Why Christians Should Actively Oppose Globalism
By Harold Ristau (Academic Dean at the Lutheran School of Theology/ Missionary of Lutherans in Africa/ Adjunct Faculty at CLTS)
“Globalism” has a nice ring to it. Maybe that is why educated North Americans continue to be gulled into its agenda. After all, the word implies unity. Christians are naturally attracted by the notion. But the political goals and religious trajectory of globalism far exceed honourable attempts at establishing ways nations can work more effectively together. If political localism is characterized by grassroot democratic processes, in which average citizens have a high degree of influence in decisions that impact them[1], globalism necessitates dictatorial ones. Giving ear to the multiplicity of voices and serious efforts at incorporating the interests of the multitudes is simply impractical. Although dictators are not necessarily evil, most of them are. This is what makes them different from, say, a monarchy. Most monarchies boast a symbiotic relationship with the people demonstrated through voluntary displays of power sharing. Contrariwise, dictatorial structures tend not to include any checks and balances to the power of the elite(s). And worst of all, a non-Christian dictator is likely to be an anti-Christian one due to the high moral and ethical standards of the Christian religion. Globalism seeks to undermine or replace local forms of governance which respect the interests and concerns of the populous, with top-down oligarchical or dictatorial ones. For this reason alone, Christians should actively oppose globalism.
And many Christians are deeply troubled by the globalist trends and tendencies that appear to be escalating since the fall of the USSR and the introduction of the computer age. Biblically literate Christians familiar prophecies suggesting one-world government under the auspice of Satanic leadership remain disturbed but not surprised by these trends. Even though many evangelicals abuse Apocalyptic texts through the application of faulty hermeneutics, one is hard-pressed to interpret references to the anti-Christ and the Abomination of Desolations – as described in the Revelation to St. John or St. Paul’s Epistles to Thessalonica – to something other than historical personages. Yet even without such prophecies, Christians should still actively oppose globalism. And the best way, in our modern age of doing so, is by defending political systems that ensure checks and balances on leaders that make decisions on behalf of the larger population. Although democracy is not a divinely ordained system of governance, and can easily become an enemy to the Church when the majority are non-Christian or anti-Christian, historically democratic forms and their corollaries, such as capitalistic economic systems, have proven to be the greatest safeguards for preserving Christian liberties necessary for the dissemination of the Gospel. For globalism tends to view democracy and capitalism as obstacles and threats to the advancement of its goals.[2] Certainly, dictatorship is the most efficient form of governance as it can “get the job done” easiest and with least resistance. In 2013, Canada’s dictatorial Prime Minister[3] unreservedly confessed that, “There is a level of admiration I actually have for China because their basic dictatorship is allowing them to actually turn their economy around on a dime and say we need to go green, we need to start, you know, investing in solar.”[4] All forms of democracy slows decisions down because important decisions are made more carefully, and involve the input of a greater number of stakeholders.
Certainly, one should take guard never to suggest one particular economic or political model as more “Christian” than another, since the Gospel involves matters of faith and not works. Otherwise, “works” of political governance would become a condition upon salvation. The fact that living out our Christian faith politically is largely a question of Christian freedom, is a compelling argument for any Christian. Yet certain political, and, relatedly, economic, models better align themselves with a Biblical and Christian worldview. Unlike Marxism and communist systems, that essentially deny the sinful nature and idealize the human potential of man as inherently altruistic, democracy assumes that people are sinners and, consequently, views leaders with suspicion, insisting upon limits to their powers and authority. Similarly, capitalism assumes people are selfish and self-interested. Yet it seeks to harness the sinful and selfish human nature for the common good. It is rooted in self interest and self gratification.[5] And because these honest observations of the sinful condition of mankind underpin these systems, checks and balances on inevitable evil behaviour are incorporated into democratic and capitalistic structures and processes, at least theoretically.
Historically, protestants were some of the most powerful critics of centralized government. For example, the Lutheran understanding of anti-Christ includes not just individuals but institutions, such as the papacy. Consequently, since the exile of C.F.W. Walther to America from the “Emergency bishopric” and other dictatorial forms of governance during the Prussian Union[6] LCMS Lutherans have generally demonstrated a reluctant attitude towards a wide array of various other sorts of quasi-religious institutions, such as communism.[7] Yet the fear of communism seems no longer to be as great a concern for Lutherans as it was for the survivors of communism, most of whom now rest in the Lord. Their children, the baby boomers, who are now the elderly grandparents themselves, are largely unfamiliar with the real threat of dictatorial regimes under which many of their ancestors suffered, such as during the expansion and threat of the USSR post-WWII. The societal peace that boomers have enjoyed has undoubtedly helped to prevent them from considering seriously the notion of a global takeover by evil forces. It is no wonder that their children remain apathetic and indifferent to democratic values or entrepreneurial principles. The average North American Christian, having never suffered the horrors of non-representative governments or tyrannical regimes, is unable to fathom, and thus detect, various enslavements of populations, endeavours to control religious practices and principles, the dangers of government overreach into consciences, and direct and indirective punitive measures employed against dissenters. This ignorance may partially explain for the cognitive dissonance demonstrated by Christian Canadians who refused to judge, or even debate, the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters during the Freedom Convoy – the largest protest in the history of Canada and possibly North America – in February of 2022.[8] The fact that Canadian rights and freedoms were so obviously infringed upon by, for all practical purposes, a dictatorial and socialist government, was unfathomable to the majority of the public. Only until recently, through a series of citizen-driven public inquiries and legal suits, have Canadians begun to consider the idea that all levels of government clearly abused their powers and authority.[9]
Before the invention of the internet – which facilitates the interconnection of everyone in a matter of seconds – in the nineteen eighties, the Christian imagination of what a globalist government might look like one day, or be capable of achieving, was very limited. Real threats were unrealistic. Indeed, there were attempts at globalism though the League of Nations, as well as the World Economic Forum (WEF) which has existed for fifty years. Incidentally, the League of Nations was a failed attempt to achieve what the United Nations and the WEF seek today. Globalist entities of the past were handicapped by the fact that Christians were divided on the topic, and there were a sufficient number of non-mainline churches that displayed healthy concern over globalist tendencies[10]. Yet today, most church bodies have basically congratulated the world community for their coordinated efforts at allegedly saving them from the effects of SARS-CoV-2. The eager and even, in some cases, joyful embrace of vaccines and mandates[11] demonstrates an overall decline in skepticism regarding the deepening relationships between nations when it comes to matters of health and security, which are, in fact, subtly related to morality, ethics and religion.[12] Furthermore, the resources and power structures of Western powers are well-aligned with compliant and lazy populations who seem rather complacent about the idea of elites governing the world. In short, today, we have the social conditions, technologies and supportive political and philosophical systems in place for the realization of globalist government. And, again, as underscored above, one is hard pressed to find a globalist system that does not exhibit tenets of modern communism or fascism, which represent two sides of the same coin of state-centric government. Both represent totalitarian regimes in which the interests and views of small communities like churches are subordinated to the national interests. These underpinnings are the foundation of effective globalism. Globalism seeks to centralize power, wealth, goods, resources into the hands of a few, and undermine the independence of sovereign nations, while silencing the voices of local communities who resist.
A natural consequence of a centralized government is the undermining of decentralized communities within their “jurisdictions”: like nuclear families and religious communities. Naturally, communism, and totalitarian tendencies, perceive traditional families as threats to their power and authority, theoretically and in practice. Accordingly, they typically seek ways of dismantling traditional family structures by displacing parental authority to the state. During the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese dictator, Mao Zedong, was notorious for commanding children to assassinate their parents, when critical of the government. The societal embrace of homosexuality, institutionalized in governmental organizations such as public schools, is a direct threat to the nuclear family as it cultivates an atmosphere where minors question distinctions between male and female genders, and even cast doubt upon the capability of their parents of making decisions on their behalf. The morally conservative Church and her congregations are obvious threats to this WOKE agenda, due to the value they place on families and parental authority. And yet, while communist China has strangely and quickly moved from being viewed as the least desirable form of governance, to an acceptable one, Christians remain disinterested or unable to detect the connection between liberal ideology and modern globalization. Whether it be articles in the legacy media praising communist values[13], public statements from the Biden administration increasingly approaching China as an ideological ally rather than a threat[14], or the Prime Minister of Canada praising their values,[15] most Christians tend to just shrug their shoulders.
In my home of Canada, a “Victims of Communism” memorial in the Nation’s capital was strangely controversial, due to its implicit criticism of current communist countries such as China. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – a supposedly non-partisan crown corporation of Canada which unabashedly functions as an arm of the Liberal government, CRT and woke agenda and receives 1.4 billion annually from the government – continues to take every possible opportunity to convince the public that any form of governance that is not centralized and socialist is inhumane. Canada, like the USA, is increasingly careful not to offend the rising superpower, China. In early 2023, the American and Canadian governments, were oddly reluctant to shoot down the mysterious aerial objects flying over Alaska and the Yukon – Chinese surveillance balloons – and only did so after public pressure due to American eyewitnesses. Further, the totalitarian idea of unchallenged government surveillance into all areas of public and private life is not as unattractive as it once was. Digital I.D. is a more convenient form of security than paper. But convenience comes with a price. As to whether or not the “Mark of the Beast” (Rev 13:18) is a literal or figurative reference appears to no longer be of any concern to the Church, even traditional Baptists.[16] The next generation of self-satisfying young people – the most vocally self-centered and technologically dependent generation yet, “Gen Alpha” – are already exhibiting signs of disinterest and apathy in preserving, never mind defending, values of democracy, such as freedom of speech[17]. Instead, materialist values supersede ideological ones, and the bleak dystopian pictures of a drugged, entertainment-crazed, and literally “thoughtless” society, predicted in such brilliant and prophetic classics such as Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and Huxley’s Brave New World –once required in schools as essential reading but now forbidden – are no longer the nightmares, but rather the aspirations, of our video-game obsessed populations.
The WEF, a kind of elevated think tank that actively seeks to bring together all liberal and globalist influencers, defines itself as “the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.” After decades of secret meetings as well as some public statements, the WEF functions as a powerful quasi-governmental organization with unprecedented global influence. Klaus Schwab, the founder, executive chairman and appointed leader for life of the WEF, and presently one of the most powerful and influential global leaders, has repeatedly written and encouraged a world communism as part and parcel of a global “fourth great revolution”, where everyone will “own nothing and (still) be happy”. Only one year after the rhetoric of a “great reset” was dismissed as unfounded “conspiracy theory”, Schwab wrote, "The pandemic represents a rare but narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world"[18]. The WEF globalist agenda is clear and public and includes countless efforts that transparently celebrate anti-democratic and communistic ideals.
The WEF is by no means shy to assert that a nation like China is the future model for the global community. Even those who find the WEF’s philosophy unsettling still believe that such globalist efforts are necessary for today. Fear mongering by governments who insist upon centralization and globalization as essential to overall well being post-pandemic, supported by a biased, and, often government subsidized legacy media, tempt populations to rely and depend on their governments at new levels. The rhetoric and sweeping claims of climate change – claims that are hardly scientific or substantiated considering the fact that measuring climate patterns is based on fairly recent data[19] and hypothetical “modelling” rather than observable phenomena – is probably the most obvious example of governments working together to terrify populations into believing that they and international polices are the world’s saviours. The bizarre international standardization of public health measures during the pandemic should trigger concerns within any reasonable politically minded social critic who questions the ability of globalist agendas to carry out their many controversial mandates and “policies”.
The WEF presently has the support of most developed countries of the world. Key players include world leaders, both elected and unelected, such as Bill Gates, and Justin Trudeau and Joe Biden. Unsurprisingly, their involvement remain largely uncriticized, and even praised by media which are, again, in many Western nations, hugely subsidized by business elites and governments. Participation in the WEF involves serious conflict of interests which seem to remain unattested.[20] Mr. Schwab once boasted of “penetrating” the majority of the Canadian cabinet with WEF members. The Canadian government refuses to comment on the statement and parliament has undermined all investigative undertakings of the subject matter.
Skeptics who accuse the perspective of this article as being alarmist or, worse, stemming from “conspiracy theories”, are encouraged to read the guest list of the WEF’s annual meeting in Davos Switzerland. Are we on the brink of a world take over? Well, spiritually, yes, we always are. As we continue to approach the end of time, we will encounter a heightened level of demonic activity, according to our Lord’s own words (Matt 24:22). Only a neo-gnostic denier of the physical manifestations of satanic activity, questioning the inerrancy of Holy Scripture, would be surprised by the rhetoric of “evil takeover” by tyrannical and devilish regimes. In this sense, every faithful Christian believes in “conspiracy theory”: secret influential forces conspiring against our best interests. The problem with many of these Christians is they are not as counter cultural as they claim or wish to be. We all have a hard time detecting the golden cows of false or erroneous beliefs in our lives when they are challenged. During the recent pandemic, the attempts at globalist entities seeking to usurp power from the populous and credible academic, intellectual and scientific communities, were frighteningly innumerable. The “Big Pharmas” which, until the global pandemic, were universally believed to be the most corrupt of global corporations, were, suddenly, viewed as fully trustworthy, authoritative and altruistic. When New York Governor Kathy Hochul calls on Christians to follow her as her “apostles” with a vaccine mandate delivered to her from God[21], she did not need to twist a lot of arms. The mainstream media was once unquestionably considered bias, leftist and even anti-Christian. From 2019 to 2021, the legacy media became the sole filter of truth and “science” as terrified Christian desperately sought a solution to what was believed to be a deadly plague of unprecedented proportions , inadvertently seeking for a substitutionary saviour to the real One. And even as the narrative that mass vaccination and masking[22] would do greater good than harm continues to crumble[23], believers who uncritically acquiesced to the global responses to SARS-CoV-2 and alleged preventive mandates still blindly cling to their demonic idols, in spite of the unveiling of their lies.
Again, as stated above, although liberal democracy is by no means a Christian form of governance, it is the best means available today for protecting the interests of the Church and Christian Faith. The fact that freedom of expression remains a core value of liberal democracy ought to be enough to persuade any evangelical Christian that, the free teaching and preaching of the Gospel is at stake, in any other conceivable system today; or at least, any other system that is not governed by Christian leadership.[24] One of the most frightening aspects of globalism, involve efforts to control speech. The invention of the relativistic word “disinformation”, a weak synonym for “a lie” – liberally used by elites who decide upon the truth, who punish vocal skeptics, and decide what information is helpful to the public – seems to have suffered little resistance from the intellectual majority. Nevertheless, in spite of all these obstacles, it remains part of the work of the church to defend the truth, in all its forms. After all, St. John the Baptizer was martyred due to his stance against falsity and immorality, and not directly because of his confession of Christ as Lord.
The Church cares about all truth. The Old Testament prophets were not shy to rebuke the king on matters of “church” or “state”; namely issues of justice. In short, defending democracy in the midst of today’s globalism is essential to the mission of Christ’s holy Church. Any Christian that does not believe that preserving freedom of speech in today’s political climate is essential to ensuring the free preaching of the Gospel for generations to come, is myopic and short-sighted. This is not an assertion that one’s perspective on, say, freedom of speech or censorship, is a requirement or condition of salvation. Yet any pastor who thinks he can faithfully practice word and sacrament ministry, while behaving as if the Kingdom of the Right has no practical and active relationship with the Left, is failing in his call to shepherd his people holistically in the sanctified life[25]. The Church in the Soviet Union, and even the “authorized” Church in China today, were and are integrally compromised when maintaining silence in the midst of clear and present infractions of injustice and muzzling of speech. The tolerance of swastikas in “confessional” German Churches in the 1930s should be a sufficient warning to pastors who falsely believe that they are not called nor capable to be active critics of the trends of society. The pathetic response of churches around the world to government edicts dictating worship practices during the “pandemania”, demonstrates that we are fully capable, and even tragically willing, of repeating the errors of the past.
The WEF has marked 2030 as the fulfillment of the Great Reset. Its success is contingent upon controlling views, opinions, and movements contrary to its agenda. This likely includes the Church’s ability to proclaim both law and Gospel, truthfully and freely, in the upcoming “Brave New World”. In response, the Church, largely through Christian clergy and ecclesiastical leadership, ought to re-examine the quietist notion of remaining “apolitical”. It is simply untrue that the Church as an organization (as opposed to individual Christians) does not play an active role in politics via influencing Christians to vote a certain way on issues upon which all agree implicate Biblical principles, such as pro-life issues, ban on conversion therapy, rejection of Critical Race Theory, and the like. Faithful pastors help equip, counsel and strengthen their people in all their vocations, including their calling as citizens. Practical efforts may include encouraging, writing and spearheading petitions and petition-writing campaigns, and other appropriate and legal expressions of “political activism”. The lack of lay support of such activities does not imply that those who disagree with their pastors are less holy, spiritual or “Christian” (even when their pastor’s position is grounded in holy writ). Yet without a doubt, the one catholic and apostolic Church is biased, even when it comes to political parties, as she bases her judgement upon the degree to which public policies and mandates are supported by the Christian Scriptures.
It is, in fact, easier today than it was in the past, to boldly reject certain political parties for their public positions and priorities since, in days of old, the founding fathers of the USA and Canada generally shared the same basic “Christian” morals and values. Contrariwise, today, anti-Christian leaders, exposed as such by their anti-Christian policies, are often obvious. In spite of no explicit denouncements by Church leaders, they are implicitly denounced by the Church and her holy doctrine. However, the Church does her members a great disservice by steering clear of this reality. For, members are often unaware of the Church’s position, the Scriptural support, and the reasoning behind her blatant political positions. Instead, members ought to be informed of the “opinion” of the Church and her clergy, who, in turn, are accountable for their decisions before the throne of God. Sadly, during the recent pandemic, many clergy failed to explain the moral and ethical pros and cons of the various vaccine technologies, in spite of being aware of these issues themselves. Depriving Christians of this kind of information that can help them make more godly decisions about how to live out their Christian faith is “wrongdoing” and sinful (1 John 5:16-17), as well as depriving them of the tools necessary for making informed, wise and godly decisions as parents, citizens, and stewards of their own bodies.
Pastors who perceive themselves as having no role to play in the a social arena that stretches beyond the scope of their individual congregations are hopefully a phenomenon of the past: polite, inoffensive, deliberately apolitical, friendly parish pastors whose pastoral ministry, at best, seeks to answer the most basic theological questions while avoiding any controversial topics. Their pastoral visits avoid any appearance of prying into the personal lives of God’s children, including the avoidance of political discussions at all costs. These kinds of doctrinally sound but culturally cowardly ministers, have no hope of being the prophetic voice to the world; something essential to the evangelism of unchurched and unbelieving masses, in preparation for the parousia.[26] Actively opposing globalism is one of many political positions for which Christians can advocate, not only for the sake of educating congregations and a means of applying theological/ethical principles to current issues, but it also demonstrates that the Church actually has a pulse on the wrist of this dying world, part and parcel with a sure and certain hope of the glorious resurrection of believers on the Final Day.
[1] An effective system of direct democracy, which is arguably the “purest” form of democracy, is most feasible in small and local communities.
[2] Incidentally, Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health advisor for Canada, the Canadian counterpart to Dr. Fauci, as an effort towards preparing the nation for upcoming pandemics, asserted that capitalism is the chief threat to public health. Tristin Hopper, “FIRST READING: Public Health Agency of Canada report calls for toppling of 'capitalism and liberty'”, National Post, April 20, 2023. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/public-health-agency-of-canada-report-calls-for-toppling-of-capitalism-liberty, Accessed April 22, 2023.
[3] In European parliament, Croatian MEP Mislav Kolakušić said Canada once stood for civil rights but now seems more like a "dictatorship of the worst kind." Christine Andersen, German MEP, said, "Mr. Trudeau, you are a disgrace for any democracy". Peter Zimonjic, “Trudeau faced harsh critics in the EU Parliament this week. Here's who launched the attacks”, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation”, March 25, 2022. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/european-members-parliament-attact-trudeau-1.6397579. Accessed: April 26, 2023.
[4] Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, “Justin Trudeau's 'foolish' China remarks spark anger”, Nov 9, 2013. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/justin-trudeau-s-foolish-china-remarks-spark-anger-1.2421351. Accessed: April 1, 2023.
[5] Nathan J. Robinson, “Is Capitalism Built on Greed?” Current Affairs, June 20, 2022. https://www.currentaffairs.org/2022/06/is-capitalism-built-on-greed. Accessed: April 23, 2023.
[6] The founding fathers of the LCMS were perhaps even too comfortable with democratic ideology, as C.F.W. Walther eagerly embraced democratic forms into the ecclesiology of the new synod. For example, Walther permitted and orchestrated the shift of American Lutheran church polity from a traditionally episcopal form of governance to a congregationalist and representative one. Unsurprisingly, Walther’s colleague and mentor, Wilhelm Loehe, was highly critical of this theological trajectory and warned Walther of the detrimental impact on the life of the new Church body and the Pastoral Office. Thomas Winger, “The Relationship of Wilhelm Loehe and C.F.W. Walther and the Missouri Synod in the Debate Concerning Church and Office”, Lutheran Theological Review VII: 1&2 (1994/95), p. 107-132, p.114.
[7] Approximately three quarters of LCMS Lutherans vote Republican with 90% favouring less government (central) involvement in their lives. See “Party affiliation among members of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod”, Pew Research Center https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/religious-denomination/lutheran-church-missouri-synod/party-affiliation/. Accessed: April 19, 2023.
[8] One would have expected a more significant number of Christian eyebrows raised in light of the peaceful reputation of Canada, and the fact that there were no recorded acts of violence amongst the hundreds of thousands of protesters, yet there were rampant displays of not only a general lack of due process but also random arrests and freezing of bank accounts, police brutality, tear gas, rubber bullets, etc.
[9] For example, thousands of Canadians continue to offer testimonies of the injustices and injuries they have suffered through the Canadian governments infringement upon civil liberties through the National Citizens Inquiry. https://nationalcitizensinquiry.ca/.
[10] David A. Hollinger, Christian nationalism, Christian globalism and White Americans, Princeton University Press, Oct 21, 2022, https://press.princeton.edu/ideas/christian-nationalism-christian-globalism-and-white-americans. Accessed: April 25, 2023.
[11][11] A quick survey of articles promoting COVID-19 vaccinations and obedience to government mandates in Christianity Today should convince every Christian that no space was offered for Christians who questioned the mainstream beliefs. For example, see Daniel P. Chin, Where Two or More Are Vaccinated: Advice for Churches in 2021, Christianity Today, Jan 27, 2021. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/january-web-only/church-reopening-vaccine-coronavirus-covid-advice.html. Accessed: April 25, 2023.
[12] Due to the Church’s silence on, or uncritical approach towards, the theological and ethical repercussions of globalist projects, it appears that there is a great appetite for proposals such as those of the UN’s and WHO’s for an international treaty on pandemic response, which consists largely of enforcement of vaccines and mandates still controversial among Christians. See Council of the European Union. March 3, 2022, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/coronavirus/pandemic-treaty/
[13] Becket Adams, The New York Times loves the Chinese Communist Party, The Washington Examiner, Jan 5, 2021. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-new-york-times-loves-the-chinese-communist-party. Accessed: April 20, 2023.
[14] Alexander Burns, “Why Can’t Democrats Explain Themselves on China?”, Politico, Dec 27, 2023. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/02/27/democrats-explain-themselves-china-00084482. Accessed: April 17, 2023.
[15] After a series of scandals involving Chinese interreference over the last several years, as well as a leak from Canadian Secret Intelligence Services, investigations are underway that appear to support the allegation that the Canadian government has willingly accepted aid and influence from the Chinese, over the last 5 years at least, resulting in the recent resignation of several elected representatives at federal and provincial levels as well as other major influencers in the Canadian Political arena. Richard Raycraft, “Trudeau Foundation president, board resign, citing 'politicization' of China-linked donation.” Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, April 11, 2023. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-foundation-resign-1.6806482. Accessed: April 19, 2023.
[16] In the 1980s, one may recall the high degree of discussion amongst evangelicals on concerns regarding computer chip implants as ways in which Christians could be marked by the beast through a “One World” government. There were significant theological concerns regarding dependence on governments, especially international governance. After all, Christians had good reason to be hesitant about vulnerability to the potential for surveillance in light of the history of the Church as a persecuted community. Today, microchip implants not only exist but there is an increasing appetite for their use. Yet there is virtually no theological discussion on the theological consequences of such technology in an increasingly interdependent world community, or ones that ought to be controversial for the same reasons (e.g. digital passports, biometric tracking, etc.). See Katherine Latham, “The microchip implants that let you pay with your hand, British Broadcasting Corporation, April 11, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61008730. Accessed: April 24, 2023.
[17] Christine Michel Carter, Forbes, The Complete Guide To Generation Alpha, The Children Of Millennials, Dec 21, 2016. https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecarter/2016/12/21/the-complete-guide-to-generation-alpha-the-children-of-millennials/?sh=7a8250153623. Accessed: April 16, 2023.
[18] World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/focus/the-great-reset. Accessed: Feb 15, 2023.
[19] The oldest continuous temperature record is the Central England Temperature Data Series, which began in 1659, and the Hadley Centre has some measurements beginning in 1850, but there is little data prior to 1880 for scientists to base average temperature estimates for the entire planet.
[20] Members of Canadian parliament serve on the governing board of WEF. Most notably, Krystia Freeland, Deputy PM and Finance Minister serves as one of its trustees.
[21] Jon Brown, “NY Gov. Hochul says vaccines are 'from God,' sends out her own 'apostles' to push jabs”, Fox News, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ny-gov-hochul-claims-covid-19-vaccines-from-god-sends-out-her-own-apostles, Sept 27, 2021. Accessed: April 1, 2023.
[22] The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews has long been considered “the gold standard” in research, and it concluded in a recent review of all mask studies, that masking is predominantly ineffective in preventing the spread of COVID. Jefferson T, Dooley L, Ferroni E, Al-Ansary LA, van Driel ML, Bawazeer GA, Jones MA, Hoffmann TC, Clark J, Beller EM, Glasziou PP, Conly JM, “Do physical measures such as hand-washing or wearing masks stop or slow down the spread of respiratory viruses?”, Cochrane, Jan 30, 2023, https://www.cochrane.org/CD006207/ARI_do-physical-measures-such-hand-washing-or-wearing-masks-stop-or-slow-down-spread-respiratory-viruses. Accessed: April 26, 2023.
[23] The unintended consequences of COVID-19 vaccine policy: why mandates, passports and restrictions may cause more harm than good. National Library of Medicine. May 2022; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35618306/; Accessed April 20, 2023. See also “CDC Excess Death Rate: all causes and ages as percentage of seasonally adjusted Expected Mortality”;
https://totalityofevidence.com/
; Accessed: April 20, 2023.
[24] Yet as Luther says, Christian princes are a possibility but, due to the temptations particular to the office, they are a rarity.
[25] Martin Luther asserted how the Pastor’s responsibility to the prince involved not only prayer but involved “oral protest” stressing that preachers were to rebuke rulers publicly, boldly and honestly Edgar. M. Carlson, "Luther's Conception of Government," Church History, xv (1946), p. 265. Lewis W. Spitz, "Luther's Ecclesiology and His Concept of the Prince As Notbischof," Church History, XXII (1953), p. 126.
[26] In all of my ministry as a military chaplain, parish pastor and missionary, I have never encountered such hunger from unbelievers and the unchurched for the Christian truth and meaning during the global madness during the recent pandemic.