https://youtu.be/nXMhglrDT6Y

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“Therefore, we constantly teach that we should see the sacraments and all external things ordained and instituted by God not according to the crude, external mask (as we see the shell of a nut) but as that in which God’s Word is enclosed. In the same way we speak about fatherhood and motherhood and governmental authority. If we regard these people with reference to their noses, eyes, skin, and hair, flesh and bones, they look no different from Turks and heathen, and someone might come and ask, ‘Why should I think more of this person than of others?’ But because the commandment is added, ‘You shall honor father and mother,’ I see another person, adorned and clothed with the majesty and glory of God. The commandment, I say, is the golden chain around the neck, yes, the crown on the head, which shows me how and why I should honor this particular flesh and blood.”

From 493 years ago, we have the warning that removing the commandments of God and replacing them with materialism will lead to egalitarianism and the destruction of hierarchy. Being as they have most certainly been removed from all rulers and authorities and most families, the solution, then, is to put God’s commandment, “You shall honor father and mother,” back into the foundation of authority. Without it, any ruler is uncrowned, and any family lacking it is built on nothing.

“Why do you think the world is now so full of unfaithfulness, disgrace, calamity, and murder? It is because everyone desires to be his own master and free from the emperor, to care nothing for anyone, and to do what pleases himself. Therefore, God punishes one knave by another, so that, when you defraud and despise your master, another comes and deals in the same way with you. Yes, in your household you must suffer ten times more from wife, children, or servants. We feel misfortune, we murmur and complain of unfaithfulness, violence, and injustice. But we refuse to see that we ourselves are knaves who have fully deserved this punishment. And even by this we are not reformed.”

This is from the same 493 year old book, elaborating on societal decline at the time. We see the society described at that time as godless (everyone desires to be his own master), governmentless (free from the emperor), atomized (to care nothing for anyone), and hedonistic (to do what pleases himself). Though not a perfect recreation of what we see now, hopefully you can see that the problems we do face are centuries old and surmountable.

“Let us, therefore, learn at last, for God’s sake, that, placing all other things out of sight, our youths look first to this commandment, if they wish to serve God with truly good works, that they do what is pleasing to their fathers and mothers, or to those to whom they may be subject in their stead. For every child that knows and does this has, in the first place, this great consolation in his heart, that he can joyfully say and boast (in spite of and against all who are occupied with works of their own choice): ‘Behold, this work is well pleasing to my God in heaven, that I know for certain.’ Let them all come together with their many great, distressing, and difficult works and make their boast; we will see whether they can show one that is greater and nobler than obedience to father and mother, to whom God has appointed and commanded obedience next to His own majesty; so that if God’s Word and will are in force and being accomplished, nothing shall be esteemed higher than the will and word of parents; yet so that it, too, is subordinated to obedience toward God and is not opposed to the preceding commandments.”

This is probably the best advice to possibly give to any Zoomer, and certainly this advice certainly has much larger and longer lasting consequences than anything else. Your parents and figures of authority, no matter how bad they may compare to any gone before, do still need your works, and it is going to be through your works that things get better here and now. Christ and the grace offered thereby may be the reason you have salvation, but the responsibility to care for your parents and do what is right in their eyes and the eyes of God rests on you. If you find them lacking, set an example in good honor toward them

Be sure to join us tomorrow night as @RadicalLib and @TurnipMerchant will deep dive into the influence of Evangelicals on US politics. I will mainly be asking questions as few people in our spheres know more about this topic than these two.
"Cigar Stream: The Evangelical Question

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9pm" - Get Fresh

For those that did not get to see this live check out my appearance on the J. Burden Show talking about Tolkien and his Legendarium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_po681HRXwY

J. Burden and Praise of Folly are good people. Go check ‘em out

Live now with Ryan Turnipseed and Based Liz to talk about my own tradition of Christianity: Evangelicalism.

Academic Agent is suspicious of it!

https://youtu.be/ObbKrUgj1Eo