Really fascinating insight David thank you. I have been thinking for sometime that in Scotland in particular we are being subsumed by the state religion. Even Catholic schools (as you point out) are subservient to the head of state above faith. Otherwise the UNCRC would not be in every Catholic school. I also wonder if it was less obvious when leaders (even if superficially) were still 'practicing' Christianity? They still had a sense (maybe) that someday they'd have to answer to a higher rule than themselves. Now that is mostly gone.
Have you explained anywhere exactly is a Christian of the First-Century type. And in doing so expanded on this: "First Century Christianity is very different from the church-based faiths that chacterise the mainstream of Christianity today." I would find that helpful.
One starting point I would recommend is the excellent work by Tom Wadsworth on the practices of the early church. This link below is to an eleven-video series that is first-class
The question of what is the first-century Christian belief is a huge one. I have included just a little in my writing so far - such as in "Mistakes in the mainstream"
This essay, Mr. Scott, was a very thought-provoking and helpful for me. I'm especially struck by how, as you say, "the state, by separating itself from God, that is to say, from truth, is left without even the language to address the real issues." And you described the awful results.
When I studied William Penn, I was impressed by the effectiveness of his colonial government in Pennsylvania. It was sometimes troubled by factionalism, but Penn was still successful in creating a government that supported Christian morality. Those peaceful Quakers were very strict in acting against what the first laws described as "offenses against God." They also ensured that Penn's "liberty of conscience" was protected. I wrote a bit about this at https://williammarkley.substack.com/p/william-penn-for-the-sober-and-free.
Obviously not everyone here will want to join a Society of Friends, but I think that some of these early American colonial efforts can offer some helpful models in moving forward.
I grew up in Pennsylvania -we spent a whole year studying PA history in school including William Penn's extraordinary legacy. That said the PA Quakers might be the biggest adopters of 'woke' these days.....
Yes, I've seen how some Quakers have gone Woke and other sorts of bonkers in recent decades. In Penn's day, many Quakers were very conservative socially, and placed a high priority on traditional family ties. My Quaker ancestors were the same. But Quakers ain't what they used to be, and neither are a lot of Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and even Baptists.
I like what Senator Thomas Hart Benton said about a group of abolitionist Quakers before the American Civil War. Unlike some radical abolitionists, whom he called "incendiary," he called these Quakers “good people, aiming at benevolent objects, and endeavoring to ameliorate the condition of one part of the human race, without inflicting calamities on another part.” There's a big difference between that kind of activity and the far-left, Woke kind, which insists on oppressor/oppressed categories, and which is terribly destructive.
“Quakers “good people, aiming at benevolent objects, and endeavoring to ameliorate the condition of one part of the human race, without inflicting calamities on another part.” I like that. Thank you !
It is worth recalling that in His 1st Advent, Jesus lived in pagan religious times, under a Sun-worshipping (Iron legged) Roman Empire, where His Chosen People were in apostacy, and the Pharisees were Herodian selections.
The same conditions shall apply at His 2nd Advent, as prophecy reveals.
We are now living under the Roman (Catholic) Empire: The feet of Iron and Clay: State and Church combined under a (Sun-worshipping) Papacy that has always been a combination of the two.
It may have received it's mortal wound in 1798CE, after the requisite 1260 years, but that wound is close to healing, as the new US pope returns to the Rerum Novarum emphasis on Family, and 1st-day, 'Sunday rest' from 'trade', in direct opposition to God's 7th Day Sabbath of the 4th Commandment.
Ergo, combining State and Church may seem the lesser of too evils, due to the obvious immortality of 'solo Satanic State' with no christian foundation, but the question becomes 'which church is being combined'? If it is 'normalised Protestantism', then it is simply beholden to Rome, as daughter's of the Harlot.
Actually this is prophetically inevitable, the final act is being played out, starting under the Trumpian State, as they admit on p589 of Project 2025: the imposition of Sunday Laws: The 'Mark of the Beast'.
"They remain quiet as the state destroys the people via violence, deception, and control."
They betrayed their flock.
How do we determine right and wrong if not through God?
Really fascinating insight David thank you. I have been thinking for sometime that in Scotland in particular we are being subsumed by the state religion. Even Catholic schools (as you point out) are subservient to the head of state above faith. Otherwise the UNCRC would not be in every Catholic school. I also wonder if it was less obvious when leaders (even if superficially) were still 'practicing' Christianity? They still had a sense (maybe) that someday they'd have to answer to a higher rule than themselves. Now that is mostly gone.
Have you explained anywhere exactly is a Christian of the First-Century type. And in doing so expanded on this: "First Century Christianity is very different from the church-based faiths that chacterise the mainstream of Christianity today." I would find that helpful.
One starting point I would recommend is the excellent work by Tom Wadsworth on the practices of the early church. This link below is to an eleven-video series that is first-class
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H97EZdko0s&list=PLBymWQLP-rkGoTzyS81-MIi5q63Aq4UgI
The question of what is the first-century Christian belief is a huge one. I have included just a little in my writing so far - such as in "Mistakes in the mainstream"
https://diggingdeeperne.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/144968324?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts
Much more on this to follow
Thanks Carrie, I was gonna ask the same thing.
And thanks David. It's enlightening.
This essay, Mr. Scott, was a very thought-provoking and helpful for me. I'm especially struck by how, as you say, "the state, by separating itself from God, that is to say, from truth, is left without even the language to address the real issues." And you described the awful results.
When I studied William Penn, I was impressed by the effectiveness of his colonial government in Pennsylvania. It was sometimes troubled by factionalism, but Penn was still successful in creating a government that supported Christian morality. Those peaceful Quakers were very strict in acting against what the first laws described as "offenses against God." They also ensured that Penn's "liberty of conscience" was protected. I wrote a bit about this at https://williammarkley.substack.com/p/william-penn-for-the-sober-and-free.
Obviously not everyone here will want to join a Society of Friends, but I think that some of these early American colonial efforts can offer some helpful models in moving forward.
I grew up in Pennsylvania -we spent a whole year studying PA history in school including William Penn's extraordinary legacy. That said the PA Quakers might be the biggest adopters of 'woke' these days.....
Yes, I've seen how some Quakers have gone Woke and other sorts of bonkers in recent decades. In Penn's day, many Quakers were very conservative socially, and placed a high priority on traditional family ties. My Quaker ancestors were the same. But Quakers ain't what they used to be, and neither are a lot of Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and even Baptists.
I like what Senator Thomas Hart Benton said about a group of abolitionist Quakers before the American Civil War. Unlike some radical abolitionists, whom he called "incendiary," he called these Quakers “good people, aiming at benevolent objects, and endeavoring to ameliorate the condition of one part of the human race, without inflicting calamities on another part.” There's a big difference between that kind of activity and the far-left, Woke kind, which insists on oppressor/oppressed categories, and which is terribly destructive.
“Quakers “good people, aiming at benevolent objects, and endeavoring to ameliorate the condition of one part of the human race, without inflicting calamities on another part.” I like that. Thank you !
Thanks for sharing. I feel the need, for Bible study.
Great piece David.
It is worth recalling that in His 1st Advent, Jesus lived in pagan religious times, under a Sun-worshipping (Iron legged) Roman Empire, where His Chosen People were in apostacy, and the Pharisees were Herodian selections.
The same conditions shall apply at His 2nd Advent, as prophecy reveals.
We are now living under the Roman (Catholic) Empire: The feet of Iron and Clay: State and Church combined under a (Sun-worshipping) Papacy that has always been a combination of the two.
It may have received it's mortal wound in 1798CE, after the requisite 1260 years, but that wound is close to healing, as the new US pope returns to the Rerum Novarum emphasis on Family, and 1st-day, 'Sunday rest' from 'trade', in direct opposition to God's 7th Day Sabbath of the 4th Commandment.
Ergo, combining State and Church may seem the lesser of too evils, due to the obvious immortality of 'solo Satanic State' with no christian foundation, but the question becomes 'which church is being combined'? If it is 'normalised Protestantism', then it is simply beholden to Rome, as daughter's of the Harlot.
Actually this is prophetically inevitable, the final act is being played out, starting under the Trumpian State, as they admit on p589 of Project 2025: the imposition of Sunday Laws: The 'Mark of the Beast'.
Dx