(This article was published in Una Sancta of 6 February 2021, Volume 68, no. 1. Seeing that much of it is still very much applicable and timely, I republish it here. It is not only about leadership outside the church but also inside the church. Sadly, also within the church we can see leaders abusing… Continue reading Good Leadership Needed
I expect that every one, after having done all he can in the way of robbing and murdering, will be so tired as to wish for the peace which he had formerly but did not value. All this we have deserved through our sins. For we are up to our heads in pride and ambition,… Continue reading Pride & Prejudice: Antwerp 1567
When reading or listening to the news, one cannot help but notice a certain bias. This is not only true for the mainstream news but pretty well anything one listens to. Even though the news is meant to be and generally is presented as objective, it appears an impossible goal. One needs only look at… Continue reading A Look at the Ninth Commandment
Have you followed online news stories about the recent election in the United States? Consider the following headings of articles from a news feed based on the search term “US Election” and obtained approximately 4 weeks after the election: Trump lays out election-fraud case in online video: ‘Bad things happened’ Democrats seek disciplinary investigation for… Continue reading Reading the media: to judge or not to judge
The ninth commandment requires that I must love the truth, the whole truth and speak it honestly. I must not give false testimony, twist no one’s words, not gossip or slander, and avoid deceit. The purpose of this commandment is to regulate our minds and lives so that we reflect God’s image, by honoring God… Continue reading Coping in a Post-fact Age
‘What is truth?’ These words from Pontius Pilate, quoted in the Bible in John 18:38, are the summary of what this article is about. However, the words of Pilate can be interpreted and used in different ways. Pilate used it to express his skepticism. Jesus Christ, standing before Pontius Pilate, his judge, responded to a… Continue reading The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Every year in January, the organisation ‘Open Doors’ publishes a world watch map on which it ranks several countries on this earth with regard to persecution of Christians. The latest map was published in January. It may not come unexpected that North Korea is the number 1 country if it comes to persecution of Christians.… Continue reading Persecution – World Watch Map
A Lie (1) On 17 January of this year, BuzzFeedNews reported that President Trump had directed his attorney Michael Cohen to lie to congress about the Moscow Tower project. This was what according to BuzzFeedNews was reported to the special counsel Robert Mueller who was investigating allegations of Mr. Donald Trump colluding with Russia in… Continue reading What is truth?
Some time ago, on this website in an article in November 2017, I raised the question if democracy may be on its way out. In that article I looked at the political situation in Australia, in a time that our government was struggling, still under then PM Mr. Malcolm Turnbull. I also described the situation in… Continue reading Democracy’s final crisis
Over the past couple of years, Political Correctness (PC) has run amok. What was common sense in the past or behaviour that was normally accepted even if not all agreed with it, that is now usually attacked by any kind of social warrior from either the alphabet movement (LGBTQ….XYZ) or any other minority group. Any… Continue reading Has Political Correctnes peaked?
Australia’s Attorney-General Christian Porter is currently bringing before the Australian parliament two bills that are very important and necessary for our nation’s safety, sovereignty and future. Both bills, that target activities by China and other foreign states, are designed to strengthen Australia’s counter foreign-interference and espionage apparatus. On 8 June 2018 “The Australian” reported that… Continue reading Chinese threat to Australia
In several countries, states, provinces over the world, assisted-dying laws have been adopted and implemented. Those resisting the adoption of these laws often warned that the availability of the option of euthanasia / assisted-dying would put pressure on those who are terminally ill to choose this option. This appears to be happening now in a… Continue reading Assisted-Dying laws incentive for insurance companies to deny coverage
Recently the USA’s Embassy in Israel moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This led to massive protests from the Palestinians. Dozens were killed. Many more wounded. What was the problem? West Jerusalem has always been Israeli territory since its independence in 1948. The USA did not move their embassy to the eastern part of Jerusalem,… Continue reading What to think of Jerusalem?
The website www.visualcapitalist.com publishes from time to time nicely done graphics to present statistics in an attractive way. Recently it published a graphic that makes the growth of the world population visible, and how it is divided over the continents. It is an animated graphic which leads you through the years from 1950 to 2100.… Continue reading World Population to reach 11.2 Billion in 2100
Every so often you can read ‘prophecies’ about the end of the world. Often these ‘prophets’ claim to have a special kind of revelation through which they are able to understand the Bible better than anyone else, even better than our Lord Jesus Christ Himself (Matthew 24:36-44; Mark 13:32-37). The Rapture Now again, there is… Continue reading 23 April: The End of the World?
New controls Early this year the Chinese government implemented new laws and regulations to tighten its control over the nation. The government says it wants to stop religious extremism, unrest, disturbances and violence. However, the regime wants to control religion, curb challenges to its authority and muzzle criticism. All churches, sects and faith groups… Continue reading Chinese Government applies the blow torch
What’s on your Facebook today? Maybe a birthday notification? New friend recommendation? Event notification? Photo of what your friends did yesterday (which you should tag!)? Even more important, what buttons will you hit in response? Does Facebook need you more than you need Facebook? Can you do without Facebook? Can Facebook do without you? With… Continue reading Would you miss Facebook?
Sir Charles Dilke [1843-1911] commented once that false statements can be arranged according to their degree under three heads, fibs, lies, and statistics. Mark Twain used a stronger word, when he wrote his now famous quote, which I will not repeat here. What is clear in these statements is, that people can lie out of… Continue reading Lies and Statistics
Ever since Xi Jinping became president of the Chinese Communist Party, there have been increasing restrictions on religious activity. Initially there were some indications that the new government was simply trying to confirm and prove it authority in every area of life. The silent hope was that with time, like in the past, these kinds… Continue reading Increasing restraints to Religious Activity in China
The pope is doing a deal with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In March, the Roman Catholic Church will give the Communist Party the power to appoint bishops in China. Just what the pope’s hope is remains unclear but what is clear is that here we have the false church in league with communism, a… Continue reading Prophecy and the Pope’s Deal with China
