Any white nationalists who compelled James Alex Fields in any way to commit the act of terrorism he perpetrated in Charlottesville should be condemned. That’s not just people in direct contact with him. Leaders of the various groups who influenced him from Neo-Nazis to the KKK to the alt-right that directly or indirectly filled this man with hate should be condemned, as should those who have allegiance to these groups.
Any members of the “Anti-Fascists” group, better known as Antifa, who are active in harassing or committing acts of violence against Americans should be condemned. The same goes for members of Black Lives Matters and any other left wing groups who are involved with encouraging or perpetrating acts of violence or harassment.
I could go down a list of groups on both sides of the political aisle, but most readers are already well aware of who they are and how they operate. This has become too commonplace in America over the last decade. It’s time for it to cease, though I have no illusions about that happening. America is different than it was not too long ago. It’s going to be nearly impossible to turn it around quickly because the common theme that has emerged in modern society is this: Hate spreads.
Two things to note about my pessimistic view of the situation. First, by no means would I ever recommend giving up on the fight. Just because I think it won’t work doesn’t mean I won’t continue to push for sensibility and respect for fellow Americans. Second, I am not underestimating the power of the American people to rise up and quash the hatred. I’m speculating that complacency and helplessness will prevent enough Americans from realizing we have the power to stop it. We rely too much on our political “leaders” to handle these types of situations when in reality we’re the only ones who can actually fix it.
We live in a world of constant connectivity. While the rise of information velocity, social media, and mobile access has been beneficial in many ways, these factors have also contributed to amplifying the problems caused by hate. We’re a mobilized people, now. That means that protests such as the one in Charlottesville can draw more supporters. It also means that opposition groups can bring counter-demonstrations together rapidly and in great numbers.
Perhaps more importantly is that this digital age has allowed these groups to stoke the flames in real-time and to huge audiences. Again, modern technology can be a great benefit; we’re using it to launch the Federalist Party with much greater velocity than what was even remotely possible two decades ago. What groups like the Neo-Nazis and Antifa have demonstrated is that it’s much easier to rally people through negativity to be AGAINST an action or group rather than FOR something that may be important to them.
Hatred spreads faster and it’s much more potent, at least in the short term.
I don’t agree with the President or anyone else drawing direct comparisons between white nationalists and Antifa (or any other allegedly right vs left comparison) in an effort to deflect blame. The various groups do things differently, are motivated based upon prejudices unique to them, and have diverse methods for achieving their goals. With that said, I also do not agree with those who believe there are no comparisons at all.
As Scott Greer noted on Daily Caller, the unwillingness to call out ALL hate groups isn’t an act relegated to leftist talking heads. Many Republicans have joined the chorus:
What was most surprising, however, was seeing prominent Republicans stand up for Antifa.
Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney argued violent leftists were morally righteous. “No, not the same. One side is racist, bigoted, Nazi. The other opposes racism and bigotry. Morally different universes,” Romney tweeted Tuesday night.
Romney is not alone. Other Republicans from Marco Rubio to John McCain are singling out white supremacists while pretending that the violent actions of Antifa and other organizations are somehow more righteous.
No, not the same. One side is racist, bigoted, Nazi. The other opposes racism and bigotry. Morally different universes.
The only binding force between these groups is hatred. They all have deep levels of hatred and are willing to express this hatred in wholly unacceptable ways. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the KKK attacking minorities, BLM attacking police, or jihadists attacking non-Muslims. Their actions are driven by hatred and result in harm to anyone in their way.
When we isolate our denouncements to one or a few of these groups, we fail to address the root cause. How the President has handled Charlottesville is ludicrous. How his predecessor handled riots in Ferguson and elsewhere was just as ludicrous. We need bold leadership at times like these to properly denounce ALL who act upon the hatred in their hearts, but we have no reason to expect such leadership to manifest itself in DC.
Americans must rise up to condemn the hateful among us. This includes those who orchestrate precarious situations that lead to violent actions. It also includes those who indoctrinate others into their hateful ideologies. Lastly, it includes members who may not directly involve themselves in violence or harassment but who support it in other ways.
Let me be clear: Those who justify the ideology of any hate group, whether it’s white nationalists or Antifa, are part of the problem.
President Trump’s attempt to draw attention away from alt-right groups was as wrong as President Obama’s attempts to justify the actions of violent leftist groups when he was in office. Both participated in deteriorating the fabric of American society. We’ve made great strides in recent decades, but this last decade has been a reversal on progress. The hatred that seemed to have dissipated from the 70s to the turn of the century has reared up intensely over the last two-and-a-half presidential terms. Anyone who argues against his either hasn’t been paying attention or has an agenda to defend.
We cannot sit around and hope the President fixes it. We also cannot rely on the majority of our representatives in DC because they love turmoil. Hatred spawns opportunity for those who can benefit from it with their rhetoric. It gives politicians a cause for which they can make themselves appear to be needed. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel represented a general yet unacknowledged consensus among politicians:
“You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.”
We are in the midst of a serious crisis. There will be no leadership to address it coming from DC or state capitals. It’s up to the American people to prevail on our own to draw down the hatred before it consumes us. The question isn’t whether we can. The question is whether we will act in time.
Excellently put, as always, JD. This matches my thoughts this morning when I was entertaining writing a post entitled American “nationalism”: You reap what you sew. Over the last decade we have seen our political leaders sew discontent as a way to advance their agenda under the guise of “nationalism”. Unfortunately, there are too many diehards in each camp that are unwilling to open their minds to the bigger picture.
In 2002, Pastor Paul Washer delivered a message to around 5,000 young people. It has become one of the fiery Southern Baptist’s mostly widely-heard sermons because in it, we hear a very disturbing reality to most who proclaim to be Christians. Some simply aren’t doing it right.
He’s been criticized for the sermon. Some say he’s making it too complicated. Others say he’s scaring people away from the faith by making it seem too difficult. But this teaching is based on one of the most important teachings of Jesus Christ in all the Bible:
Matthew 7:13-27
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
I’ve heard many teach on these verses and I’ve taught myself on the strait and narrow. It’s frightening to some because it was intended to be, and Washer’s declarations to these impressionable young people is clear. But it wasn’t nice. It wasn’t kind. It wasn’t inclusive. It didn’t fit in with today’s version of common pastoral messages.
The need for constant repentance and ongoing belief must never be understated.
Sometimes, the need to be “nice” from the pulpit must be replaced by the true need to be honest. That’s what Washer does in this famous teaching. I strongly encourage everyone to spend an hour hearing it.
The Shroud of Turin has been the center of controversy since 1898. We will discuss its history soon, but let’s first state the obvious. Those who believe it is authentically the burial shroud of Jesus Christ are unlikely to be dissuaded. Conversely, those who think it’s a fake will almost certainly maintain their skepticism despite evidence or faith.
Before we get into research regarding the shroud, it’s important to have the right mindset. Science cannot prove or disprove the divinity of Jesus Christ. Our Father has put all of the evidence we need in our hearts, through His teachings in the Bible, and within the clear cross-referencing of prophecies that have come true. If you are searching for truth, the Shroud of Turin can do little to persuade you in one direction or the other at this time because the individual can either have faith in the teachings of our Lord or the individual can adopt a worldview that excludes the Messiah. All the shroud can currently do is reinforce one’s faith or create a mystery in the secular mind.
Let’s explore some commentary about the shroud to see where it stands in today’s fight for the faith.
Clearing the biggest obstacle of authenticity
There is a way that many doubts could be taken away about the authenticity of the shroud. While it would not demonstrate clear proof that He is the Messiah who was resurrected as the first fruits, it could come very close to proving that the man who died on the cross in Jerusalem was wrapped in the shroud. The blood from the Sudarium of Oviedo can be compared to the blood on the shroud. This artifact is most likely the head covering that was used when Yeshua’s body was transported to the tomb and left there. Jewish tradition says that blood is part of the body and must be buried with it. Since the cloth had Yeshua’s blood, it would have been kept in the tomb.
6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
– John 20:6-7 (KJV)
Since the cloth has been tracked historically since the 7th century, it would be a clear debunking of the 1988 carbon-14 dating tests that The Telegraph and USA Today reported as being potentially reversed. Studies comparing the blood stain positioning between the two artifacts show the likelihood that they wrapped the same head. If the blood on the sudarium, which has been confirmed to be at least as old as the 7th century, is the same blood that’s on the shroud, it would leave no doubt that the carbon-14 dating placing the shroud between 1260-1390 AD is inaccurate.
One might ask why it’s so important to debunk the debunking. If, as I stated, the shroud is not a path to faith, why would we want it to be authenticated in the minds of the masses? To understand this, one must understand the tools and characteristics of the enemy. Today, so many people have used science as a reason to deny their faith and decry the teachings of the Bible. It is written on our hearts, solidified in our minds, and authenticated by the wonders of the world that we are created beings and that God is our Creator. Secular science has at its core the desire to explain the universe in terms that separate the creation from its Creator.
The shroud can be a powerful gateway into inquiry. Its presence, while proof of nothing, has a compelling story that could open up the minds of those seeking the truth to explore the Word and learn of God and Yeshua. The adversary does not need to disprove God. He simply needs to nurture the seeds of doubt that prevent us from exploring more deeply. This is why the carbon-14 dating results were tainted and its why an untold number of people have dismissed it as a fake. If the debunking of the shroud can itself be debunked, there’s an opportunity to plant a seed of curiosity in some people that can grow to a deeper exploration of the truth.
The only feasible explanation
To those who view the shroud as authentic, it’s a very clear indication of the resurrection. A deep dive into the scientific research and the faith that makes many believe it to be real tells an incredible story of mysteries that point to one feasible conclusion.
Scientists have spent a great deal of time trying to determine how it was created. One of the researchers, Barrie Schwortz, claims that their team spent hundreds of thousands of man hours with the goal of determining the way that the shroud was produced. He was skeptical at first, feeling that the mystery would be simple to solve once they applied modern science to it.
“Our team spent hundreds of thousand of hours and after that period of time, remembering that our primary goal was to determine how the image was formed, came back with nothing,” said Schwortz. “We could not answer that question, so in essence we can tell you what it’s not. We cannot tell you what it is.”
It is only when one goes in with the assumption that the Shroud of Turin is likely the cloth covering of the body of Yeshua after His crucifixion can they see the evidence as clearly pointing in that direction. To me, it’s compelling. To others, it’s simply beyond science’s ability to discern at this moment. The videos below go into greater detail about the evidence, but here’s a quick recap of some of the things that demonstrate its potential authenticity:
Rare Damascus Gate Dirt Found on Shroud: In 1978, a sample of dirt taken from the foot region of the shroud was examined at the Hercules Aerospace Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah. The calcite in the dirt is rare, though it is in abundance around the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. This does nothing to prove authenticity but does point to the detail that would have had been put into its creation if it were a fake since there would be no reason in medieval times to believe that future generations would be able to tell the difference in dirt types from different regions.
Photo-Negative Nature of the Image: The controversy behind the shroud started in 1898 when amateur Italian photographerSecondo Pia photographed it. While processing the film, he was shocked to see that the negative established a much clearer image of a face than the positive itself. This means that whatever created the image did so in a way that was extremely improbable when producing a hoax but makes perfect sense from an authentic perspective, something we’ll talk about below.
AB Blood and Bilirubin: If we stay true to the scientific study, then we can draw a couple of conclusions. First, it’s definitely blood on the shroud as well as on the sudarium. Even skeptical scientists admit that ancient blood is present in the right areas. The presence of bilirubin makes it very likely that severe bruising and lacerations were present on the body when it was covered. These facts alone mean that it must be either an extremely elaborate hoax or a real burial cloth of a harshly scourged man. Second, a close look at the debunking of the presence of blood demonstrates the uncanny depth to which the adversary will go to delude people. One, for example, says that a particular plant could be used to create a paint that mimics the characteristics of blood. That’s a pretty amazing coincidence if it was created in medieval times to fool the ages – they were very lucky to have selected the exact right flower that could stand up to 21st century microbiological scrutiny.
The Blood Goes Through the Shroud while the Image does Not: As they discovered when shining a light through the cloth and cataloging the other side, the blood stains go all the way through while the image on the front side does not. In fact, the image itself is only on the microscopic surface of the shroud, two microfibers deep. It’s either real or the artist was trying for an epic level of hyper-realism. Skeptics have suggested that, in order to produce a viable fake that could stand up to scrutiny, that they used real human blood to produce the effect. This is absurd, of course, because the blood soaks through in a way that shows it was truly lain over a body and not manually placed on a piece of linen for effect.
The Image Has Depth: This is one of the toughest pieces of evidence to explain. One of the videos below does a pretty good job at it, but here’s the quick layman’s version. Paintings and pictures do not have appropriate depth that can be measured with modern equipment such as the VP8 Image Analyzer. They become distorted. When the shroud was analyzed in this manner, it created a 3D image that corresponded with the face of a man as if the shroud image was created while draped over a man.
Pollen and Flowers: 58 pollen types are on the shroud and nearly half of them can only be found in the Middle East. One in particular pollen from a plant called gundelia tournefortii, is found in abundance near the head region of the shroud. It is a very thorny plant that could have been used as the crown of thorns. Many flower images can be found on the shroud, including Zygophyllum dumosum. This is an important discovery because it is only found in one place – near Jerusalem.
There are plenty of other points that could be covered, but perhaps the most compelling is the form of the image itself. It shows a man with wounds that match what would have been seen from a scourging with a Roman flagrum. There is a also wound on the wrist where a crucified man would have been held to the cross. There are blood spots that surround the head in a way that would have come from wounds caused by a crown of thorns. Lastly, there is an area near the 5th rib where a lot of blood gathered that matches what a spear wound would have yielded.
This last piece of evidence demonstrates that this is definitely not another crucified man. The similarities to the story of Yeshua’s crucifixion are too perfect.
Authentic or not, it points to one conclusion
There are only two ways that the Shroud of Turin could have been formed.
It’s Real
If you believe the shroud is authentic, then you will probably believe that Joseph of Arimathea purchased a linen cloth to use as the burial shroud for the crucified Yeshua. At the time of resurrection, our best guess from a scientific perspective is that the body dematerialized and the burst of energy that resulted created the image on the shroud. This is backed up by the fact that the image is present, though lighter, at points where the shroud is not touching the body.
The pristine nature of the blood wounds indicates the shroud was not removed. For them to appear as they do, the points on the body where blood is touching the cloth would need to suddenly disappear or there would have been clear smudging.
Light is the most popular theory for the creation of the image. Heat or other sorts of radiation are less likely, but light of some sort has been shown to work to produce the effect. In a recent study, scientists created similar results using UV laser pulses. Lastly, if the origin of the light was within the shroud (within the body, perhaps) then the effect could have produced the negative image.
Those who believe that the Shroud of Turin is the burial cloth of Yeshua can latch onto the scientific data that hypothesizes His resurrection as the moment that the image was imprinted onto the shroud.
It’s a Tool of Deception
With all that we now know, this cannot be an artist’s rendition. It is extremely unlikely that it could be another man who happened to be killed in the same manner. Does this mean that it must be authentic?
The evidence points to a supernatural origin, which means that if it is a fake, then it was created through forces and with knowledge that greatly exceeds science today, let alone in medieval times. This would mean that demonic forces have gone through a ton of trouble over the centuries to make it stand up against all scrutiny. The presence of the Catholic Church makes this a possibility as well. It’s not that the Catholic Church is universally bent towards evil – not by any means. However, the deceptions that have been promoted by evil through the Catholic Church could bring into question whether this is an artifact of reality or deception.
This is all possible, but there is one event that points away from this possibility. There are many reasons, some discussed above, that the carbon dating was flawed. One in particular points to a last minute decision regarding the area of the shroud where the carbon dating sample would be taken. Originally, samples from different sections were supposed to be used, but the decision was made under guidance of the Catholic Church to pull from a single location. That location has been shown to be a place where the shroud was repaired, meaning that the cloth was an interwoven area mixing the original shroud cloth with newer cloth.
I do not believe that the shroud is a tool of deception, but the possibility is there so it must be stated.
Either Way…
It doesn’t really matter which is true. We know that in either scenario, the shroud was clearly created through means that could not exist in a world that does not have heavenly forces of good or demonic forces of evil. Human hands could not have created the shroud, not today and definitely not 700 years ago.
The Shroud of Turin is an interesting study of the resurrection. Today, it is a small piece of the bigger puzzle. In the future, it may come into play more prevalently in the fight between good and evil.
Here are three videos that we recommend for further research on the subject:
Following last week’s fury over the Alabama abortion bill that essentially bans abortion in all cases other than a threat to the life of mother, President Trump has weighed in. While not addressing the bill directly, he still declared his stance on abortion and called for voters to stand with him to protect life.
As most people know, and for those who would like to know, I am strongly Pro-Life, with the three exceptions – Rape, Incest and protecting the Life of the mother – the same position taken by Ronald Reagan. We have come very far in the last two years with 105 wonderful new…..
Our EIC noted a couple of days ago that belief that life begins at conception means being an abortion absolutist that backs the Alabama law. I tend to agree, which is why I believe we have to classify the President’s remarks as a secular belief in the sanctity of life. When we insert our human morality into the equation, it becomes a moral issue to want exceptions.
That’s fine. There may be bickering over who may actually be pro-choice based on their perspectives, but from a political perspective we need to make sure we keep our eyes on the big picture. We want Roe v. Wade to be overturned. Then, the states can decide how they want to handle the “healthcare” issue of abortion.
The rest is part of the cultural battle against abortions. This is why I’ve said many times in the past that we have to view this as a multi-front battle. We have the political front, and that’s going to be ever-changing. But we also have the cultural front in which we have to make decisions about how we view the life within the mother, whether from a religious or moral perspective. The third front is the scientific arena which has been quickly shifting away from the pro-abortion world to vindicating past claims pro-lifers have been making for decades.
The President’s stance, while not perfectly aligned with mine, is still exponentially better than anything the entirety of the Democratic Party is putting forth. What’s worse is that their candidates are pushing radical abortion ideas.
Quote
“If we believe the miracle of life begins when a human is conceived, then we must defend that life as a fellow creation of God regardless of the circumstances. Then, we must do everything in our power to aid the mother through the challenges she and her child will face.” – JD Rucker
Final Thoughts
We can bicker over the extent that pro-life laws should block abortions, but the general direction of overturning Roe v. Wade should allow conservatives to walk along the same path. We can discuss details afterwards.
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Doug Olson
August 17, 2017 at 7:00 am
Excellently put, as always, JD. This matches my thoughts this morning when I was entertaining writing a post entitled American “nationalism”: You reap what you sew. Over the last decade we have seen our political leaders sew discontent as a way to advance their agenda under the guise of “nationalism”. Unfortunately, there are too many diehards in each camp that are unwilling to open their minds to the bigger picture.