I am far from a fan of Babygravy9, but he is undoubtedly one of the most influential voices in edgy right-wing circles, and as long as you are reviewing books with similar titles, it would make sense, even if it is a bad review
Seed oils: Marcella Hazan's (PBUH) recipe for risotto calls for a judicious addition of sunflower oil to the melting butter before coating and just beginning to brown the riso superfino arborio. I think that closes the discussion.
Inability to understand the efficacy of the contemplative life is, well, it's, like, protestant, you know?
He implicates women’s suffrage in the outbreak of child transgenderism.
I don't care for democracy and so don't care about voting, but is this wrong? I get that this is offensive and generally goes with thinly veiled misogyny which is ugly. But is it wrong? I don't think so. I think it's offensive.
It’s easy to fall into, the world is Sodom and Gomorrah and we are Lot and company, waiting on God’s destruction. Very easy to do, I have four children and live outside of Boston so you can imagine what goes down in the public schools. We have to keep in mind, God loves and God died for everyone in Trashworld. Not the righteous, not the few, but the worst of us, even me! I expect my kids to be salt in the world, but not in a whimsical way. In a sober and serious way, and we have these cultural conversations often about the fallen world and our duty to remain faithful to God, pray for our neighbors and our society. Not with an eye toward renewal, there’s really no possibility of that. Not waiting for the right combination of right wing politics and Churchmen to take over, that would be a disaster and it’s not going to happen anyway. Maybe to live through the collapse. Hell, we are already living through the collapsing, in my estimation. And keep our faith, God willing. Also, it’s important to keep in mind that God put us in this place and time, that He knew we would be living in Trashworld and He has a plan. It’s not anything we can see, but He is Sovereign.
This is the path of life. Passion comes before wisdom. Impulsiveness before restraint. The book of Psalms is full of guidance for young, passionate, impulsively inclined young men. Hopefully with time, Millennials like this pastor will seek wisdom, and then he will get to play the role of the wise patriarch. He isn't there yet. But when (if?) He does, he won't be preaching winsomeness - he will preach repentance.
The trouble with hatred is that it's like resentment: it's drinking poison and believing the other person will die. Plus it doesn't convert anyone who doesn't already have a low boiling point and is looking for someone / something new to rail against. Nobody who needs it has ever been converted or changed by someone yelling at them that they're evil globohomo bugmen (or the equivalent). I have volunteered at the pen for years, and I can guarantee that the one thing that will not work with hardened criminals is to yell at them about what miserable sinners and horrible people they are: they already know that. What they want to hear is that there is still, somehow, some kind of hope, and how to make that happen.
What works is love. "Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use and persecute you." (Matt. 5:43-44) Highly unpopular among a certain set today (such as "The Bon Op" author) but that's the rules - if you believe that Jesus knew what He was talking about and really meant us to do what He said. And it's hard, oh, is it hard. But it's the only thing that works. Not always, and often not in the person's lifetime (see St. Boniface). But that's irrelevant. As long as we're walking the Way, we're doing something worthwhile.
PS - "What happens when all the bugmen have been exterminated, so to speak?" Well, then there will be a new war, with new purges (generally starting with the earliest sign-ons, who have slacked off), because once you start on a hate-fueled quest to purify the world... well, you find out that no society and no one is ever pure enough. Except for the leader. For a while. Because sooner or later, even Robespierre isn't pure enough... Societies built on hate and anger always dead end.
Rod, I suppose you should be flattered (somewhat) by the BonOp - you know you're on to somethng when people take the time to parody your ideas. But it's a thin parody because it's all about (and only about) winning; "I'm right, you're wrong, so f*** you". No one ever has been convinced by that type of argument.
I see that thinking in the legal world all the time, especially among young attorneys (sadly, it's become more common among those older folks who should know better by now). Every little dispute gets turned into an opportunity to not only prove your opponent wrong but to rub his nose in it. The problem with it is that while you may win the battle, it may cause you to lose the war, or else plant the seeds for a future war (now when in history have we seen this happen?)
Well, yes, you can-- because this world is not all there is. "Be in the world, but not of it" is sound advice in every age. It is indeed what St., Benedict and the other monastic saints sought. Also, "What profiteth a man if he gain the whole world but lose his soul?" That is true for those who wish to "gain" the world in anger as well as in avarice.
You note that this Isker is a Calvinist and in his rage I can see the defects of Calvinism which jettisoned so much of the older tradition of Christianity, creating a truncated version of Christianity which was almost wholly preoccupied with the world because they had lost awareness of the richness of Creation well outside the merely temporal and immediate. This is why Calvinist-inflected societies birthed Puritanism and ultimately secular leftism with its implacable and totalizing focus on the here-and-now after dispensing with God (who fades away from our thought our easily when one succumbs to the Tyranny of Now.
Also, we don't need to "save the world" and to right all wrongs in order to do good. That lies beyond pretty much everyone. Just say no to grand crusades-- which all too often end up being about our own aggrandizement. Focus instead on the small and humble. And there is room for courage even in the minutest virtuous act. I am fascinated by the role of contingency in life-- how a small, even trivial, act may have vast consequences, good or ill, far beyond our knowledge. So a simple deed of kindness or mercy may well become part of a cascading chain that, in fifty or five hundred years saves millions from ruin. It isn't given to us to know such enormities, but it is mandatory on us to live with faith and hope and love and to do such good as lies within our space. and ability. God does not require us to save the world (that's His job) but he does expect us not to make it any worse.
What is it with these manosphere types wanting to take away women’s right to vote? Of all the reasons put forward the idea that women’s suffrage led to transgenderism is the most ridiculous. Who suffers the most? Women who have men who think they’re women ruining women’s sports, invading our locker rooms, shelters & prisons, & stripping us of our identity so we’re not women, we’re “non-men” or “birthing persons” or “egg producers.” I’m post menopausal & don’t produce eggs anymore, am I not a woman? Some of the biggest opponents of this stuff are TERFS, trans exclusionary radical feminists. They’ve gotten death threats & hate.
Besides, women got the vote 103 years ago & even earlier in some states, like Wyoming (1876). If us voting caused all this, it took a damn long time to happen. “Taxation without representation.” Why should I pay taxes levied by, or obey laws passed by, people who I had no say in electing to represent me? These guys can’t stand uppity women & they would do well to remember Robert Heinlein’s observation that women & cats will do as they please & men & dogs need to relax & get used to it.
Jesus told Pontus Pilate “My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my followers would fight.”
An enlightening, inspirational, and insightful post. Unlike Dunkirk, Christians cannot flee from the battlefield to fight another day. We dig in where we are, strengthen our defenses, pick our battles, and honor God by our actions and sharing his Word in support of the Great Commission.
Our tactics will vary. In my Dunkirk, I leverage the interrelationship between Christianity, Citizenship, and Quality Management. Quality management is all about reducing variation from the ideal – the ideal being a standard of perfection where all needs are met such as was the case in the Garden of Eden.
The secular quality profession has validated that the closer any product/service gets to the ideal (Taguchi Loss Function), the higher the quality (more needs met) and the lower the cost to the individual and society. Costs include the effects of unmet needs. Thus, quality either gets better or worse, making continuous improvement a moral imperative.
It is interesting that the typical response from the Christian community is that quality management is a “business thing” and the business world chooses not to see the connection between Quality and God. And, in America, “We the People” lack the knowledge of the methods and tools needed to continually work towards the " more perfect Union.”
Reviewing 'The Boniface Option'
I am curious if you have ever seen "The Eggs Benedict Option"?
https://twitter.com/Babygravy9/status/1558520318842601478?s=20
I am far from a fan of Babygravy9, but he is undoubtedly one of the most influential voices in edgy right-wing circles, and as long as you are reviewing books with similar titles, it would make sense, even if it is a bad review
A friend says The Bon Op reminds him of the Doctor's speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJP9o4BEziI&ab_channel=DoctorWho
Seed oils: Marcella Hazan's (PBUH) recipe for risotto calls for a judicious addition of sunflower oil to the melting butter before coating and just beginning to brown the riso superfino arborio. I think that closes the discussion.
Inability to understand the efficacy of the contemplative life is, well, it's, like, protestant, you know?
He implicates women’s suffrage in the outbreak of child transgenderism.
I don't care for democracy and so don't care about voting, but is this wrong? I get that this is offensive and generally goes with thinly veiled misogyny which is ugly. But is it wrong? I don't think so. I think it's offensive.
It’s easy to fall into, the world is Sodom and Gomorrah and we are Lot and company, waiting on God’s destruction. Very easy to do, I have four children and live outside of Boston so you can imagine what goes down in the public schools. We have to keep in mind, God loves and God died for everyone in Trashworld. Not the righteous, not the few, but the worst of us, even me! I expect my kids to be salt in the world, but not in a whimsical way. In a sober and serious way, and we have these cultural conversations often about the fallen world and our duty to remain faithful to God, pray for our neighbors and our society. Not with an eye toward renewal, there’s really no possibility of that. Not waiting for the right combination of right wing politics and Churchmen to take over, that would be a disaster and it’s not going to happen anyway. Maybe to live through the collapse. Hell, we are already living through the collapsing, in my estimation. And keep our faith, God willing. Also, it’s important to keep in mind that God put us in this place and time, that He knew we would be living in Trashworld and He has a plan. It’s not anything we can see, but He is Sovereign.
This is the path of life. Passion comes before wisdom. Impulsiveness before restraint. The book of Psalms is full of guidance for young, passionate, impulsively inclined young men. Hopefully with time, Millennials like this pastor will seek wisdom, and then he will get to play the role of the wise patriarch. He isn't there yet. But when (if?) He does, he won't be preaching winsomeness - he will preach repentance.
Isker strikes me as someone who is smart, sometimes insightful, but lacking in wisdom.
The trouble with hatred is that it's like resentment: it's drinking poison and believing the other person will die. Plus it doesn't convert anyone who doesn't already have a low boiling point and is looking for someone / something new to rail against. Nobody who needs it has ever been converted or changed by someone yelling at them that they're evil globohomo bugmen (or the equivalent). I have volunteered at the pen for years, and I can guarantee that the one thing that will not work with hardened criminals is to yell at them about what miserable sinners and horrible people they are: they already know that. What they want to hear is that there is still, somehow, some kind of hope, and how to make that happen.
What works is love. "Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use and persecute you." (Matt. 5:43-44) Highly unpopular among a certain set today (such as "The Bon Op" author) but that's the rules - if you believe that Jesus knew what He was talking about and really meant us to do what He said. And it's hard, oh, is it hard. But it's the only thing that works. Not always, and often not in the person's lifetime (see St. Boniface). But that's irrelevant. As long as we're walking the Way, we're doing something worthwhile.
PS - "What happens when all the bugmen have been exterminated, so to speak?" Well, then there will be a new war, with new purges (generally starting with the earliest sign-ons, who have slacked off), because once you start on a hate-fueled quest to purify the world... well, you find out that no society and no one is ever pure enough. Except for the leader. For a while. Because sooner or later, even Robespierre isn't pure enough... Societies built on hate and anger always dead end.
Rod, I suppose you should be flattered (somewhat) by the BonOp - you know you're on to somethng when people take the time to parody your ideas. But it's a thin parody because it's all about (and only about) winning; "I'm right, you're wrong, so f*** you". No one ever has been convinced by that type of argument.
I see that thinking in the legal world all the time, especially among young attorneys (sadly, it's become more common among those older folks who should know better by now). Every little dispute gets turned into an opportunity to not only prove your opponent wrong but to rub his nose in it. The problem with it is that while you may win the battle, it may cause you to lose the war, or else plant the seeds for a future war (now when in history have we seen this happen?)
Re: You cannot run and hide from Trashworld.
Well, yes, you can-- because this world is not all there is. "Be in the world, but not of it" is sound advice in every age. It is indeed what St., Benedict and the other monastic saints sought. Also, "What profiteth a man if he gain the whole world but lose his soul?" That is true for those who wish to "gain" the world in anger as well as in avarice.
You note that this Isker is a Calvinist and in his rage I can see the defects of Calvinism which jettisoned so much of the older tradition of Christianity, creating a truncated version of Christianity which was almost wholly preoccupied with the world because they had lost awareness of the richness of Creation well outside the merely temporal and immediate. This is why Calvinist-inflected societies birthed Puritanism and ultimately secular leftism with its implacable and totalizing focus on the here-and-now after dispensing with God (who fades away from our thought our easily when one succumbs to the Tyranny of Now.
Also, we don't need to "save the world" and to right all wrongs in order to do good. That lies beyond pretty much everyone. Just say no to grand crusades-- which all too often end up being about our own aggrandizement. Focus instead on the small and humble. And there is room for courage even in the minutest virtuous act. I am fascinated by the role of contingency in life-- how a small, even trivial, act may have vast consequences, good or ill, far beyond our knowledge. So a simple deed of kindness or mercy may well become part of a cascading chain that, in fifty or five hundred years saves millions from ruin. It isn't given to us to know such enormities, but it is mandatory on us to live with faith and hope and love and to do such good as lies within our space. and ability. God does not require us to save the world (that's His job) but he does expect us not to make it any worse.
FYI, it seems he wrote more directly about the Benedict Option here: https://bonifaceoption.substack.com/p/the-boniface-option
It isn't hostile to Rod's ideas, but he thinks there should be something happening after the training and defensive stance.
What is it with these manosphere types wanting to take away women’s right to vote? Of all the reasons put forward the idea that women’s suffrage led to transgenderism is the most ridiculous. Who suffers the most? Women who have men who think they’re women ruining women’s sports, invading our locker rooms, shelters & prisons, & stripping us of our identity so we’re not women, we’re “non-men” or “birthing persons” or “egg producers.” I’m post menopausal & don’t produce eggs anymore, am I not a woman? Some of the biggest opponents of this stuff are TERFS, trans exclusionary radical feminists. They’ve gotten death threats & hate.
Besides, women got the vote 103 years ago & even earlier in some states, like Wyoming (1876). If us voting caused all this, it took a damn long time to happen. “Taxation without representation.” Why should I pay taxes levied by, or obey laws passed by, people who I had no say in electing to represent me? These guys can’t stand uppity women & they would do well to remember Robert Heinlein’s observation that women & cats will do as they please & men & dogs need to relax & get used to it.
Jesus told Pontus Pilate “My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my followers would fight.”
Memes are ephemeral. So tilting against memes, with memes? Good luck.
Holy Scripture is eternal because it is from The Spirit. And is, in fact, the “Sword of the Spirit”. Choose your weapon wisely.
An enlightening, inspirational, and insightful post. Unlike Dunkirk, Christians cannot flee from the battlefield to fight another day. We dig in where we are, strengthen our defenses, pick our battles, and honor God by our actions and sharing his Word in support of the Great Commission.
Our tactics will vary. In my Dunkirk, I leverage the interrelationship between Christianity, Citizenship, and Quality Management. Quality management is all about reducing variation from the ideal – the ideal being a standard of perfection where all needs are met such as was the case in the Garden of Eden.
The secular quality profession has validated that the closer any product/service gets to the ideal (Taguchi Loss Function), the higher the quality (more needs met) and the lower the cost to the individual and society. Costs include the effects of unmet needs. Thus, quality either gets better or worse, making continuous improvement a moral imperative.
It is interesting that the typical response from the Christian community is that quality management is a “business thing” and the business world chooses not to see the connection between Quality and God. And, in America, “We the People” lack the knowledge of the methods and tools needed to continually work towards the " more perfect Union.”
Perhaps you should reexamine your trashing of Doug Wilson. I am a different flavor of Christian than he is, but I do find him helpful.
Excellent. Thank you Rod.