On Women and the Head Covering in the Assembly of the Church

If one of the men of your congregation took it upon himself to wear a baseball cap, bowler, porkpie hat, French beret, or a ten gallon cowboy hat while waiting on the Lord’s table, or leading a public prayer, or leading singing or even preaching, would you object?  If so, why?  If the hat in question was part of his normal day to day attire, what would be the problem?  If he declined to doff his chapeau while praying, why should anyone object?

If you were to have a young married couple show up for worship services, and the husband had a long, luxurious head of hair flowing down past his waist, while his wife sported a crew cut, would you be okay with that?  Why not?  Are you just binding your own human opinion and taste on the pair?

Perhaps most brethren would appeal to I Corinthians, and Paul’s admonition that long hair is shameful for men, yet glorious for a woman.  Well and good, perhaps, but the exact same passage demands that women wear a veil while praying, and the overwhelming majority of brethren who would oppose the inversion of the young married couple above would nevertheless refuse to require the wearing of the veil with the same adamancy with which they oppose the wearing of the ballcap, even though both instructions are given directly together by Paul.  Why is this so?

 At this point a learned brother will step forward to admonish the wayward advocate of the veil that it is merely a matter of local custom which Paul was addressing, and as such has no relevance to practice in the church in the current year and locale.  It might surprise the learned brother to discover that Paul never, not even one single time, refers to the wearing of the veil as a custom. 

           
“No!” cries our learned brother, “Paul specifically says the veil is a ‘custom’ in I Corinthians 16!”  In point of fact this is a new and novel teaching which is contrary to grammar, logic, and two millenia of scholarship prior to the twentieth century.  Learned brother should also take into account that if the veil is local custom, so are Paul’s teachings regarding male and female hair length, as well as the prohibition of men praying with their heads covered.  All are found bound together in a single set of instructions; if one is mere custom all are mere custom, and the brother who condemns the teaching that women should be covered, while himself teaching that men should be uncovered, condemns himself for teaching custom as law.

Now let us understand, I do not condemn our learned brother who teaches men should be uncovered; rather I commend him for teaching such, I merely wish to encourage him to be consistent in his teaching about these matters.  

What, then, is the historical teaching regarding the veil?  All of the second century brethren reported that the wearing of the veil was a universal practice of the churches, and cited Paul’s teaching on the matter.  This is the testimony of both Clement of Alexandria and Hippolytus of Rome.  Later writers, including John Chrysostom, Jerome and Augustine confirmed that in the 4^th and 5^th centuries it was still the universal practice for Christian women to wear a head covering, and that such was based on the teaching of the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians.

 Interestingly enough, as time moved on and more and more digressions and divisions occurred, the wearing of the head covering by women professing to be Christians seems to have never been questioned.  Luther and Calvin, while more than happy to shake everything up in the religious orders of their time, still commanded women to wear head coverings, and still instructed they should do so based on the teaching of Paul in I Corinthians.  I do not claim that either of these men are authoritative, but both were recognized scholars, and both understood the teaching of the apostle in this matter to be what everyone else had for well over a thousand years. 

Now, what is this matter of “custom” in I Corinthians 11:16?  Is it, as most learned brethren teach today, the wearing of the veil (and long hair on women, and short hair on men, and men being uncovered in worship, because they do indeed all stand or fall together)?

Well, let’s see what some of the greatest scholars of the scriptures have to say about Paul’s use of the word custom in I Cor. 11:16.  While I agree these men are not doctrinally authoritative, their scholarship is useful for shedding light on the literal meanings of passages.

“But if any man seem to be contentious – The sense of this passage is probably this: “If any man, any teacher, or others, “is disposed” to be strenuous about this, or to make it a matter of difficulty; if he is disposed to call in question my reasoning, and to dispute my premises and the considerations which I have advanced, and to maintain still that it is proper for women to appear unveiled in public, I would add that in Judea we have no such custom, neither does it prevail among any of the churches. This, therefore, would be a sufficient reason why it should not be done in Corinth, even if the abstract reasoning should not convince them of the impropriety. It would be singular; would be contrary to the usual custom; would offend the prejudices of many and should, therefore, be avoided.”

We have no such custom – We the apostles in the churches which we have elsewhere founded; or we have no such custom in Judea. The sense is, that it is contrary to custom there for women to appear in public unveiled. This custom, the apostle argues, ought to be allowed to have some influence on the church of Corinth, even though they should not be convinced by his reasoning.

Neither the churches of God – The churches elsewhere. It is customary there for the woman to appear veiled. If at Corinth this custom is not observed, it will be a departure from what has elsewhere been regarded as proper; and will offend these churches. Even, therefore, if the reasoning is not sufficient to silence all cavils and doubts, yet the propriety of uniformity in the habits of the churches, the fear of giving offence should lead you to discountenance and disapprove the custom of your females appearing in public without their veil.”

— Albert Barnes

 “But if any man seem to be contentious – Ει δε τις δοκει φιλονεικος ειναι· If any person sets himself up as a wrangler – puts himself forward as a defender of such points, that a woman may pray or teach with her head uncovered, and that a man may, without reproach, have long hair; let him know that we have no such custom as either, nor are they sanctioned by any of the Churches of God, whether among the Jews or the Gentiles. We have already seen that the verb δοκειν, which we translate to seem, generally strengthens and increases the sense. From the attention that the apostle has paid to the subject of veils and hair, it is evident that it must have occasioned considerable disturbance in the Church of Corinth. They have produced evil effects in much later times.”

— Adam Clarke

“1 Corinthians 11:16. But if any man seem to be, &c.— Be, or is disposed to be, &c. “If any one, from a love of disputing, or from his own different views of what is naturally decent, should controvert what I advance, I shall not contend further; but content myself with saying, that we have here no such custom, for women to appear with their heads uncovered; neither do I know of its prevailing in any other of the churches of God, whether planted by me, or any of my brethren. I think, therefore, that it ought to be avoided, as a singularity which may appear like affectation, and give offence, even if it be not judged a natural indecorum.” See Doddridge and Cal”

— Thomas Coke

 “VII. He sums up all by referring those who were contentious to the usages and customs of the churches, 1 Corinthians 11:16. Custom is in a great measure the rule of decency. And the common practice of the churches is what would have them govern themselves by. He does not silence the contentious by mere authority, but lets them know that they would appear to the world as very odd and singular in their humour if they would quarrel for a custom to which all the churches of Christ were at that time utter strangers, or against a custom in which they all concurred, and that upon the ground of natural decency. It was the common usage of the churches for women to appear in public assemblies, and join in public worship, veiled; and it was manifestly decent that they should do so. Those must be very contentious indeed who would quarrel with this, or lay it aside”

— Matthew Henry

“16. εἰ δέ τις. Not ‘any man’ as A.V., but ‘any one,’ a material difference. The Apostle had special reason to apprehend difficulties on this point. See 1 Corinthians 14:33; 1 Corinthians 14:38, and notes. Thus it would be better to apply the words to what follows, rather than with some commentators, to what has gone before. The Apostle would deprecate further argument, and appeal to the custom of the Churches as decisive on a point of this kind.

δοκεῖ. Thinks fit, not seemeth, as A.V.

φιλόνεικος. Admirably translated contentious in A.V., implying that pleasure is taken in strife for its own sake.

ἡμεῖς. Emphatic. If he like to be contentious, let him be so. It is quite sufficient for us who desire to live in peace that the custom of the Churches is otherwise.

συνήθειαν. See note on 1 Corinthians 8:7. The word has been interpreted [1] as referring to contention, ‘it is not our custom to be contentious,’ or [2] to the practice of permitting women to appear unveiled at the services of the Church. The latter yields the best sense. This appeal to the Churches must not be understood to imply that all Churches ought in all respects to have the same customs. But in a matter such as this, involving the position of women in Christian society, and their reputation in the world at large—a matter of no small importance—it were far wiser for the Corinthian Church to follow the universal practice of Christendom.

Now if the false teacher resolves to be contentious, and maintains that it is allowable for women to pray and teach publicly in the church unveiled, we in Judea have no such custom, neither any of the churches of God.“

—- James MacKnight on the Epistles

A summary by appeal to the universal custom of the churches.

If any man seem – `thinks’ (fit) [ dokei (Greek #1380)] (Matthew 3:9); if any man chooses (still, after all my arguments) to be contentious; if any thinks himself right in being so. A reproof of the Corinthians’ self-sufficiency and disputatiousness (1 Corinthians 1:20).

We – apostles; or, we of the Jewish nation. Jewish women veiled themselves in public, according to Tertullian. The former explanation is best, as the Jews are not referred to in the context; but he often refers to himself and his fellow-apostles. “We-us” (1 Corinthians 4:9-10; 1 Corinthians 10:5-6).

No such custom – as that of women praying uncovered. Not ‘that of being contentious.’ The Greek No such custom – as that of women praying uncovered. Not ‘that of being contentious.’ The Greek [ suneetheian (Greek #4914)] implies a usage rather than a mental habit (John 18:39). The usage of true “churches” (plural: not ‘the Church,’ as an abstract entity, but “the churches,” as many independent witnesses) of God (the churches which God recognizes) is a valid argument as to external rites, especially negatively-e.g., such rites were not received among them, therefore ought not to be admitted among us; but in doctrine or essentials the argument is not valid (1 Corinthians 7:17; 1 Corinthians 14:33).

Neither – nor yet. Catholic usage is not an infallible test of truth, but a general test of decency.”

—Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible – Unabridged

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

            Verse 16

16.] Cuts off the subject, already abundantly decided, with a settlement of any possible difference, by appeal to universal apostolic and ecclesiastic custom. But if any man seems to be contentious (i.e. ‘if any arises who appears to dispute the matter, who seems not satisfied with the reasons I have given, but is still disputatious;’—this is the only admissible sense of δοκεἶ in this construction: see reff.:—for the meaning, ‘if it pleases any one,’ &c. would require τινι δοκεῖ: and ‘if any one thinks that he may,’ &c. would not agree with φιλονεικεῖν, which is in itself wrong).

ἡμεῖς] declarative: let him know that …; so, εἰ δὲ κατακαυχᾶσαι, οὐ σὺ τὴν ῥίζαν βαστάζεις, ἀλλʼ ἡ ῥίζα σέ, Romans 11:18. We,—the Apostles and their immediate company,—including the women who assembled in prayer and supplication with them at their various stations, see Acts 16:13.

τοιαύτην συνήθειαν] The best modern Commentators, e.g. Meyer and De Wette, agree with Chrys. in understanding this, τοιαύτ. συνήθ., ὥστε φιλονεικεῖν κ. ἐρίζειν κ. ἀντιτάττεσθαι. p. 235. And so Ambrose, Beza, Calvin, Estius, Calov., al. But surely it would be very unlikely, that after so long a treatment of a particular subject, the Apostle should wind up all by merely a censure of a fault common to their behaviour on this and all the other matters of dispute. Such a rendering seems to me almost to stultify the conclusion:—‘If any will dispute about it still, remember that it is neither our practice, nor that of the Churches, to dispute.’ It would seem to me, but for the weighty names on the other side, hardly to admit of a question, that the συνήθεια alludes to the practice (see ref. John) of women praying uncovered. So Theodoret, Grot. Michaelis, Rosenm., Billroth, Olsh., al., and Theophyl. altern. He thus cuts off all further disputation on the matter by appealing to universal Christian usage: and to make the appeal more solemn, adds τοῦ θεοῦ to αἱ ἐκκλ.,—the assemblies which are held in honour of and for prayer to God, and are His own Churches. Obs. αἱ ἐκκλησί αι, not ἡ ἐκκλησί α. The plurality of independent testimonies to the absence of the custom, is that on which the stress is laid. This appeal, ‘to THE CHURCHES,’ was much heard again at the Reformation: but has since been too much forgotten. See, on the influence of this passage on the Christian church, the general remarks of Stanley, edn. 2, pp. 198–200.

— Henry Alford, Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary             Now we are to believe that MacKnight, Henry, Clarke, Barnes etc, are one and all mistaken on the literal meaning of the passage here, and that the word custom refers to the wearing of the veil by the Corinthian women.  Of course this also contradicts the testimony as to the understanding and practice of the second century scholars mentioned above, and while it is completely understandable to dismiss the admittedly annoying ramblings of Augustine and perpetual sense of indignation wafting from Jerome, we can perhaps at least look to their testimony as to what the practice of the church was in their day and why it was so.

I guess RSM still hasn’t boycotted the NFL… https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/25/heartbreaker-in-foxborough/

Interesting fashion advice… https://spawnyspace.wordpress.com/2022/09/27/tunics/

Everyone goes to Disney after the die in Philly… https://sylg1.wordpress.com/2022/09/26/the-worst-police-department-in-america/

Get off the fence… https://sigmaframe.wordpress.com/2022/09/26/sitting-on-the-fence/

Feminists against females…. https://deepstrength.wordpress.com/2022/09/26/the-desecration-of-femininity/

They’ll be coming for all of us soon enough… https://winteryknight.com/2022/09/26/bidens-fbi-raids-home-of-pro-life-activist-aiming-rifles-at-his-wife-and-kids/

On friendship… https://freemattpodcast.wordpress.com/2022/09/26/you-might-not-want-to-be-my-friend/

Freedom Isn’t Free, and Grace Isn’t Cheap

1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

² God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

³ Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

⁴ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

⁶ Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

⁷ For he that is dead is freed from sin.

In certain obscure corners of the internet one may run across the term “churchianity” from time to time, a derogatory appellation for those who profess Christianity without submitting to Christ. I often think of Johnny Cash singing in “The Wanderer” about those who “say they want the kingdom, but they don’t want God in it.” Some have objected to the use of this term, most notably the esteemed writer John C. Wright, seeing it as an aspersion against the faithful. Others use it freely, perhaps too much so at time. If we were to define “churchianity” as opposed to Christianity, how might we do so?

In a nutshell, churchianity is the default setting for those who embrace what Bonhoeffer called the doctrine of “cheap grace.” https://gbtseminary.org/cheap-grace-bonhoeffer-and-the-cost-of-discipleship/#:~:text=In%20short%2C%20cheap%20grace%20to,in%20place%20of%20God%20himself.

Cheap grace preaches forgiveness without repentance, Christianity at peace with the carnal world, freedom without self-sacrifice, redemption without submission. Cheap grace is the wellspring from which we get a modern evangelical church whose divorce rate is indistinguishable from that of unbelievers and atheists. It is the fountainhead of a church full of unashamed fornicators and adulteresses.

The adherents of cheap grace will usually admit to a belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, although this is not always the case, and those who will not commit to even a belief in the resurrection are growing more numerous. It is a gospel of easy conversion, for the convert never really has to change. Instead, we all simply learn to tolerate one another in our sins. “Come as you are” had become “and stay that way forever.” If you come as an adulteress, God loves you anyway, so stay in your adulteress relationship. If you come as a sodomite, God loves you anyway, so continue to enjoy your sodomy. If you practice child sacrifice through abortion, God loves you anyway, so keep your abortion abattoir open. You get the picture.

Cheap grace is also seen in the “prosperity gospel,” which promises that if you really believe, and really pray, and really give a lot of money to a televangelist, you will get all the material possessions you could ever want right hear and now. You and your loved ones will never be troubled by illness. Now obviously anyone who falls for this has never spent any time in any serious Bible study, but that’s the point. How many people in church buildings in the U.S. (or the West in general) today have ever really spent any time in serious Bible study?

So when we speak of churchianity, we speak of those who want their blessings to be physical and in the here and now. We speak of those who want to be thought of as “good people” while they still do evil things. We speak of those who want forgiveness but without repentance or restitution. We speak of those who want the Kingdom without God in it.

Metaphysical thoughts… https://sigmaframe.wordpress.com/2022/09/21/metaphysical-literacy/

Paypal censorship…. https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/21/simple-question-who-complained/

Jill Biden is no Lady Macbeth…. https://spawnyspace.wordpress.com/2022/09/23/doctor-jill-biden/

Why Mitch, why?…. https://sylg1.wordpress.com/2022/09/22/mitch-mcconnell-is-a-despicable-worm/

On the Pericope Adulterae… https://deepstrength.wordpress.com/2022/09/22/pericope-adulterae/

RAND plots… https://gunnerq2.com/the-other-rand-corporation-plot/

Atheism and slavery… https://winteryknight.com/2022/09/22/can-atheists-condemn-slavery-as-immoral-do-atheists-believe-that-slavery-is-wrong-5/

Fiction break… https://www.scifiwright.com/2022/09/the-book-of-dreams-was-utterly-forbidden-fragment-ii-lord-of-the-fifth-world/

On Apostasy

²⁶ For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

²⁷ But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

²⁸ He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

²⁹ Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

³⁰ For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

It often seems difficult to me to even get an unbeliever to listen to the Gospel of Christ. Yet, if I can get them to listen, sometimes I can see the wheels start to turn and the light start to come on, and I realize they are recognizing what Christ offers them. I have long ago dropped any concern about how effective I am as a speaker or how convincing I can make my rhetoric; the power is not in me, it’s in the gosIpel. Even if I am a stammering train wreck of a public speaker, if I can just say enough that my hearers know about Christ, the gospel has the power to do the rest. I plant, it is God who gives the increase.

What is worse than the unbeliever, however, is the apostate. The apostate has tasted spiritual freedom. He has heard the gospel, believed it for a time, and for a time has been obedient. But then the cares of the world choke out his faith, and he is brought down.

Now the Calvinist will claim that this man was never saved to begin with; I am not a Calvinist so the idea that a man may, of his own free will, abandon Christ and the promise of Heaven is something I acknowledge as possible. What will never happen is that Christ will abandon us. If you meet the apostate, who once tasted the richness of God’s mercy, and who has now returned to his own vomit, know that this man did so in spite of all God did for him, not because of anything God did to him.

When we talk about the reasons for apostasy, I think of Tolstoy’s line that happy families are all alike, but unhappy families are all unhappy in their own special way. Just so, faithful Christians are all alike on the same path, while apostates have all found their own special reason to betray the One who loves them most. For some it’s money, others sex, perhaps drugs, political power, personal revenge, etc. The list is far too long to enumerate here. The apostate never has things just as he believes they should be so long as he remains with Christ, so he leaves.

It’s amazing to me that so many men today who see the carnage wrecked by unfaithful wives can still sympathize with the apostate, for what is the apostate if not a spiritual adulterer? Indeed, this is how God referred to Israel and Judah in the Old Testament.

What can guard our hearts from apostasy?

1. Gratitude. God has done more for us than any of us can or will ever deserve. Christ suffered more for us than any of us will ever suffer here on Earth. The Son of God calls us to be His; God the Father freely offers us adoption into His family. Gratitude for this alone should ensure we never leave Christ.
2. Love of God. God gave us life, and in Him we live, and move, and have our existence. He is perfect goodness, perfect love, perfect justice and perfect grace. To fail to love your own Creator is to fail to understand yourself. It is nihilism.
3. Love of others. Love your neighbor as yourself. The apostate has in his possession the most powerful force in existence to help those in suffering. He knows the truth of the gospel, and its power to save souls. To withhold this from others, when we see them suffering and in need, is the worst sort of hatred. It is as if a doctor examined a child suffering an excruciatingly painful disease, realized that he knew a cure that was fully effective and would entirely heal the child, and then withheld it out of spite or indifference. The only difference is that the apostate is worse, for he does spiritual rather than physical damage.

In short, to be an apostate shows a man who is incapable of gratitude or love, and thus without the very most basic components of a healthy and decent man. He is a failure in everything that matters, and as the Hebrew writer notes, He will answer to God for his ingratitude.

Public schools are at it again…. https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/18/the-myth-of-good-public-schools/

Suddenly as a COD… https://whoresandale.wordpress.com/2022/09/16/anything-to-report-sarge/

Blue on blue, no humans involved… https://spawnyspace.wordpress.com/2022/09/19/the-trannies-are-trouncing-the-terfs/

Close, but no cigar…. https://sylg1.wordpress.com/2022/09/18/funnel-cloud-appears-over-disney-world/

Fathers matter… https://winteryknight.com/2022/09/18/how-the-presence-and-quality-of-fathers-affects-belief-in-god-7/

Free sci-fi… https://www.scifiwright.com/2022/09/visions-of-fire-and-ice/

On Faith

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Hebrews 11:1, KJV

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Ephesians 6:16, KJV

Once, long ago, I sat on a jury in a criminal trial. Twelve of us were selected, black and white, male and female. The man on trial, I middle-aged middle-manager for a huge corporation, was accused of having used his position to steal from his employer. He was most likely married, with a family to support, and was facing years in prison if convicted. To convict him meant not only to see him face prison, but for his children to be fatherless. It is a hard thing to do to vote to convict a man for stealing from a giant corporation which will be largely unaffected by the insubstantial loss of the goods and funds he stole, knowing that he had so much to lose for so little gain.

Before the trial, the judge, the prosecutor and the defense interviewed all of us. We were asked if we knew the man in question, many did and were excused from the courthouse. We were asked if we worked for the giant corporation or any of its local subsidiaries, many did and were excused from the courthouse. We were asked if we had any direct knowledge of the events leading up to the criminal charges; a few did and were excused from the courthouse.

In the end, this man’s future hung in the balance of the judgement of twelve complete strangers who had no direct knowledge of the events that led to his arrest and arraignment. Only what we saw in that courtroom could be considered; we could initiate no investigation of our own, we could only view the evidence that the two sides chose to reveal to us. And on this hung a man’s future.

This is what the Hebrew writer meant by the evidence of things not seen. I accept that George Washington was the first President of the United States. I accept that John Milton wrote Paradise Lost. I accept that a madman named Hitler initiated a series of events that led to genocide and worldwide destruction.

Yet I did not see any of these things. I see the evidence.

And if I reject those things, I would justly be labeled a fool or a lunatic. Because the evidence is beyond any reasonable doubt.

I accept as well that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He was born of a virgin through the miraculous operation of God, that He lived here on earth as one of us, tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. I accept that He performed mighty miracles greater than any that came before or after Him. I accept that He voluntarily allowed Himself to be handed over to the Romans, that He voluntarily allowed Himself to be scourged and crucified, and that even as He was in agony He asked His Father to pardon the very ones who were torturing and murdering Him.

I believe that on the third day he arose, triumphant over sin and death, and destroyed the work of Satan. I believe that the blood He shed on the cross is sufficient to pardon anyone who will come to Him, regardless of his sin.

This is my shield. I know it to be true beyond any reasonable doubt. I am more certain of Christ than I am of Washington or Hitler’s existence.

And to deny this obvious truth is to be a fool or a lunatic.

Because the devil stalks us even now, as a roaring lion, and your best and only defense is that shield. It will not fail you.

Pick it up.

The fruits of the faithless…. https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/15/pro-criminal-fetterman-puts-convicted-killers-on-his-senate-campaign-payroll/

The links must flow…. https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/15/in-the-mailbox-09-15-22/

The black pill is the opposite of faith…. https://sigmaframe.wordpress.com/2022/09/15/black-pill-competition/

In a Hopeless World… Be the Hope

If you live in a city or town of any size, then tonight in your community someone is suffering and in despair.

This someone may be a man or a woman, an elderly pensioner all alone or a child who suffers for reasons he cannot fathom.

This person may be suffering because others have hurt him. He may be suffering due to loneliness and neglect, or even abuse. He may be suffering from illness that leaves him in pain. He may be suffering from addiction to alcohol and drugs.

If you live in a city of any size there are almost certainly many people around you suffering like this right now. Some through their own fault, some the innocent who suffer in through no fault of their own.

There is a time for righteous anger when we see the innocent suffer. But there is likewise a time for compassion for even those who have brought their own suffering upon themselves. After all, we know that all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. Each of us who has sinned has earned suffering and death, and yet we believe in God’s compassion, mercy and pardon for ourselves.

So in the morning, do something about it. There are organizations dedicated to helping the poor, the addicted, the diseased, the suffering. Volunteer. Give. Whatever you have to give, do it. Cast your bread upon the waters, for who can tell where it will go?

When you feel hopeless, when you feel alone, when you feel you have suffered too much to go on… Then pray to God, and I absolutely mean this literally, pray to God to lead you to some person who is suffering worse than yourself. If you can sit in comfort and read this, then they are out there. Pray to God for wisdom, make that prayer in faith, knowing He will give far beyond what you ask, and give it without reproach. Pray for wisdom like Solomon, for the purpose of finding a suffering person and the wisdom to help him.

Give blood. Have yourself tested for the possibility of giving bone marrow to a suffering leukemia patient. Make sure you are listed as an organ donor.

Yes, many of these organizations are corrupt. That does not mean your gift is lost or useless. When you give, do it for God. God loved us while we were still His enemies.

If you can, find someone who hates you and is suffering, and help him. Give your enemy the best you have to help him.

If you truly wish to do this, and ask in faith, God will give you the opportunity.

Find someone who hates you for your skin color, and is suffering, and help him. Find someone who hates you for your sex, and is suffering, and help her. Above all, find all you can who hate you for your faith, and are suffering, and help them.

When you are lonely, ask God to lead you to someone who is suffering and in need of comfort, and then find them. Volunteer at a nursing home, or the VA, or wherever you can find the abandoned elderly. Volunteer at a zoo, or a museum, or any place you can bring hope to children.

When you are depressed, ask God to lead you to someone who is more depressed, and help him. Look for support groups, and if they will allow your confession of faith, reach out. If they will not allow it, find another, as there are plenty out there.

When your friend asks for help, give him whatever he asks for. When your enemy asks for help, give him more, as much as you can, than he asks for.

³⁶ And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

³⁸ (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

³⁹ And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

⁴⁰ God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Hebrews 11, KJV

And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward

Matthew 10:42, KJV

When you have become convinced that there is no hope, that you will always be alone, that you will never know love or peace in this life… Then become someone else’s hope. Love the unlovable. Offer peace to the undeserving enemy. If all you have is one good leg, help the man who has none. If all you have is one good eye, help the blind.

When you feel lost and alone and utterly hopeless, picture that child in your community who suffers tonight. Pray to God for that child, and find a way to help. When you feel you can’t go on, focus on those who are suffering despite their innocence right now, and find some way, no matter how small, to help them.

If all you have the power to do is pray, then you have the power to change the world. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. If all you have is the tiniest grain of faith, you have the power to move a mountain.

So if you are so weak, and your suffering is so great, that you cannot even get up, then don’t. Pray. But pray not for yourself, but others. Pray that God will use you as an avenue of blessing for others. Pray that God will use you, even if it leads you to greater suffering, to aid the lost and dying. Give everything, to the last breath.

And the world will know hope still lives.

The links must flow… https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/13/in-the-mailbox-09-13-22/

Ah, the Brits… https://sylg1.wordpress.com/2022/09/13/sweet-lord-i-love-buckingham-palace/

NO to pearls before dogs and swine… https://nuncamedesesperare.wordpress.com/2022/09/13/dont-make-yourself-a-target-for-these-people/

Gunner’s own private Idaho… https://gunnerq2.com/travelogue-i-found-religion-in-idaho-and-dont-mean-mormons/

Saw this coming… https://winteryknight.com/2022/09/13/new-study-contraceptives-double-risk-of-depression-in-teenage-girls-2/

Shrooms will get you every time… https://pushingrubberdownhill.com/2022/09/12/the-mushroom-hunters/

This seems appropriate…. https://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/2022/09/quote-du-jour_01137534107.html

On Christian sci-fi… https://www.scifiwright.com/2022/09/note-on-christian-science-fiction/

On Forgiveness (Red Pill Redemption 3)

In my ruminations on bitterness, I opined, “We must forgive the unforgivable, for we too were such in the eyes of God, yet He forgave us.” To this Deti responded, “Only if the person who wronged you (1) confesses his wrongs; (2) repents of past conduct which wronged you; and (3) seeks your forgiveness.” Now I do not believe Deti to be incorrect, but this statement bears some investigation.

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32, KJV

How then has God forgiven sinful men?

First of all, it is not on the basis of our worthiness or merit. There is no salvation from sins without the blood of Christ, yet there is no work or deed that any sinner might perform which merits his access to that blood. Should I give all that I have to feed the poor, spend my life in poverty while preaching to the lost, never again succumb to any temptation, bring about mass conversions and, of course, world peace (because hey, that’s not just for beauty queens) I would still fall immeasurably short of the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God being scourged, mocked and crucified for my sin. The value of what was given for me is completely out of reach of any value I might give in return. Try as I might, I will always be an unprofitable servant.

In that case, even if some other human has sinned against me greater than their ability to repay, I must still offer forgiveness. My forgiveness of someone who has wronged me cannot be based on their worthiness to be forgiven, for God forgives me even while I am unworthy, and predicates that forgiveness on my extending the same grace towards my tormentors.

Yet, though I cannot merit forgiveness, God in His rulership and authority can and does set His terms for granting forgiveness. The strict Calvinist and the “cheap grace” crowd both make the same mistake on this point, supposing that since salvation is unmerited it must also be unconditional. I believe this may be what Deti was warning against in his comment. God has offered His mercy to all mankind, indeed, “whosoever will may come.” Saul of Tarsus was a mass murderer and enemy of God, yet even he, as the chief of sinners, received pardon. Yet that pardon was conditional; Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus and gave Saul explicit instructions, and not until he followed those instructions did he receive forgiveness. That does not for a moment force us to say Saul “earned” his forgiveness; the ease of his terms of pardon set against the hideous nature of his crimes makes the very idea ludicrous.

So too we have terms upon which we forgive those who transgress against us. They must admit their wrongdoing (confess), ask for forgiveness, and be willing to do whatever is in their power to make restitution. Yet if their powers of restitution are less than our loss, we must still forgiven; even greater is our obedience to our Father if we forego a freely offered restitution and show mercy.

Additionally, God sought us and paid the price for our salvation while we were still in rebellion. Hence, if we are to forgive others as He forgave us, we must make the first move. We must offer forgiveness, even while our enemy still sets himself in array against us. This does not mean we simply allow ourselves to be trodden under contrary to the law; think of it instead as a parley between to opposing forces. One force, the sinner opposed to God, seeks destruction and carnal dominion; the Christian seeks reconciliation and peace, but still maintains his guard. We must not only harbor a thought that if our enemy repents we will forgive him, we must actively inform him of his sin, its consequences, and his need to correct his life. When we do this we act towards others as God acted towards us.

All in all, the act of forgiveness is indeed conditional, but the attitude of forgiveness is not. Even while the sinner still tries to harm us we must form within our hearts the desire to forgive, and protect it against bitterness. We offer that to our enemy which he has no right to demand in the hope not only of peace on Earth, but much more to redeem a soul for Christ. In this we should see forgiveness as an act of Christian outreach, a mission, if you will, to save our enemies. After all, when Christ came to Earth as one of us, that is exactly the sort of mission He undertook.

The links must flow… https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/10/in-the-mailbox-09-09-22/

We may be getting closer to Russia deciding to use nukes…. https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/10/ukraine-update-smashing-success/

First world problems…. https://spawnyspace.wordpress.com/2022/09/09/first-world-problems/

Don’t go swimming in Florida… https://sylg1.wordpress.com/2022/09/10/so-you-think-you-had-a-bad-day/

Choose wisely… https://sigmaframe.wordpress.com/2022/09/10/on-choosing-the-flesh-over-christ/

She failed most in ’68…. https://nuncamedesesperare.wordpress.com/2022/09/09/betty-windsors-failed-reign/

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss…. https://winteryknight.com/2022/09/09/meet-britains-new-conservative-prime-minister-liz-truss/

An attorney explains the problems with the DOJ’s “case” against President 45…. https://www.scifiwright.com/2022/09/trump-and-the-nuclear-documents/

You don’t want Matt to admire you…. https://freemattpodcast.wordpress.com/2022/09/09/why-i-admire-those-that-live-horrific-lives/

California Just Declared War on You

The California legislature has passed SB 107, which now awaits the almost certain signature of Governor Gavin Newsom to become law. The full text of the bill is available here: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB107

The bill’s sponsors and supporters state that this bill will make California a “sanctuary state” for “transgender” children who are “denied health care” in their home states. Now that’s bad enough already, because all that means is they will chop the penises off young boys, the breasts off young girls, given young girls complete hysterectomies, castrate young boys and do all of it while pumping their bodies full of extremely powerful artificial hormones. The effects of such barbarism are of course irreversible; not only will these children never have families of their own, most will die young in excruciating mental and physical pain.

That, however, was not bad enough for the demonic pols in charge of the left coast. The bill also contains a provision legalizing kidnapping for the purpose of “gender affirming care.” If you are a custodial parent in Texas, and your non-custodial spouse seizes your child and flees to California, all she has to do is state that she has brought your child there for the purpose of “gender affirming care” and California will recognize her as the new custodial parent.

But wait, it gets even better. If you and your wife are happily married, and another family member or acquaintance kidnaps your child, all they have to do to be “home free” is to get across the California state line and affirm that they have brought your child there for the purpose of “gender affirming care.” Lest you think I’m simply exaggerating (because quite frankly I’m having a hard time believing these words myself even as I type them) from the California Globe you can read, ” The bill would additionally prohibit a court from considering the taking or retention of a child from a person who has legal custody of the child, if the taking or retention was for obtaining gender-affirming care.” https://californiaglobe.com/articles/bill-to-make-california-a-refuge-state-for-transgender-children-passes-assembly/

So if you have legal custody of your child, and a third party takes your child away to California and affirms it is for “gender affirming care,” the California courts will not even consider the fact that a kidnapping is taking place. Your child will be placed in the care of either the person who kidnapped them, or the court itself, which will then proceed to implement “gender affirming care.” As the lawful parent you will have no say whatsoever under this law.

Okay, so we have a rogue state that is now set itself up as a haven to kidnap, mutilate and sexually abuse children. All for the alphabet people. Surely someone will stop this.

Someone who? Kidnapping falls directly under the jurisdiction of the F.B.I., especially if it is across state lines. Yes, that F.B.I. Which is run by the D.O.J. overseen by Biden’s handlers. Do you think Chris Wray or Merrick Garland will saddle up to lead a posse to rescue children from the California alphabet people? No, you don’t, and if you do there’s nothing for us to talk about.

We knew the progressive pawns of Moloch would seek revenge for the fall of Roe and a way to start recoup their lost sacrifices from states that expelled them. Now we see the face of that planned vengeance.

What would our forefathers think of us as we stand by and watch this happening?

Great, now I’m jealous of Naomi Wolf… https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/08/white-house-targeted-me-by-name-says-feminist-vaccine-skeptic-naomi-wolf/

R.I.P., but she failed to hold the line in ’68… https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/08/r-i-p-queen-elizabeth-ii/

The links must flow…. https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/08/in-the-mailbox-09-08-22-afternoon-edition/

Strumpets r gonna strumpet…. https://whoresandale.wordpress.com/2022/09/08/hey-hey-what-can-i-do/

Memphis has gone completely off the rails…. https://sylg1.wordpress.com/2022/09/08/murder-in-memphis/

I always use kosher salt on a pork roast, because irony is delicious… https://gunnerq2.com/the-last-san-franciscan-covid-hermit-is-positive/

The alphabet people are also going after the Jews… https://winteryknight.com/2022/09/08/state-supreme-court-orders-orthodox-jewish-university-to-allow-lgbt-club/

Forget banned books, get some based books… https://www.scifiwright.com/2022/09/based-fall-booksale/

Things to Read (Red Pill Redemption 2)

If men are to reclaim our culture for Christ and family, we would do well to find the best of what has gone before. One of the most important things we can do is read great books of men who have come before and learn from them what it is to truly be men, the kind of men God would have us to be as well as the kind of men to whom women naturally wish to submit and follow. So I suggest here a partial reading list, which is only a beginning, and welcome suggestions for additions.

1. The Holy Bible, King James Version. If nothing else, any man who wishes to redeem the times must read this. Simply to read it is not enough, however. Passages, even extended passages, whole psalms and various lessons on doctrines should be committed to memory. Additionally, we should pray for wisdom as we read, knowing that the devil was able to quote scripture, albeit with misapplication and evil intent. Paul tells us to study to show ourselves workmen approved unto God, while James reminds us that if we pray for wisdom God will give abundantly above all that we ask. Both men were inspired by the Holy Spirit, thus study for knowledge and prayer for wisdom are both necessary aspects of our growth. This is the sword with which we reclaim lost souls from the enemy
2. The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, by James D. Hornfischer. Outside of scripture, I have never read a book which so eloquently and vividly portrays the masculine virtues. Courage, honor, love of country, discipline, fortitude and an indomitable will to persevere against impossible odds, all in a true story. The scene where pilot “Blue” Archer flies across the top of a Japanese battleship, with his plane inverted and canopy open, firing at the bridge with a .38 revolver because his bombs and machine guns have all been emptied is worth the read alone, yet it is only one small segment. To see what we once were, what we have lost and to imagine how we might yet regain it makes this book a must read.
3. Death in the Long Grass, by Peter Hathaway Capstick. A riotously entertaining and allegedly true account of the adventures of an itinerant big game hunter, guide, game ranger and magazine writer as he tries to find a way to get himself killed by virtually every living terrestrial critter on the face of the planet. Men being men, doing manly things together, not for money or power, but just for the sheer joy of testing themselves against their physical and mental limits is Capstick’s stock in trade. Yet it is not simply a bloody minded need to kill; Capstick lived by a code of honor both towards his camp followers, his clients and the animals he hunted. No fictional short story you will ever read is as chilling yet melancholy as The Killer Baboons of Vlakfontein, although I am not sure if that appears in the first of the “Death” books or one of the later entries. Read them all, then explain to me why you don’t have a few firearms and a hunting license.
4. Meditations on Violence and Facing Violence by Rory Miller. If you are going to be a leader you must also be a protector, and these two books are indispensable to understanding how predators see you and how you should see them. Miller’s resume is nearly unrivaled when it comes to hands on dealing with society’s scum, and the lessons he learned from decades of training and fighting could mean the difference between life, death and prison for a man who has to protect himself and his family.
5. The Last Guardian of Everness and Mists of Everness by John C. Wright. Wright reminds us of our own American mythology with its unique heroes. It’s high fantasy set in the modern age, a return of the age of heroes and monsters. Wright has much to say about the nature of heroes and how even the most ordinary of men can make a difference for good. As a bonus, the corruption of law enforcement by demonic impersonators (who are then brought to heel by a military still loyal to the republic) seems prescient today.
6. The Wizard Knight by Gene Wolfe. There is no true heroism without suffering, as Sir Abel learns many times. But he perseveres, and discovers that though he is betrayed by those he serves and cruelly tormented love and faith can bring him victory. Since we are discussing redemption this work is especially important, as Abel’s loyalty and honor allow him to redeem even evil rulers who betrayed him as well as the elven princess he loves. Abel is not alone in this, in the books we encounter various characters who endure great suffering and hardship for the sake of honor and love, and with Abel’s assistance they are redeemed (sometimes in the literal sense of the original word) from terrible suffering and redeem others as well.

Okay, I think I’ll leave off there for now. More later, Lord willing.

Evil is ascendant. It will not last…. https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/07/suspect-in-memphis-womans-murder-began-his-criminal-career-at-age-11/

The links must flow…. https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/07/in-the-mailbox-09-06-22-evening-edition/

The Dirty Baker’s Dozen….. https://sigmaframe.wordpress.com/2022/09/07/harbingers-of-masculine-doom/

Against post-modernism… https://winteryknight.com/2022/09/07/the-psychological-motivation-of-those-who-embrace-postmodernism-9/

Don’t be attached to material things… https://pushingrubberdownhill.com/2022/09/06/this-vagabond-life/

More good fiction for free…. https://www.scifiwright.com/2022/09/the-intangible-design-sixth-the-unconquerable/

Matt’s advice column… https://freemattpodcast.wordpress.com/2022/09/07/the-matters-w-matt-not-paid-to-care-about-this/

Against Bitterness (Red Pill Redemption 1)

At the exhortation of Jack over at Sigma Frame I will begin to address how the red pill can be used as a redemptive tool. First and foremost, the “red pill mindset” is simply someone, usually a man, who is willing to pursue truth without regard for societal approval or consequences. The opposite “blue pill mindset” is the man who simply follows the herd mentality, the “wisdom” of the day and who never asks difficult or impolite questions.

The only real red pill that meets this criteria is Christ and His gospel. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man comes to the Father but by Me.” So our beginning point, our foundation, is Christ Jesus and Him crucified. We cannot discuss redemption without this.

What obstacles, then, must we face to establish a community and nation God finds pleasing? Surely this must be possible, for God told us that “Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” We must identify and pursue righteousness.

Righteousness is simple, it is to walk according to God’s plan. Of course we all know that “simple” is not the same thing as “easy.” We seek a narrow gate and a straight path, and most of our friends and perhaps family as well will be against us. Still, if God is with us, who can be against us?

One of the greatest problems I have personally observed within the red pill community is bitterness. Men who have lost their wives and children in a corrupt legal system are in anguish, and justifiably so. Men who have experienced rejection despite doing all they know how to do to be good men likewise know little but the pain of loneliness. In most cases our churches and pastors have betrayed and abandoned us for the praise of men of the world. Having seen it happen to their own families, and its continued destruction of other’s families, many men embrace the “black pill,” which acknowledges the truths of the red pill, but instead of girding up for battle wall themselves even further away in loneliness and embrace bitterness.

This is no new problem, for the Hebrew writer tells us:

¹⁵ Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled Hebrews 12, KJV.

Bitterness leads to despair, and despair to death. How do we combat bitterness? We must embrace faith: “I can do all things through Christ Jesus Who strengthens me.” One weakness of the red pill is assuming knowledge is and end all and be all; it is not. Where knowledge ends and we see no chance of success is where faith begins. Knowing that there is no way humanly possible that we can salvage a good life for our children after divorce leads to despair; working to build that life for them even when we cannot see how we can possibly succeed is the working of faith. We are not strong enough to win this battle, we never have been and we never will be. We are not called upon to be stronger than Satan, we are called upon to resist him and his minions. Our strength is not what carries the battle. Christ’s strength is greater than Satan and all his legions combined.

When we suffer it can lead to bitterness, but if we react correctly it can lead to even greater faith. Think of it as “spiritual jiu-jitsu” where we take the force of the enemy’s attacks and re-direct it to win the fight. If we adopt an attitude of self-pity then we will lose. If we rejoice in suffering for Christ, remembering that all the saints and prophets and apostles before us likewise suffered, and in their suffering redeemed countless souls, then our pain becomes our power. If we will embrace suffering with the attitude of Christ, who forgave His tormentors even as He hung on the cross, we will be able to overcome all adversity.

Paul tells us that the shield of faith can quench all the fiery darts of Satan. The black pill has thrown down that shield in bitterness and despair. We must not throw down our shields. When we stand in judgement, let each of us be found either carrying his shield or on it.

Bitterness is contagious. We cannot be leaders of women and children if we cannot master our own hearts and minds. We must give up bitterness, even for the most intimate betrayals of our lives. We must adopt the mind of Christ and seek the redemption even of those who have most gravely wounded us. We must forgive the unforgivable, for we too were such in the eyes of God, yet He forgave us. We must accept the task at hand not with resignation or anger, but with joy. Each lost soul is an opportunity for us. Count it all joy when you suffer for Christ’s sake. But that can happen only if everything we do is for His sake, including our work to build families and a culture. If we are building it for Christ and the enemy strikes us, then whatever happens here on Earth is temporary and to our greater benefit in Heaven.

The only way we lose this fight is if we give up, give in, and refuse to fight. Bitterness and despair are our enemy’s greatest weapons, but they are lies. The power of Christ is our victory, not our own strength. This is the ultimate red pill, and it is what we must embrace if we are to succeed.

Oft evil will shalt evil mar…. https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/06/one-suspect-dead-his-brother-still-at-large-in-saskatchewan-stabbings/

The links must flow…. https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/06/in-the-mailbox-09-06-22/

12 + 8 = 20, which is not the number of perfection… https://whoresandale.wordpress.com/2022/09/06/so-we-went-from-12-monkeys-to-8-mice/

Hey, watch this! https://sylg1.wordpress.com/2022/09/06/people-are-morons-2/

Pithy wisdom…. https://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/2022/09/quote-du-jour_0697323961.html

Fascist Self-Test and Implications

Well, last Thursday night our President did his best imitation of a failed Austrian painter in front of Liberty Hall, of all places, partially awash in blood red light and elsewise swathed in blackness. History must be accelerating, because the last time around the tin-horn dictator came about as a reaction against the Weimar Republic; this time around the would-be dictator is straight up Weimar in the flesh. Perhaps we should call this dictatorship “Weimar’s Revenge.”

At any rate, how can you know if you’re a fascist? Well, here are some easy tips…

You believe abortion is the murder of an innocent child and should be outlawed. Normally I would provide all the links to show all the leftists harping on this, but really, it’s too much work and I just don’t feel like it. So if you’re pro-life 1 point for fascism; if not, well…

Next up is rejection of Critical Race Theory. If you believe all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, then you are a fascist. So rejecting white (that includes you Asians and Jews out there) privilege 1 point for fascism; if not, well….

Now we get to the Alphabet people. There will be multiple points available for this lucky category!

Do you reject gay marriage? 1 fascist point

Do you reject gays adopting children? 1 fascist point

Do you think men and women are real things? 1 fascist point

Do you think whichever sex your born as is the one you’re stuck with? 1 fascist point

Do you think genital mutilation and puberty blockers for children should be illegal? 1 fascist point

Moving on, do you believe nations have the right to police and secure their own borders from invaders? 1 fascist point

Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Republican party? 1 fascist point

Do you at least try to pay your own bills? 1 fascist point

Did you vote for Donald J. Trump for President? Straight to the firing squad, you Nazi scum!

It’s Springtime for Hitler!…. https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/04/the-symbolism-of-philadelphia/

You know it’s full Weimar when even the wealthy cannot protect themselves…. https://theothermccain.com/2022/09/04/memphis-police-charge-suspect-with-kidnapping-billionaire-heiress/

How to know who to trust… https://spawnyspace.wordpress.com/2022/09/06/young-men-track-record/

“Red Pill Redemption” sounds like the name for a really cool western themed video game… https://sigmaframe.wordpress.com/2022/09/05/red-pill-redemption/

Gunner ably refutes heresy… https://gunnerq2.com/catacomb-heresies/

Adam’s thoughts on Covid outcomes and Boomers.. https://pushingrubberdownhill.com/2022/09/05/covid-the-cult-of-youth-and-the-boomers/

The Return of the King… https://www.scifiwright.com/2022/09/voice-of-reason-39-the-return-of-the-king/

On Labor Day…. https://freemattpodcast.wordpress.com/2022/09/05/when-the-laborers-lose-sight-of-a-decent-master/