“Blessed are they Who Are Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake”

Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before the Gaystapo found another target for persecution. It appears that Chip and Joanna Gaines, the wholesome couple who star in HGTV’s Fixer Upper are devout Christians who attend a church who’s pastor doesn’t (get ready to grab the smelling salts here) believe in gay marriage!

Imagine the shock. The horror.

I suppose the tremendous loss that the Left recently experienced at the polls combined with the internal, incessant guilt that sodomy engenders made the latest object of Two Minute Hate inevitable. Isn’t tolerance wonderful?

Now, I know that this doesn’t rise to the level of persecution that the Church experienced in the pre-Constantinian age or what was endured behind the Iron Curtain. No one says that it is. However it is a type of persecution. Would a liberal say this about similar doctrines found in the sacred texts of Islam or Judaism? I think not. That alone exposes the intense hatred felt by the media elite for Christianity.

And it goes deeper, as if by osmosis into the broader, diversicrat culture. http://babylonbee.com/news/nation-shocked-horrified-christians-hold-christian-position/ . You need to read this. I suppose that the woman quoted in this article has two active brain cells but it’s clear that they’re not both firing at the same time. How else would you explain her inconsistent belief that it’s OK for Christians to have “beliefs” provided that they don’t “act” on them?

Make no mistake: traditional America was given a massive reprieve three weeks ago. There’s a lot that we can do with it, even with a flawed man at the helm. If we play our cards right, we can take back some lost ground, ground we thought we’d never see again. We may be seeing the crumbling of the twin pillars of Feminazism and Sodomy as they can not survive on their own but only with massive governmental subsidies. The ability to simply expose the dainty shibboleths of Political Correctness is refreshing on so many levels.

Yes, the Left in all it’s wicked glory sustained a massive defeat. Many are walking around shell-shocked and some are promoting secession for the three Pacific States. (I’ll help you with that; even design a flag for y’all.) Others however have picked themselves off the boxing mat, dusted off and are going on as if nothing bad happened. Long-term I’d say that their immoral belief system is still going to carry the day, at least until the Lord returns or He reorders civilization after a massive collapse. This will happen if the clock is not turned back under the Trump Administration. We should never underestimate the resourcefulness of the enemy.

The current imbroglio with Chip and Joanna is a marker. If they ride it out and come out as winners, then I’d say it’s really a brand new day. If, on the other hand, they are forced to close up shop, then I wouldn’t be so sure.

Comments

  1. Nate Trost says

    George Michalopulos wrote:
    And it goes deeper, as if by osmosis into the broader, diversicrat culture. http://babylonbee.com/news/nation-shocked-horrified-christians-hold-christian-position/

    Uh, the Babylon Bee is a fictitious satire site. Which probably should have been obvious from the front page article about Junior Asparagus from VeggieTales being arrested on drug charges. That quote is as made up as any quote in The Onion.

    This did get a chuckle out of me:
    http://babylonbee.com/news/thorn-pauls-flesh-revealed-whams-last-christmas/

    • George Michalopulos says

      I got that from Instapundit, probably the best libertarian blog on the internet. If they got took, then I got took. That doesn’t dispute the fact that Christians are routinely told that they can believe what they want just as long as they don’t act on what they believe.

      Equally curious, Moslems are never held to the same standard. Hmmmm……

      • Nate Trost says

        The Instapundit got took because Glenn “I had an abortion” Reynolds probably can’t even name all the Gospels, much less identify a satirical religious site. You got took because you were too lazy to actually visit the source you were drawing your argument from. I know you aren’t stupid enough to have actually visited the Bee site and not realized it was satire.

        To put your blunder in perspective, here’s how it sounds:
        George Michalopulos: Read my blog! I’m going to cite as a serious support of my argument, a web page that reports cartoon vegetables being arrested for drug abuse as real news! And then you should definitely take me seriously when I accuse a pizza shop owner of running a child sex ring based on internet conspiracy theories and videos created by the hentai lovers at 4chan.

        Tremendous work!

        That doesn’t dispute the fact that Christians are routinely told that they can believe what they want just as long as they don’t act on what they believe.

        Your argument is less than convincing when it took you a fictitious Turbo-Strawman from a satire site to make it. So yeah, I do dispute it. What I don’t dispute is that there is a conflict where Christians seem entitled to feel that they can act on their beliefs in any way they choose and should never suffer any negative consequences from society from those actions as a result.

        If anything I’d argue that much of secular American society wonders exactly when most of American Christianity is actually going start engage in actions that line up with the beliefs they claim to have.

        • Michael Bauman says

          Verifying sources and maintaining accuracy is important. But, the reality that Christians are facing many challenges regarding the expression of traditional Christian teachings on matters dear to the hearts of all so-called progressives cannot be disputed.

          It might not be actual persecution but it is certainly maintaining a hostile environment.

          We should expect that. We have become complacent in our expectation that the US government will always recognize our beliefs as good, codify them into law and allow them space in the public square.

          Jesus promised us just the opposite. He promised that they will hate used as they hate Him. It is not even us they are after.

          I rejoice that God is allowing the natural response of any secular state to occur.

          I pray to the Stylite saints Symeon and Daniel who’s icons grace the entrance to the temple of my home parish for their intercessions to remain steadfast in the truth and that we may endure as Job.

          “If it be now, ’tis not to come. If it is not to come, it will be now. If it he not now, yet it will come. The readiness is all.”

          We have been given more time to become ready. Let us not be as the foolish virgins squandering the time in silly ideological arguments; falling prey to the distractions of the evil one: fear, lust of power, unforgiveness and idle talk.

          Watch and pray giving thanks for all things in Christ with repentance and humility. Giving alms to all with a merciful heart assuaging the loneliness and fear of others in the process.

        • Gail Sheppard says

          Frankly, Nate, I don’t CARE what “secular American society” wonders. They wouldn’t know American Christianity if it slapped them in the face. They aren’t out there donating their time to feed the hungry like we are; they’re too busy protesting. All that yelling and screaming is doing something to their brain cells, too. 218M people are consuming dangerous levels of chromium-6 in this country (especially in my neck of the woods) and yet these people are flooding the streets crying over some lake in South Dakota that MIGHT become polluted! The press is so stupid, it keeps saying the lake is in North Dakota! – Speaking of stupid, what is your beef with George? You come across as a jilted adolescent. Did he hurt your feelings in 7th grade or something? EVERY SINGLE POST of yours is a dig at George. Why not mix it up and show some American Christianity by saying something nice once in awhile.

          • Gail Sheppard wrote

            Frankly, Nate, I don’t CARE what “secular American society” wonders. They wouldn’t know American Christianity if it slapped them in the face. They aren’t out there donating their time to feed the hungry like we are;

            This statement is both staggeringly arrogant and wrong. If you think charity is solely the purview of American Christianity, you live in quite the bubble.

            Speaking of stupid, what is your beef with George?

            He is the proprietor of this site and the one posting almost all the material. Because of that, as a general rule, as such, the vast majority of my criticism is accordingly directed at him. At this point I usually don’t bother responding to secondary commentators (with the occasional exception) unless I am directly involved by them as you have done.

            EVERY SINGLE POST of yours is a dig at George. Why not mix it up and show some American Christianity by saying something nice once in awhile.

            I could play devil’s advocate here and ask why you Gail, are so forgiving of George Michalopulos constant spread of incorrect information and facts and utter unrepentance for doing so? Am I suppose to congratulate George Michalopulos for doing things like spreading false internet rumors that resulted in a man discharging a long gun in an occupied restaurant? Should I coddle Mr. Michalopulos and give him a gold star for effort even though on the merits his work deserves scorn and derision? I’d be quite the proper “squishy prog-lib” if I did that now wouldn’t I! George Michalopulos is a grown man and I will treat him as such.

            • Gail Sheppard says

              Nate, I don’t think I said anything about how I feel about George. If I’m forgiving, it’s my nature. Your tirades are boring and predictable and I’m probably not the only one who thinks so. Mixing it up once in a while and being nice wouldn’t kill you. It would certainly make you more interesting. – George caused a “man to discharge a long gun in a occupied restaurant.” Seriously?! Add dramatic and ineffectual to my list of complaints about you. You can treat George anyway you want, just know that I have completely written you off as a crackpot.

              • Gail Sheppard wrote
                Your tirades are boring and predictable

                And yet you don’t seem to say they are inaccurate.

                Gail Sheppard wrote:
                George caused a “man to discharge a long gun in a occupied restaurant.” Seriously?!

                That isn’t what I said. Not him personally in this instance, however, he did contribute in perpetuating a false conspiracy theory across the internet that did result in a guy storming into a pizza parlor, shooting a gun, and surrendering to police after he failed to find any evidence of child sex dungeons during his armed search of the building. Which is crazy. And my point was, even though that guy wasn’t inspired by Monomakhos, there are posters on here who pretty clearly demonstrate mental instability. So it is not out of the question that by spreading lurid accusations about something as heinous as child sexual abuse, even this obscure site could end up sparking a tragedy.

                Again, this is the real world fallout from the behavior of people like George Michalopulos doing this stuff:
                http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pizzagate-from-rumor-to-hashtag-to-gunfire-in-dc/2016/12/06/4c7def50-bbd4-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html

                • Gail Sheppard says

                  Nate, you give George WAY too much credit. I have it on good authority he is not all that powerful in the underworld.

              • Bishop Tikhon (Fitzgerald) says

                Gail, why not extend to Nate the same charity you urge him to extend to George? You said this, “George caused a “man to discharge a long gun in a occupied restaurant. Seriously?!”
                Nate made no such charge, Gail! He referred to RUMORS that caused a “man to discharge a long gun in a occupied restaurant.” Surely, you must agree that it was such rumors that motivated that vigilante. And, Gail, I first heard of this rumor HERE.

            • Peter Millman says

              Nate,
              You don’t have to “play devil’s advocate”: you are the devil’s advocate, son.

              • But it is okay for you to spend time on earth reading George’s articles on semen and breast milk soufflé?

                A good bishop would take this site down or at least stop its author from communing for the trashcan George has let himself fall into.

                And I honestly like the man, but he has gone too far and Nate is right.

      • Ronda Wintheiser says

        Well, this writer for the HufPost says essentially the same thing.

        “It’s one thing to personally believe that homosexuality is a sin. It’s completely different when that theology is used to justify laws and policies that take away other people’s civil rights.”

        http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chip-joanna-gaines-church_us_584078eee4b017f37fe3781c

        • George Michalopulos says

          There you go committing truth, Rhonda! Don’t tell the proglibs!

        • The problem is constructing rights on the basis of lacivious passions. For Christians, that’s a no-no. The notion that because I might be attracted to another man, or an animal, or my own daughter, etc, therefore I should not be excluded, and must be affirmed, since the attraction is genuine. On the basis of this “identity”, I have rights to medical records and visitation of whomever or whatever I copulate with and we should not be refused any dignity accorded a husband and wife.

          Really? For the sole reason that it sexually excites me?

          What could possibly be more preposterous?

          For now, there’s an 18 or over limitation on this, but that’s the next wall to fall.

          So Christians observe that sanctions are starting to fall on us for pointing out the insanity of the ideology. Par for the course.

          • Gay marriage became a civil rights issue, whenso called progressive and tolerant leftist convinced America homosexuality is an identity and not a behavior. Talk about fake news, and fake facts.

            • Michael Bauman says

              The process began on the heels of the Stonewall Riots. I began to notice it the 70’s as artifacts of homosexual fashion were imported into the normal male world. When I began to see normal males in Wichita, Ks dressing and grooming like homosexual males in San Francisco I knew something was up. Had no idea what at the time. But it seemed strange.

              So it is neither sudden nor new. Incremental. Boiling the frog while denying the heat is real.

              Maybe we Orthodox should make a movie: Fast, Pray, Love.

        • Why do leftists think it is wrong to legislate morality? They believe in confiscatory taxation in the name of charity. Double standard!

    • Indeed, George. The “Babylon Bee” is basically an Evangelical “Eye of the Tiber.”

      That said, I saw a story on the news a few days ago about these people being persecuted. The source is that rag, BuzzFeed. https://www.buzzfeed.com/kateaurthur/chip-and-joanna-gaines-church-same-sex-marriage

  2. I remember the days in the early 1980’s when talk show hosts like Phil Donohue, introduced the gay lifestyle to America with great debates crying for us to be tolerant. We were told to mind our own business, and what one does in the privacy of their bedroom is their business, not ours.

    Well times have changed, the coin is now flipped upon us. Now we Christians must ask the new so called tolerant world to be tolerant with us and our beliefs and lifestyle.

    Our world has inverted , turn upside down, decade by decade a new tolerance will be demanded by our left wing demon leaders, and media. At this point all we can do is teach, strengthen, and protect our own. The internal strife within our church must also end immediately , if we are to successfully fight off the demons, instead of ourselves. What good, and winnable fight can by fought against the demons, when we are too busy fighting among ourselves. Lord have mercy!

    • Michael Bauman says

      Dino, the big weapon right now against us is the spirit of fear. Fear that the Church will fail or needs to do this or thus is part of that. Fear of this, that or another thing. The Russians, Hillary, Donald, the flue, yada, yada, yada.

      So, what conquers fear? Love of course.

      The Church will prevail by the grace of God. I rather doubt it will be in its present outward form. Likely it will be smaller, centered around local Bishops.

      There will be fewer political arguments within and between churches. Those who are willing to suffer for Christ, in Christ.

      I find it easy to assume I would be one of those, but the fact is I don’t know for sure.

      Pray, fast, give alms, give thanks to God, repent/forgive.

      Mst of all don’t give into the spirit of fear.

  3. The reaction in mostly mad( mostly insane, keep Portland weird subculture) is having a gollem moment. The election showed them it wasn’t their birthday, they wants it, but Hillery didn’t get it. Their reaction is exactly as vicious and fierce as the LOTR villian.They actually are doing an asp in the way on the sidewalks. Deliberately getting is everyone way, you can’t walk down the street without them insisting you experience their rage.They look like dark wandering stars, described by St Paul, Nothing new under the sun. The Holy has God’s got a few 10’s of thousands of giga tons of methane burps that ought to get their attention. No birthdays in Eternity. Not even one.

  4. Bishop Tikhon (Fitzgerald) says

    Anybody have something intelligent to contribute on this subject? Like WHO is being persecuted for RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE?

    • Bishop Tikhon, You are correct, not many persecutions here in America. A few here and there might lose their livelihoods, but the warning alarms grow louder every decade. The Christians truly persecuted are those in the middle east, by those friendly and lovely Muslims. They have systematically removed 99.9 percent of the Jews, and next are our Christian brothers, in the middle east.

    • Gail Sheppard says

      Your Grace, would you agree that the Left believes that those who vehemently oppose homosexuality, gay marriage, and abortion are bigots (intolerant toward those holding different opinions)? Would you also agree that those who vigorously support the Church in these matters are presumably acting in a righteous manner? If the answer is yes to both questions, then we, the righteous, have become bigots in the secular world. Somewhere along the line, Christianity became a dirty word and if you stand up for Christian values you will be told to sit down and shut up because it is not politically correct.

      A similar thing has happened in the political arena. If you support deportation of illegal immigrants, you’re a bigot. If you support drug testing of welfare recipients, you’re a bigot. IF YOU ARE A CONSERVATIVE, you are a bigot AND a failed Christian! You are told to sit down and shut up because you are not politically correct.

      There are consequences for not being politically correct in today’s world. You are shunned. You are labeled. You are “unfriended.” People hate you and flood the streets in protest. They might as well be carrying pitch forks! How can one construe this as anything OTHER THAN persecution, i.e. hostility and ill-treatment toward another because of their religious and/or political beliefs?

      You can’t.

    • Simply standing up to be counted can be a brave act. Many people’s jobs are on the line when they stand for Christian morality.

  5. I can think of one bishop who certainly is not being persecuted for righteousness sake.

    • Bishop Tikhon (Fitzgerald) says

      Michael Kinsey! “I can think of one bishop who certainly is not being persecuted for righteousness sake.” Thanks for inserting your thought which is a fact—irrelevant, but a fact!
      Now…..Anybody have something intelligent to contribute on this subject? Like WHO is being persecuted for RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE? NO BISHOPS AT ALL ARE BEING PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE! Sunni, Shia, Sufi Moslems, and various types of heretical and Orthodox Christians are being persecuted by hate-filled religious fanatics. About the safest place in the Middle East for ALL the named groups would be the Islamic Republic of Iran—for this reason , Iran remains the main target of the incoming administration, although Putin might hint “hands off” to his disciple, in order to protect Russia’s profitable efforts there!

      • Russia has Iran, America has Saudi Arabia. I personally wished that was reversed. Of course if they did not float on top of black gold, neither Russia or America, would care much for either.