Religion, Nations, and Geopolitical Review: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

by A. Joseph Lynch

I. POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

PARTISAN PULPIT: A Wisconsin priest name Fr. James Altman released a highly produced video homily condemning Catholics who vote Democrat. While Bishop Strickland of Tyler, Texas the priest his support, Altman's bishop in La Crosse is no longer allowing Altman to livestream Masses. While there is corruption within the American hierarchy and the Democrat platform is broadly opposed to Catholicism and the natural moral law, we believe Altman oversimplified his words. To say no real Catholic could vote for Obama in 2008 reveals Altman didn't know John McCain very well. A McCain presidency would have been much more disastrous, doing grave harm to the nation and to the Republican Party. Although we need many more priests and bishops to speak up, Fr. Altman ultimately was not quite over the right target when he dropped his bombs. 

EUCHARIST STOLEN: A tabernacle was stolen this week from the St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral in Ontario, Canada. Although the tabernacle was recovered, the Eucharist was taken for undoubtedly diabolical purposes. More from Taylor Marshall here and here. Taylor Marshall also hosted an excellent conversation on Eucharistic Miracles well worth checking out.

WHITE PRIVILEGE MASS: A NYC priest recently led congregants in a white privilege prayer pledge during Mass at St. Xavier Catholic Church. Fr. Kenneth Boller, a Jesuit, added the pledge at the end of Mass. It seems as though the Archdiocese has remained silent on the matter. While priests are not allowed to make additions to the prayers of the Mass, we find this act was doubly egregious as it acted as a kind of credal statement for an alternate secular religion - a religion rooted in "anti-racist" racism. 

II. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND AMERICA

TRUMP AND MINORITIES: Trump's strong showing with black and Latino voters is keeping him neck-and-neck with Biden as polled white voters tend to give verbal support to Biden. The Democrat strategy has long been aimed at white, elite, feminist, and homosexuals in the cities and suburbs while assuming minorities and workers will vote Democrat as always. If minorities are shifting enough in Trump's favor and if the number of "secret" white Trump voters (too scared of cancel culture to tell pollsters the truth), Trump may be headed to a big win in November.

MAIL IN VOTING: VOX has released a good run down on mail in voting in the US. Voters in Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Jersey, Vermont, and DC will be mailed directly with their ballots. While almost are of these are a near lock for Biden without the controversial universal mail in voting, Nevada (and possibly Utah) could become a battleground for legal disputes after Election Day. Thankfully most swing states are not set to use universal mail in voting.

TRUMP TROOP-HATER? It appears the president's "law and order" message is working as the Democrats and the mainstream media coordinated a hit on Trump over allegations surrounding his 2018 trip to France to honor fallen WWI soldiers. The smear has been denied by a host of Trump administration members - including the Trump-hating John Bolton. The story has no legs - but it did distract the nation from Trump's campaign message for a day or two.

BEN SASSE REFORMS: Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska has proposed some excellent reforms for the US Senate. He argues for a two-term limit on Senators and a return to Senate order by having senators live in a common living space while in DC while Senate sessions are closed to the public (and the media). We've been arguing that real debates - not soundbite speeches - should be taking place in the Senate and it seems one senator agrees. What's more, Sasse also seeks the repeal of the 17th Amendment. In doing so, the selection of senators would come once more from state governments as the Founding Fathers intended, not through a direct vote of the people. Senators are not "super Representatives of the People" but rather represent state governments at the federal level. Sasse's reforms would truly be a return to order in the US Senate.

ENDING CRITICAL RACE THEORY: President Trump has called for an end to critical race theory training sessions within the federal government. Although some media outlets are describing this as an end to "racial sensitivity" classes, Trump's move it to rid the government of classes that teach "reverse racism" - racism against majority races in order to lift up minorities. "Critical race theory" and "anti-racism" are racist ideologies founded in reverse racism. 

II. THE NATIONS

ISRAEL-BAHRAIN: Last week we reported that the UAE has agreed to normalize relations with Israel. On the 19th anniversary of 9/11 news broke that Bahrain will do the same. Trump's role in the peace process (both in the Mideast and between Serbia-Kosovo) has now earned him two Nobel Peace Prize nominations. Of course a writer from the anti-Trump Atlantic is now calling for an end to the prize.

BRINGING TROOPS HOME: As the president brings peace to the Middle East, he's pulling more troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, seeking to withdraw the US from endless foreign wars. There will soon be a mere 3,000 troops in Iraq and 4,500 troops in Afghanistan. Like President Eisenhower, Trump warns us against the military industrial complex - which seems to have the full support of both establishment Democrats and Republicans (more from Tucker Carlson). Biden has said he would keep more troops in region. Who's the peace candidate in this election?

DUTERTE PARDON: A US Marine, who has been locked up in a Philippine government van for years, is getting a pardon and release from President Duterte. The marine, Joseph Pemberton, was convicted of murdering a trans-person after discovering in the bedroom that "she" - who Pemberton was dating - was a he.  

III. CULTURE OF LIFE, CULTURE OF PROTECTION

BOOING THE NFL: The Chiefs hosted the Texans to kick off the NFL's season. The NFL's embrace of BLM, however, is not helping the league or the nation. Rather than unify the country with one national anthem, all games this weekend are beginning with the Black National Anthem. When both teams took the field to lock arms, they were met with boos from around the stadium. Viewership numbers revealed a 12% loss from the opening game last year and we expect more viewers will tune out in the days ahead.  

CANCEL NETFLIX: As Netflix moves forward with the release of a French film depicting 11 year old girls in sexual situations, more people are cancelling their subscriptions to the digital entertainment platform. The film is rated TV-MA (mature) in the US. In Turkey, the Islamic nation-state has done what others should have done by ordering Netflix to remove the film from its Turkish site.

 

WOKE OSCARS: The Academy Awards are going full woke when it comes to the category of best picture. No longer will a film's artistic quality be the driving factor for the award. Films will now be required to meet certain diversity requirements in order to be nominated. If these norms were in play in past years, historical movies like Patton and Braveheart would not have been nominated - much less won - best picture. Hollywood has been mostly mum - but Kirstie Alley has spoken out against the move.

SEGREGATED CAFES: University of Michigan in Dearborn came under fire for a decision to create segregated online cafes. The university later issued an apology - not for the idea but for the way it was worded (what they call "framing and presentation"). And this is why the white supremacists like Richard Spencer are endorsing Biden and the Democrats. As the Left fully embraces a racial identitarianism - be it by segregating college cafes or singing the Black National Anthem at NFL games - the white supremacists see the Left as the true supporters of their racist cause.