Awaiting the Deluge

Posted on by charliej373

By Charlie Johnston

I have to read for an hour to an hour and a half at night before I go to bed or I frequently can’t get to sleep at all. My mind is always working. I am usually composing 15 to 20 pieces in my head at any given time and trying to deal with various challenges, both public and private. So I have to read to coax my mind into neutral so I can get some sleep. In that period, the reading is always light stuff – mostly geo-political thrillers and police procedurals. I do my heavy reading during the day (a round robin of American History, World History, Russian History, Religion and Theology, Military Strategy and Diplomacy, Biography, Philosophy, Serious Literature, and an elective or two). I can’t do it at night for it usually causes my mind to ramp up rather than settle down.

I have noticed something peculiar about my bedtime books, of late. A LOT of writers have been tapping that mythical great white whale, right-wing extremists, as their villains lately. At first this annoyed me. We are getting mass attacks two or three times a week by ethnic minorities, Muslims, left-wing nuts and the obviously mentally ill – which the government ignores and the media buries while solemnly proclaiming what a dire threat right white extremists are. Shoot, you can see the constant, desperate hope followed by deep disappointment on news anchors’ faces when the perpetrator of the latest atrocity turns out to be, once again, one of their own pets instead of the dread right-wing monster they keep warning about. Back in slave days, plantation owners often worried about the deadly danger of slave uprisings which, in their minds, were always imminent. As the Ku Klux Klan rose dramatically in influence under the presidency of Woodrow Wilson, probably the single most overtly racist president we have ever had, bigots constantly spoke of the grave danger black folks posed to social stability. And of course, in Nazi Germany, leaders constantly raved about the deadly danger the Jews posed to the noble German people. Notice a pattern here? It is almost always the people doing the actual persecuting and oppressing who whip up social panic against the people they are oppressing and persecuting. I suppose they do it to justify their own vicious malice and to distract the public from their own incompetence and lack of any sense of human decency.

But I suspect there are two connected subthemes going on here, too: guilt and fear. At some level, even the most sociopathic of oppressors know that they are the evil brutes – and they fear that at some point the people they torment and torture are going to strike back at them. They are right. In the several hundred years since the yoke of feudalism was cast off in the west, tyrannical authoritarians have been able to delude themselves all they want (as they always do) that their brutal means serve a noble purpose, but the reckoning comes anyway. Generally, the longer the oppression, the more brutal the backlash is when it comes. Thus, even when the “noble” tyrants begin to realize that they have been the savages, they grip power all the tighter in desperately growing terror of the backlash they know is eventually coming. They all hope, with King Louis XV, the last French king before the revolution, that they can hold off the deluge until their successor’s time.

So what does this have to do with my late-night forays into popular culture? What is coming is always foreshadowed, even if obliquely or unconsciously, in popular culture. Contestants in a great social confrontation ignore popular culture for constant focus on “weightier” things at their peril, sometimes their mortal peril. When I was doing serious political and media work full-time one of the best tools I developed for determining what the average person was thinking was to go into a busy coffee shop, pretend to read a paper at my booth, and listen to what groups of people were saying to each other. People will eagerly lie to pollsters, but they generally talk candidly with their buddies. Shoot, I still do that sometimes. The trick in getting the information you need is not just to get information, but to devise ways to get candid information. Current popular novels are a great source for divining the foreshocks of coming crises – if you know how to read the clues.

Novelists are, indeed, more frequently using “right-wing” extremists as their villains. Certainly, in the end, the forces of government rout the “extremists.” Here is what is different, though. In more stable times, the villains in popular novels are unambiguously villainous. Of late, the “right-wing” villains spend most of the narrative as rather sympathetic figures, right up until they are routed in the end. That tells me that a lot of establishment authors are carefully protecting their establishment bona fides while simultaneously doing some serious re-thinking of what is going on and what a just society is. This should terrify our incompetent ruling class, but that class is far too feckless and self-absorbed to notice such things. After all, popular novels are mainly popular in…flyover country.

It often seems that the ruling class is spoiling for an open fight. In their opinings, free speech is a threat to “our democracy.” Self-defense and self-reliance are threats to “our democracy.” Disagreeing with leftist government officials is a threat to “our democracy.” Democracy is a threat to “our democracy.” The anti-God left is too busy patting themselves on the back at their Orwellian perversion of our language to notice that the folksies are increasingly getting wise to them.

God forbid the left succeeds in fomenting a hot civil war. But if it does, it won’t have near as many troops in its corner as it thinks it does. Shoot, a lot of those it counts as reliable allies will be counted among its most impassioned opponents. (See Bill Maher, Elon Musk, J.K. Rowling, Tulsi Gabbard and a host of other, until recently, reliable liberals).

With the barely concealed shifting sympathies in popular novels, it is more certain than ever that the deluge the left wants to besiege us with will end by consuming them.

*********

In a peculiar dichotomy, almost all western “news” sources say that Ukraine is winning its war with Russia and Russians are committing all manner of atrocities while almost all eastern “news” sources say the exact opposite – that Russia is winning the war and that the Ukrainian neo-Nazi Azov regiment is committing all manner of atrocities. It is peculiar that what is called news throughout the world has divided itself into competing propaganda camps. One side or the other is going to get a huge surprise before too long – and its “news” sources will take a massive hit to their credibility.

I remain frustrated because I am convinced that this whole business could be resolved diplomatically in about a week, but the powers that be in the west seem determined to prolong it for their own purposes. Former American National Security Advisor Michael Flynn disagrees with me in part: he thinks it could be diplomatically resolved in a day if there were anyone serious left in the state department. It is hard not to sympathize with Ukraine, given how brutally Russia dealt with it for nearly a century, but if we had an honest and competent media, it would also be hard not to notice that, for the last 30 years, Ukraine has returned that abuse to ethnic Russians in Ukraine in spades while Russia has been patient in seeking redress of those grievances – until it invaded. One can side with Ukraine or with Russia, but it is absurd to pretend that this invasion was unprovoked. The problem is that it was provoked by both Ukraine and the entire western diplomatic community over several decades. The bigger problem, of course, is it could be honorably resolved in quick order – but no one in position to do so wants to do anything other than inflame the situation.

The most prominent figure in the west to counsel against degenerating into mindless faction is Abp. Carlo Maria Vigano. Less noticed because he is largely silent on the war are the views of Cdl. Robert Sarah, who takes a dramatically different take than the simple “Russia is evil” mantra so beloved in the west. Looking closely at the arguments of these two men reveals my greatest discomfort with this whole business. It seems to me that views on this conflict are not being formed by objective criteria of justice or truth, but that both Ukraine and Russia are being treated as expendable proxies by ideologues trying to exploit them for personal gain.

I have more dear ethnic Ukrainian friends than I do Russian friends. But it will do Ukraine no long-term good to advocate for the unstable status quo that has brought us to this point. It will only prolong and deepen the underlying irritants, ultimately aggravating the crisis. And I cannot unsee that, with just a little bit of competent diplomatic effort, a just and peaceful resolution could be brought to bear that would enhance and, even, cement stability in the region. In the end, I think Ukraine and Russia will resolve this and peace will return to the region, despite the best efforts of ignorant or malicious western efforts to inflame it. The anti-God leftist globalists will probably have to wait for China to invade Taiwan to set off the world war they are so eager for.

*********

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76 thoughts on “Awaiting the Deluge”

  1. Amazing observations and insights, Charlie! In your writing, you never fail to stoke the flame of faith, hope and love with an oil of understanding and encouragement that keeps us enduring. I especially appreciate you and your writing because it’s refreshment as we’re in a transition which demands the testing of our hearts.

    Liked by 8 people

  2. Charlie, I am distressed by the perspectives you shared here: 1) Ukraine and Russia could find a mutually agreeable peace agreement, but self-serving politics internal to their leaders, and to outsiders, such as our own State Dept now prefer conflict. 2) And the Leftist leadership in this country is defending itself by pushing its antagonism against the ordinary peaceful spirit of our remaining Judeo-Christian society — to the breaking point. These perspectives of yours are so well explained that I am distressed that the audience is only your readership in this forum when they merit broadcasting to the country at large.

    Human behavior is normally motivated by self-interest, for otherwise the individual self-destructs. However, self-interest may be enlightened to realize that working for the good of others, for the common good, is morally, spiritually superior to all other sources of motivation. Isn’t that what Jesus taught in His Sermon on the Mount. And that is precisely the Achilles’ heel of the Left. For example, Brandon, Pelosi, the Clintons are now so visibly corrupt (and incompetent at concealing their vulnerabilities) that the public has caught on. Hopefully, the DemoRats will not manage to cause enough voting fraud this November to avoid a landslide defeat for the DemoRat Party.

    Liked by 8 people

    1. It occurred to me a few weeks ago and as CJ notes the left’s decent into hyperbole on free speech that something else is going on in their collective heads. The left is continually upending word definitions. The left is not so subtlety redefining socialism as democracy. Latest is the Ministry of Misinformation. God help us all!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Interesting. I’ve been sifting the pop cultural stuff online into the wee hours, until 2 days ago when I realized I hadn’t smelled actual printed paper in a while. Thus, got caught up with Koontz’s “Quick Silver,” so find myself barreling through the Sonoran Desert with Quinn, “impelled by that same inexplicable magnetism toward the inevitable…” sinister government agents in hot pursuit. Notwithstanding that Quinn is discovering within himself resources that are every bit as scary.

    The exception with Koontz is he’s Catholic and insists on serious moral underpinnings and a satisfying resolution in the end. Unlike King, who sometimes leaves you out in the dark, downright creeped out.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. MP Dean koontz is one of my absolute Favorite authors!!! I like him so much I even emailed him awhile back (years by now) about another man I admire greatly! Ha! You guessed it; Charlie!!! Lol. After reading the, “Odd Thomas,” series, I really felt Dean could write a great series on Charlie and our times! Who knows? Maybe he’s working on it now!!! Lol.

      Best book I’ve ever read I just finished like a few weeks ago! Wow! Great story line, great plot and even better ending! (I loathe books 📚 with bad endings! 😩)

      It’s called, “The edge of lost,” by Kristina McMorris.

      Charlie on a personal note, I promise to keep you in my prayers xtra hard for whatever is causing you to have trouble sleeping! I know that feeling well! 😩 for me it’s usually family things! Hang in there kiddo!!! God bless!

      Liked by 8 people

    2. Maybe I’ll try Koontz. I usually read YA books – naturally large print with white space between lines, but lately, even those with accolades from reputable folks, are filled with filth, leftist propganda, and/or LGBQ nonsense. I usually end up throwing them in the trash!

      Liked by 5 people

  4. As a kid I often had trouble getting my mind to go to sleep, so Dad starting telling bedtime stories (which most often just got my mind racing ever more wondering what if, “this!” is what came next in the story).

    But my favorite bedtime story he would tell me was of the little Dutch boy (and he told it often, since he was 2nd generation from Holland as his father immigrated to PA Dutch country and started this family).

    So the picture you posted on this story is perfect, if you know the story of the little Dutch boy. Like you I’m out of fingers to plug the multiple leaks and now must stand back protecting those I can and ready to help those unaware before they get swept away.

    Liked by 9 people

  5. That is an interesting observation, about the villains of the recent novels. Being able to see patterns is a very helpful attribute to have. People who can do that see things coming from a distance. I think that describes you well. It seems very likely that many people are having their eyes opened by the Democrats themselves. They have so exposed themselves as far outside the range of normal thought and behavior, people are noticing they do not represent them in any way. Fine. We welcome late-comers, all of them, and we should resist I told you so’s, as they are unhelpful and pointless.
    You may get push-back on your Ukraine/Russia observations, but maybe enough people have realized we have been played like fiddles, and by all the wrong people, but all the same people who played us so well over the last two years! Same fiddlers, different tune and how much they want us to forget all that they have done in the last two years. Oh boy, they want it GONE. These people are all pathological liars, and all credibility depleted. Question everything, we were once told, and now we have to question everything for sure. In the last two years we’ve seen our once-trusted sources lie right to our faces again and again and again. We must now confirm things ourselves, and realize that we don’t have news, we have only propaganda, and it blows in one direction only. God bless those very public few willing to step out in defense of what is right and true! These are people with chests, Elon Musk, of all people, and JK Rowling, etc. In a way, these people are heroes.

    Liked by 6 people

  6. Ah, excuse me, I forgot to add, in my opinion you are making a big mistake with your pre-sleep plan, Charlie. I completely relate to your dilemma. It took me a long time to find out what works best.
    I do not talk on the phone after seven or so at night. Too stimulating. I do not watch anything on TV that is novel to me, same reason. If a person needs a long lead-in time to sleep, it is best to turn off the conversation, and watch a program that is calming, something peaceful that you have seen many times before, so it’s predictable and not stimulating. This distracts the anxious mind, keeps it busy enough it cannot go off in other directions, but is not stimulating. Watching political programs etc., seems a recipe for staying awake. Try also, having that quiet program on and put your head back so your eyes are half-closed if you are watching. Also, physical activity during the day helps you conk out at night. If all else fails, I have a relative who swears by Trazadone, and he says it is a harmless pharmaceutical, not habit-forming.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thank you, Kate. But I really do not see why I should abandon the one method that has worked reliably for me for some 40 years to try other people’s methods to solve a problem I have already solved. At best I can get the same results I already do and at worst I could upset the balance I have accomplished. There are times when I have been quiet beginning in the early part of the evening until bedtime. The result has been that I then cannot get to sleep. Apparently, if I go too long without the mind whirling, it cycles back up on its own in protest.

      People often want me to just relax and not do anything with them for a day. Those are times of great stress for me if I cannot get out of it – for there is nothing more stressful to me than doing nothing while there is work to be done – work that will be doubled tomorrow if I don’t do anything today.

      We all find our own internal rhythms…and what works for one person rarely works for another. This is why I usually tell somebody who is troubled by some ailment that I successfully beat that what I did worked “for me.” It is worth a try if they have not solved it, but if they have resolved it, I am simply glad. How our individual systems work is a mystery for each of us.

      My doctor who is my dear friend of 40 years once complained to me of Obamacare’s demand that a doctor would only be paid for 15 minutes consultation with a patient. “Once you get past the basic concepts, Charlie, diagnosis is as much art as science,” he told me, “Every person’s system reacts differently – and what solves the problem for one makes it worse for another. I need time with my patients to get a sense of what will likely work for them.” Being a passionate doctor, he wasn’t about to let government simps tell him how to care for his patients, so he just spent as much time with his patients as he always had: he just didn’t get paid for it when gov’t was involved.

      And while all this is true, I deeply appreciate the caring that is reflected in people telling me what works for them. It is a kindness – and it is good to have people care about you.

      Liked by 10 people

  7. Commenting on your first part regarding democracy and feudalism: Yes, leftists are defining “democracy” as “unchallenged liberalism” as your link says. When leftists say “our” democracy, it is indeed a very degraded thing that they are defending.

    But that doesn’t really go deep enough.

    Democracy *in itself* has no particular virtue; it is merely one mechanism amongst several for choosing political leaders. There is no magic in that mechanism; just because a leaders are chosen through “democratic elections” does not necessarily mean they will lead well in practice. A lot of dictators were elected! Leadership will be good if the leader is good, regardless of the method by which they ended up as leader.

    Don’t forget, for a very (very, very) long time, the world ran quite well with hereditary leaders of various sorts (i.e. tribal chiefs, lords/dukes/earls, monarchs, emperors). Sure some were bad, but many were actually quite good. Hereditary rule is a time-tested and well-proven route to a very stable society. Even today, when comparing the world’s few remaining monarchies “head to head” against the world’s republics, the countries with monarchs are uniformly stable and prosperous.

    So, to talk of a “yoke” of feudalism is actually a bit of editorializing. Yes, serfs owed labour to the Lord, but as a percentage a Serf’s “tax rate” of about 10% was lower than our tax rate is today! Hardly a “yoke”. And recall that the serf-Lord relationship was mutual; the Lord had reciprocal obligations towards his Serfs (military protection, administration of justice). Feudal society was structured along the same lines as the natural human family, but on a broader scale, intended to have relationships of interdependence and not exploitation. And for the most part it worked. Feudalism in Europe, which lasted quite happily for about 1000 years, only became an oppressive system when the Lords began to not holding up their end of the bargain, mostly around the Renaissance and Reformation times, when worldviews in general began to get skewed.

    Yes, I know it’s an “American thing” to dislike monarchy / feudalism, but really: looking at it objectively, it is actually a very good system!!

    For further info, see the book: “Those Terrible Middle Ages: Debunking the Myths”
    by Régine Pernoud: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246258.Those_Terrible_Middle_Ages

    WHY THIS MATTERS: The current problems with the Corona Tyranny are in part an arm-wrestle between Globalists and Localists. Monarchies are “localism” crystallized. When the world comes out the other end of this, I strongly suspect the new society will be structured around local economies, local agriculture, and local manufacturing, with smaller political entities and more local control, and we will likely will go back to the idea of hereditary rulers.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Sorry Kathleen, I’m not buying what you are peddling here at all. I am familiar with Regine Pernoud’s work. She wrote a good biography of St. Joan of Arc, a truly excellent history of St. Joan’s retrial, and a serviceable book on the Templars. Her book, “Those Terrible Middle Ages…” was the weakest of her work. If it had been the only work of hers I ever read, I would not have read her again.

      Paying 10% in taxes when you are struggling to live subsistence or below it is NOT an improvement on modern times. In theory, nobles had obligations to their peasants, but in reality, if a serf neglected his duty to his lord, he could expect to be jailed or executed. If a lord neglected his duty to his serfs, you might get the occasional “tsk, tsk” but that weas about all. If a lowly knight killed or raped a peasant, rarely was there any effective recourse.

      AS far as stability, most of the countries whose governments throughout history have been overthrown have been monarchies. Modern monarchies are fairly stable because the king is decorative and does not actually rule. (exceptions are the Vatican and some Middle Eastern countries). Modern monarchs are like cats who have been de-clawed, de-fanged and castrated, so they can’t make much mischief. Power resides in the ministers and/or the legislature.

      There is a compelling philosophical reason for democracy: rule by consent of the governed. Alas, without a solid acknowledgment of human rights under natural law, democracy is the most unstable form of government there is. That is why a stable republic divides power among different branches. No form of government is free unless it acknowledges and guarantees human rights under natural law (i.e. rights that precede the existence of the state). The heart of liberty is the guarantee of natural law. I am not opposed to almost any form that guarantees this. But the modern monarchies you cite are actually constitutional monarchies where the officials of the government run the show. Barring the exceptions I mentioned, modern monarchs are as essential to the government as hood ornaments are to keeping a Rolls-Royce running.

      Frankly, I was appalled at Pernoud’s “Those Terrible Middle Ages…” not only becauese of her absurd conclusions but even some uncharacteristic basic informational errors she used as foundational (Languedoc was NOT always part of France). This book, trying to make the Middle Ages into some Golden Era for humanity was like reading a Soviet Press Release in the middle of famine extolling the glories of the regime’s agricultural policy.

      I have been approached and recruited by several enthusiasts for monarchy over the years and have largely been indifferent, but put off by how they ignore reality. Pernoud’s book, in this case, was an effort to rehabilitate the Middle Ages by emphasizing what it theoretically should have been and how it billed itself from the ruling authorities while almost completely ignoring how it actually was in practice. The only thing I think historians have largely missed in looking at what are commonly called the Middle Ages is that it was a much more innovative era in mechanics and engineering than it is generally given credit for. If you want to get a solid underpinning for how to make governments actually work while protecting basic human liberty, read Alexis de Tocqueville’s marvelous “Democracy in America.” It gets deeply into the theory of government and how those theories work in practice. Read just about any other historian’s work on the Middle Ages and most source documents and you will not find the pretty picture Pernoud inexplicably tried to paint. Black slaves in America had a better deal than the bulk of serfs throughout history.

      As for saying that my speaking of the yoke of feudalism as being editorializing, that is akin to noting that dust is dry. I write commentary, which is, by definition, editorializing. I then back it up with facts and evidence to support that editorializing, but commentary is what I do.

      Liked by 12 people

      1. Charlie,
        As a big reader, I am curious to know what books would you recommend for a young coming of age young man. My eldest son is 17 going on 18. Finishing his high school. He is very bright and intelligent. When he was younger, he was open to God and spirituality and politically conservative. At around 14, he changed. I don’t t know what happened. From my happy, studiest always trying his best, he slowly became demotivated and more or less rejects anything that I think. Anyways, he now says that he is an atheist and can prove God doesn’t exist to me. He understood conservatisme and used to support Trump, but now says that he identifies more with the ‘evil’ Democrates. He loves books, and was/is interested in politics. He was/is interested in psychology and philosophy.
        I would appreciate any books that you recommend that he could read that isn’t ‘cheesy’ and that presents the faith, politics, life in a rational way. It could be as an allegory or eben fantasy. Maybe even satire. Intellectually, he is above average. He understands things very quickly and has a good memory. School has been easy for him. Even though he has struggled in motivation towards his school work, his marks in math, physics, technology tend to high 90. Teachers have commented that they would write a problem on the board and by the time they finished writing it on the board, my son had understood it, solved it, and applied it to real life. Socially he is different but has always been well loved by adults and peers.
        The only way I can reach him is through books as he doesn’t like ‘discussions’ or talking openly or small talk. I know somewhat where his is in his thoughts, by various comments he makes. The other day, for example, he told me that he thinks he can prove to me that God doesn’t exist.
        Any suggestion of good books to give to him for his summer reading that I could “gift” him, would be great!

        Liked by 5 people

        1. I should of reread my post… Lots of mistakes…
          I just wanted to add that his lack of motivation towards his school work is recent. Before in primary and early junior high he always strived to do his best and get 10s (out of 10) From the age of 14 on, it gradually dimished to where this year, there has been numerous e-mails from teachers regarding work handed in late or not handed in…. He struggled a lot to complete his school work. However, his exams are high 90s….. And the school where he’s at accepts late assignments….

          Liked by 4 people

          1. I think that a lot of students are struggling these days. Can you imagine all the changing social values with which they must contend on a daily basis? I think that high school has always been a challenging place for most young people. Today it is even more so….. Young people tend to lead with their hearts and feelings. When the left hits them with their bleeding hearts (and guilt trips them for the short term), it is easy to push them that direction…..I recently heard that Chas Bono is experiencing extremely bad health. The body fights against the hormones which do not match the chromosomes. The lies of the left will be exposed in due time. All of them…. I feel badly for Chas, and do not completely understand what went on with Chas. However, I knew that one cannot fight biology and that these measures would likely shorten life spans. To me, this is common sense. ….Of course, there are so many crazy issues out there now that it is impossible to list them all. Common sense is being bent in all directions and it barely exists….I will put you and your son on my prayer list, Myonwbackyard.

            Liked by 4 people

          2. Itaca, I was wondering…. About the time that your son was 14, were there any changes in his life that might have caused or contributed to his progressive lack of motivation? Did he start any new medications, herbs, or supplements? Did he have any medical procedures or health issues, perhaps involving anesthetics or antibiotics? Does he take CBD oil or anything like that? Were there any emotional stressors like a death in the family or bullying at school?

            Liked by 2 people

            1. Mick, I once read a book that said that age 13 is by far the most common age cited by ex-alcoholics for the start of their addiction to alcohol, with the first behavioral issues showing up during age 14. Are you suggesting an addiction issue with the CBD oil? That seems more of a stretch to me than alcohol issues. I think loss of motivation and withdrawal from parents are common for addictions at that age. What do you think of that possibility? What would you look for to confirm and how would you handle it if it looks like it might be real?

              Liked by 1 person

              1. Steve, I’m not suggesting an addiction; CBD products can cause apathy and lack of motivation even when used according to the directions. So can many of the anesthetics commonly used when someone has to have surgery.

                I hadn’t really thought about an addiction angle. But if someone did have an addiction, I’d consider adding homeopathics and herbs to whatever conventional options the individual or family was willing to try. And how to confirm whether or not someone had an addiction? I haven’t a clue. 🙂

                Liked by 3 people

                1. Mick, I appreciate and enjoy your comments. I am also becoming more and more interested in homeopathy, but trying to find time to learn more. Your reference to anesthesia is also appropriate because of the effects that may not even be fully understood. Dear hubby had full anesthesia for his major cancer surgery a year ago and also more recently for a surgery that was not as major, but nonetheless required the same. That concerns me and it has concerned him also. He joked that he didn’t lose too many brain cells, but who knows what it does!

                  Like

              2. “Today’s potent marijuana can make users psychotic. A 2019 study in the Journal of he American Medical Association found that adolescent marijuana use was associated with significant increases in developing depression and suicidal behavior during adulthood.”
                “Marijuana has a “deleterious impact on cognitive development in adolescents, impairing executive function, processing speed, memory, attention span and concentration. The damage is measurable with an I.Q. test. Researchers who tracked subjects from childhood through age 38 found a consequential I.Q. decline over the 25-year period among adolescents who consistently used marijuana every week. In addition, studies have shown that substantial adolescent exposure to marijuana may be a predictor of opiod use disorders.” They add that the brain is still developing in young people to age 25.”

                https://www.catholicleague.org/nr-legalizing-marijuana-is-a-death-sentence/

                Liked by 1 person

        2. ITACA123, I believe that your son will come back to what is true in time. Just keep praying. Christ is faithful. Our Blessed Mother will work to bring him back as well. Hang in there!

          Liked by 4 people

        3. If he would read just two books I think you could have an intelligent conversation with him on the subject. But, of course, you have to read them, too, or you won’t be able to hold up your end. The first is C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity.” It does the best job I have ever seen of explaining the basics of what Christianity is and is not – in very readable terms. The second is Peter Kreeft’s “Summa of the Summa,” which will require some intellectual lifting – but not an exorbitant amount. This is the best introduction to the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas I have ever read – because it largely relies on St. Thomas’ own words and uses a substantial series of commentaries by Kreeft to explicate them.

          More importantly, if your son is serious about his intellect, you must encourage him that it is NOT intellectual just to go with how he feels; he must successfully refute the best intellects that Christianity has to offer. Once, when I was in radio, a friend of mine was the national spokesman for the American Atheists. He called me after there had been a debate at a mega-church in Chicago on the existence of God. He thought it was lame and so did I. He proposed that we could do much better…so we had the show one day. At the end, he conceded that there was a rational basis for belief in the existence of God. I used many things in my briefing preparation for that show – but the Summa of the Summa was my main go-to in preparation for the debate.

          When my son was in his mid-teens he told me, with no little trepidation, that he was not sure whether he believed in God. Had to admire his guts, by gum. I told him that is something everyone has to explore and find for themselves. I noted he should not pretend to believe in God just to please me, for that would be a fraud and of no avail to him. BUT, neither should he pretend not to believe in God to please the world for that, too would be a fraud – and a more damaging one. I told him I expected him to study, to pray, and to rigorously challenge all material he studied either way – for truth will stand the test of examination. He well knew that I could stand him being a skeptic, but I would NOT stand for him being sloppy and lazy and unable to intelligently defend whatever position he took. He is now a profoundly faithful Catholic.

          One of the most toxic modern notions is that people should choose their preferred narrative without any serious examination – and if the narrative they choose is the same as the ignorant ruling elite, then they are magically “intellectuals.” I am perfectly comfortable with dissent. I am not at all tolerant of sloppy, lazy reasoning. If you cannot intelligently defend your position, you are stupid or lazy even if you sometimes stumble onto true narratives. Certainly, my son knew this from the start – so he worked hard to be able to defend his position – which largely became the same as mine. But that was because of his honest study. I would have done him a terrible disservice had I tried to browbeat him, for it would not have pushed him into what would become his own encounter with God. I can take this tack because I know truth will stand the test of rigorous examination. So it is rigor in the examining that I insist on, not what position one must ultimately take.

          Liked by 9 people

          1. Thank you Charlie.
            I do not berate him and I trust that in time he will come to know God. I’m surrounded by people who don’t believe. I am just sad about and wish that that I had the gift of explaining things. I just ‘know’ and often can tell when something is not from God even if I can’t explain how. For example the vaccine I just knew is wasn’t good and not from God and no matter what I wasn’t going to get jabbed. I can only explain this by asking for wisdom when I was a child. Out of my sibling, it is I that have kept my love for God and his church the most.

            Liked by 5 people

          2. Thank you Charlie. The two books sound about right for him. Mere Christianity came up often in my searches, so I will get it and read it. The other one I think is also a good fit. I will have to think on how to approach him to encourage him to read them. Maybe challenge him to think of good arguments against them. May I be guided in the right words.
            The idea that belief in God is something that everyone has to explore and find for themselves, I understand it very well. The journey/relationship of a soul and God is something between that person and God, and no one else can enter into that space. (I don’t mean that other people don’t plant seeds of faith, but the actual relationship/experience of God is sacred and unique to every person).
            It is with that thought that I realised that the most difficult miracle is a conversion. Or again, that every conversion is a miracle because it is often impossible to get through our stubborness and pride.

            Liked by 5 people

        4. For proof of the afterlife and a loving God, Dr. Spitzer of the Magis Center (also EWTN’s Dr. Spitzer’s Universe program) speaks highly of the convincing evidence/reality of many near death experiences (e.g. a born blind person comes back from NDE telling what trees look like, etc.).

          Another suggestion on this topic: spiritdaily.com for NDE and inspiring afterlife books.

          Note: Although there are also questionable experiences out there, referencing reliable sources, it seems apparent the Lord is providing these experiences, and people returning, with a purpose to help build meaningfulness in life (esp. for those who have lost it) and faith in a truly loving Being, our God.

          https://blog.magiscenter.com/blog/science-medicine-and-near-death-experiences

          SpiritDaily.com bookstore has a few books on NDE’s and afterlife witnesses, e.g. Return from Tomorrow written by a doctor who died at age 20.

          Liked by 6 people

        5. Itaca?

          I’m sure Charlie has better recommendations but my son enjoyed the Trilogy by Marshall Taylor about St. George. “The Sword and the Serpent”.

          Also, Joan of Arc by Mark Twain. One of the saints who loved to read about Knights found that when he read religious material it drew him toward God. Perhaps reading about different saints will draw your child closer to God.

          Keeping all of you in my prayers.

          Liked by 4 people

          1. Twain’s “Joan of Arc” is one of my favorites, charming historical fiction that does no violence to the actual facts involved. Certainly, solid stories of saints who lived genuine heroic fidelity can help fortify the faithful. For people who are struggling with whether they believe in God or not…and for people who are intellectual or even just fancy themselves intellectual, they need something that gets to the heart of their foundational question – which is why I recommended the two books I did.

            Liked by 5 people

      4. Sorry Charlie, I’m not buying Republicanism! Americans break into hives at the thought of monarchy, but it is really only a prejudice. “Consent of the governed” applies to Monarchies as well. And yes, modern monarchies are de-fanged constitutional monarchies–but they are still monarchies, and still retain many advantages, including a separation between State and Government. Thus, you can have, as we do in Canada, “Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition”, demonstrating that it is possible to be loyal to the State whilst sill criticising the Government. This lends itself to political stability. Your characterization of Pernoud is off the mark. I also recommend her “Women in the Age of the Cathedrals”. She is not the only one to defend the middle ages–I’d throw the ChesterBelloc into that mix as well, plus a pile of others. Monarchy/Feudalism lasted for over 1000 years; Republicanism is only a couple of centuries old, and has proven itself in that short time far too susceptible to despotism and degeneration into Globalism.

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Many monarchs in the history of the world have been thoroughly mad! There was a lot of intermarriage between members of families. In addition, I think the British royals are all odd and only exist to carry on an historical legacy and foment tourism. I prefer not to pay a ‘royal by blood’ group of people to live a life of luxury and pretend to be something that they are not. I think that almost all the kings in Europe had mistresses because they were forced into marriage for political purposes. This is a fraud on the public and, while there are many frauds everywhere, I prefer not to curtsy before any king or queen.

          Liked by 2 people

        2. Well, Kathleen, I have met more than a few enthusiasts for monarchy and none have persuaded me. I certainly understand wanting something other than what we have now – but we have long since left being anything resembling a republic. We’re more like a deranged muddle of an ancient Chinese bureaucracy, an oligarchy, and a plutocracy.

          I appreciate your many contributions here even though I don’t share your enthusiasm for vesting sovereignty in one person rather than the whole people.

          Throwing Hillaire Belloc into the mix would be okay if you acknowledge his ambivalence about monarchy. He WAS a monarchist, claiming that in Holland and England, parliamentary democracy was a sham and a cover for an ugly plutocracy. He also was a supporter of the French Revolution – hardly a monarchist sympathy. But he DID believe that monarchy, for all its faults, offered a better opportunity for protecting human liberty than republics did – though the latter had more to do with his conviction that republics served too conveniently as cover for truly ugly deviations than a philosophical opposition to the concept. His attitude towards parliamentary democracy soured dramatically after serving two terms in the British Parliament.

          As for G.K. Chesterton, he had no great thoughts on monarchy – neither writing anything advocating it or despising it. His most famous comment on monarchy was that a dying monarchy is one that is too powerful rather than too weak. So I am not going to accept throwing him into the mix as I have never seen, nor can find now, anything from him on the subject either advocating or opposing it in any general and sustained fashion.

          But we’ll agree to disagree on this point.

          Liked by 3 people

          1. I’m confused.

            Kathleen has some interesting points about monarchy. A number of years ago, I enjoyed a small seminar class with two fabulous Great Books professors sitting at each end of a long table with adult students on each side. One of the writings we discussed was St. Thomas Aquinas’s “On Kingship.” My inadequate description of this is, this was a treatise on IDEAL kingship, which has been rarely practiced throughout history and surely isn’t today.

            But I’m not familiar with “Kathleen” as a poster. I am more familiar with “Katherine,” who (when she has time while tending to a number of children) posts invariably insightful comments.

            Please enlighten me on my Kathleen-Katherine confusion!

            Blessings, friends ~
            Sister Bear

            Liked by 2 people

            1. No confusion on Katherine, Sr. Bear. As you note, she posts when she can as she does have a growing family. Katherine has been a reader and commenter since TNRS days.

              Kathleen is a newer commenter. I’ve noticed this especially this year, and, as Charlie noted, has made many comments here.

              Liked by 2 people

              1. I’m also going to add that in three major Commonwealth lands: Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, people have experienced THE worst tyrannical behaviors – using an ordinary virus as the excuse – with over the top suppression of freedoms. I know the challenges are worldwide on contending for our freedoms, but the three mentioned countries recognize the Queen as their head of state.

                Liked by 3 people

                1. Thanks, Beckita, for the clarification.

                  And, yes, it is noteworthy that the friendly Commonwealth countries of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand have been subject to surprisingly tyrannical behaviors in the past two years.

                  Liked by 3 people

    2. Interesting, Kathleen. I have thought about the pre-middle ages and God establishing the nation of Israel. It was patriarchal communities [tribes] based on individual rights and responsibilities [Exodus] and rules of law divinely inspired. When the Israelites settled in their God given territory, they set up governance by judges. That lasted for a while [Judges] until they whined and whined that they wanted to be ruled by a king like other nations. God warned them through Samuel that it was a bad idea, but because of their hard hearts…well, we know the rest of the story and what a ship wreck it became.

      Fast forward to today, I think we are seeing the unfolding of the Kingdom of God here on earth [as it is in Heaven]. Christ will reign on earth, not in the flesh, but in hearts. Look how Christ established the Church, same idea. God rules, but through appointed leaders. His laws, His will. [Yes, I know, what is happening in the Church today is a bad example.. we aren’t there yet.]
      That is what I hope is coming.
      Blessings of Divine Mercy to you and yours, and to all here in TNRS/ASOH community.

      Liked by 3 people

    1. Yeah, the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chapelet helps me sleeps. I often have to do it on a walk if I want to concentrate on them. Even then, I lose concentration and a decade is done in 10 mins.

      Liked by 4 people

    2. MYOWNBACKYARD, I think we all have to find a way to quiet our minds before trying to sleep. I, also, have the same trouble.

      Liked by 4 people

  9. DAY 9: The Souls who have become Lukewarm

    “Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: ‘Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.’ For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy.”

    ​Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.

    Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen.
    RECITE CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY
    https://www.ncregister.com/features/celebrate-divine-mercy-sunday-with-the-church

    Liked by 4 people

  10. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! .. 😉

    Take Refuge in the Feast of Divine Mercy
    https://mailchi.mp/jkmi/2najhri8v1-1067485?e=b654649ef1

    https://knowingisdoing.org/blog/let-us-not-forget-no-one-beyond-mercy-jesus-christ

    https://www.ncregister.com/news/pro-lifers-press-case-against-calif-law-they-claim-decriminalizes-infanticide

    https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/apr/22/the-outrageous-act-of-taking-a-knee-in-prayer-on-t/

    https://www.ncregister.com/interview/new-scientific-technique-dates-shroud-of-turin-to-around-the-time-of-christ-s-death-and-resurrection

    https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2022/04/american_churches_are_killing_christianity.html

    https://www.catholicleague.org/transgender-mania-grips-the-white-house/

    https://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2022/04/20/egypt-agrees-to-legalise-status-of-239-churches/

    https://khqa.com/news/local/father-toltons-possible-miracles-examined-for-sainthood-process

    https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/palestinians-clash-with-israeli-police-jerusalem-holy-site-31-injured-2022-04-22/

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/04/21/president-obama-emphasizes-the-importance-of-the-public-private-partnership-controlling-and-labeling-information/

    Covering for the Big Guy
    https://reader.epoch.cloud/?publink=0ceb872da_134842a

    Arsonists targeting Food Production?
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/04/ready-watch-biden-warns-food-shortages-food-processing-plants-across-country-seem-catching-fire-tucker-asks-going-dozen-factories-ha/

    https://newstarget.com/
    https://townhall.com/
    https://www.zerohedge.com/
    https://www.crisismagazine.com/
    https://stream.org/category/us/
    https://newsbusters.org/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE

    Liked by 5 people

  12. Good post, Charlie. I agree 100% with you take on the Ukraine/Russia crisis. Way too much outside interference with their own agenda. I’m concerned things will not be resolved without God’s direct intervention. In fact, I pray for it.

    Liked by 5 people

  14. “Apart from the Divine Mercy of God, there is no other source of hope for mankind.”-JPII

    Liked by 4 people

  15. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! .. Happy Divine Mercy Day 😉

    https://www.ncregister.com/blog/the-prophetic-saint-who-foretold-what-the-end-of-the-world-will-be-like

    Greek Orthodox Easter Celebrations–RICK STEVES

    https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-war-has-helped-to-resurrect-polands-catholic-church

    https://onepeterfive.com/emperor-church-worldwide-devotion-karl/

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18464/persecution-of-christians-march

    The godless Global THEY will “Pull Out All the Stops” to cover-up and/or distract YOU from THEIR Criminal Conspiracy of the past 15 years.
    Be it the groomed by ? Obama Gang, Transfomation of USA, SpyGate, IRS/DOJ/FBI/Intell/DHS Malfeasance, ChinaPlague USA Shutdowns and obvious intentional destruction of The USA as Founded in 1787!
    https://www.foxnews.com/media/lie-year-winner-obama-flamed-online-disinformation-speech-stanford
    https://thefederalist.com/2022/04/22/docs-spygate-researchers-did-work-for-former-special-counsel-robert-mueller/
    https://justthenews.com/accountability/media/free-speech-criticism-has-unlikely-source-press

    We have created a HUGE underclass of “Entitled People” in our USA that includes Generations of Welfare Slaves, Illegal Aliens, Ex-Cons, CrackHeads & …….?
    Most of these people are godless, barely educated and without a moral/social compass or rudder.
    Couple that with the Hate Cops, “Rich” People & Whitey LeftWing Mantras plus incompetant PC Gubermint … AND FOOD SHORTAGES … PERFECT STORM.
    Ladies & Gentlemen! Prepare to Defend Yourselves!!
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/04/20/global-food-crisis-imf-warns-of-unrest-amid-food-supply-shortages/
    https://www.dcclothesline.com/2022/04/21/food-production-is-going-to-be-substantially-lower-than-anticipated-all-over-the-globe-in-2022

    HullyGee!! I sure hope the FBI can spare the manpower to address this ’cause tracking down those evil & elusive White Supremacists is so much more important! ;-(
    https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/fbi-warns-imminent-cyber-attacks-food-plants-after-mysterious-rash-fires

    https://www.floppingaces.net/2022/04/22/the-week-in-radical-leftism-4-22-2022/

    https://newstarget.com/
    https://www.zerohedge.com/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE

    Liked by 4 people

  16. The Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta (and connection to Divine Mercy Sunday)

    Luisa was born on the first Sunday after Easter (now celebrated as Mercy Sunday) and was baptized that same day. Her father – a few hours after her birth – wrapped her in a blanket and carried her to the parish church where holy Baptism was administered to her.
    …Saint Faustina Kowalska, in her diary on Divine Mercy, wrote that Our Lord said to her: “I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy. On that day the very depths of my tender mercy are open.” (Source: Divine Mercy in My Soul, 1987, Sister M. Faustina Kowalska)
    Jesus emphasized to Saint Faustina that the depths of His Mercy were already open on that day, long before official recognition of the Feast by His Church. With the birth of Luisa Piccarreta on the day which would eventually be proclaimed the Feast of Divine Mercy, Jesus left a special sign of the unique importance of Luisa’s Mission, which her special confessor, Saint Annibale Maria Di Francia, described as “the triumph of the Divine Will in the entire universe.”
    https://luisapiccarreta.co/?p=4422

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Good points Charlie, I knew of the presence of propoganda in movies, tv shows, news, and other popular media, but the proganda is in modern novels too…

      We’re definately getting bombarded with propoganda from every angle.

      Liked by 3 people

  17. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! .. 😉

    https://www.ncregister.com/blog/17-things-jesus-revealed-to-st-faustina-about-divine-mercy

    https://spiritdailyblog.com/news/revisiting-an-apparition

    https://stream.org/the-hope-of-america/

    https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/3460420-supreme-court-revisits-prayer-in-school-in-football-coach-case/

    THEY are after YOUR Children & Grandchildren!
    https://www.catholicleague.org/lying-about-support-for-lgbt-curricula
    https://winnquick.com/index.php/2022/04/24/public-schools-are-grooming-your-children/
    https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2022/04/23/how-long-can-the-cult-of-transgenderism-last/
    https://www.foxnews.com/us/satanic-temple-sues-pennsylvania-school-club-denial
    https://www.foxnews.com/media/nyt-magazines-1619-project-mainstream-media-crt-race-based-reporting
    https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/apr/22/florida-releases-examples-rejected-woke-math-textb/

    Our USA THEY are in Frantic Mode! THEY now that THEIR ChinaPlague OP did not go as well as THEY had planned.
    THEY know that ChinaJoe/KamalBreath Admin. is in FreeFall.
    THEY know that ChinaPlague/Inflation/Urban Crime/Border Policies are getting serious BlowBack as THEY are increasingly unable to cover-up ALL the evidence of Criminal Conspiracy on multiple fronts!
    THEY know that THEIR attempts to stifle dissent and discussion with their confederates in BigTech, DOJ/DHS/DHHS & ABCNNBCBS-NPR/WashPo/NYT have fallen well short of The Plan.
    THEY are becoming Very Afraid which makes THEM very dangerous as THEY are rich & powerful …. and, I bet, are backed by Satanic Forces ;-(
    Be prepared for any kind of unpleasantness that THEY might trigger to distract YOU from THEIR Evil Deeds!
    YES!! I believe that what we have seen happen in Our USA these past 15 years is the result of a Plan created by domestic/foreign USA hating agents! …. CHURCH & STATE!!
    https://tradeforprofit.net/2022/04/beijing-residents-scramble-to-stockpile-food-essentials-as-new-covid-outbreak-detected/

    https://www.theblaze.com/video/the-new-way-thieves-are-stealing-gas

    https://amgreatness.com/
    https://www.americanthinker.com/
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Thank you CD for the Spirit Daily link.
      …”And in Germany itself there is an apparition of Our Lady to four girls between 1937 and 1940 in the middle of the war, in Heede, a small town of 2,000 inhabitants near the border with Holland
      They were not totally complete until 1945, at the end of the war, with the appearance of Jesus Christ to one of those girls, who would also be granted the stigmata of the Lord’s Passion.
      …Because humanity is worse than before the flood, dying in the morass of sin; hate and greed guide hearts — all because of satan.
      …Pray the Rosary frequently, was a message from Heede, and indulge less in the way entertainment.”

      Liked by 3 people

      1. I seen that one on Spiritdaily, Our Lady of Heede messages are consistent with other Marian messages. The disclaimer says for discernment only. Our Lady of Akita said similar things.

        What do all the messages from mystics & saints say? In a nutshell, there will be a Church-wide apostacy from the top-down, many souls are in grave danger of going to Hell. John Paul II and others said there’s two Churches, a Church of Christ, and the other is a worldly (globalist) & secular church of man that promotes liberal & socialist ideas that oppose & offend God. (a dictatorship of relativism)

        There’s lots more, but I wont go into it as it doesn’t paint a pretty picture. The Immaculate Heart will Triuph in the end, but it won’t be picnic nor cake-walk in getting there…

        Liked by 3 people

    2. Indeed CREWDOG,

      If there were a real climate change emergency, the governments around the world WOULDN’T be stoking a Ukrane-Russia war, at it’s going to probably put out more pollution than what most countries put out in a year, what a bunch of hypocrites! Go carbon tax the organizations that want this war, and stop persecuting the rest of the world with a unjust carbon tax.

      Liked by 3 people

  19. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! .. 😉

    https://aleteia.org/2022/04/06/the-catholic-monasteries-that-invented-our-favorite-cheeses/

    https://onepeterfive.com/isidore-mozarabic-chant/

    https://catholicvote.org/5-unsung-stories-from-american-catholic-history/

    NOT safe … Anywhere! Be Careful Out-There!
    https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251051/extraordinary-courage-nun-intervenes-to-stop-man-stabbing-catholic-priest-in-france
    https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2022-04/pope-francis-meets-sri-lanka-delegation-victims-easter-bombings.html

    https://www.catholicleague.org/bigot-to-host-white-house-media-dinner/

    https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/04/16/22/filipino-exorcist-priest-on-rescuing-a-demon-possessed

    https://washingtonmonthly.com/2022/04/19/what-sweden-got-right-about-covid/

    https://thefederalist.com/2022/04/26/democrats-have-nothing-to-offer-voters-so-theyre-banking-on-smearing-and-censoring-their-opposition/

    https://www.judicialwatch.org/hunter-joe-biden-scandal-update/

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/04/25/comrades-another-coded-message-transmitted-from-the-rebel-alliance-intellectual-froglegs-spring-edition/

    https://www.floppingaces.net/2022/04/24/democrats-the-pathway-to-democracy-is-the-elimination-of-free-speech/

    https://straightlinelogic.com/2022/04/24/multipolar-chaos-by-robert-gore/#more-99988

    China/Taiwan- Gordon Chang
    https://reader.epoch.cloud/?publink=182ccb94d_134842d
    https://reader.epoch.cloud/?publink=1d9b3c84c_134842d

    Japan is near financial collapse … as are We …. and just what the godless Global Re-Set Gang are hoping for ;-(
    https://finance.yahoo.com/news/japans-finance-ministry-official-denies-150109774.html

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/
    https://newsbusters.org/
    https://pjmedia.com/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE

    Liked by 3 people

  20. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! .. 😉

    https://www.ncregister.com/features/celebrating-the-family-in-st-john-paul-ii-s-sanctuary-in-krakow

    https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251069/hong-kong-priest-china-trying-to-control-religion-in-hong-kong

    https://townhall.com/columnists/terryjeffrey/2022/04/27/is-nancy-pelosi-establishing-a-religion-n2606404

    https://www.lifenews.com/2022/04/26/abortion-industry-makes-300-million-a-year-selling-abortion-pills/

    https://www.catholicleague.org/champions-of-women-destroy-their-rights/

    Like it or No …. IT;s coming! Don’t forget Pet Food!!
    https://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6302201228001#sp=show-clips
    https://zububrothers.com/2022/04/27/farm-crisis-hits-dakotas-as-floods-delay-plantings-may-trigger-us-food-shortage/

    Of course THEY do! Consummate Liars with Power can’t stand the Truth or abide Truth Tellers!
    Some worthy once quipped: “In times of Universal Deceit, telling the Truth is a Revolutionary Act”.
    https://reclaimthenet.org/the-biden-administration-wants-private-companies-to-censor-online-speech/
    https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2022/04/diversity-free-speech-and-woke-assault-america-bruce-thornton/

    https://www.floppingaces.net/most-wanted/garland-stonewalls-questions-about-a-special-counsel-in-hunter-biden-scandal-despite-new-evidence-tied-to-president-biden/

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/
    https://thefederalist.com/
    https://www.zerohedge.com/
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/
    https://justthenews.com/
    https://www.wnd.com/category/front-page/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE

    Liked by 3 people

  21. I like what Cardinal Sarah writes about the clash of cultures between Russia and the EU. It’s obviously a much more complicated situation than the “bad dictator Russia vs. good free Europe”, as I’ve pointed out in other posts. While I dislike the nationalist character of Eastern Orthodoxy, I like how it does a better job of holding the line against many forms of immorality than does the “post-Christian” (or really pagan pre-Christian) West. Of the major errors dominating the great powers today, I see the secular humanist anti-Christianity of the West as a bigger one than the nationalist Christianity of Orthodoxy. The State atheism of China is another one, but arguably that’s not even as bad as secular humanism because China was never Christian to begin with, so didn’t decide to consciously reject the gifts it had.

    This I suppose it why I tend to feel the most hostile toward the EU elites: Europe spread the true Faith to the world and then its elites (and many people) rejected it. They don’t negotiate, they just make declarations and expect compliance. It seems they have entirely lost the belief that there can be any negative consequence to themselves for evil decisions they make. First they lost the fear of God, and now because of increasing control of the media and public narrative, they believe they are no longer accountable to the people either. This has led to a sort of fantasy where many government elites seem to believe their declarations actually create reality, which if I’m not mistaken means they believe themselves to be God. Obviously these are not leaders we can trust to solve this (or any) crisis.

    -Lake

    Liked by 3 people

  22. “First they lost the fear of God, and now because of increasing control of the media and public narrative, they believe they are no longer accountable to the people either.”

    Interesting comment USNLT76YAHOOCOM. I remember many times in the past where the “The Fear of God” was discarded by many saying it’s unnecessary for their Catholic faith. If you don’t Fear God, then you don’t fear being “accountable” for sins, and thus treat God as a lesser instead of the All Mighty Creator & Lord/King of All. A lack of accountability leads to a lack of repentance, and then eventually apostasy.

    Archbishop Vigano gave interview this week, that is very insightful.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. In the case of secular world leaders many of them fail to realize that they will be judged by God on how they led their countries. Regardless of whether a system follows some version of “separation of church and state”, leaders are still accountable to God because all authority is delegated. The belief since the French Revolution has been that instead leaders are accountable to the people. Leaders now believe neither, and power-hungry people who believe no accountability are very dangerous. Even if Western leaders fail to fool the people and lose re-election, they always have themselves set up with a cushy job in consulting or lobbying. Appointed leaders don’t even face re-election, they just bounce back and forth between regulatory agency and corporate board or between the Pentagon and military contractor lobbyist/executive. No perceived accountability at all. Back to the judgment of God, people will be surprised to find I believe that God does not respect separation of church and state…responsibility is for all aspects of life.

      -Lake

      Liked by 4 people

  24. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! .. 😉

    https://www.ncregister.com/blog/this-is-the-best-work-on-prayer-i-have-ever-read

    https://spiritdailyblog.com/inspiration/when-satan-vanished

    https://onepeterfive.com/joseph-against-communists/

    I’m sure ChinaPlague Policies/Hysteria had absolutely nothing to do with this … Right!??
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/reports-of-kids-mysterious-liver-ailment-expand-in-us/ar-AAWEYc4

    “1984” be Now!!! ;-(
    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/04/27/department-of-homeland-security-sets-up-disinformation-governance-board-to-fight-misinformation/
    ….. Here too …. YOU must Shut-Up, Comply & “Be Happy or else ;-(
    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/04/28/white-house-nsa-organizes-security-summit-with-50-nation-peers-to-discuss-future-of-the-internet/

    https://off-guardian.org/2022/04/26/the-psychology-of-manipulation-6-lessons-from-the-master-of-propaganda/

    “Far Wores than Expected” well be the epitaph of ALL three Terms of Obama ;-(
    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/04/28/stagflation-arrives-u-s-economy-shrinks-1-4-percent-in-first-quarter/

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10760987/Biden-criticizes-making-teachers-target-culture-wars.html

    Dr Death should be in Jail but as a tool of the godless Global Re-Set Gang plus the China BioWeapons Gang and beloved by Democrats/THEIR Media Masters he is protected!
    https://www.axios.com/covid-timeline-told-through-fauci-predictions-d696e20d-507b-4956-8baa-2ec46e7044d1.html

    Ya can live a long time without food; ya got five days without water! Don’t forget the H2O in Plans!
    https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/us/water-intake-exposed-lake-mead-drought-climate/index.html

    https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/canada/canada-begins-eugenics-program/

    https://patriotpost.us/digests/88005-mid-day-digest-2022-04-28?mailing_id=6641

    https://www.frontpagemag.com/
    https://thefederalist.com/
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/
    https://www.wnd.com/category/front-page/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE

    Liked by 5 people

    1. ““1984” be Now!!! ;-(”

      It’s worse than that CREWDOG. Facebook style censorship has gone mainstream and spreading to every part of society, it will be in the workplaces especially, so anyone speaking the truth can be fired. Greater persecutions are coming…

      Like

  25. Still digesting the post, Charlie, and I just read the link to American Greatness. The article by Victor Davis Hanson is right on and reason to hope. May his words be prophetic, that a “reset reckoning is coming”, with a big “No” in November. We know you’ll say that isn’t a solution (November) to all our problems, but it sure would feel good, I think!

    Some important articles above, Crewdog! DHS and a “Disinformation Governance Board”? What could possibly go wrong?! God bless you all!

    Liked by 4 people

  26. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! .. 😉

    https://www.ncregister.com/blog/st-peter-chanel-futuna

    https://spiritdailyblog.com/prophecy/a-prophecy-from-twenty-two-years-ago-seems-to-be-crystallizing

    https://onepeterfive.com/good-shepherding-augustine-catherine-siena/

    https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/one-bishop-two-dioceses-can-that-work/

    https://catholicvote.org/catholicvote-confronts-warren-buffett-over-catholics-for-choice-funding/

    I do not doubt that WE are in “Mark of The Beast Time” ;-(
    https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/04/29/france-announces-digital-identity-app-days-after-macron-re-election/

    https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2022/04/29/carlson-this-is-the-point-where-were-just-going-to-have-to-draw-the-line-no-joe-biden-you-cant-have-a-federally-funded-ministry-of-truth/
    https://nypost.com/2022/04/28/joe-biden-under-fire-for-dystopian-disinformation-bureau/

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/04/28/bidens-dhs-confirms-plans-to-siphon-healthcare-services-away-from-veterans-to-illegal-aliens-at-border/

    https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/04/mayorkas_admits_that_the_illegals_he_releases_will_undoubtedly_commit_crimes_against_americans.html

    https://www.foxnews.com/media/gop-senate-candidate-t-w-shannon-planned-parenthood

    https://www.foxnews.com/us/increase-gun-sales-2020-increase-violent-crimes-experts

    https://www.revolver.news/2022/04/leaked-docs-show-usaid-disguised-millions-population-control-as-covid-relief/

    https://amgreatness.com/
    https://stream.org/category/us/
    https://www.crisismagazine.com/
    https://www.zerohedge.com/
    https://newstarget.com/
    https://cnsnews.com/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE

    Liked by 1 person

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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.