Jesse Jackson Assumes Room Temperature
William – February 17, 2026
Why Abolitionists are the New CRA
William – February 13, 2026
Jesse Jackson Assumes Room Temperature
Yep. In the words of broadcaster, Rush Limbaugh, Jesse Jackson has assumed room temperature. Jackson who catapulted his association with Martin Luther King into a life’s work, has died.
Jesse was a false prophet of the social gospel that enslaves millions of black Americans. As long as he could deliver the votes every four years, he had a seat when Democrats—the Party of the KKK and Jim Crow—caucused.
Jesse was not a Christian. He preached, another, Jesus, another salvation, and a false gospel.
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
Galatians 1:8.
Jackson was a man who spoke falsely.
“Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”
Acts 20:30
He deceived the masses and was rewarded handsomely for it.
“For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
Romans 16:18
He preached a false Jesus, a false gospel, a lying spirit, and led many astray who had their itching ears tickled.
“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
2 Corinthians 11:4.
Jackson was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He and his fellow Justice Brother, Al Sharpton, made it their life’s mission to capitalized on misery and did their best to keep black people in subjugation to their plantation masters of the Democrat Party. They made it their mission in life to promote abortion of blacks, dependance on government programs, and the false gospel of socialism. They did all this evil wearing the collar of a servant of Christ. They led zero people into heaven and legions into hell in this life and the next.
Ray Stevens did a song many years ago asking, if Jesus would wear a Rolex on his television show? Jesse surely would and did.
He lived the “high life” while exploiting the poor. He got caught many years ago having fathered a child out of wedlock. Did he repent? Nope. He was sorry he got caught, not that he had his zipper down.
Yes, I’m picking on him. He deserves it. Sadly, he is just one of many from the so-called Baby Boomer generation that F*ed-up this country.
Folks, this country is the dumpster fire that it is because of the Baby Boomers. Nothing will get fixed until they are in the grave and the policies that they enacted are in the ash heap of history. FDR put us on the road to socialism but the Boomers of the 1960’s and 70’s brought the policies of FDR into fruition. The Democrat Party of JFK died in 1972 when Hayden, Fonda, et al took over.
There are and were good people in the Boomer generation, but they were out maneuvered and out matched by the godless humanists and atheists of their generation. They were the most selfish and destructive group of humans in the history of this nation, possibly any nation. Boomers have squandered the blessings of previous generations. Their legacy is one of debt, servitude, and destruction. They purposely left the next generation worse off than they were. The sad part is that they don’t care. Their whole world is based on selfishness without consequences.
Jackson and the Boomers exemplify the biblical axiom that “the compassion of the wicked is cruelty” and the other biblical description of evil men, “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.” On these two pillars are the Boomer’s actions explained.
For the first time in his existence, Jesse Jackson believes in the God of the Bible, but it’s too late for his soul.
Why Abolitionists are the New CRA
Scenario
Imagine that you are an elected representative in the lower house of your state legislature. You ran as a prolife candidate and decided to introduce a bill to outlaw abortion in your state. Furthermore, you have decided to include criminal sanctions on abortionists in your legislation. Such a law has not been proposed before in your state. You feel that while this bill will be controversial, that it is the right thing to do.
After hearing about your bill, a prolife group from out of state says they are coming to lobby in support of your legislation.
Once the out of state group arrives, they read your legislation and then publicly call you a baby killer and murderer. They denounce your idea. They call you a Judas and hater of God. They also label you an enemy of life and of the unborn. Their main complaints are that there are no criminal sanctions in your bill to punish women that have abortions and your bill doesn’t outlaw abortion drugs sent via mail or other delivery services. The group lights you up on social media and via local television stations.
The prolife group uses scorched earth tactics and vilifies anyone that opposes them. They claim to represent God and his Word. Furthermore, they don’t want to educate churches or Christians and persuade them to strengthen local laws. They want their point of view enshrined into state law and then they will go back to their respective states until the next opportunity comes along.
The legislator is dumbfounded by this treatment. Not too many years ago, his bill would have been called a cutting-edge idea, and he would have been called a maverick of the prolife movement. Now his so-called brothers in Christ are stopping just short of burning him at the stake.
Oh, the scenario above is being played out right now in the state of Iowa.
Just Like the CRA
This sounds eerily familiar to me. I was once part of a similar and equally zealous group, the California Republican Assembly. Yep, I was personally recruited by Barbara Alby in the narthex of Capital Christian Center in Sacramento to be part of her evangelical army of Republicans fighting against the devil and taking back our state for Christ. I was told that the liberals were the tools of the devil and that any opposition was because those opposing us were his minions. This was Frank Peretti’s spiritual warfare writ large, and I had a chance to make a difference.
Well, we ran the infidels out of the CRA and then used various chapters to capture county central committees across the state. In a few short years we captured the California Republican Party. After Barbara and her fellow travelers took over the State Party, they kicked CRA to the curb. From the time Barbara Alby took an interest in CRA until she won election to the California Assembly (the lower house of the California legislature), CRA went from a membership of just over 80,000 to about 15,000. Purity and fidelity have their cost.
Those Ignorant of History …
Oh, while the Abolitionists are running their campaign in Iowa, they are also taking to the Internet and denouncing the evils of the Roman Catholic Church on Facebook. This is more proof that they are ignorant and not really prolife.
Folks, it is an undisputable fact that without the Roman Catholic Church, the prolife movement in the United States would never have existed. Yes, I have doctrinal differences with Rome, but the Catholic Church was the only religious group consistently opposing abortion in our country during the time that Roe v Wade was the Supreme Law of the land.
Furthermore, it is a fact that the so-called “mainstream” Protestant churches—Methodist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal—were advocating for legalized abortion in the 1960’s and early 70’s and even allowing abortion clinics to operate on church property. Abortion was welcomed by these Protestant groups as an expression of Christian charity and love for the poor.
Evangelicals were “fair weather’ opponents of abortion and sporadically opposed it. Also, they were very late to get involved in the issue.
Lastly, it was Roman Catholics on the US Supreme Court that finally overturned Roe v Wade. (The Court’s make-up in recent decades skews Catholic & conservative or Jewish & liberal.)
Biden’s token black appointee may claim to be protestant (I really don’t know) but since she still doesn’t know how to define what a woman is, I can’t take her seriously on anything.
Going Scorched Earth
Oh, not that it will move the needle, but I have occasionally tried to tell the Abolitionist folks that in the political world, it is ok to make incremental changes to the law. Change what you can now and try for more next year; however, they dismiss the idea of incrementalism and want an all or nothing result.
As a result, Abolitionists have denounced and ridiculed Students for Life (a large nationwide group of mostly college aged students) for this exact reason. Abolitionists view their mission as a holy war, and anything less than total victory is compromise with evil.
I also have repeatedly suggested to Abolitionists that they need bottom-up solutions that begin by educating the church, then local communities and then trying to change the law. Top-down solutions are not biblical and will not last. Dr. Gary North and a host of others have said this since at least the 1980’s. North was critical of Falwell’s Moral Majority for these same reasons.
Failure is Guaranteed
The Abolitionists will fail because they are doing it the wrong way. They are trying to mimic the world’s way of doing things and not the Bible’s. They think the Bible doesn’t address or speak to God’s response to Power Religion, but it does. However, Abolitionists would rather shoot now and aim later.
Like socialism, Abolitionists just think the right people haven’t tried their tactics yet.
Sorry dudes, we tried it almost 40 years ago and screwed the pooch. California is a one-party state because evangelical Christians tried the same exact tactics that you are using now and destroyed everything we touched with our scorched earth tactics. We killed the California Republican Assembly, the Republican Party in California and created the circumstances that allowed Charles Munger Jr. to take over the Republican Party.
I know. I was there. I had a front row seat to the whole thing. I made it possible. I regret it deeply and have for many years.
Final Comments
The Abolitionist movement will fail. Been there, done that. They will unchurch everyone that disagrees with their jihad tactics and do more harm to the cause of life as a result. More babies will die because of their demand for all or nothing legislation. Abolitionists don’t want to do the hard work of changing hearts and minds. They want to use the power of the sword to do it for them.
Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping
Folks, I feel for Samantha Guthrie. Having your 84-year-old mom disappear under suspicious circumstances has got to rock your world. Clearly foul play was involved. Whatever happened to Nancy, I don’t have any reason to think Samantha was involved. It’s just a feeling. I really don’t know anything about Samantha Guthrie except she works for NBC. She is a fellow human being made in the image of God, and I feel terrible for her.
I don’t think this was a kidnapping. If it is, it’s the weirdest story since Patty Hurst.
I think Samantha’s mom was killed the night that she disappeared. I also think the body is very near her mom’s home.
We have zero indication of “proof of life”. Also, bit coin ransom sounds bogus. It is a third party injecting themselves into a tragic situation or a deliberate misdirection by the perpetrators.
Was mom really the target? Just wondering? If so, why? This thing stinks. Right now, law enforcement has too many cooks in the kitchen and I think that is making the case even more complicated.
I’m praying for Samantha and her mom but as you can see, I’m not hopeful that this will have a happy ending.
The Day of the Lord
“A text without a context is a pretext, usually for error.”
Dr. Walter Martin
The Challenge
At the new church that I am attending, one of the folks in leadership challenged me to examine the phrases “Day of the Lord” and “Great Day of the Lord” in the Bible. Somehow, he thought that such a study would persuade me to become a Premillennial Dispensationalist.
I already know that there are multiple Days of the Lord in Scripture. Something he flatly seemed to denied. What follows is a brief examination of the topic.
Just to prove that I took this challenge seriously, I finally opted to subscribe to Logos Bible software.
Of course, I find that the research tools are only as good as the searchable material. Out of the box, it’s skewed towards one eschatological position, as I expected. I think balance must be found at my expense by buying better reference books. Something for a future time.
Diving In
In the meantime, let’s begin with this verse.
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, Before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Joel 2:31.
Whenever you see the sun going dark, the moon turning to blood, stars falling from the sky to earth and similar language you know that prophetic language and judgment are being discussed. The problem is that folks, for reasons that I don’t understand, think they need to take such language literally when it is clearly figurative. The sun, moon, stars language can be seen as figurative all the way back in Genesis.
Joseph had a dream that the sun, moon, and stars would bow down and worship him.
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
Genesis 37:9.
Jacob, his father, didn’t like what he was told and said:
What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
Genesis 37:10b.
From this point forward in the Bible, sun, moon, and stars are most often people and not planets or lights in the night sky.
If you follow the sun, moon, and stars motif, you will find that their failing is related to the destruction of nations, and not at the end of the world.
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, Cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate: And he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: The sun shall be darkened in his going forth, And the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
Isaiah 13:9–10.
So, the Day of the Lord comes, and the sun, moon, and stars all fail. Clearly this is the end of the world, right?
Nope. Not even close.
Remember my opening quote about “a text without a context…”? Please look at verse 1 of the same chapter.
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
Isaiah 13:1.
Isaiah is prophesying the destruction of Babylon and calling it the Day of the Lord.
Then there is the destruction of Egypt.
And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 32:7–8.
So too the destruction of Israel is also talked about in cosmic terms.
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, That I will cause the sun to go down at noon, And I will darken the earth in the clear day: And I will turn your feasts into mourning,
Amos 8:9–10.
The Great Day of the Lord comes to Judah
Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: For the day of the LORD is at hand: For the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, He hath bid his guests.
Zephaniah 1:7
The great day of the LORD is near, It is near, and hasteth greatly, Even the voice of the day of the LORD: The mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of wasteness and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Zephaniah 1:14–15.
Note that there is no difference between the Great Day of the Lord and the Day of the Lord. Both expressions are equal, as shown above.
Isaiah foretells the destruction of Judah and Israel.
For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, And upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
Isaiah 2:12.
And what will God’s people do on the Day of the Lord?
And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, For fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, Which they made each one for himself to worship, To the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, And into the tops of the ragged rocks, For fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Isaiah 2:19–21.
Then after this happened, they were taken away in chains to servitude in foreign lands. Clearly the Day of the Lord is not the end of the world but God coming in judgment.
Modern people reading about the sun, moon, and stars being darkened or made into blood or falling to earth or whatever and trying to claim that these things will literally happen in the sky, are clearly ripping such expressions out of their biblical and prophetic context. Again, the sun, moon, and stars language is typically used to describe human rulers being overthrow. In some cases, it may be that the principalities behind these rulers are falling as well.
Thus, anyone literate in the Old Testament usage of such terms knows that Matthew 24 is speaking in the prophetic language of Isaiah about the rulers of Israel falling and not the literal dissolution of the periodic table.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken
Matthew 24:29.
Sidebar
Why do these guys think that literal stars are going to fall on the earth and then there will still be life on the planet? Even a quick glance at that Bruce Willis movie will debunk such a claim and ‘ole Bruce was only dealing with an asteroid or meteor or comet, not a star. Stars fall to earth twice in the Book of Revelation, in two different chapters, but the world still exists. How can that be possible? Only if they aren’t literal stars.
When a pair of scissors is the only exegetical tool they have, I guess you can get away with such sloppy treatment of the text.
Back to More Verses
Compare Joel and Peter. Peter is clearly basing his comments on Joel; and not just on the Holy Spirit but on the coming judgment, and the admonition to call upon the name of the Lord. Joel and Peter are both saying that the sign of impending judgment is the giving of the Spirit.
And it shall come to pass afterward, That I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids In those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, Blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, Before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: For in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, As the LORD hath said, And in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
Joel 2:28–32.
Peter, preaching his first sermon in Acts says that the Holy Spirit will be given and then …
And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
Acts 2:19–20.
In Acts 2, Peter says the gift of the Holy Spirit, as prophesied by Joel has happened. The pouring out of the Spirit was something predicted for the last days. Clearly the last days of the Old Covenant, since the Spirit is the sign of the New Covenant. Peter says Joel was very clear on that point.
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days …
Acts 2:16–17a.
Peter then issued a warning that the existing political order is about to collapse. Peter calls this something that happens before the Day of the Lord. Peter exhorts his audience to believe in Jesus and concludes his sermon with a plea to save yourselves from this wicked generation.
Clearly Peter believed that the generation alive in his day was soon to face the Day of the Lord just as Jesus had previously predicted.
This is the same admonition given by John the Baptist who warned people to flee the wrath to come.
Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Luke 3:7.
Judgment was coming for them, and soon. By the time we get to the epistles of John, it is no longer the last days but the last hour (I John 2:18).
Other Synonyms for Day of the Lord
Days of Vengeance
The passage in Luke that is parallel to Matthew 23 – 25 includes the following:
And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled
Luke 21:20–22.
Please note in the passage above, fleeing the destruction of Jerusalem is accomplished by fleeing to the mountains. Yep, on foot.
“The Day of the Lord” and “the days of vengeance” are synonymous terms.
For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, And the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.
Isaiah 34:8.
Isaiah’s Day of the Lord is judgment on God’s people which is fulfilled in the Babylonian captivity.
Day of the Lord’s Anger
How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, And cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, And remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger! The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: He hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; He hath brought them down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof. He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: He hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, And he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about. He hath bent his bow like an enemy: he stood with his right hand as an adversary, And slew all that were pleasant to the eye In the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: he poured out his fury like fire.
Lamentations 2:1–4.
The judgment language continues through the rest of the chapter, the final verse calls this judgment, the Day of the Lord’s Anger.
Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, So that in the day of the LORD’s anger none escaped nor remained: Those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.
Lamentations 2:22.
Day of Wrath
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Romans 2:5.
Day of Christ
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2 Thessalonians 2:2.
Day of God
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2 Peter 3:12.
Meaning of Elements
Please note in this verse the word “elements”. Elements in the New Testament is a reference to the Old Testament sacrificial system not the periodic table. Thus, the elements melting away is describing the destruction of the Old Covenant system and its replacement with the New Covenant.
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Galatians 4:3.
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
Galatians 4:9-11.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments [elements] of the world, and not after Christ.
Colossians 2:8.
Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments [elements] of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Colossians 2:20.
Only by ripping 2 Peter 3: 10 & 12 out of their context can you try to apply them to the end of the world. Jump back to verses 3 & 4 of this same chapter.
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2 Peter 3:3–4.
Why were they scoffing? Because Jesus said in Matthew 24 and other places that he would destroy the temple in Jerusalem and not one stone would be left upon another. Jesus also claimed that he would return on the clouds. Jesus claimed that both events would be seen by the generation of those that heard his voice.
After the death and resurrection of Jesus, Herod continued to remodel and upgrade the temple. This remodel was finished in 64 A.D. At the time Peter was writing, the temple in Jerusalem was even more glorious than it was in the days of Jesus.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3: 9
Peter says the Lord was going to keep his word but was giving men time for repentance. This also seems to cross reference nicely with Revelation 6: 11 where the martyrs of Christ were “told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.”
God is waiting for the full number of saints to be converted. Some of these saints were persecuted and lost their lives while others were still coming into the Kingdom. Once this period of time was complete, then his judgment will come.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
2 Peter 3:10–13.
This section speaks of the land burning up. The Greek word translated earth is not cosmos (or world) but can be translated country as well as earth. Thus, in keeping with Matthew, this can be understood as a local judgment not the end of the planet.
1093. γῆ gē, ghay; contr. from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe (incl. the occupants in each application):— country, earth (-ly), ground, land, world.
New Heavens and Earth
Here are other examples of prophetic language for a new heaven and earth.
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: And the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isaiah 65:17.
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, Shall remain before me, saith the LORD, So shall your seed and your name remain.
Isaiah 66:22.
Getting a “new heavens and a new earth” is a repeated theme in the Old Testament. It never means the planet or life on it is destroyed and replaced. It is always in terms of God remaking things. God makes all things new.
James Jordan, in his Biblical Worldview series on The Garden of God, teaches that there are at least six different creations of heaven and earth taught in the Bible. (Audio for this teaching series is available at Wordmp3.com item PG-475)
Please note that after the new heavens and earth mentioned in Isaiah are established that death remains.
There shall be no more thence an infant of days, Nor an old man that hath not filled his days: For the child shall die an hundred years old; But the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
Isaiah 65:20.
Home construction and agriculture continue.
And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; And they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
Isaiah 65:21.
People are still having babies in the new heavens and earth.
They shall not labour in vain, Nor bring forth for trouble; For they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, And their offspring with them.
Isaiah 65:23.
Thus, the new heaven and earth in Isaiah are not the end of the world or the end of history.
Lastly, in the passage from Peter, how could his readers in the first century be “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God” if the Day of the Lord was thousands of years in the future? How could they hasten it? It only makes sense if the Day of the Lord was an event that was near to them and about to happen.
Comments
When people ignore the audience relevance and how the original hearers or readers of the Bible would understand the text addressed to them, then the Bible becomes no better than the ravings of Nostradamus or some lunatic high on PCP. When the Bible is not used to interpret the Bible, then it becomes a device for justifying any doctrine of men or devils. Only by doing violence to the text can you find Artificial Intelligence, thermonuclear weapons, cobra helicopters, barcodes, jogging, gun powder, literal stars falling from the sky to earth, space stations, and such stuff within the pages of Scripture. Once such nonsense is injected into the Bible, it makes Phillip K. Dick’s novels look tame and unimaginative.
God is Active
God speaks.
Man responds.
God evaluates man’s response.
God also blesses and curses. He judges the nations now. They are His. He won them by His death on the cross.
“Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, The ends of the earth you possession.”
Psalm 2:8
He will redeem the earth and reverse the curse. The meek will inherit the earth not heaven. Believers will judge the nations, which is a now thing, not a future one.
In addition to the passages cited above, we also know that Jesus was coming to judge each individual church in Revelation. That’s seven judgements. Clearly there is more judgement in later passages of Revelation. God is always judging. God’s judgment is not a one-off event at the end of history. It is ongoing.
God is active every second of the day in His creation and caring for His creatures. This side of the Enlightenment, we think the world is governed by laws and scientific principles but that is an illusion. The earth is governed moment by moment by God and His angels. “The laws of nature are the habits of God.” — Augustine
Claims that the “Day of the Lord” only occurs at the end of history have been proven untrue just by my brief survey. Many more examples exist in the Bible. Also, “Day of the Lord” and “Great Day of the Lord” are interchangeable terms. One is not regular judgement and the other denoting the end of the world as the church leader implied when he challenged me about this subject.
What about the Second Coming
The Day of the Lord does not mean the so called Second Coming of Christ at the end of the world. The truth is that Christ comes frequently in time and space. If Christ came a second time following his Ascension, it was to judge Isael in A.D. 70. He predicted exactly that at his trial by the Jewish leaders.
And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
Matthew 26:63–66.
Note the audience relevance. Those hearing his words would see Jesus coming on the clouds. It would be seen by at least some of the guys that crucified him. The words of Jesus are a quotation from Daniel 7.
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:13–14.
Christ, as ruler of the nations, is constantly judging the nations. He will continue to do so until all enemies are placed under His rule.
Ask of me, And I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Psalm 2:8.
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Psalm 110:1.
What About the Last Days
The phrase “last days” is related to the Day of the Lord, at least one of them. The last days of the Old Covenant were the period between the crucifixion of Christ (about 30 A.D.) and the prophesied destruction of the temple in 70 AD.
It is vitally important to emphasize this. Jesus repeatedly predicted the end would be during the lifetime of the generation hearing his words.
Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Matthew 16:28.
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
Matthew 23:36.
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Matthew 24:34.
Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
Mark 13:30.
And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
Luke 11:29–32.
But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
Luke 17:25–18:8.
No stone of the temple would be left upon another, and this generation (those hearing his voice) will not pass away until his words are fulfilled.
And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Mark 13:2.
The destruction that Jesus warned about was a local judgement. Those heeding the signs could escape on foot if they heeded the signs.
…then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
Mark 13:14.
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Matthew 24:16.
Oh, FYI there are zero records that a any Christian died in the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Furthermore, this is why believers in Jerusalem were the only group of believers to sell their real estate and hold the proceedings of the sales in common. They knew the mountain of the temple would be cast into the prophetic gentile sea. Jesus promised that too.
Jesus said that the gospel would be preached to the whole Roman Empire (“oikomene” not “kosmos”) and then the end will come and it did.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Matthew 24:14.
If Jesus lied about these prophecies, then he is a false prophet. The irony is if you take Jesus at his word when he promised that this generation (those hearing him speak) would see this judgment, many of his modern followers will call you a heretic or something equivalent.
Why? To believe the text conflicts with their presuppositions. They bring assumptions to the text which are not there and have to recast or ignore any data that conflicts with their interpretive grid.
Scofieldism
Mike Warnke once sang.
“My faith is built on nothing less than Scofield’s notes and Scripture Press.”
Scofield’s grip on American Christianity has had dire consequences for the Church. It has created an escapist mentality that has caused the church to relinquish her transformative power in culture, and influence upon society. Much of the church has lost both its future orientation and its belief in the victory of the Gospel. Instead, evangelical Christians are hiding in the four walls of their church, hoping that the Rapture will rescue them from their failure to transform their culture.
The absolute worst thing derived from Scofield’s eschatology is the notion that when Christians oppose evil, they are preventing the return of Christ. This belief is rooted in the idea that things must get worse and worse. If the world hasn’t gone far enough over the cliff and into hell, then Jesus will never return. Thus, to oppose evil is to keep the world from getting bad enough so Jesus will return. Talk about upside-down land.
Excuse me but the Good Book says judgment begins at the house of the Lord. Well, actually it began in the house of the Lord long ago, but somehow the sheep think being under judgment is normal. The water has been boiling for a while, but the frogs are happy as long as the sunscreen doesn’t run out.
Two quick examples: the abortion rate among Christians and Non-Christians is statistically identical and has been for decades. Ditto for divorce rate.
If the church is doing so great, why does it look so much like the world?
Last Thoughts
I was at the church’s Monday Night Men’s Bible Study this week. They are very slowly going through a prayer that Jesus offered for his disciples. The passage is in the Gospel of John, chapter 17. Verse 15 survived without much comment, so I’d like to take it up.
“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”
What? Jesus is praying that God not Rapture Christians! Oh, clearly Jesus is mistaken.
All I hear about is Jesus is coming any second. Any time Rapture. 1948 happened so it’ll be any time now. Hal Lindsey sold 25 million copies of his book claiming a generation is forty years. Then he went for 50 years. Oops, then 60 years. Then Hal died. Subsequently, OK, maybe 80 years. Alex, can I have a lifeline for 100 years.
It’s the same refrain that I’ve heard since the 1970’s. Folks, it’s not true. Sorry kids, it’s not happening. The church has thousands of years’ worth of work yet to do.
I believe the Day of the Lord happens frequently. It is a fearful thing. God judges the nations all the time. Sometimes it’s even dramatic enough that we give him the credit for acting. Berlin Wall, anyone?
Also, there is no Rapture in the Bible. The only ones taken away in the Old or New Testament are evil doers. The righteous remain.
Noah and the Ark. We always read “…so as in the days of Noah …”
Please actually read the darn text, the bad guys are taken away, but the righteous remain. Check it out.
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:38–39.
Keep reading in Matthew, two at the mill and one taken in judgment not to heaven.
Again, the meek will inherit the earth, not heaven. This is a promise for believers in this life, not one yet to come.
I look forward to the day when the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea.
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.
Habakkuk 2:14.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:9.
Many more Days of the Lord remain before this promise will be a reality.
Trump’s (Team) Steps in it Again
Some days I really wonder if the Republicans would rather be in the permanent minority like they are in Sacramento, California. An irrelevant bunch, who can go on the local friendly paper/news channel and preach about how “we need Republican’s ideas to fix this state!” They can carve out their individual fiefdom and never lose, and that’s ok.
I made the above statement because this came out this AM.
Tim Scott calls Obamas video shared by Trump ‘most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House’
The video was posted on Trump’s Truth Social account which I did see. It is based on the Lion King movie, with Donald Trump depicted as the Lion King, other political types were depicted as well, including, the Obama’s as monkeys. Yeah, you read that right. Two black people, the former President and his wife, were depicted as monkeys, in the year of our Lord 2026. Folks I might be alone on this, but this is pretty dang racist.
Oh, the Senate’s lone Black Republican agrees…
“Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” Scott said about the video in a post on the social platform X.
“The President should remove it,” the Senator added.
Folks I want to say this, I do not think Donald Trump is a racist; however, he is, in my opinion, too flippant with his words and says/does stupid things. I will also add, I do not believe this video was created or even posted by him. Nevertheless, it was on his account, and as of 4 PM left coast time, no one has been fired. This tells me it wasn’t just “some intern” either. I want to see heads rolling, this is no better than people cheering Charlie Kirk’s death or wishing death on Rep. Omar. Whoever decided to portray the Obama’s as monkeys may be one of the dumbest people on earth.
Why do Republicans do this? They shouldn’t, but they never seem to learn.
Granted, the following is a list of things I have witnessed in my life, not so much on a nationwide level, but they were disturbing, nonetheless.
- Tony Andrade’s (RIP) email to Sac Central Committee members depicting watermelons growing in the White House Garden when Obama got sworn in. Blatantly racist, a few members called him out, some maybe even supported it. Why? Stupid!
- Dominic Foppoli putting up “Republicans freed the slaves signs” at my university late at night the day before MLK Jr’s birthday. Time and place, it was neither one, and while, yes, a Republican president freed the slaves, posting those flyers was felony stupid.
Folks, Republicans don’t do that, or should I say real Republicans. However, there is a new breed of Republican that came out of the closet when Trump got elected. It’s a new breed of character who I honestly detest. I have no need for the Jorge Riley’s of the world. They spout racist, drunken BS that no one agrees with, yet they are allowed to speak freely. I long for a simpler time. We are supposed to be above this; the Democrats are the ones who protest in trees, burn their clothing, riot, loot, set things and buildings on fire, not us. But that has changed. Believe it or not, January 6th changed that narrative, and now the GOP must try to change it back. Things like this do not help, they hurt the cause, and badly. Hopefully some adults will take over, and soon. With today’s proceedings, we are no better than the folks who cheered Charlie Kirk’s death as mentioned above. Was it Trump or someone else? Who cares, damage inflicted cannot be undone.
Folks I have a feeling, as much as I hate to say it, and do not wish to believe it, these types of mistakes may well cost Trump Congress in November. I hope I am wrong.
The Chief
Editor’s Note: I saw a claim on Facebook that the offensive video was made over a year ago and has been circulating on social media since then. After the proverbial stuff hit the fan, it was removed from Trump’s official page.
Review: On the Hook Fish and Chips
On the Hook is a traveling food truck that has been stopping here about once a month. Based on their phone number’s area code, they are based out of Wyoming. Oh, on the side of their vehicle it says, “Truck 26”. I’m sure your first thought when you think Wyoming is fresh cod fish, but not mine. I’m thinking of fossils and cowboys.
Anyway, I caught up with them yesterday. Last time they were in town, I went to Super1 Grocery, but they were nowhere to be found. Yesterday, they were in the parking lot of Grocery Outlet.
Their vehicle was larger than most food trucks that I have frequented. I saw at least three people working inside. There easily could have been another person or two in it.
The menu was basic and designed for production. Fish and chips with a few add-ons.
I bought fish and chips with added coleslaw. With the tip, I was out just over $26. I waited about 12 to 15 minutes for the order. Oh, waiting outside in 39-degree weather without a jacket was cold to say the least.
When my name was called, I was given a box with the order of fish and chips and a small round container with coleslaw. I asked for a fork for the coleslaw and two minutes later I was given one. I also was not given any napkins.
I took everything back to my car to eat it. In the car I had a good supply of napkins, hand wipes, my drink which I brought from home, and climate control (i.e. heater).
The box contained three long fish sticks, fries, two containers of tartar sauce with On the Hook branding and about 7 catsup packets. The coleslaw was dry veggies and a small container of oriental style dressing in the round container. The packaging was nice looking, but I really wanted the traditional white dressing for the coleslaw.
On the Hook makes no claim that their fish is fresh. I think it is frozen (they claim flash frozen) and then thawed as needed. The batter seemed to be done in the truck. Their French fries are what I call the composite ones. They have a texture like they were molded from potato parts, not whole fresh potatoes.
The fish sticks tasted fine. My third one was kind of smashed. It had marks from the fry basket on it. I think it was on the bottom and got smashed by the rest of the load in the cooking basket. The batter was not raised as much as the other two pieces of fish. The batter on it was OK and not too oily. It reminded me of the batter that Porky D’s used on their deep-fried mushrooms.
The French fries were good. I would rather have had steak fries made of actual chunks of potato.
It was a lot of food for one person. If I had one more fish stick, it would be enough for two people. My advice is to buy an extra stick of fish and split the fish and chips meal with a friend. Take a pass on the coleslaw because it’s not served in the traditional way.
The price is higher than other places here in town. The quality was generally good. It’s too expensive for a solo meal but great for an outing with a friend. If I did buy a side next time, I would probably try the clam chowder.
Sometimes it’s not Great to be Really Right
As our loyal readers will recall, I reported in this space about a week ago that Catholic Schools St. Patrick’s Academy and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton school were in dire straits financially.
Well, we have an answer to my reporting. Bishop Jaime Soto announced the closing of St. Patrick’s and St. Charles schools and combined them with St. Roberts school effective at the end of this school year.
My biggest beef (disagreement) with Bishop Soto is he, like most his age, have no long-term vision or plan, it’s only short term quick fixes. This leads to bigger problems down the road. By folding the three school’s enrollments into one, quite a few students will be left out or behind. Is it a lottery system to get into the new entity? What about existing students at St Roberts? What happens to the buildings at St Rose (this is where St Patrick is located) or St Charles? It sounds like the plan is to leave the buildings as is, just lock them. This creates a larger issue, as abandoned buildings in this part of town tend to attract homeless, vagrants, and people generally up to no good. All three schools are in the very economically depressed South Sacramento/Hollywood Park/Meadowview area. Crime and homelessness are very large in these areas, look it up. Imagine trying to worship at a church with a decaying, decrepit building on site, and possibly a vagrant problem to boot. NO Thanks.
There is a great amount of irony in what I learned this past weekend about St. Roberts school. A friend’s father who goes to church with me, informed me that back in the day, St. Roberts School was like Last Chance U. In a sense, it was for troublemakers, not so much for Rhoades Scholars. His kids barely got in. He took a role on the school’s board of directors and pushed a needed fundraiser so they were not too reliant on the Diocese for funding. They built a rainy-day fund, and ironically, that is the only reason they are likely around to this day. You may recall I mentioned in the warning blog about their financial wellbeing that it’s not just money to run the schools that was cut off, it was the ability to borrow money as well.
In closing, I feel bad for the parishioners and children; especially, uprooting your kid from the school they go to, and trying to find another school is unneeded stress. As mentioned, these schools served underprivileged areas of Sacramento, with minorities and poor being affected the most. What effect will it have long term on the churches? It remains to be seen, but I assume it would be like what happened at my folk’s parish when St Elizabeth school was built, the younger families with students at the school started attending that church, leaving my parent’s church with mostly older folks. My point being, the schools are very important to the church they serve, St. Roberts church will win long term here. The others? It may start a slow decline, no one really knows. As mentioned before, there is a large gap in the 18-40 year old demographic at most Catholic churches, that gap will only get larger over time.
It sucks, but we called it here in this blog.
Jake the Snake
PS St. Elizabeth Ann Seton will continue next year but it appears to be circling the drain as well. If it were to close, there would be zero Catholic schools in the southern part of the county.
Local Dickey’s Closes, Disturbing Details
Long time no blog out of me. Like most I have been busy, but also prices have gone up so much at local eateries that I am going to have to re-evaluate my criteria for judging businesses. However, I have killed the local Dickey’s “BBQ” joint for what may be the final time.
You may recall my initial review of Dickey’s that led to the franchisee trying to coerce me to “take down my review” in the comment section here. That franchisee subsequently closed down his restaurants, and re-branded as “Side Burn BBQ” which was essentially a copycat of Dickeys but with different names on the menu. He claimed he never read his franchise agreement with Dickeys, was sued and his concept was shut down.
The place re-opened as a Dickey’s again under a new franchisee.
Just a quick reminder of Dickey’s, I reviewed it again after it re-opened. Dickey’s is supposed to be Texas style BBQ that was going to go country wide. It’s a franchise model so you pay a fee, buy equipment, and must source the food from the local supplier, ala Sysco or US Foods. The menu is standardized and prices are set by Dickey’s corporate but “may be higher in select markets.”
They serve the usual BBQ faire, brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken, turkey, sausage and it can come as a plate, small or large sandwich. They also offer salads, and large baked potatoes. Their signature feature was that you got as many large pickles as you want, and a free soft serve cone as well upon leaving.
As for the BBQ itself, it was average at best, with a five-star price tag. NO smoker or BBQ on site, food was pulled from a warmer, wrapped in shrink wrap, cut, re-wrapped and returned to said warmer. This place had all the tell-tale signs of pre-made BBQ from a supplier, flash frozen/cooled and revived in the store. It was odd really, the place never smelled like BBQ, kind of like a Subway never smells like a deli. That being said, when I asked about how the meat was cooked, the worker opened a cabinet revealing a rotisserie type cooker with multiple shelves holding product. I’m guessing this was their version of a smoker. On my only visit when the place re-opened, the pulled pork on my sandwich had to be soaked in sauce to have any sort of taste. This place was not going to last.
But enough about the products.
I am stunned by this bankruptcy filing, here are the details, I am using the names because they are listed in public records.
Elk Grove, Calif. franchisees Miguel Zarate Ortiz and Maria Zomeno Sevilla filed their petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California on Dec. 8 listing only $17,987 in assets and about $1.04 million in liabilities, the Sacramento Business Journal reported.
Most of the liabilities are debts owed to the Dallas-based parent company.
The Elk Grove franchisee did not state a reason for filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in its petition. The restaurant’s listing on the Dickey’s locations page reveals that the store is closed, and the phone number listed is not operational.
I had to do a double take, how on God’s green earth can a franchisee owning a single store have 1 million in liabilities owed? While Dave Ramsey would spontaneously combust upon hearing this, I want to examine it a little more. I actually have no issue with folks taking out a loan to start a franchise or small business. The way I view it, you do not own the store, or the concept, so why invest a lot of your own cash? While I would never own a franchise, I can see the draw. As a franchisee, you use a concept that already exists and is easily duplicable, use their menu, and use their supplier for food. I do not see how you can run up a million in debt.
Allow me to explain. Owning a franchise is an “asset light” model. Think of it like owning a Dominoes Pizza. You buy their oven, the decorations, the shelving, cooling units, ice machine, etc. These products cost money but not any amount touching 1 million. In the case of Dickey’s sure you have that smoker type thing, a cooling unit, a warmer unit, the ice cream machine, soda fountain is likely leased from Pepsi/Coke, the machine that butters/toasts the bread, and that’s really about it. Again, I’m not seeing 1 million dollars here. Nowhere close. I guess it could be they are not paying the franchise fees assessed monthly, but I cannot verify that.
Buyer beware, but my God in Heaven, you must be one crappy owner/operator if you somehow ran up that kind of debt. I do not think this store has been in operation under the new owner for more than 6 years. Sad!
Attorney Mario Part 2 Update
Having Mario for your attorney must be like growing up as a Chicago White Socks fan. You keep waiting and waiting. It takes literal decades for them to win the pennant. In their case, it was 100 years. Then back to business as usual. The business of losing.
Since my last post on Mario, my girl and I have explored the other options that I listed in my last post.
New Lawyer
First, transferring to another lawyer.
She went and had a consultation with another lawyer yesterday. Talk about honor amongst thieves. Wow.
First, in her country there is no such thing as a free consultation. You pay cash for the privilege of speaking to a lawyer.
My girl laid out her situation with the new lawyer. After patiently listening, he told her that the case would cost 250,000 pesos and that he would start from the very beginning. Yep, not pick up the case from the other guy (Mario) and go forward, but back to “Go” and it will cost lots more than two hundred dollars. At current rates, 250K pesos is about $4,167. Oh, and the calendar will reset too. Going forward with the new lawyer will likely be a good nine months more waiting.
Waiting on Mario could be about three months if he actually starts doing anything.
Using Sharia Law
Second is the real star of the day.
I looked into Sharia Law and divorce in the Philippines. This appears to be something of an urban myth; although I have been assured that it can be done.
Sharia brings up several issues. First is it legal? As with most law, the answer is yes but …
Remember the maxim of government, the large print giveth, and the small print taketh away.
To qualify, my girl first would have to convert to Islam. No chance of her doing that so what follows becomes just a theoretical discussion.
The legal carve-out for Sharia Law in the Philippines is supposed to only apply to Muslims. Others have tried using it and been bitten along the way.
The rules are that if you had a marriage via a civil ceremony, then you can’t seek divorce using Sharia. The stuff on the Internet is varied and interesting. I will provide some samples because it’s a good read.
“Within the Philippine legal framework, divorce is generally not recognized except for Filipino Muslims, where it is permitted …”
“… the application of Sharia-based divorce is specifically designed to respect the cultural and religious practices of the Muslim population. Under PD 1083, various forms of divorce are recognized, including Talaq (repudiation by the husband), Faskh (judicial decree), and Khul’ (divorce initiated by the wife).”
Can non-Muslims avail of Sharia-based divorce in the Philippines?
No, Sharia-based divorce is exclusively available to Filipino Muslims.
I then found a website that helps people get visa to the U.S. from the Philippines. These two examples stopped me cold.
In this example, an IR1 spousal visa was denied at the embassy phase for the following given reason:
“Your first marriage was not solemnized under Muslim law or Article 13 of the Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines (MPL). Philippine law does not recognize the validity of your Sharia divorce because the Philippine Family Code is the first or sole legal basis of the underlying marriage. This is true even if one party to a civil marriage later converts to Islam. You do not qualify for the IR1 visa category.”
In this case, the embassy didn’t recognize the divorce, because the original marriage was solemnized in the Roman Catholic church, therefore doesn’t qualify as a legitimate Islamic divorce under their criteria.
Another of our customers was denied a K1 fiance visa from the Philippines for the same reason. The U.S. sponsor decided to issue a Congressional Inquiry to find out more about why he was denied. Here is the letter he received:
“The case filed by Mr. [U.S. Sponsor] on behalf of [Alien] has been refused and returned to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Ms. [Alien]’s [Date] marriage to [Alien’s prior husband] did not fall within the provisions of the law allowing for Sharia divorce in the Philippines and, as such, their subsequent divorce in [Month, Year] cannot be legally recognized. For this reason, Ms. [Alien] is not free to marry and does not qualify for the fiancee (K1) visa category.”
Note: The Congressional Inquiry mentioned above is likely the result of someone complaining to their local congressional member via a constituent complaint.
I have included the linked copies of the documents because I could.
Filipinos who have married under civil law cannot get a divorce after converting to Islam, contrary to false posts circulating on Facebook in the Catholic-majority Philippines, where divorce remains illegal. Divorce under Islamic law is only possible if a couple was married under those terms, multiple lawyers in the archipelago nation told AFP.
Converting to Islam falsely touted as ‘pathway to divorce’ in Catholic-majority Philippines
Sample of a Facebook ad that is claimed as fraudulent by this website can be found here.
‘Against public policy
‘Katrina Legarda, a prominent Filipino lawyer specialising in family law, told AFP on February 2 that those who were married under civil law remain accountable under the system.
Legarda pointed to the example of a November 2021 Supreme Court ruling that found a man with a subsisting marriage guilty of bigamy after converting to Islam and marrying another woman under Muslim law (archived link).
False posts about divorce proliferated because of the Philippines’ lack of the process, and Sharia law was now being used to “circumvent” the country’s civil law, said lawyer Lorna apunan.
“A change of religion to Muslim just to be able to secure a divorce is contrary to public policy and law,” Kapunan told AFP on February 9, 2024.
Conclusion
Since some of these websites are using documents as proof that using Sharia Law to obtain a divorce for a Christian is illegal, I’m inclined to believe it over some verbal assurances to the contrary.
After seeing these website posts, I messaged the person that had offered to help us get a Sharia Divorce for my girl and cancelled my inquiry. I want to help her but I don’t want to tarnish our opportunity by purposely breaking the rules and nixing our immigration paperwork before it’s even filed.
Sadly, this leaves us with Mario as our only viable option. God has three answers to prayer, yes, no, or wait. Guess it’s wait … for now.
Attorney Mario Has Officially Made Me Furious
Recap
My girlfriend in the Philippines was once married. Her husband cheated on her, abandoned her, left the country, and last time he saw her, he beat the crap out of her and put her in the hospital. He has an outstanding arrest warrant for this assault and cannot return to the Philippines without being arrested.
My girl’s pastor has said that her marriage is death (no kidding) and that she is free to marry someone else. Besides the adultery, abandonment, and physical abuse, he is also not a believer in Christ. In this paragraph, I have just listed four biblical reasons that my girl has for divorcing her husband; however, the Philippines is one of only two countries on the planet where divorce is illegal. I have blogged a little bit about this previously.
Update
Last night, a new wrinkle can to light. Out of frustration, I finally sent a message to Mario the attorney. Mario has been retained to get my girl an annulment. Mario was hired in September (approximately six months ago) to get this annulment done. While her marriage is and has been over for many years, the US government does not recognize the authority of the church and wants a declaration from the Philippine government that my girl is free to marry me. Said document is mandatory to begin immigration paperwork to legally enter the United States.
In essence, Mario is unwilling to file paperwork with the court for the annulment because he doesn’t have a witness for the husband’s side to prove that the guy is a dirtbag. Of course it is stated in more formal language.
I encountered difficulty in substantiating the allegations for the petition since we need to prove the circumstances that manifest psychological incapacity of the respondent considering that most of their married life was spent in a long distance relationship, case law provides that there should be witnesses that observed their marital relationship and their testimony should demonstrate juridical antecedence, gravity, and incurability of the psychological incapacity of the respondent.
Mario has been at a dead stop for two months. He has done zero that we are aware of since getting the final report from the psychologist on December 9th. My girl provided three witnesses for her side. The husband is from another part of the country. His family cut off the wife (my girl) years ago. They will not cooperate in this legal proceeding. They want her to suffer and be trapped in this sham marriage until the day she dies.
Options
When I read this message, I was incredulous. What a screwed-up system. The Philippines claims to be a Christian country but rejects all biblical grounds for ending a marriage via divorce. Sorry, Roman Catholics but there is no such thing as annulment in the Bible. Divorce is the only means of ending a marriage. Yes, it should be with cause and not a no-fault system but still…
Mario has a psychologist report saying that my girl should have an annulment and has cause, the photos and police report for the assault, the arrest warrant, three witnesses plus my girl, and if he wants it, a TikTok video of the husband with another woman dated a year prior to the year my girl went to South Korea to attempt to reconcile her marriage. But he doesn’t have enough to file the case. WTF bro.
Let’s face it. Mario is out of his depth. Mario, what happened to going to war with the army (or evidence) that you have?
“You go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time” Donald Rumsfeld.
Our options are three:
- 1 Pressure Mario to file the case anyway and take our changes
- 2 Hire a new lawyer to pick up the case and take it to trial
- 3 Pivot and go the Sharia Law route
Frankly, Sharia Law is looking like the best option. Using Sharia, I have it on good authority that her marriage can be legally ended in 90-days via this path. The normal route via a trial (trial is mandatory and out-of-court settlements are illegal) will take much longer; think six to nine months. At this point, a private attorney or Sharia will likely have similar costs going forward.
Right now, it looks like Mario will get the Apprentice treatment, “You’re fired” in the next few days. Oh, if that happens, I want some of my money refunded.