modern equivalent of the black plague, shutting down the world and quarantining the healthy was a notably dumb approach. It is a signal embarrassment to have done all this in response to a mouse that roared.

I watched in astonishment as people I know to be smart posted things that are biological commonplaces as if they were something frightening and new. Many reacted to the perfectly ordinary and predictable with the horrified wonder of a child discovering there is no Santa Clause or how babies are actually made. At first, I kept searching restlessly for what I was missing, for surely if such solid people could be so thoroughly frightened, it was probably me who was out of step. But the more I saw of solid people spouting mundane information as if it was something terrifyingly unique, the more I saw that a mass hysteria had genuinely taken hold – and taken hold of some of the best, who were now more than willing to allow “authorities” to impose rules that have no rational relationship to the threat at hand and dictate how free people must live.

I know how panic can paralyze the rational faculties. When I was 26 years old, I was visiting some relatives. As is my wont, I was up very late reading, long after everyone else had gone to bed. There were four young children in the house, sleeping in downstairs bedrooms. I heard a loud clatter downstairs. It panicked me and sent me cowering near the fireplace. I was horrified at my reaction. I had always run to danger. By that time of my life, I had thwarted an attempted bank robbery, faced down two mobs trying to beat up other kids, and had smoothly taken control of a crisis in Elizabethtown, Kentucky as I was passing through when everyone else had panicked. It was a point of pride with me that I was the calm center of any storm around me, encouraging and soothing others to useful action. But not that night. I willed myself to get up and go check on the kids. No matter how much I willed myself, my body would not respond and I kept trembling all over. I was both terrified and astonished that I could not get past the terror. I don’t know how long I was frozen in raw panic; it felt like an hour before I got a grip on myself and checked on the children. It was one of the most deeply mortifying episodes of my life – but one for which I am deeply grateful. It made Jesus’ words that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41) resonate in a deeply visceral way for me. I realized that even a brave man can be paralyzed by panic when caught off guard. It emphasized the critical need to be ever vigilant and deliberate. It instilled in me the humility of knowing that, whatever my own self-image, I could be routed in a moment of panic.

I was gratified to see that, like my cowering in front of the fireplace incident, the general public finally got a grip and has largely started to ignore and ridicule improper official commands. I am gladdened that some who initially panicked have taken a cooler look at the data. I am saddened that some who initially panicked have not yet calmed down, but keep restlessly trying to justify that panic. Certainly, it became clear pretty early on (despite the media efforts to keep panic whipped up) that, though this virus was particularly dangerous to people who had substantial co-morbidities, were elderly, or were substantially overweight, it was largely innocuous to anyone under 60 (and please spare me the anecdotal accounts; those can be found for every infectious disease ever out there, including the most feeble).  People can responsibly assess their own vulnerability and take appropriate action. All people should stay home when sick. It is not heroic to go into work and infect everyone else there. The CDC and the WHO have changed their minds over whether masks are a help or a hindrance a good four or five times, but they have become a visible placebo. (It makes me chuckle over those social media sites which have said they will remove any opinion that disagrees with the WHO. Which formal opinion? This week or last week’s?) If you choose to wear a mask, that does not bother me a whit. But if you insist that government has the right to force everyone to wear masks (at least under current circumstances), I will not submit. The danger is that if we conclude that government was right to trash the Constitution, individual liberty and, particularly, religious liberty because of this virus given the facts in evidence about it (and I am NOT speaking of hysterical media reports), then the government has the right to shut down everyone every virus season, make whatever rules they want, the Bill of Rights be dammed, and our liberty is at an end. If you have any doubt that this is driven by politics rather than sound policy, note that a coterie of public health “experts” has publicly stood with the rioters, noting incoherently that “white supremacy… contributes to Covid-19.” I often put the word, “experts,” in quotation marks because I define an expert as someone who has demonstrated actual expertise rather than someone who merely makes loud political statements. We need more experts and need to stop paying so much attention to “experts.”

In past pandemics, the disease was spread fairly evenly across political lines. If 57 percent of the population was governed by Democrats, about 57 percent of casualties would come from Democrat states. This one was most peculiar: as of May 20, 80 percent of the casualties came from states governed by Democratic governors, which were the states which took the most draconian arbitrary measures. The states with the lightest touch were the least affected. Of course, much of this is because so many of the draconian Democrat governors forced nursing homes to take in those who were affected with Covid. The Democratic approach was NOT to protect public safety, but to lockdown the healthy and shoot the wounded.

As the panic over Covid started to subside, then came the mass rioting across the country. In this, almost all incidents which trigger such things come in Democrat-controlled enclaves. What is undeniable is that almost ALL the violence comes in Democrat-controlled cities. For a brief moment, the media and some Democrat leaders were trying to convince people that white supremacists were fomenting the violence. It is so clear that Antifa is driving the violence that that that narrative never really got off the ground. Ironically, I think it is true. Antifa has replaced the Ku Klux Klan as the paramilitary arm of the Democratic Party. Since the mid-1800’s, the Democrats have ALWAYS used race to divide the nation and amass power: they just switch up which races they are going to oppress and which to privilege from time to time. The left uses minorities as disposable fodder to get their way, and Antifa uses them for cover of their own nefarious acts.

Now, the left’s response to mass violence is to “defund the police.” This is a useful narrative for three reasons: 1) It may persuade some of those cops who so eagerly enforced the illegal orders of leftist officials that they are NOT making new friends, 2) It may persuade rational authorities among police officials to crack down hard on those police officers who enjoy being leftist toadies so they don’t forfeit public confidence altogether and, 3) It should make it crystal clear to all but the most hopelessly obtuse normal people that the left does NOT care about them and will not protect them. Many leftist officials have decided their policy is to bully the normal and enable the violent. Just a couple of days ago, while looters were running wild in New York City and Mayor Bill DeBlasio was refusing help from the National Guard, he DID send out a contingent of police to threaten to arrest Hasidic Jews who participated in evening prayer services. Some New York Jews slyly decided to describe their prayer services as “George Floyd Memorial Services” – and weren’t molested. Police cannot succumb to this formula or the credibility they need to do their jobs will circle the drain. I heard of one ordinary young fellow who comfortably leans left for the social panache it brings complain that he doesn’t know who to believe anymore. Well, if you still won’t believe the mountain of evidence in front of your own eyes, your children may not grow up in chains, but it won’t be because of anything you did.

The left has no regard for truth, justice or honor. All it cares about is power. It now demonstrates that it will use any means – foul or fouler – to impose its will on everyone. It would make war rather than leave people to decide what is best. Normal people, ultimately, will accept war rather than forfeit their freedom. And so, war will come and will fully degenerate into a global civil war fought on cultural lines. There is no place of neutrality left.

Some people, both friends and opponents, have noted that I don’t pay serious attention to either the conspiratorial scheming of the left or the strategy and tactics of those normal people who are fighting it. They are right. In the end, God is the victor. All we can do is, by our actions and choices, choose to participate with Him or against Him. None of the conspiratorial schemers are with Him so however much fire and fury they summon, they are destined to come to nought. To the extent that normal people seek to sublimate their anger to steadfastly work in submission to Him, I support their efforts. But the best conceived strategies and tactics will come to nought if they do not acknowledge the Lord’s mastery of the situation.

We are not getting out of this without a fight. One side must win and the other must lose. I hate to act or speak when I am under the sway of some powerful emotion – and I don’t unless there is a time deadline that forces my hand. Fortunately, the discipline of not acting or speaking publicly when I am in such sway helps calm the decisions I am forced by such deadlines to make when I am under such sway. The last couple of weeks I have been struggling with a furious anger – and have been adjusting to the new circumstances, some of which I did not anticipate. I will speak next of the challenge facing the Church and of all religious leaders. What is clear is that the battle lines are hardening. Those people who wait much longer to choose the side of God will find it brutally hard to switch horses once the battle is fully engaged. God will protect your immortal soul if you act humbly in His name, testing yourself at each step. We must not fail to act out of fear and call it “charity” or “forbearance.” Nor must we act out of anger or malice and call it “righteousness.” But we must prepare ourselves to act.

The time is at hand when each of us must choose or perish.

508 thoughts on “The Time for Choosing is at Hand”

    1. Very, very hot, Crew Dog.

      George Floyd’s family has appealed to the United Nations to intervene in his case and to send recommendations for systemic police reform in the US, according to a press release: “”When a group of people of any nation have been systemically deprived of their universal human right to life by its government for decades, it must appeal to the international community for its support and to the United Nations for its intervention.” https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/george-floyd-memorial-service-protests/h_627ea464746970fdd36f28d4ae07d70a

      Archbishop. Carlo Maria Viganò completely understands the meaning of this statement. I wonder how much money is being paid for agreeing to it.

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      1. Lord have mercy.

        Gee I wonder who coached them to do that? Maybe the former Pres that signed the Kigali Principles EXecutive Order giving the UN sovereignty on our soil in a crisis? Surely a coincidence. 🙄

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    1. WISH I could share this on facebook. But my son is already scared about me posting about (anything BLM. He thinks the goons will come out here in the country and torch our farm.

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        1. About 20 years ago or so someone threw a brick in the window of some Jewish residents in our town. So, everyone put menorahs in their windows.
          If it wasn’t such a dangerous time wouldn’t it be something to go around and put little flags in everyone’s yards. Unfortunately, there are too many that wouldn’t take that very well. Too much division.

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            1. Very sad, indeed. We won’t even put political signs, etc. in our yard, haven’t for years b/c of vandalism. How much worse it will be now! Come Lord Jesus!

              That young man, Joel above, is an inspiration. As with Candace (Owens ?), the other recent video I think Beckita posted, they are to be admired for their courage and honesty in speaking out.

              Remember to put Miraculous Medals at the 4 corners of your property. Then we are covered with Mama’s mantle.

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              2. Great idea regarding the Miraculous Medals, Annie. Speaking of… my oldest son recently was inspired to buy a boatload of them, and a good number of Scapulars, too. Following his lead, I just purchased a bunch of St. Benedict medals, which I then had blessed and exorcised by a Benedictine priest. I’ve got the feeling that we’re going to be giving out a lot of these sacramentals in the months ahead.

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                1. Mick, consider watchuing the Association of the Miraculous Medal website. I don’t know if it was a one time thing or if they’ll repeat what they did last year. They were giving away medals and I ordered 1500 of them… all free.

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                    2. Beckita, are those M. medals blessed ? It doesn’t mention it, but I thought since they’re a free will offering that perhaps they’re already are?

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                    3. Maggie, I’ll go ahead and answer (it’s my “shift” to moderate comments). The Miraculous Medals do come blessed. The office staff take them to a resident Vincentian priest to get them blessed after you pay for them, so there’s no risk of simony (of course, for the medals that are being given away, payment is a nonissue). 🙂

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                    6. Thanks, Mick n Beckita!💙 (Blue heart for that prayer ‘Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue’ Bishop Sheen used to recite.

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                    7. I love that prayer, Maggie! I first read it in one of the first- or second-grade books that was part of our homeschooling curriculum years ago, and I have loved it ever since.

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                  2. Thanks, Beckita; that’s where my son got them (he had to pay for them, but that’s OK; they were super inexpensive, and he’s loaded now that he’s got a paying gig but no living expenses!). 🙂

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                    2. Ha, Beckita! When he graduated from college and got a job, we told him that he was welcome to live at home rent- (and food-expense) free under 2 conditions: He had to still do all of his farm chores, and he had to babysit or run errands whenever we needed. He thought about it for a nanosecond and then said, “Sold!” 🙂

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      2. We lived in Germany for 5 years. We lived in a rural area of about 35 houses. The Catholic church was the center of the village. We got to know our neighbors. Kind, generous, faithful people. We asked them how come Hitler became so overwhelmingly popular and then did the atrocious things that he did? They said that if anyone spoke publicly against Hitler or the Nazi party, then not only would that person be killed and their property taken away or destroyed, but also all of their family and friends would be killed and their property taken away or destroyed.

        Your comment is a perfect example of the dangerous times that we live in. We are being controlled by fear caused by the left and these extremist groups and the propaganda from the fake news media. Just like the poor German people were. And look how history has treated them…like they were all racists and horrid people. That could not be further from the truth.

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        1. Amen, Texas. A case in point: My brother’s wife is from Bonn, Germany. Decades ago, they lived in the UK because of my brother’s job. They were at a work-related Christmas party when some idiot that they didn’t know walked up to them and started berating my sister-in-law. He had learned from another partygoer that she was German… and in his mind, apparently, nothing says “Kick me, I’m German,” like being a blonde-haired, blue-eyed bombshell with a cute accent. So he tried lambasting her for, in his words, “What you did to the Jews.” The operative word being “tried.” But my sis-in-law being who she is, she let that bigot have it but good. Love that girl!

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          1. Ha! I know what you mean about your sister-in-law. Germans can be very frank and direct. They don’t hold anything back if they have something to say. But, super, nice people. So kind. Our neighbors welcomed us like we were family. Invited us into their homes often for coffee and cake in the afternoons. Invited us to join them to say the Rosary in the church on Tuesdays. Delightful people who suffered under such terrible evil.

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            1. Yep, Texas. My sister-in-law and her family are wonderful. Before my mom got really sick in the late ’90s, my parents used to go to Germany every couple of years and stay with my brother’s in-laws for a week or so; and in the off-years, the in-laws would come to the US and see our family. When I graduated from school, I flew to England to see my brother and sis-in-law. For my graduation gift, they flew me to Bonn so that I could stay with her family for 5 days. Her little brother is only 6 months older than I am, so we had a blast eating at awesome restaurants and going dancing at a club with his friends. And her sister took me to Cologne, which was great. And her parents cooked a big dinner for me, complete with kasekuchen (YUM!!!), which I was allowed to eat before dinner. 🙂

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  3. Some good news here. There are more lawsuits coming.

    https://www.wfsb.com/news/federal-court-rules-that-govs-executive-order-suspending-firearms-applications-violates-2nd-amendment/article_d919e88e-aa68-11ea-b7b4-3bd3bb96eaf8.html

    According to the CCDL, the state argued Lamont and Rovella did not violate the plaintiffs’ Second Amendment rights because the “temporary” suspension was necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the federal court should not intervene.

    Meyer dispelled that argument and wroge “If the governor and the commissioner were to issue a gag order barring plaintiffs from exercising their First Amendment free speech rights for the balance of the COVID-19 crisis, plaintiffs would surely suffer injury despite the ‘temporary’ nature of the crisis.”

    Meyer imposed a preliminary injunction against Lamont and Rovella, and ordered that by June 15, the governor must modify the executive order and restore the fingerprinting and firearm permit application process. The order also said that Rovella must resume fingerprinting “for applicants seeking permits to acquire, carry, or possess firearms that are subject to protection under the Second Amendment.”

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  4. For so long I have read all of Charlie’s articles, but FINALLY got back into commenting…due to lost password and pride of thinking I could eventually remember…ugh…but in past now.
    When this first happened I thought because of the manipulation of the virus in the lab, the consequences were SEVERE, thinking it precautious to isolate, but when the Church was included, it was a battle line for me. Writing to the bishop was to no avail. IDEALLY I hoped that the bishop would have publicly addressed the NEED for Church as ESSENTIAL…and let individuals choose to attend or not to attend, with the absolving issue for those not attending. It was clear of a way the church would be controlled by the gov, reminding me of when my Grandpa would tell me that the Church would serve the government. I dreamt MANY times of a scenario, but always felt firm it would NOT happen. Too many priests love the Church….such simple thoughts as a child and young adult.
    Charlie, reading your articles are a help in reaffirming the goal to please God FIRST, and being the calm in this storm. I too, find a struggle in wanting to lash out over the stupidity, vs being the actor God prefers. And probably fail more times than I want to admit.
    Thank you for continuing to write your articles while encouraging others. You are my “salty dog” in this ship on the raging sea of life! Aloha oi’

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    3. Oh, that is truly a funny and poignant comment. My first Program Director in radio was a fellow named Nick Farella. The station manager was the one who got the idea of recruiting me from print to give the station a jolt. Nick was completely against it – at the time he thought only people trained in broadcast should be hired to full-time positions. The battle went on – and finally the station manager told Nick to hold off until after the election night coverage (I was the guest expert on that broadcast) and that, after that, if Nick still didn’t want to hire me, that would be the end of it. Nick smugly agreed, figuring he had gotten his way. Amazingly, right around midnight, Nick came to the courthouse where we were doing the remote – and enthusiastically told me to come by the station whenever I got up the next morning so we could do some paperwork. He became my biggest fan – and always called me a “salty dog.”

      Nick was an old-school Italian Catholic. On his midweek day off, he told me to use his office for privacy whenever I was running down something sensitive. One day, he very white-facedly asked me to come to his office and shut the door. I was always stirring things up, so I figured I must be in some real trouble this time. He was silent for some moments. Then he pulled up a Rosary and tentatively asked if it was mine. I was delighted, because I had lost it the previous day – and confirmed it was mine. His relief was spectacular. “Thank God,” he exhaled. “I found it on my chair this morning and thought it might be a message from God.”

      At his funeral, it became clear to all of us that he had done initial training for a good quarter of all the broadcast people in the entire Chicago area. Your comment brought this wonderful, funny, passionate man vividly to mind.

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    6. Welcome back, Leel. Your comment reminds me of what Father Z wrote today. Priests are suffering something called “moral injury”, and they need prayer for their emotional well being. Imagine how loyal and holy priests feel at being unsupported by their bishops – many of the latter who don’t fight for the sacraments, etc. to be resumed.

      Will our churches ever be the same?! My friend told me yesterday, that at her parish, for the “new” Mass, they stand for the Consecration. Oh dear Lord, that would hurt; (we haven’t started yet). (Supposedly the idea is to not have to clean kneelers along with everything else. I’m willing to take my gardening kneeling pad!)

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  5. I do not comment here hardly ever but a thought had come to Me after reading Charlie’s post. I think I remember Charlie said years ago that before The storm gets in full swing that many people will die. Could this be the Covid purpose? I am also wondering if anyone here has comments on the book “The Warning”. I am not sure if it was discussed here or not. Thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts and knowledge. I am someone who would be lost without your words of wisdom! Oh and a special prayer for Charlie!

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Welcome to commenting, JMartin. Yes, there’s been a lot of discussion and links to the book, The Warning. That said, in this community we gather round to discuss the current scenarios in this ever-intensifying Storm, to hone our focus on acknowledging God and taking the next right steps to which He calls us and to develop and maintain habits of the mind which will carry us through all that is, so we can tend to our brothers and sisters around us. As for the Covid19, please take note of what Charlie has written in this piece and you’ll see it’s actually caused many less deaths than the seasonal flu. The greatest danger with this Covid is not the flu but the ways the Left has worked overtime in repressing our freedoms.

      Great to see you here. Please, do read through the comments and you’ll find some rich discussion as well.

      Liked by 5 people

        1. Oh that might be difficult, J. Even to read the most recent pieces will bring to light where we are now focused in this STorm.

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  6. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! … PM Edition ;-)?

    It seems to me that The News Cycle is exploding over the Internet with stories that tell me that a SHTF Moment is …. ;-( … Not News to most here …. I’ll wager.

    “Townhall” full of good articles today!
    https://townhall.com/

    Likewise “The Stream”:
    https://stream.org/category/us/

    Likewise “GatewayPundit”:
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/

    https://www.crisismagazine.com/2020/antifa-and-the-muslim-brotherhood-birds-of-a-feather

    https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2020/06/08/citrus-heights-homes-american-flags-arson/

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/06/09/franklin-graham-democrats-push-to-defund-police-most-irresponsible/

    https://www.foxnews.com/media/victor-davis-hanson-black-lives-matter-revolution

    https://thefederalist.com/2020/06/09/if-you-want-to-know-what-disbanding-the-police-looks-like-look-at-mexico/

    The Democrat Party & Global Left would be delighted if the $$ Collapsed …. and if they can make it happen before Elections they will do their best to…. ;-(
    https://finance.yahoo.com/news/crash-dollar-coming-210024166.html

    https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/06/horowitz-video-high-stakes-presidential-election-frontpagemagcom-0/

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/71-years-ago-today-orwell-published-1984-even-orwell-never-predicted-modern-day-democrats/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

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    1. How interesting, LL, Restrictions are highest in the NE and the W/NW! What a surprise! Our bishop doesn’t seem to mind it at all.

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  8. Facebook is getting a little heated lately!!! Yikes!!! Highly recommend Tucker tonight and most every night!!! Wonder if I’ll get murdered cuz I won’t kneel and say I’m sorry for something I didn’t and would never do!!! Getting really hot hot hot under collars😬

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      1. People are getting confrontational but most are good…just a little unnerving….would hate to quit disseminating truths though 😫 people are so 😐 confused

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        1. There are only a small percent of the population in the USA who think someone else must kneel and kiss the feet of someone of an opposite race. Those racists who do really think like that do not represent even a heavy minority of their own racial group. THEY ARE SIMPLY LOUD AND THREATENING. Think about it. When one of their own ‘race’ expresses an opposite view, they likewise threaten and try to intimidate them – often with more ferocity than they attack those of other racial groups.

          It has been the same syndrome on college campuses. The Leftists led by their professors demean and attack anyone who disagrees with them who has the courage to say so.

          WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT IS THAT WE ARE COWARDS – AND WILL FOLD UNDER INTIMIDATING PRESSURE. If we cave in to that pressure, they ultimately win culturally and politically.

          If we cave in, we abandon what we claim to believe in, fair play, all are equally children of God, and actually that we love them enough to tell the truth — even in the face of threats.

          All my love in Christ

          Desmond

          Liked by 8 people

          2. Desmond, yesssssssss! This is the theme which Tucker Carlson has been repeating recently. Always tell the truth. This ugliness will pass and anyone who looks back after having told the truth – including acting out of truth by refusing to bend the knee for the ideology of BLM – will be blessed for having spoken and acted with integrity.

            Liked by 3 people

          3. I believe this, Amen.

            Do you think that tired old abortion slogan: “my body my choice,” can be used to highlight the hypocrisy of mandatory masking and forced vaccination? I was wondering if it could be dusted off, re-purposed and used in the freedom fight.

            Liked by 1 person

          4. Sort of cool Desmond…I worked with my sister today and we were talking about the kneeling thing for something you didn’t do and it brought back this amazing memory to her!!! I’m 57, my sis is almost 63! She went to elementary catholic school in Sheffield lake Ohio…by the time my turn came for school my parents chose public schools,,,but anyway she said the nuns drilled it in their heads that if a communist came to them and DEMANDED they turn against Christ even though they’d shoot them they were to take the bullet and be a martyr for Christ!!! Ha!!! She said she kneels for NOONE but Christ!🤗❤️🙏

            Liked by 5 people

        2. Most people have already chosen sides, Linda. What one sees as truth, another sees as a lie. I think the weapon is prayer, not information at this point. There is no dialogue. Only the Holy Spirit can awaken all to Truth. I am sure that there are things that we all must discern a little better as well with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Of course, when we pray, we heal ourselves as well as others most in need.

          Liked by 6 people

    2. Linda, I agree with you on Tucker. I think it’s the most important monologue that he has put out yet. Please understand that I don’t have a TV or internet, just data on my phone. I had read about his video from another blog. 2 million views so far…I would recommend everyone here watch his 25 minute video about the dangerous mob party BLM. We must wake up to its maliciousness before it’s too late…

      The link to it is here…

      Liked by 5 people

      1. And here is the following night’s Tucker monologue (14 minutes) that is equally important. It continues on the same theme of BLM mob rule. Tucker is now being attacked as a “racist” by all the leftist propaganda media.

        Liked by 2 people

  9. The heroism of law enforcement officers, National Guardsmen, and the military in putting their lives on the line to defend others is a perfect backdrop in reflecting on the death of my brother-in-law (retired military) on this date two years ago. He entered a building where shots had been fired, in time to save the life of a teenage girl. He took the bullet intended for her so that she could escape. If you would, please pray for my nephews and their families today as they grieve.

    Liked by 7 people

    3. Kathy, I pray that your brother-in-law may have a very high degree of glory in heaven; and I pray for all those that he left behind. God bless and comfort all of you.

      Liked by 2 people

  10. I appreciate Beckita’s inclusion in the thread above of the full article by Kurt Shclichter in Town Hall on the Unleashing the Power of No.

    https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2020/06/08/more-than-ever-its-time-to-unleash-the-power-of-no-n2570188

    Nancy Reagan addressed unleashing the Power of No back in 1986. It was the right thing to do even in the face of ridicule and opposition. This video by Reagan could be used to implement Shlichter’s approach almost word for word. Amazing. Try this as you watch this short 5 minute presentation: Every time she uses the word “Drugs” ring the bell and substitute the word Marxism. Uncanny.

    Liked by 4 people

  11. JESUS = GOOD NEWS!

    https://abc13.com/george-floyd-death-who-is-mr-clean/6237746/

    https://www.catholicleague.org/critics-object-to-religious-liberty-gains/

    https://dwightlongenecker.com/relativism-irrational-rage-and-revolution/

    I’m afraid the below is just a small example of what we can expect in our USA (EU) leading up to Election 20 & beyond … all with the covert/overt support of the Global Left and their Media ….. and their puppets in the Democrat Party ;-(
    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/06/10/antifa-activists-take-over-six-city-blocks-in-seattle-washington-create-lawless-capitol-hill-autonomous-zone/

    https://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/vortex-insane-out-of-control?mc_cid=846b16eb29&mc_eid=2a0b6c7ef6

    https://stream.org/big-tech-and-other-billionaires-funding-biden/

    https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/rich-noyes/2020/06/10/nets-blast-trump-9x-more-negative-comments-biden

    https://www.theblaze.com/news/biden-mcauliffe-biden-stay-in-basement

    https://cnsnews.com/commentary/walter-e-williams/walter-williams-mass-police-brutality-isnt-true-plight-black-americans

    #1 should be: The Right believes Freedom to Worship is Essential. The Left believes Abortion Mills & Casinos are Essential.
    https://cnsnews.com/commentary/stephen-moore/stephen-moore-heres-what-separates-left-right

    Trump versus all the crazed liberal lies
    https://outline.com/DcebPk

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 4 people

  13. Fellow tnrsers, please pray for victory here. This is hopeful news. Fyi our Gov outlawed dancing at weddings in a news conf. yesterday, His own daughter is getting married in RI

    I’m not on facebook, but if you are, there is this post from openctnow, Daniel Reale:

    Update in Murphy et al v Lamont3:20 cv 00694:
    -Our status conference went well, and leave to amend the complaint to reflect (1) unequal treatment under the law re Lamont promoting and (2) mass infringement on interstate commerce in violation of Article 1S8 (?) was granted.

    -We have to amend our motion for temporary injunction given Defendant Lamont’s continued issuance of orders. No surprise there. 🙂

    -Separately from that status conference, the offer was made: resolve this by apologizing for treating us differently and ending all the masks/social distancing /restrictions on gatherings NLT Thursday. Don’t rule out the possibility of settlement with the increasing number of wins here and in other states. Simply put, let the people and businesses decide.

    -Hearing on the temporary injunction is July 13. The goal is, absent agreeing to resolve the case NLT than Thursday, we go all the way, and no stone is left unturned exposing everything that happened and making sure this lockdown thing never happens again.

    If you’ve donated–thank you. None of this could have happened without you.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Littlelight!!!! Thank you!!!

      I missed this!!! I am so GRATEFUL TO GOD!!!!

      I really needed this win for the people. I voted to open up and supported them to do this and my prayers were answered!!!!

      Now i have to go write a bunch of thank you notes!!! 😀😀😘🎉🎉🎉

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I’ve read your Gov. is doubling-down and vowing to fight all the way. He’s not going to listen to this mandate. There’s still a lot of wood to chop. Even still, it is a very encouraging sign.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. A war is commencing I would imagine. It could very well get bloody.

          I am signing up for rosary rallies, 54 day rosary( Fr. Heilman), and vigiling at Planned parenthood in the next county over(York). Praise God we don’t have an abortion clinic in our country although PP has a presence.

          One of the hardest parts is discerning friend or foe. I figure if I join these groups I’ll more likely be among friends.

          Although, 😢 I just learned that Rev. Rob Schenck who was prominent in the Pro-Life movement moved to the abortion side. Or was he always with them? What really concerns me is that his twin brother is a priest in my Diocese of Harrisburg and he is in charge of the Pro-Life ministries. He is a dynamic speaker and an interesting person who is Jewish and converted to Christianity and then to Catholicism. Now I’m wary of him and wondering if he is a secret wolf.

          It is so hard to trust people. Just as our society was infiltrated so has the church.

          Liked by 1 person

          2. Littleone, I’m feeling like that right now too. Feeling paranoid.
            It really hit me, in all things, huge and tiny, acknowledge God, take the next right step, and be a sign of joy.

            Liked by 1 person

            1. Amen, HttP. Feeling paranoid is a fiery dart from the enemy. St. Michael the Archangel… Praying for peace of mind for all who are seeking it.

              Like

          3. Littleone, I’m not expert, obviously. (“No fake, Sherlock!” you’re probably thinking.) But regarding Fr. Schenck, what are the fruits of his priesthood? Does he encourage/engage in Eucharistic Adoration? Is he devoted to the Blessed Mother and to the Rosary? How does his parish celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday? Does he pray/promote the Chaplet of Divine Mercy? Does he demonstrate the virtues of charity and humility? I understand your being wary of him because of his brother. But brothers aren’t necessarily two peas in a pod. If Father is devoted to the Blessed Mother and checks some or most of the other boxes that I mentioned (or other “good indicator” boxes that I’m sure I forgot), then in your shoes, my approach would be “trust but verify.” If he in fact is a good priest, then it would be a tragic thing for his reputation to be tarnished and his character questioned because of his brother’s choosing of the dark side.

            Liked by 3 people

  15. This is a must-read! So heartening! Thank you, Jesus! Better than the other link.

    Pennsylvania Breaking News
    5 hrs ·
    BREAKING NEWS ALERT
    Pennsylvania no longer has red/yellow/green phase or essential vs. non-essential businesses. HR 836 has been PASSED! Face masks are no longer (nor were they ever) mandatory, and there are no longer restrictions required by law as to occupancy limits!

    An excerpt from Senator Doug Mastriano

    After two months of pushing back, the emergency order is over.

    The Gov will try to keep it. But he can’t The General Assembly is not asking him Under Article 35, the Gov will be informed. Not asked that his emergency declaration is over

    Expect the Gov to try to reassert his authority but he can’t. The emergency order is null and void. His color codes are history. His essential nonessential is gone.

    Now we have a constitutional clash. That’s good.
    It will be a fight that will end up in commonwealth court per the constitution

    But it is over. The Gov will try to push it and may send his bureaucrats out to cause trouble.
    I can’t predict what he will do but the thing is that his emergency order is over

    Don’t wait for what the governor says. He will dither snd attempt to bully us. This emergency order is done. Period. We are not asking him. We informed him

    Live your life as free people.

    Liked by 4 people

    4. Wow! Thanks for the information! I do fear that the huge protests in Philadelphia will bring a spike in the cases to the region.

      Liked by 1 person

    6. I am crying and Praising God Right now!!!!!

      I am so grateful my prayers were answered!!

      Thank you God!!!! Praise the Lord!!!
      Thank you God!!!!!🎉🎉🎉😍😍❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

      Liked by 1 person

  16. What does the polical left, evolution, & atheism have in common? Deep roots in freemasonry going back to at least to the 1700’s. Very disturbing…

    Liked by 4 people

  17. This was sent to me today: Scare people with a virus. Place them in quarantine. Count the number of dead every second of every day in every news headline. Close all businesses. Millions out of jobs. Peak unemployment. Remove entertainment: parks, gyms, bars, restaurants, sports. No dating. No touching. Mask people. Dehumanize them. Close temples and churches. Create a vacuum. Let depression and anxiety and desperation set in.
    Then… ignite hatred and civil war. Civil unrest. Empty the prisons because of the virus and fill the streets with criminals. Send in Antifa to vandalize property as if they are freedom fighters. Undermine the law. Loot. Fuel Higher Anxiety and more Fear in all Americans. Divide us all. Attack law enforcement, but tell government to order a stand-down. We are all being baited by adversarial governments who want to destroy America — China, Iran, Russia. Have the Far Left abuse the racial wars to fuel the fires. And, in an election year, have Democrats blame all of it on the President.
    Spread false news and extreme propaganda all over Social Media. Create false narratives. Spread Conspiracy Theories. Make sure that NO ONE trusts anyone. Divide everyone between race and color.
    Can’t take America into a war, then try to destroy it from within.
    We are being conditioned, manipulated, and programmed by multiple agendas as never before… time to DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH and MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND rather than swallowing everything being spoon-fed to us!
    Americans, we are better than this!

    Liked by 6 people

    2. Many, many folks had visions/warnings (all about the same timeframe) about demons being let loose en masse into the world. Clearly the attack orders were pretty basic. sew fear, hate and despair.

      Archers, let’s send them a volley.

      Liked by 4 people

    3. Dianebelvs: Plus have your policies re: covid be the direct source of 68% of the deaths. Then like Pontius Pilate wash your hands of any responsibility and blame someone else aka POTUS. Are we to believe then that Cuomo, Wolf and Murphy are extremely stupid governors or extremely purposeful political actors? They all have no problem with abortion and now infanticide. For me they are morally bankrupt. Why would you ever doubt their political acts/agenda and their bankruptcy concerning life?

      Liked by 2 people

      1. You see they didn’t recognize the flaw in their covid elderly policies because their brains have already been addled by their non life abortion policies. Cuomo’s shrug of his shoulders about the deaths his policies created is all you have to know.

        Liked by 2 people

    4. Speaking of dividing people…anyone else get a pop up when you attempt to access breitbart today?
      Much earlier I was able to get on then about an hour ago a pop up came on that the URL breitbart.com is trying to steal financial personal info.
      I cleared all the cookies for today and yesterday but that didn’t help. Any suggestions?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. A long time ago I had a similar problem when I went to a differnet website.
        Below is information from this website: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/protect/forum/protect_other-protect_scanning/1-888-2361-scam/0990122e-61a9-431b-947e-a904c202fa7c?msgId=8d26f1a8-041a-4351-9c24-a222fb305cbd
        I think just about everyone who connects to the internet has had this problem, but the fix is obviously still not well known. The vast majority of these browser-locking Tech Support Scam pages aren’t caused by any kind of external malware – they’re just malicious web pages that lock up a browser by a running an active script. The script reopens the fake alert dialog every time you try to close it by clicking on the OK button – and since this alert dialog is application modal, looping it like this prevents you from regaining access to the browser’s graphical interface.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modal_window

        So the generic fix is only a couple of mouse clicks away: Right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager. Then select the browser app and click the End task button.

        The modal dialog loop is a well-known browser exploit that’s been with us for a number of years now, but browser developers have been inexplicably slow to respond. Even when this exploit does get patched, the solution provided is often less-than-ideal – as with Microsoft Edge, where the Dialog Loop Protection patch goes largely unnoticed:

        http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/protect/forum/protect_other-protect_scanning/system-error/dcccc74e-fb98-43a8-8579-956692a40982

        And I’m afraid that the old “Don’t click on anything” rule is actually one of the major holdbacks here, because if you don’t have the pluck to click on that OK button in the fake alert dialog, then you’ll never discover the new fix for these Tech Support Scam pages (in Edge only). When you click on the OK button, this is what you’ll see – and when you put a tick in that new checkbox; and then click on the Leave this page button, you should be home free:

        Like

        1. Thank you, Sorrowful,
          When I used a PC I would do that regularly. with an iPad it isn’t quite the same. It seems to have fixed itself as I was able to get in later that day. I did X out of the page every time it popped up. I didn’t click on anything within the page itself.

          Liked by 2 people

  20. By now by nightfall of June 10 you should be more aware that BLM is just a off shoot of the real enemy within. A 7 block area of Seattle has essentially ceded from the USA. The adults in Washington State are doing nothing about it. This is the home of ANTIFA which is a Marxist/Mao group. They have been sighted carry machine guns. Look up the City Counsel woman Kshama Sawat, a recent immigrant and member of Socialist Alternative from India. This is our version of the Red Chinese Guard and cultural revolution of 1966/67. The Red Guard was formed by militant university students. How will we reclaim Seattle? Do we have the will? Will other cities try this? They hate white people so much that they are calling for segregated hospitals among many other radical claims like retrying all black people only for release from prison. This is extremely serious. This is a John Brown, Harpers Ferry moment. Is this another Washington moment and Whiskey Rebellion? It is time to choose. Do we choose a republic or do we become Red China?

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I have some loved ones that are traveling into Seatak and visiting some of the tremendous Nat.Parks there in a couple of weeks. I’m sccccared to death for them. I’m praying for their protection. When we visited (the 2nd time I’d ever been in an airplane in my life!) 2 years ago, Seattle was beautiful. At that time the whole Pacific NW was on fire and air pollution was substantial. God was with us and we got the only clear day in Seattle, then able to see Mt. Rainer. I digress. In downtown Seattle I used a bathroom in the Target/CVS building. In the bathroom was a ?homeless, violent, drugged ?possessed women in the stall next to me. The hate spewing out of her mouth was scary. None of us knew if she was threatening someone on her phone or ?? She used the most vile language, referencing prostitution and threatening to murder someone, in between vomiting. There was a Mom clutching her young daughter, another woman waiting, and we all looked at each other, I crossed myself. On my way out I said something to an employee and he seemed non-nonchalant. I found out later about the huge homeless population there. I don’t get out much, have not seen anything like it. Ugh. People tell me Philadelphia and NYC are the same. As I said, I don’t get out much.

      Liked by 3 people

        2. Praying for your son and his wife, HttP. We used to love visiting the Pike Market when we would visit family in Seattle. I’d be terrified to go there now.

          Liked by 1 person

      2. Littlelight, my husband grew up in Seattle. Ever since I’ve known him, he’s had the dream of retiring there someday. Well, until the last couple of years, that is. After his last trip home (last summer), he informed me that there’s no way he could ever live there again, because it’s not the same city.

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Oh, no. That’s a shame. From my brief time there, it was a beautiful city. We got to see the space needle. They just replaced the glass, I believe.

          Time to clean up Seattle and drive the bums out!! Re-take it! Run for office, Mick! Slight problem, first you’d have to move there, gulp.

          Like

          1. Not… gonna… happen. Especially since all of my husband’s immediate family left Seattle years ago. Praying for the city and its inhabitants, however.

            When we were dating, my husband once took me to lunch at the restaurant at the top of the Space Needle, which would’ve been super cool except that I really, really do not like heights. Shudder.

            Like

  23. JESUS = GOOD NEWS!

    Forecast is Stormy with More Crazy ;-(

    https://denvercatholic.org/the-heavens-declare-the-glory-of-god/

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/ag-bill-barr-clearly-social-media-giants-engaged-censorship-video/

    https://stream.org/secular-left-everything-power-play/

    https://stream.org/joy-break-7-year-old-boy-prays-with-tulsa-police-officers/

    https://www.crisismagazine.com/2020/god-bless-our-cops

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/democrat-house-candidate-texas-people-loot-burn-ground-video/

    https://onenewsnow.com/perspectives/michelle-malkin/2020/05/10/the-monumental-campaign-to-cancelamerica

    https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2020/06/11/john-gleeson-n2570412

    https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/06/why_dont_these_blacklivesmatter.html

    https://spectator.org/systemic-racism-bigotry-left-black-lives-matter/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 3 people

  24. Just wondering, Charlie. How does Chaz like having a Seattle encampment named after him? 😉

    I was in that area last year for a wedding. It’s a pleasant area of the city ~ or, it was then.

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.

Published by charliej373

Charlie Johnston is a former newspaper editor, radio talk show host and political consultant. From Feb. 11, 2011 to Aug. 21, 2012, he walked 3,200 miles across the country, sleeping in the woods, meeting people and praying as he went. He writes on cultural, global and political issues from an orthodox Catholic perspective. He emphasizes that we find God most surely through the ordinary, doing the little things we should with faith and fidelity. His constant refrain is that, to live real joy, we must acknowledge God, take the next right step, and be a sign of hope to those around us. He lives in the Archdiocese of Denver in the United States.