by Hannes Wessels
On one of the holiest days on the Christian calendar, Christians will look back on the events of the past week with little cheer.
Apart from the Eiffel Tower, no building represents France quite like Notre Dame Cathedral and for Christians everywhere, the beautiful building is massively symbolic. Construction began under the reign of Louis VII in 1163 and it has survived revolutions and catastrophic world wars but was very nearly burnt to the ground in a devastating fire which the authorities, including President Macron seemed to be in an unseemly haste to explain, was accidentally caused.
We are told, “Paris police will investigate the disaster as ‘involuntary destruction caused by fire’” and that they have ruled out arson and potential terror-related motives for starting the blaze. Well, maybe it was an accident but there’s a mountain of circumstantial evidence to suggest it was not. According to PI-News, a German news site, 1,063 attacks on Christian churches or symbols were registered in France in 2018. This was up 17% from 2017 when 878 attacks were reported. Notre-Dame des Enfants Church in Nimes was looted and human excrement used to scrawl a cross on a wall. In Houilles a statue of the Virgin Mary was smashed and in Lavaur a statue depicting the crucifixion of Christ was mangled. The Church of St. Sulpice in Paris was set ablaze by arsonists. Unsurprisingly, there seems to have been little said about this brazenly anti-Christian campaign in the reportage of the disaster.
The media’s determination to stop speculation that may suggest foul play was plain for all to see on Fox News (which is disappointing because they normally try to go for the facts) when two guests appeared to be closing in on the truth before they were told to shut up.
Deputy Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine, Philippe Karsenty’s line was cut after he insinuated the fire was a terrorist attack. “It’s like a 9/11, a French 9/11 it’s a big shock. This church was there for more than 850 years. You need to know that for the past years, we’ve had churches desecrated each and every week all over France. Of course, you will hear the story of the politically — the political correctness, which will tell you it’s probably an accident.” Later, Catholic League president Bill Donohue was shut down by Neil Cavuto after he said he was suspicious the fire was related to other church burnings. “Just last month, a 17th century church was set on fire in Paris, we have seen tabernacles knocked down, crosses have been torn down, statues have been smashed.”
Anyone who doubts the fact that the Christian message is being harshly suppressed will have a problem explaining the reaction in Australia to rugby star, Israel Folau’s recent social media post. In it he reminded his readers of a biblical edict that has been articulated for 2,000 years condemning homosexuality and fornication while imploring those who have sinned to repent with the words, “Jesus Christ loves you and is giving you time to turn away from your sin and come to him.”
The reaction has been swift and Folau’s illustrious career appears to be at an early end with the scrapping of his contract under pressure from primary sponsor, Quantas Airlines, whose CEO Alan Joyce is openly homosexual. All this, in a country that claims to guarantee freedom of speech, freedom of religion and a right to a fair trial. As far as I know, Folau will not even be offered an opportunity to explain himself to his superiors. What the authorities are saying with their condemnation of Folau is that the scriptures are hereby censored and God and Folau must now apply themselves to changing behavioural norms in the modern world.
All this against a backdrop of global persecution of Christians which appears to be intensifying. ‘Open Doors’, a ministry focusing on alleviating the plight of struggling Christians around the world names 50 countries on it’s ‘Watch List’ and grades the levels of oppression within them. What is going on, on a regular basis in countries like Sudan, Pakistan, Libya and Nigeria is truly terrifying. Last year in northern Nigeria a Christian village was attacked in which 106 innocents were killed and in Borno State, parishioners in a Catholic Church were gunned down while houses were razed and property looted. But there appears to be a deafening silence from those we would expect to be leading the fight to defend ‘the faith and the faithful’.
Pope Francis seems to be more exercised with problems relating to capitalism, ‘Global Warming’ and criticising the American president for trying to build a wall to protect his borders. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury has been using his influence and position to exhort his followers to be ‘sensitive to their country’s colonial past and how this might affect their witness in communities that once belonged to the Empire … who have experienced abuse and exploitation by an Empire that has seemed to hold the Christian story at the heart of its project?’’
A religion that was only recently so strong, so powerfully defended and spread with pride and goodwill throughout the world, is on its knees and desperately in need of leadership. Among the clerics, there seems to be a lamentable lack of belief, commitment to the cause and fortitude. One of the few world leaders of consequence who seems proud to proclaim his belief in Christianity is Donald Trump and looking at the way they’re going after him he must be feeling a little like Jesus Christ did before they put him on the cross.
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The irony of this article is there for all to see, namely, after railing at the sacrileges against Christianity you go and commit one yourself … and on Good Friday, moreover. It is hard to imagine even the loosest of Christians not being offended by your baffling analogy.
In comparing Donald Trump’s feelings with those of Christ heading to a death beyond brutality on the Cross, you raise serious questions about your perspective.
For your information, in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus’s feelings were of fear and doubt for the torture that awaited him, he had no security protection and his worldly assets consisted of the clothes on his back. He could easily have escaped his fate. Yet, in an act of unparalleled courage and self-sacrifice he went ahead with it anyway while holding compassion for his persecutors. The whole of recorded time is based round this act.
Trump – protected at any time by a security detail twenty times the size of Robert Mugabe, with latitude to obliterate the planet and no record whatsoever of any selfless act has merely his billions to look forward to in the event of getting impeached or losing the next election. That’s the worst thing that can happen to him and then he will be forgotten.
This is bathos writ large.
His tribulations are in politics and this is what he chose to do because he’s the meanest guy in the cage fight and he knows he can win. If he has a genius it’s for getting people to talk about him. We’re doing it now. He welcomes the opposition because he knows the psychology of it is he will win again. And he’s tough – I’ll give him that. At the same time I can give you 50 politicians off the top of my head who have had much worse to face than him, not least of all Ian Smith and he never went crying to his mommy. They’re politicians – that’s what they do and the opprobrium comes with the territory.
Another very good article Hannes and I cannot let some of Angela Botha’s rather angry comments go unchallenged. So here we go.
Angela – “What is ‘The Truth’ about Notre Dame then,what have you deduced so quickly where some of the best minds in Forensics have failed.”
A long time ago I discovered that the findings of ‘science’ or ‘forensics’ are not necessarily to be trusted as scientists are also prone to being coerced and intimidated by politicians and others to announce their ‘findings’ which in one way or another would favour their political agendas or enhance their chances of getting re-elected. A case in point of science letting us down badly are the well known scams that have been going on with the global warming debacle like Climate Gate (ie, the deliberate falsifying of climate data by ‘scientists’) and others, and the proven scams of Piltdown Man and Nebraska Man in the context of evolution, plus dozens of other proven scams on this subject which are proven cases of fraud, hoaxes and speculation by ‘scientists.’ I would encourage interested readers to investigate the word “Scientism.” This is a relatively recent phenomenon that has reared its ugly head in today’s secular world. See – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientism Herewith a brief synopsis of what it is all about – “It is also sometimes used to describe universal applicability of the scientific method and approach, and the view that empirical science constitutes the most authoritative worldview or the most valuable part of human learning to the complete exclusion of other viewpoints, such as historical, philosophical, economic or cultural worldviews. It has been defined as “the view that the characteristic inductive methods of the natural sciences are the only source of genuine factual knowledge and, in particular, that they alone can yield true knowledge about man and society” Note the words, ‘to the complete exclusion of other viewpoints.’ So there you have it Angela if you really have a desire to understand how this modern, unbelievably corrupt world works and for anyone with an open, enquiring and unbiased mind it’s not very difficult to work out what is going on. And finally, what don’t you understand about the following sentence in the main article? I am confused!
“According to PI-News, a German news site, 1,063 attacks on Christian churches or symbols were registered in France in 2018. This was up 17% from 2017 when 878 attacks were reported. Notre-Dame des Enfants Church in Nimes was looted and human excrement used to scrawl a cross on a wall.”
Couldn’t be clearer to me what is going on here. And please don’t say “evolution is not mentioned in this article.” Of course it’s not but I am trying to get a point across, same as my mention of Obama. And for my part I don’t see a single “crossed wire” anywhere in this article.
In Oz on the news it stated that workers had finished work , there was no electricity connected , no power tools etc etc , and there was nothing to start a fire. After about three to four hours AFTER knock off, an inferno raged , and they are calling it arson. As to who did it no one is saying. Freemasons are a very good organization, does a lot to help the community , charities etc , go and see someone and find out how it works before you belittle them. Go Trump ha ha, 100% better than Clinton and the others. Thanks Hannes another good write up.
Obama is not mentioned in this Article and there is no spit nor foam.Unlike the description of the Catholics.
More spitting and foaming at the mouth about Trump I see, never mind the lying, America-hating, muslim-loving, transgender-loving fool who was in the white house for two terms before Trump but we can’t say anything about him can we because he is ‘a person of colour!’ What a joke.
As always Hannes, an excellent article. It is frightening to see how the liberal west is falling into the Muslim trap!
What is ‘The Truth’ about Notre Dame then,what have you deduced so quickly where some of the best minds in Forensics have failed?
If you read what I wrote you will see I do not claim to know what happened but I’m suspicious when people in authority appear to be ignoring possible perpetrators simply because doing so might offend certain groups.
I have read what you wrote,obviously, otherwise why would I query it;in conclusion you describe it as’ a brazenly anti Christian campaign.’ The experts say that there are 3 ideas being studied currently.If you choose to disbelieve the scientists and claim something which has not been proven,that is reckless and untrue.
I now have to conclude that ALL western governments are colluding with our number one enemy, to ensure that the truth is not made public ? Why else would they all stop the truth about Notra Dame from being published ?
The term “VANDALISM” is a LIE
We can no longer be confident of government protection !
You have so many crossed wires and cannot make head or tail of religion,spirituality or soul.You critically attempt in futile sarcasm to analyse the reason for the Notre Dame fire without marvelling at the huge generosity and kindness of benefactors towards the Churches s recovery.You belittle the work of the Pope,undermining the Catholic Church,and yet you have no idea that a reborn christian is responsible for the sporting upsets.To crown it all you confuse trump with being religious.He is a reborn christian evangelist,who works with Freemasons,and who speaks in tongues with lies every day of his life.Also he is a mobster.