Wednesday, February 10, 2021

The Tragic Murder of Missionary John Birch (Pt. 3)

When Imperial Japan's Emperor Hirohito went on national radio in Japan at 12:00 noon, August 15, 1945, and unconditionally surrendered his country to the Allies, World War II fighting came to an immediate end. 

The race for who controlled China then began. 

Japan had invaded Manchuria, a province of China, in 1931. The Japanese military had desired the oil and natural resources of northeast China for the ever-expanding Japanese empire. China sided with the Allies during World War II in their battle against Japan, Germany, and other Axis Powers

When Japan surrendered, the communist-led Soviet Union raced into northern China to gain control of China. The Russian Republic had been overthrown by communists during the 1917 Russian Revolution, and Joseph Stalin and his USSR communist-led government desired to make China a communist nation.

On August 15, 1945, a four-year Chinese civil war broke out in China between the Republic of China's national forces led by General Chiang Kai-Shek and the Chinese communists led by Mao Zedong. The United States publicly backed the Republic of China and Chiang Kai-Shek while the Soviet Union backed the Communist Party and Mao Zedong. 

The four-year civil war in China lasted from August 15, 1945, to October 1, 1949, when Mao Zedong's forces defeated General Kai-shek's forces. Mao Zedong officially proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China at Tiananmen Square. Chiang Kai-shek, 600,000 Nationalist troops, and about two million Nationalist-sympathizer refugees retreated to the island of Taiwan.

Taiwan became the Republic of China.

China became the Peoples' Republic of China.

One little word - PEOPLE - separated the titles of these two nations.

Mao declares the Peoples' Republic on 10.1.1949
But it is the Chinese people who have suffered the most in communist China. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of China, which leads the Peoples' Republic of China, put to violent death between 3,000,000 to 8,000,000 Chinese people during the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution. More unknown millions of Chinese people have died violent deaths at the hands of communist leaders before and after the Cultural Revolution.

The number of dead is a state secret. 

And the violence in China will not stop. There are no more Christian missionaries in China. They've all been expelled. Besides, if the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) suspects that you served as a Christian missionary in China at any time during your life, you are now forbidden from re-entry into China. 

The Communist leaders in China mean business. They intend to rule the world, and there is no room in their utopia for a creational Deity, individual liberty, or social non-conformity. 

In the most underreported story in the world during 2020 - and now the early portion of 2021 - the Chinese Communist Party is tearing down Muslim mosques, separating Muslim families, and sending Muslims who believe in Allah to concentration camps indoctrination. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims have been kidnapped, imprisoned, tortured, and killed by the Chinese Communist Party. It's like we are watching a 1930s form of fascism rekindle, but because it's communism and China, the world remains silent.   

Missionary John Birch, b. 1918 - d. 1945
Christian missionary John Birch was the first murder by the post-World War II Chinese communists. Chinese communist troops murdered Birch on August 25, 1945, ten days after World War II. 

The fact that the United States covered-up Birch's murder and eventually withdrew U.S. support from Chiang Kai-Shek, allowing the communists to seize control of China, is one of the blackest marks in American foreign policy - with lingering effects on Americans during 2020/2021

Americans need to understand that revolutions of countries and empires occur all the time. Communists desire a revolution inside the United States. 

That revolution is coming. It's part of a communist agenda, and you should be warned by the death of Christian missionary John Birch of what's coming to you and your family if you do not resist the evil empire of communism.

The Tragic Murder of Missionary John Birch

As explained in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, missionary John Birch went to work for the United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner to the Central Intelligence Agency. Birch had helped rescued the Doolittle Raiders who had crashed landed in China. Colonel "Jimmy" Doolittle had recommended the OSS's Chinese office to recruit John because of his bravery, local knowledge, and expertise in the Mandarin language. 

John had served the OSS with distinction for over three years, saving countless American and Chinese lives through his dangerous intelligence work for the American government, all the while continuing his missionary work. John Birch would be posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.

His last mission occurred after Japan had surrendered. General Wedemeyer, commander of United States forces in China, had ordered Captain John Birch and a team of American and Chinese soldiers to Suchow, China, to make sure any Chinese or American prisoners held by the Japanese there would not be systematically murdered as had happened in the Philippines.   

John Birch decorated by Gen. Claire Chennault
John Birch went on this last mission in full American uniform with the American Flying Tigers' well-recognized patch on his uniform. On August 25, 1945, Captain Birch and his party of eleven, including three American soldiers, six Chinese Nationalists, and two Korean Japanese-speaking, were stopped by a communist force in a small town on the railroad just west of Suchow, China. The communists ordered Captain John Birch to surrender his revolver. John Birch refused, explaining that the Chinese and the Americans were allies in the war against Japan. He was under orders from General Wedemeyer to go to the Japanese military base at Suchow to ensure any American or Chinese prisoners' safety. The communists didn't like how John Birch refused to take orders, and they particularly didn't like the fact he was unwilling to give up his revolver. Orders were given, and missionary John Birch was shot first in the leg while his sidearm was holstered, and then after Birch fell to the ground, he was shot in the head and then bayonetted throughout his body. A Chinese Nationalist aide named Tung Fu-Kuan was also shot and left with John Birch to die. The rest of the party was taken prisoner and eventually released (two months later).

The communists eventually won the civil war against the republicans in China. The Chinese Communist Party has continued its efforts to rule the world through their brand of communist philosophy, which means: 

1. Government control of all things.
2. A denial of any god but the government god.
3. Obescience from the masses for the good of the state.

John Birch's death has been called “the first casualty in the Third World War between Communists and the ever-shrinking Free World.”

The Chinese national soldier shot by the communists on that day in , Lt. Tung Fu-Kuan survived, but only after local doctors amputated his leg. He is the one who gave the report of the murder of John Birch by Chinese communists. Three of the Americans with Birch and taken prisoner by the communists also made out a joint report that substantiated Tung's account of what happened.  

John Birch's burial site in Chuchow, China
Birch's body was recovered from a shallow grave, and after a Catholic service, he was re-buried with military honors on a hillside near Suchow. A 10-page report on the incident, submitted to Gen. Wedemeyer by the judge advocate for the theater and dated November 13, 1945, relied substantially on Lt. Tung's eyewitness accounts. 

It concluded that "the actions taken by the Chinese Communist Army personnel fell short of according the rights and privileges due even to enemy prisoners of war and constituted a murder?" 

The report added: "The shooting was done maliciously . . . the killing was completely without justification."

General Wedemeyer wrote to Mao Zedong on August 31, 1945, and asked for a prompt investigative report of Birch's death. Mao eventually responded that the Chinese communists shot at John Birch "in self-defense," an outright lie since Birch's gun never left its holster. 

Sadly, the American government covered up Captain John Birch's death from everyone, including his own family. The official file was stamped "Top Secret," and nobody had access to it until the 1970s. 

The American government did not wish to offend the Chinese government by making public the murder of John Birch.

In fact, when the official American military records of the murder of John Birch were finally released in February 1972, they were held up a few additional so that their disclosure would not bring embarrassment during President Nixon's trip to China (February 21-28, 1972). 

America has a history of catering to communist China. 

And in the end, such catering will bring death to more Americans than just one. 

34 comments:

RB Kuter said...

Thank you for not only telling the story but also sharing how it relates to the never-ending maneuvers in play by communist forces bent on total world domination.

Unlike most "wars" when an enemy attacks in a high-profile, very visible, and obviously hostile manner, the communist power players are much more strategic in infiltrating the fabric of those societies yet within their control and their tentacles of control continue to expand like cancer. They are genius at practicing the most stealth guerilla tactics that are so clever and intentional that the targeted objective is unaware that they are being taken over.

Talk about the frog in the slowly-heated pot!

It reminds me a bit of Chamberlain's attitude toward Hitler prior to the Polish invasion. He led England to cater to Hitler's false promises of peace until it was too late.

Hey! I smell something good cookin'!! Hey! Wait a minute! That's the United States!

Alaskan in Texas said...

The moral of this story seems to be: Don't go to China as a missionary or US spy and get in a 2nd Amendment argument with a Chinese soldier who has all the advantages in the encounter.

I'm not sure how Missionary John Birch thought that approach would lead said Chinese soldier to the throne of grace, or how Spy John Birch thought that approach would de-escalate a hostile encounter with an armed enemy combatant on his home turf.

Wade Burleson said...

Alaskan in Texas,

Your comment, in jest or not, is spot on.

I know you to be erudite. The struggle we have is on the same realm. "Will we allow missionaries - like John and Betty Stam (1934 in China - or Muslims (2021 in China) be kidnapped, tortured, and killed by communists without forcibly resisting such injustice.

It is truly an issue that every Christian and every American must face.

I will lay down my arms if my life is in danger, but I will pick up arms if the lives of others are in danger.

Christiane said...

the faith of Christ offers greater weapons against the darkness that in certain circumstances can also give strength to our soldiers in battle when all else fails:

" A wounded Soldier was being carried onto a helicopter, singing a hymn. As he lost blood, he could only hum the tune, and was finally too weak to sing anything. The four Soldiers carrying his stretcher finished singing the hymn for him. . . . "

Rex Ray said...

Wade,

How about doing a post on, what should we do to prevent the political murder of a President?

Ben said...

Here's a short article I wrote about Missionary Bao Si Ding that goes right along with this story. He was killed by the communists in Kaifeng in 1948. The gospel was flourishing in China before the communist takeover.

http://westernrecorder.org/2985.article

Paul D said...

@RB Kuter:

"Unlike most "wars" when an enemy attacks in a high-profile, very visible, and obviously hostile manner..."

Are you referring to the previous admin's openly hostile attempt to overthrow our country?

I keep reading here because I feel like there must be something I am missing - but I really don't understand what it could be. There is a very real, open, systemically racist and fascist agenda right in front of our eyes, and Bible Belt Christianity is supporting it (for the most part). I just don't get it.

Certainly China is a problem, but it was the previous administration that declassified our strategy in dealing with them days before leaving office. How does that help exactly? Was that done for the good of our country, or possibly for self serving purposes? Nevermind that it was a strategy that basically no one believed would accomplish U.S. goals.

thanks
Paul

Christiane said...

Paul D

is there some connection between evangelical Christianity and this: " There is a very real, open, systemically racist and fascist agenda right in front of our eyes, and Bible Belt Christianity is supporting it (for the most part)."?

I'm not getting it either. I kept thinking that the 'problem' was that folks were in some kind of media 'bubble' with Rush Limbaugh, Alex Jones, and Fox News extremist commentators;
but now that the support extends to violence, I also am 'not getting it'.

Something else is the cause for this adoration of Donald Trump? And how people who have said they would 'die for him' are celebrated as 'Christian'?

I remain convinced that if people watched the actual words and actions of Donald Trump and the mob during the trial, they might SEE and HEAR what was not known in their media-cultural bubbles.

I hope soon to understand more than I do now. I'm worried for a lot of people that I see as vulnerable to certain influences that are malevolent.

You are not alone is 'missing something'. What is it about the evangelical faith that made it (at least among white evangelicals) so highly susceptible to trumpism? And I do know that not ALL evangelical people has succumbed to trumpism, as there is a remnant of 'never trumpers' still out there.

What happened here?

Paul D said...

@ Wade - terrific series on John Birch. Can't say that I necessarily agree with all the inferences to current events, but really appreciate the research and telling. Very informative and engaging.

I can't resist one minor point of sarcasm, but I do mean it in good humor. From part 1 of the series, and as a father myself, I hope I can be as good a missionary supporter and father as Fred Trump - a model for every man to look up to.

thanks
Paul

RB Kuter said...

Paul, no, actually I was referring to what I understood to be the point of Wade's post to propose in that China, and other communist ideologists, have this form of methodology to expand their agenda.

I do see the trend of those having a socialist/Marxist mindset in the US to be accommodating that global communist agenda.

Christiane said...


"Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities"
(Voltaire)

A time-traveling quote from another era when rational people began to ask 'why?'

If a people of faith find no 'connection' between their Christian faith and their devotion to trumpism,
maybe there might be something about that faith that wasn't 'enough' for them so they sought meaning in an 'alternate reality' so totally unconnected with their Christian faith as to startle and scandalize those who observe the disconnect. (?)

Or is the answer worse to face? Are there teachings in the fundamentalist-evangelical world that set people up for someone like a Donald Trump to come along? And if so, what ARE those 'teachings'? I want to know what happened to some good people and WHY they were so drawn to believe 'The Big Lie' ? Are they 'conflicted' Or was their take on fundamentalism the REASON Trump was able to manipulate them?

questions, like the ones I had when I first came to Wade's blog years ago, when I did not know if there were connections between the Southern Baptists and those strange cult followers of that 'Westboro Baptist Church'.

have I come full circle?

what did I miss? what did I not understand?

questions

?

Christiane said...

Hello Mr. Kuter,

I would also wonder about the Russian security forces and ways in which they promoted Trump on our social media.

At some point, we in this country need to begin to take responsibility for analyzing those alien influences that would attack our democracy and our Constitution by using our social media to manipulate vulnerable readers.

I'm keeping a watchful eye on those Russians for what they are planning next. We will be 'safe' for a while and our NATO alliances strengthened and confirmed for a while, but eventually will come back Trump or another fascist demagogue who will look to Russia for money and will do Putin's bidding, even to commanding our own troops to abandon their allies on the battlefield, and to 'look away' if Putin places bounties on the heads of our soldiers in Afghanistan.

Trump was not a one-off, no. He is a symptom of something that seeks power and control through fear-mongering and manipulation, and that 'something' finds its home in the hearts of our own domestic terrorists who are now communicating with each other's groups for the purpose of destroying our country's Constitutional government. Those 'MAGA' hats from the trump-hate rallies, those wearing Q-anon shirts, those white supremacists and ardent worshipers of Trump who shouted 'Hang Mike Pence' . . . they will all be back, another day. The malevolence that is that 'something' in our land will come back again. We all know it goes deeper than trumpism.

Despise democracy? Then wait a while. Fascism is growing deep roots. And Russia will be encouraging our demise as a democracy, as long as Putin and his ilk 'control' their oligarchy.

Thanks for letting me let off steam. Sorry to have offended anyone, but there is some cause for my concerns. Among the Capitol police who survived the attack, there are 150 injured, some quite badly. Fascism is a malevolent force that uses violence to gain its ends.

Paul D said...

@RB Kuter:

"I do see the trend of those having a socialist/Marxist mindset in the US to be accommodating that global communist agenda."

Really? Like, personally, among real people that you know? Or is this based solely on "reliable" reports and social media? Because all my socialist/marxist friends are against the global communist agenda. Interesting.

I'm really not trying to be rude, I just think all this hype is baseless and in fact distracts otherwise well intentioned people from the real problems and the real solutions - ones that involve real people, with real names. There are way too many Don Quixotes around charging windmills.

thanks
Paul

Victorious said...

Christiane, you said....

Thanks for letting me let off steam. Sorry to have offended anyone, but there is some cause for my concerns.

If you could either see or hear me (or both) you would know I'm CHEERING for everything you said. I agree 100%! Thanks!

Rex Ray said...

Wade,

There are many links about the life of Bill Wallace, a missionary to China from 1935 to 1951.

https://www.amazon.com/Bill-Wallace-China-Jesse-Fletcher/dp/1615070133

https://www.imb.org/2019/02/26/wallace-for-kids/

These links tell how Communist killed him in prison.

A battering ram is used to break a door down.

My uncle said they killed him with one.

I believe his life was devoted to the Lord more than John Birch.

RB Kuter said...

"Really? Like, personally, among real people that you know?"

Paul, I know too many personally who are supporting and involved in the establishment of a regime change that is pushing an entirely new ideology as the basis for the foundation of the United States. The growth of those supporting this movement has grown to such proportions that we all know many who are involved.

To not recognize the open display of that movement is to be either naive or in support of it. They are bent on the establishment of a socialist, ultimately, Marxist, state. The movement is no longer a “threat”, it is a reality. It is being facilitated by many being duped into supporting it along with those proudly assuming the identity of being socialist/Marxists. They have come close to being a majority and their tactics already result in the virtual elimination of opposition.

The boldness escalates with many politicians and their followers proudly advocating the establishment of a socialist nation. In years past to openly and straightforwardly promote "socialism" would have been the political death for that politician. No more.

The socialist, ultimately Marxist, rhetoric is so clear as to not be misunderstood by any who objectively assess it to be exactly what it is claimed to be. The “state” is supreme and the “state” chooses to operate using socialism, the taking from those with much and distribute it to those with less as the means to equalize the living standards for all. The means for reducing the gap between rich and poor will not be by offering equal opportunity for all to "earn" and prosper as a means to elevate their status, but rather to lower the ceiling of the prosperous and elevate the lower classes by the "state" taking it from one of their choosing to give to those of its choosing. All the while it is the central state government that decides “who/what” is prosperous and “how much/who” is to benefit from those being delegated to receive. The “state” becomes the benevolent god that makes such determinations.

The exercise of eliminating national borders, granting access to voting for all "residents" whether authentic legal citizens or not dilutes there being a significant common consensus of “the people” that might prove to be a formidable force of opposition to “the state”. The same traditional Marxism tactics to create an increased dependency upon "the state" are displayed as the former infrastructure with built in elements providing a source of “checks and balances” is eliminated. A “Supreme Court” is expanded to allow the “central state regime” to dominate and be the unchallenged, sovereign, supreme authority of the state-run politburo.

The means for their dominant rule must include moves to diminish the former national identity by denigrating its honorable history, proclaiming internationally that the former nation was guilty by committing more atrocities and crimes against humanity than good. This “state” will transfer its identity as being a “nation” to that of being a member of the global community of states. The former nation should be held in contempt and presented in shame, obligated to pay penance for its deplorable past and lower itself to being an equal player in that global theater. The former capitalist-based democracy had nothing to claim as admirable or honorable and there should be no expression of such including the acting out of national anthems, displaying honor for former historical national heroes.

During these initial stages of its establishment, the regime will eliminate any prospective opponent by disqualifying them through creatively establishing their own unprecedented standards of qualifications to be a political candidate. Should any opponents slip through the filters installed, their presence will be made of no consequence by the stripping away any significant official input or participation in the state's politburo.

Do I know any of these folks personally? Are you really asking, Paul?

Christiane said...

Thank you REX RAY for sharing about this:

"Bill Wallace served as a medical missionary in China for nearly twenty years before dying as a martyr for his faith. His story has inspired Christians throughout the world.

Dr. Wallace was buried in an unmarked grave by the Communist Army to cover their crime. Chinese Christians later would risk their own lives to place a simple marker where he was laid to rest that read, "To live is Christ." Rarely has a grave marker so accurately summarized a life. But then, rarely has a person's life so exemplified the principle expressed in Philippians 1:21, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Bill Wallace was an ordinary man who, in the providence of God, lived an extraordinary life. He was willing to forgo marriage and family; a prominent career; and a comfortable future in America for the sake of ministering to people in need. His service brought physical and spiritual healing to countless people.

Dr. Wallace lived a life worth examining and emulating. His story will challenge you to a deeper dedication and clearer awareness of the will of God for your life."

I'd like to read the biography of this good man, yes.




RB Kuter said...

Paul, thank you for staying connected and involved in the conversation. Obviously, there is some confusion you and others have as to the motives of those who are labeled by many as "evangelicals" and in your case identified collectively as "Bible Belt Christianity". Much of that confusion seems to be you not correctly defining those to whom you refer.

I'm guessing you refer to "evangelicals" who live in the south as being in the group you mention as "Bible Belt Christianity". The term "evangelical" comes from the Biblical Greek word meaning "Good News" and these days, those who are devoted to the "Good News" of the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus Christ and thereby "born again" by the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit. These "Bible Belt Christian/Evangelicals" insist that only those who repent of their sins, believe that Jesus Christ is God who came into the world for the purpose of giving His life on the cross as payment for the penalty of sins, and rose from the grave on the third day subsequent, and finally, submit their lives to the Lordship of this same resurrected Jesus Christ will be qualified to be accepted by God as His eternal children.

These “Bible Belt Christian”/evangelicals believe wholeheartedly in the Bible. They believe it when the Bible says that sex outside of marriage is sin, that sex within the same gender is sin, that marriage between two people of the same gender is sin, that getting drunk is sin. They strongly believe that “murder” is sin and the worst kind of “murder” is the murder of innocent, “yet to be delivered” babies. They do not believe that murder is justified by the life standard of the person doing the murder being difficult or unjust. Nothing is believed justification of murdering an innocent child. They also believe that they are obligated to preach and proclaim all of these Biblical truths even in the face of being rendered as “hate speech” and thereby illegal by the government and social movements. And yes, of course, they believe with God that anyone with feelings of racial superiority or prejudiced toward those of a different color is sinning. Where in the world did you get that ridiculous idea that they do not? Talk about unfounded prejudice toward southerners!

“Bible Belt Christian”/evangelicals vote and strongly support those who promise to best represent their beliefs when in office. The top priority is the protection of innocent infants, but generally a politician who openly supports that one issue also supports the others. You mistakenly interpret this as being a “following” of a political personality or person. It is not. It is a devotion to these issues and those most likely to represent the beliefs of the “Bible Belt”-evangelical, born again, followers of Jesus Christ.

Why is that so difficult for you, Christiane, Victorious, to understand? It’s not that complicated.

Christiane said...

Mr. Kuter,

No, I do NOT 'understand'.
Instead, I'm appalled by this new trumpist religion. I think it is obscene to compare trumpism to any kind of an entity that serves Christ. That seems like blasphemy to me.
I think it's wrong to support evil so that good may come. I believe the sacred Scriptures warn against this in earnest.

I believe in the old ways where the Republican Party fielded honorable people like John McCain who is now despised by the trumpists. He understood 'honor'. He KNEW what Trump was.

We need an honorable Republican Party in this country. So that we can have a thriving two-party system. Unlike the extreme far right, I believe in our democracy that gives every citizen a vote.

Did you know that even after the trumpist senators vote FOR him, he may still come to a criminal court of law? It is likely to happen because of his attempts to interfere in the vote count in the state of Georgia, as demands were made and threats were also spoken and there are recordings of all the phone calls on record?

No. Fascism has no place in this country. Nor does terrorism, home-grown or other, nor do we need the return of the 'back-alley abortionist'. If the Church would be Church, it needs to get to work and not rely on demagogues to fulfill what can only be the change of hearts and minds that lies in the Province of the Holy Spirit. The Church needs to be the CHURCH, not some political plaything of a would-be dictator who has shown he threatens those he is displeased with, even his own V.P. Mike Pence. The echo of 'Hang Mike Pence' still is heard.

trumpism is NOT the whole Republican Party, no. There is still an honorable remnant in that Party.

and there are still our American courts of law that reject 'the Big Lie' that has no credible evidence to back it up.

and the Pentagon and the Supreme Court refused to do trump's bidding to overturn the election

so I'd say we are still Americans here and we WANT our voices to be heard, not in some trumpist mob attacking with violence, but in our lawful votes fairly counted, yes.

We, America, 'stopped the steal' and kept trumpism from disenfranchising millions of our citizens who voted honestly. . . .

and there are some criminal trials coming for ALL involved in the insurrection and its leadership . . . that little matter of interfering in the voting count of the state of Georgia and threatening people who would not do his bidding broke the law in Georgia.

Proud of my country for surviving fascism this time, you bet.

Christiane said...

Mr. Kuter,
you wrote this: " They also believe that they are obligated to preach and proclaim all of these Biblical truths even in the face of being rendered as “hate speech” and thereby illegal by the government and social movements."

Is possible there has been 'too much' of the pointing of the finger at 'those other sinners' in ways that are self-righteous among the fundamentalist-evangelicals that does appear to have 'crossed the line' into 'hate speech', as I learned about from Southern Baptists who told me that the Westboro Baptist Church was an extremist 'cult' when it 'went too far' in its display of homophobia.

I guess there is some kind of a line you can cross that 'goes too far' into 'hate'?

Wouldn't it better to point to Christ instead of 'those other sinners' anyway?

Nothing wrong to teach the Word, no. But that is not what is seen now among fundamentalists-evangelicals in some cases and I believe that 'trumpism' IS 'going too far' into hatred for 'the others' on so many levels.

That's why people are scandalized at those Christians who follow Trump, especially now he has shown his hand at violent insurgence against Mike Pence who was doing his constitutional duty at the Capitol on Jan. 6

'hate speech' - 'hate rallies' - the recordings of the 'mob' as they yelled at the police officers before beating one almost to death and killing another one and injuring 150 more? I guess you might call that 'hate speech' AND 'going too far', and no, I don't 'understand', and no, Trump is not going to 'normalize' the kind of hatred seen among fundamentalism in all religions, not just fundamentalist-evangelicalism.

Bullying is way up since Trump. But it is not 'normal', no. It's still 'hate speech'. Handing women over to back alley abortionists is a form of 'hate' also.

I'm not sure that the evangelical 'truth in love' works as a way of pointing to Christ.
It involves too much of the self-righteous pharisee and not enough of the Jesus Prayer: 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner'.

Trump appealed to the self-righteous Pharisee looking for more 'freedom' to point to all 'those other sinners'

"You can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do." (Ann Lamott quoting a Jesuit friend of hers.)

hence, the cult of Trump- a new religion for them who needed more 'hate speech' to be made legal ?

I hope not. May it never happen.

Scott Shaver said...

Christianne: "Trumpism" over baby slaughter, job killing, and cronyism seems the more "Christan" posture as opposed to your religious rhetoric defending such practices.

Scott Shaver said...

Christianne: I hope you are aware that the single capital policeman who was declared to have been killed by rioters actually was texting after the event to friends/relatives.

Nobody has come forward with a definitive cause of death for that guy.

Your sources of information are extremely poor and unsubstantiated.

Paul D said...

@RB Kuter:
oh, I agree there is definitely a socialist agenda. That's really nothing new - we've seen that go back and forth politically for at least the last century and it continues today. I disagree that the socialist agenda in the U.S. has largely become a global communist agenda. I'm sure there's some fringe groups along those lines, just like there's fringe groups supporting just about anything. I think the fear mongering conservative fake news machine has scared a lot of people that Red Dawn has come when it's really just the same political debate we've been having for a long long time.

I count myself among Bible Belt evangelical Christianity due to my location of residence and statement of belief. That's why I've been so confused for the past 4 years. I completely sympathize with the single issue voting stance, respect it, and really couldn't put together a solid argument against it. But it's clear that this position by its nature could allow many evils to go unchecked.

thanks
Paul

RB Kuter said...

Thank you, Paul, for clarifying your responses. Better understand now.

Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE,

You said you’d like to read the biography of this good man. I put some of this below on Wade’s latest post:

https://www.brianhornback.com/?p=435

The last line of the link above states: “In Pusan, Korea there existed a Wallace Memorial Baptist Hospital.”

That’s true because my uncle, Rex Ray, supervised the building of it.

Scott Shaver said...

Excellent, Paul.

Scott Shaver said...

Christianne: And "bullying" has, in many ways, become a buzzword for the emasculation of Western Society. Defies the very course of nature since the fall of creation. Good luck with that.

You and Russ Moore would get along great.👍

Paul D said...

@Scott Shaver

Or...your post fall western conception of masculinity has made "bullying" a buzzword for emasculation.

thanks
Paul

Christiane said...

Highly recommended reading:
quotes from author Thomas Frank for anyone like me who is trying to sort out the 'left' and the 'right' and how we Americans got into so much trouble in this country.

Warning: there is something in these quotes for Americans of left and right persuasions, and something left over for them what wants our country to 'make sense' again
. . . no group gets off free from examination and some of the quotes are even funny, or would be, if they weren't so incisively revealing. Enjoy:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/30845.Thomas_Frank









Christiane said...

WAIT, WAIT - forgot to warn you

good people, if you read those three pages of quotes from Thomas Frank, you will be unnerved by the first page, your ears will be burning by the second page, and if you make it through the third page, you will be belching dragon breathe and your hair will be on fire . . . so caution is most kindly advised. :)

I thought Thomas Frank might be helpful for them what gets mad with me for quoting from sacred Scripture.

I have a feeling that after examining the T.Frank quotes, no one will mind if I go back to quoting from The Word. Have a good Saturday! :)

Scott Shaver said...

Either way, Paul, it certainly works for me. Doesn't much look like you've overcome "the fall" yourself.

Scott Shaver said...

If you don't like the West, Paul, you can always head east.

Scott Shaver said...

Christianne: Even demons quote scripture.

Paul D said...

@ Scott -
I'm glad that works for you.

You are correct, sir. I have not overcome the fall. However, I have a friend who has, and he walks with me and he talks with me.

As for leaving the west. Nah, I love the west. And you and everyone who does are welcome to stay (or come, whichever the case may be).

love
Paul