Christianity is against "The World". People confuse what that means. "The World" is Saturn, the black cube, the force of despotic demons that wish to drag humanity into its lowest nature and into death.
Sometimes being against the world could mean being a monk on a mountain and renouncing all possessions. But countless other saints have shown us that being against the world can look like building empires and waging war. "The World" can be fought on many fronts.
Even King David, the greatest warrior and general and traditional king in all of history knew that a kingdom is not an empire, and that there is a definite demarcator of who belongs in a kingdom: those who are of the same nation.
Christianity is of course about spreading the good news, and of course Christians are to be armed and ready and willing to fight; but Christianity is not about men vying for political control and wealth extraction from as many people and lands as can be mustered. That isn't the point of Christianity, it's a corruption of it and an extreme form of *worldly desires* being pursued under the veneer of Christianity.
You've it backwards but tell yourself whatever you need to sleep at night. Christianity stands against globohomo ideas due to its particularities regarding nationalism and when applied to Europeans it becomes all the more Euro-centric.
Excellent essay, as always in defence of the Faith. I imagine the hamburger guy will assail this comment like with the others as he tries to assign himself the role of homo-pagan defender of the faith.
But the fact of the matter is that Christianity and Nationalism have always walked hand in hand with one another. The fact of the matter is that for example the ancients or Medievals if you will of Greece, France and other places never did separate their Faith from their sense of themselves as a tribe. If anything a separation between them is odd and unnatural.
It is also why when writing a 'Great Romance' for any nation of Christendom you will never be able to fully extricate the Christianity from the work. I tried in my youth and there was always a sense that it wasn't quite right. It is only now as a fully matured individual who has come to embrace his Faith and love for his civilization that I can write to the fullness of my abilities for Scotland, France & Japan.
All that said, nice picture of Nixon there lmao. And this goes really well with the essay I'm writing right now for Mythic fiction and story-telling as being something that is Christian and Nationalist by nature.
A great post, and I love the shout-out to Osprey. I have a whole shelf of them. And I note that the volumes you included were all illustrated by the late great Angus McBride. Osprey has employed a lot of good illustrators but he combined accuracy in the presentation of material culture—at least as understood at the time—with the romance of the period. This is not just what it looked like, his illustrations say, this is what it felt like. Wonderful stuff.
Thank you for addressing this. I thought I was the only Christian recognizing and reasoning on Substack with intelligent and well read pagans who blame the current gayness of globo homo on the failure of Christianity. In fact, one of their main arguments, as you said at the beginning, is that we are in our current predicament because of Christianity, which was then liberalized and secularized post early modern period.
My response typically is that 1. Genuine Christianity would reject every tenet of globo
Homo.
2. We haven’t had a genuine Christian leadership since before the 20th century (possibly before the renaissance maybe depending) and, finally, we don’t know what Christian duties are. God told us clearly “resist evil.”
Christian’s need to expose and refuse to go along with evil (I have in mind Covid mandates and lockdowns in particular).
Extremely well put. Resist evil. In all its forms, and wherever you find it. At home. In city hall. Covid mandates. It’s ever changing in its appearance and setting, so any rules would have long since been eroded or bypassed. Hence, ‘resist evil’, which is simple enough for a simpleton like me to understand. Thanks for a wonderful essay. One of your best, in my humble opinion.
False. He meant it was not of this world, meaning that as Christ was put to death by the world, and likewise the world will reject Christianity. But you goofs stay hoping to establish a lasting empire.
'Christianity' is the problem. The very idea of a universal, globe-spanning 'ethical empire' was invented by the Abrahamo-Platonists. The Chuch is the original Globohomo empire.
As for 'Genuine Christianity', what *exactly* would that be?
Seems to me Constantine the Great understood something about Christianity that a lot of you fail to: it can be a force for civic renewal and revitalization as long as the portfolios of Church and State are kept separate. Unlike Islam, Christianity is fine with allowing the State to do State stuff while the Church shepherds souls to God. Matthew 22:21 is as clear as day on this: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.” Christianity has no “blueprint” for utopia since utopia is not possible in this world - this world belongs to darkness. The Church is there to provide succor through God’s Grace to those individuals who want to get to the Kingdom of Heaven. The object of salvation is the individual soul, not “society” or the “state.” In any case, the West was fortunate since models for enlightened civic governance were already there courtesy of the Greeks and Romans. All that was needed was a renewal of Faith. That was provided by this religion from the East.
I've seen the axiom 'correlation is not causation' a lot in recent years. The modern era in which we live has seen Christianity seemingly in decline, and moral degradation increasing across the Western world. I've been exposed, in my 70 years, to many variants of Christianity. My own moral code has certainly been informed by it. But I'm weary of its absurd contradictions, internecine squabbles, as well as its own unique moral degradation. Still, I find individuals who get and do their best to practice Christ's teachings. So what are we to think? Our founders clearly believed that a moral (religious) populace was necessary to preserve the Republic. We no longer have that, and we seem to revel in decay and allow 'barbarians' past the metaphoric gates. I suspect the answer won't be forthcoming in my lifetime: Is our decline and vulnerability due to the decline of religious belief, and can it be cured by a revival of religion?
People tend to forget a big reason Christ could preach certain things was because He lived in a place ruled by heathen foreigners who had no problems with executing their enemies.
Christianity may be otherworldly, but Jesus lived, taught, and sacrificed as a human in this world, in Roman Judea to be exact. Thus, Christianity is concerned with this world, even if it emphasizes higher realities.
Also, from the paragraph below the first map of Byzantium: "...realizing that a social system of rent-seeking would be destabilizing and result in a hollowed out military." which is precisely what happened to my country, the US.
Finally, a bit of proofreading, in the paragraph above the second map of Byzantium: "accompanying the Rus would Pechaneg allies, a neighboring Turkic people" should insert "be their", ie "accompanying the Rus would be their Pecheneg allies,".
Your noting the Sohei reminded me of Emperor Go-Shiraka saying something like that there were three things in Japan beyond his control; the rapids in the Kamo River, the roll of the dice and those damn monks up in the mountains!
Christianity is against "The World". People confuse what that means. "The World" is Saturn, the black cube, the force of despotic demons that wish to drag humanity into its lowest nature and into death.
Sometimes being against the world could mean being a monk on a mountain and renouncing all possessions. But countless other saints have shown us that being against the world can look like building empires and waging war. "The World" can be fought on many fronts.
Well said
War? Sure.
Building empires? No, not really.
Even King David, the greatest warrior and general and traditional king in all of history knew that a kingdom is not an empire, and that there is a definite demarcator of who belongs in a kingdom: those who are of the same nation.
Christianity is of course about spreading the good news, and of course Christians are to be armed and ready and willing to fight; but Christianity is not about men vying for political control and wealth extraction from as many people and lands as can be mustered. That isn't the point of Christianity, it's a corruption of it and an extreme form of *worldly desires* being pursued under the veneer of Christianity.
'Christianity' is the Black Cube. It's the original values-inverting Globohomo imperialist project.
The Desert Fathers were a bunch of sado-masochistic vaginal-sex-hating perverts.
You've it backwards but tell yourself whatever you need to sleep at night. Christianity stands against globohomo ideas due to its particularities regarding nationalism and when applied to Europeans it becomes all the more Euro-centric.
Projecting?
Excellent essay, as always in defence of the Faith. I imagine the hamburger guy will assail this comment like with the others as he tries to assign himself the role of homo-pagan defender of the faith.
But the fact of the matter is that Christianity and Nationalism have always walked hand in hand with one another. The fact of the matter is that for example the ancients or Medievals if you will of Greece, France and other places never did separate their Faith from their sense of themselves as a tribe. If anything a separation between them is odd and unnatural.
It is also why when writing a 'Great Romance' for any nation of Christendom you will never be able to fully extricate the Christianity from the work. I tried in my youth and there was always a sense that it wasn't quite right. It is only now as a fully matured individual who has come to embrace his Faith and love for his civilization that I can write to the fullness of my abilities for Scotland, France & Japan.
All that said, nice picture of Nixon there lmao. And this goes really well with the essay I'm writing right now for Mythic fiction and story-telling as being something that is Christian and Nationalist by nature.
A great post, and I love the shout-out to Osprey. I have a whole shelf of them. And I note that the volumes you included were all illustrated by the late great Angus McBride. Osprey has employed a lot of good illustrators but he combined accuracy in the presentation of material culture—at least as understood at the time—with the romance of the period. This is not just what it looked like, his illustrations say, this is what it felt like. Wonderful stuff.
Osprey books were always a particularly tempting display in the hobby shops of my youth.
Librarian,
Thank you for addressing this. I thought I was the only Christian recognizing and reasoning on Substack with intelligent and well read pagans who blame the current gayness of globo homo on the failure of Christianity. In fact, one of their main arguments, as you said at the beginning, is that we are in our current predicament because of Christianity, which was then liberalized and secularized post early modern period.
My response typically is that 1. Genuine Christianity would reject every tenet of globo
Homo.
2. We haven’t had a genuine Christian leadership since before the 20th century (possibly before the renaissance maybe depending) and, finally, we don’t know what Christian duties are. God told us clearly “resist evil.”
Christian’s need to expose and refuse to go along with evil (I have in mind Covid mandates and lockdowns in particular).
Christianity is the solution, not the problem.
Extremely well put. Resist evil. In all its forms, and wherever you find it. At home. In city hall. Covid mandates. It’s ever changing in its appearance and setting, so any rules would have long since been eroded or bypassed. Hence, ‘resist evil’, which is simple enough for a simpleton like me to understand. Thanks for a wonderful essay. One of your best, in my humble opinion.
Christianity is the solution to what?
Jesus says his Kingdom is not of this world, that all will pass away.
He meant it’s absolutely “out of this world”. Literal or meta as you feel to take it.
False. He meant it was not of this world, meaning that as Christ was put to death by the world, and likewise the world will reject Christianity. But you goofs stay hoping to establish a lasting empire.
Whatever that is supposed to mean precisely, I thank you for the sharing with me. 😎
I never see you
I’m like John Cena.
https://youtu.be/2D-ZO2rGcSA?si=sRFSWif_9uV47BMh
'Christianity' is the problem. The very idea of a universal, globe-spanning 'ethical empire' was invented by the Abrahamo-Platonists. The Chuch is the original Globohomo empire.
As for 'Genuine Christianity', what *exactly* would that be?
Excellent work. Brought me to big, manly Roman tears.
Seems to me Constantine the Great understood something about Christianity that a lot of you fail to: it can be a force for civic renewal and revitalization as long as the portfolios of Church and State are kept separate. Unlike Islam, Christianity is fine with allowing the State to do State stuff while the Church shepherds souls to God. Matthew 22:21 is as clear as day on this: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.” Christianity has no “blueprint” for utopia since utopia is not possible in this world - this world belongs to darkness. The Church is there to provide succor through God’s Grace to those individuals who want to get to the Kingdom of Heaven. The object of salvation is the individual soul, not “society” or the “state.” In any case, the West was fortunate since models for enlightened civic governance were already there courtesy of the Greeks and Romans. All that was needed was a renewal of Faith. That was provided by this religion from the East.
I've seen the axiom 'correlation is not causation' a lot in recent years. The modern era in which we live has seen Christianity seemingly in decline, and moral degradation increasing across the Western world. I've been exposed, in my 70 years, to many variants of Christianity. My own moral code has certainly been informed by it. But I'm weary of its absurd contradictions, internecine squabbles, as well as its own unique moral degradation. Still, I find individuals who get and do their best to practice Christ's teachings. So what are we to think? Our founders clearly believed that a moral (religious) populace was necessary to preserve the Republic. We no longer have that, and we seem to revel in decay and allow 'barbarians' past the metaphoric gates. I suspect the answer won't be forthcoming in my lifetime: Is our decline and vulnerability due to the decline of religious belief, and can it be cured by a revival of religion?
Yes, it can. Yes, it is. And yes, it will.
God is good. Have a pleasant Sunday.
Really interesting. I didn't know any of this. That video on Olga was awesome.
Olga is a treasure beyond compare.
I want to get a divorce and find me an Olga, in Russia, to spend the rest of my life with!
This too shall pass though. I hope. 🤞
Very interesting how the Byzantines invoked anti feudal measures similar to those found in the Old Testament.
People tend to forget a big reason Christ could preach certain things was because He lived in a place ruled by heathen foreigners who had no problems with executing their enemies.
As if 'christian' states were any more benign to their internal enemies.
Christianity may be otherworldly, but Jesus lived, taught, and sacrificed as a human in this world, in Roman Judea to be exact. Thus, Christianity is concerned with this world, even if it emphasizes higher realities.
Also, from the paragraph below the first map of Byzantium: "...realizing that a social system of rent-seeking would be destabilizing and result in a hollowed out military." which is precisely what happened to my country, the US.
Finally, a bit of proofreading, in the paragraph above the second map of Byzantium: "accompanying the Rus would Pechaneg allies, a neighboring Turkic people" should insert "be their", ie "accompanying the Rus would be their Pecheneg allies,".
Thank you; I fixed the typo.
no prob. these things happen when you're tired and busy, in fact I had to edit my own post a few times!
Your noting the Sohei reminded me of Emperor Go-Shiraka saying something like that there were three things in Japan beyond his control; the rapids in the Kamo River, the roll of the dice and those damn monks up in the mountains!
Fascinating. Thank you for this excellent article on the history of Christianity and the Byzantines and how it relates to the world today.
Great read!
Well done. I still can't restack a quote from you.