Further. Every. Day.

You may have seen the memes recently from those who claim that Easter is from Ishtar and that Easter is pagan, you may have wondered if there is anything there. Well, there is, and there isn't. Both sides have set up intellectual embattlements, and I've heard people on both sides make blatantly wrong or false assertions. With that said, I don't think either side is getting the point. The focus should always be on Christ.

Before we start, let us put on the correct spirit.

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:8‬

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:16-17‬ ‭

“But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭14:10, 13-15‬ ‭

There are two views on this, here is the basis for the predominate Anti-Easter view:

Genesis 10:8-10 says:

And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was BABEL, and Erech, and Accad,and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.”

After the death of Cush, his father, Nimrod married his own mother and became a powerful King and a god-man to the people. Semiramis, his wife and mother, became the powerful Queen of ancient Babylon. Later to become the 'mother of god' and the 'Queen of heaven'.

Nimrod was eventually killed by an enemy, and his body was cut in pieces and sent to various parts of his kingdom. Semiramis told the people of Babylon that Nimrod had ascended to the sun and was now to be called "Baal", the sun god.

Semiramis claimed that she was immaculately conceived and she taught that the moon was a goddess that went through a 28-day cycle and ovulated when full. She further claimed that she came down from the moon in a giant moon egg that fell into the Euphrates River. This was to have happened at the time of the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.

Semiramis became known as "Ishtar" which is pronounced "Easter", and her moon egg became known as "Ishtar's" egg”(Easter Egg). Ishtar (Semiramis) soon became pregnant and claimed that it was the rays of the sun-god Baal that caused her to conceive. The son that she brought forth was named Tammuz.

Tammuz was noted to be especially fond of rabbits, and they became sacred in the ancient religion, because Tammuz was believed to be the son of the sun-god, Baal. Tammuz, like his supposed father, became a hunter. The day came when Tammuz was killed by a wild pig.

Queen Ishtar told the people that Tammuz was now ascended to his father, Baal, and that the two of them would be with the worshippers in the sacred candle or lamp flame as Father, Son and Spirit. Ishtar, who was now worshiped as the "Mother of God” and “Queen of Heaven", continued to build her mystery religion.

After Tammuz was killed by a wild pig the “Queen of Heaven” proclaimed a Forty-Day period of sorrow each year prior to the anniversary of the death of Tammuz. Every year, on the First Sunday after the first full moon, after the spring equinox, a celebration was made. It was Ishtar's (Easter) Sunday and was celebrated with rabbits, eggs and ham.

The truth is that the FORTY DAYS OF LENT, eggs, rabbits, hot cross buns and the Easter ham have everything to do with the ancient pagan religion of Mystery Babylon.”

“When Nimrod eventually died, the Babylonian mystery religion in which he figured prominently continued on. His wife Queen Semiramis saw to that. Once he was dead, she deified him as the Sun-god. In various cultures he later became known as Baal, the Great Life Giver, the god of fire, Baalim, Bel, Molech, etc.

“Later, when this adulterous and idolatrous woman gave birth to an illegitimate son, she claimed that this son, Tammuz by name, was Nimrod reborn.”[4] Semiramis “claimed that her son was supernaturally conceived [no human father] and that he was the promised seed, the ‘savior'” – promised by God in Genesis 3:15. “However, not only was the child worshipped, but the woman, the MOTHER, was also worshipped as much (or more) than the son!”[...

Writing the title to this episode, once again, hit me in the gut. Incrementalism isn't bad, necessarily, in the context of being better than Incremental restrictions on Abortion, such as heartbeat bills and other regulatory measures, have been suggested as effective, and I would agree that every life saved is a victory. However, some have embraced the Incrementalist Strategy so fully that full abortion bans have been blocked by movements like National Right to Life. Add to this the controversy that, some of these more aggressive bills have had penalties for the woman who has the abortion. Now we have an interesting debate on our hands

The argument for Incrementalism makes sense from a human perspective, but does it make sense from a Godly one? After all, isn't Incrementalism another -ism? I understand the “both and” argument some will use to say we can run both efforts (Abolition and Incremental Regulation) concurrently, but when one of the biggest international Pro-life orgs actively blocks Abolitionist bills in Conservative led houses of state legislatures, and even nationally with a “Pro-Life” majority, we have a bit of a problem.

One might say that we couldn't put the bill through because of its stance towards women. I can get behind that, but these bills were aborted in committee, the language could have been removed all together, or better yet, clarified to say after such and such date, no more amnesty for women who have committed voluntary infanticide. After all, this is someone hacking apart or poisoning a baby. If that's baby was in NICU, we'd charge her with capital murder in some states. One could say that the Supreme Court could rule against it. Okay, how is this any different than what is already happening? Roe v Wade?

Are we consistent in our worldview? Have we allowed the Pro-Life movement to overshadow the work of the Lord? Have we religiously subscribed to Incrementalism so deeply, that when God has handed us a way to push a Pro-Life bill through a state, that we give up?

I guess God can't sway the minds of 4 justices.

https://youtu.be/AUBocf3Wfzc

https://youtu.be/Hcu-jnuoQnI

http://www.standardnewswire.com/news/8121613485.html

Unmasking Halloween and the Church

Introduction: As we have exited the Halloween season, let's ask a question, should we be participating in Halloween as Christians? Are all things pure to those who are pure? Or are there some celebrations that we as Christians shouldn't coopt? Or here's a plot twist many haven't considered: Did Halloween Co-opt a Christian Holiday? Let's explore that as we watch our culture stray Further. Every. Day.

Now, if you are a Christian who believes that anyone who lets their children Trick or Treat is going to Hell, maybe reconsider your soteriology, you clearly don't understand Salvation. With that said, there are many Christians who don't seem to mind appearing worldly with their gory antics on Halloween. We'll get to that momentarily.

Origins:

But first, let's attempt to cover the most common question that arises in Christian circles on this topic: Where did Halloween come from? The sad thing is, we don't really know. Most sources actually cannot pinpoint the origins of the Halloween that we witness every year in America, but instead it appears to have an amorphous origin. Let's look at some of the other holidays that may have had an influence on what we now call Halloween.

Samhain (Sawhen)

All Saints Day

The Day of the Dead

Samhain (Sawhen)

https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2021/10/the-origins-of-halloween-traditions/

So where might all of these coincided? Was Samhain the origin of Halloween?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu-5BmAzbrU

0:45-7:29

What is the Day of the Dead? La Catrina was the Goddess of the underworld in Aztec Culture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sSawpU81cI

https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2019/10/la-catrina-dark-history-day-deads-immortal-icon

What will people who celebrate Samhain or the Day of the Dead think of us as Christians when we participate in Halloween?

1. Chair 1: Theology

• What does God say about adopting the celebrations of Pagan Gods?

Deut 12:29-32 :“When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.' You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.”

• What does He say about marginal practices that are not primary Salvation related traditions?

Romans 14:1-5 : “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.”

• How should we navigate Halloween?

1. Chair 2: Philosophy

• How should we go about the addressing little children playacting as princesses and cowboys? Is this the same as worshiping pagan idols?
• How has the Church allowed a celebration of the Saints, devolve into the 2nd largest financially grossing holiday in America?

• As we have watched the Church lose the narrative to the Cultures around her, what has happened to the Culture surrounding Halloween? How has the Church's lack of authority on the matter degraded our Culture?
• Should Christians participate in the horror movies and gore of Halloween? How does one navigate the verses above with Halloween and the Culture? What does the Culture see when we as Christians partake in the more paganistic practices of Halloween?

• Multiculturalism has positive and negative effects as any system has, but we see the active support for pag...

We have a seriously sick culture. We are immolating our children in the name of wokeness and supposed niceness, prosecuting those who implement Godly policies, and stopping church services selectively, yes masks are coming back.

Roughly 5% of young adults identify as trans:

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/06/07/about-5-of-young-adults-in-the-u-s-say-their-gender-is-different-from-their-sex-assigned-at-birth/

However, we know that this “surgery” is commonly permanently injurious to children, yet we do it anyway:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuwOx9YdHXY

On a winning note, Target lost $9 Billion in stock value from their support of the transgender agenda:

https://nypost.com/2023/05/25/target-loses-8b-in-week-since-boycott-calls-over-pride-collection/

We have a president who is being prosecuted for asking for a recount, one where they shredded the ballots and wiped the data before the recount could be vetted.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/03/breaking-exclusive-ballots-arizonas-maricopa-county-found-shredded-dumpster-days-senate-audit-begin/

Now, it's clear that whether the election was stolen or not, the prosecution is ideological more so that on any “crime” related to asking for a recount. Trump, love him or hate him, largely carried the Conservative Christian's Policies over the goal line.

And now masks are back and Covid 19 is being brought to the forefront of public debate again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYJ4PJ2DfVg

So how should a Christian, a little Christ, proceed through these topics? Are we to do so agnosticly with no mention of Christ or our Moral Creed, definition of faith?

Matthew 10:33 gives us our answer I believe:

“But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”

So how should we proceed then? Let us look to Christ for our answer:

In Luke 13:1-9 Christ speaks about two contemporary events, things in the news so to speak. And then gives us our application:

Note, Infrastructure failure and Political Turmoil are brought on by a lack of Godliness. The destruction of the temple was only a few years after this conversation. Many who were present were likely slain in the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

In Matthew 5:16, Christ says

“so let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father who is in the heavens.”

In Mark 7:9-13, Christ commands that the religious put down their man made morality and reinstate Goldy Theology and a relationship with God.

In Deuteronomy 18:9 we see God commanding the Israelites not to inherit the culture of the detestable cultures around them. A shrewd historian will understand that these practices were infanticide, promiscuity, and homosexuality to name a few.

So how should we proceed? As vocal advocates for righteousness, knowing our subject material well and the Scriptures better.

Why Hollywood Hates Prince Charming Further. Every. Day.

Fairytales, Fables, parables, these are all names for the ideal of stories that we tell children to represent the world as it ought to be, not necessarily as it is. We teach our children about morality via these stories.

In 1937 Snow White, hit the Theatres and the world was in awe at the story of the technical achievement and the beauty of the story of Snow White, the animated masterpiece captured even the hardest of hearts. Today, the story is seen as paternalistic and harmful, but why? And it's not just Snow White, but every princess or woman who is saved by a man is considered a harmful archetype, to be replaced only by the woman saving, and rejecting romantically, the man. Why the shift? Let's talk about that today as we watch our culture strays Further Every Day.

To get context, let's watch two clips of Snow White:

Here's where Snow White wishes to meet the Prince and gets that wish granted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54QeNL5ih6A

Here's the controversial scene where the Prince kisses the deceased Snow White:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bOwgBV_IbU

Rachel Zegler is the embodiment of the Woke Culture's view on the above scenes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUdwH4lqaUQ

There are three things that can be seen here in Zegler's remarks:

1. A disdain for Traditional Gender Roles and Men
2. A disdain for history and the desire to remake the world into a woke world
3. A disdain for everyone who came before her and gave her the privileges she enjoyed as a Disney Princess

Let us look at another re-characterization of a classic story, Sleeping Beauty.

Here are the scenes that have sparked controversy:

Once Upon A Dream:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXbHShUnwxY

Here's the culture's take on both of these stories:

https://sites.middlebury.edu/disneyprincesses/perpetuation-of-rape-culture/

Here's the substitute that we see placed in the prince's kiss for both movies: https://youtu.be/ZPrAFHAfpng?feature=shared

Jordan Peterson on the valuable lessons from Sleeping Beauty:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pavFsm5ZL8U

Peterson also goes onto a different interview to say that the story of Snow White has other valuable insights about how a woman must sort through the 7 Dwarfs of her life, each with a piece of what she specifically needs, until she can truly understand and “wake up” to or understand what type of man she truly wants, in Prince Charming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyWkgWsdPXY

All of these are valuable lessons that postmodernism shuns, as a woman doesn't need man, and men are basically evil. The root of this lies here: A Disdain and Hatred for Natural Gender Roles and Marriage. If the Enemy of Our Souls can destroy marriage, then how can we ever enjoy the picture of Christ and the Church that was inlaid into the framework of marriage? In the Bible, we see the and and woman specifically given roles that look like Christ and His Bride.

There is nothing wrong with the female protagonist. No one here wants a world of only Prince Charming movies, but if you look at the trend against men saving the day and only becoming the lesser, dumber, or even the completely villainous suitors, you see a move by the postmodern world against the value of traditional marriage. To say that such men do not exist is to be a blind as to say that no princesses are in fact shrews. However, the fairytale genre is focused on the idealist interpretation of the world for the minds of children so as to shape their worldview.

If we tell our youth that men tend to be evil and women should invariably be the leaders alone without a family, then we rob children of their God Given Roles. God designed men to be the Savior (with a role of sacrifice, provision, and protection) of the family. This makes him accountable to God for how he leads his family. God designed women to desire children and to nurture them. When we make the man the villain and the woman the Lone Ranger, men never fulfill the purpose of “Saving the Day”, and women grow old in a childless state, only comforted by professional accolades and cats.

Theology: What are the traditional roles for man and Woman?

Philosophy: Why is the world breaking down these roles, even to the point of mockery?