PetrusChristus @Pivot2020

The world actually makes perfect sense; it is just that vanishingly few men have a coherent Weltanschauung.

Well, this is disappointing… Chosen foods: Phthalates 1,130 ppb Primal Kitchen: Phthalates 2,774 ppb Madhava: Phthalates 56,808 ppb Simple Truth: Phthalates 2,912 ppb Private Selection: Phthalates 3,033 Trader Joe’s: Phthalates 2,426

Barry Goldwater wanted to fight the communists with nuclear weapons. Instead he got sidelined in a landslide defeat in 1964 against LBJ - who went on to lose a war with a communist insurgency in the jungles of Vietnam. Thomas777 and I go into the eccentric legacy of 'Mr. Conservative', how his politics influenced the GOPs realignment towards the South, and what the libertarian streak he cultivated in right-wing circles culminated in by the early 2000s. substack.com/home/post/p-21…

Education is not sanctification.

Women are hardwired to respect you more when you refuse to indulge their nonsense.

Art isn’t downstream of theology. It’s downstream to surplus. The line is that Calvinism kills art. Then the Dutch Republic gets rich and produces Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, and a painting market so deep that ordinary households owned canvases. Anabaptists get called world-denying. Then the Amish settle, prosper, and build furniture that shaped American taste for a century. Same with the Shakers. Give a people peace, capital, and a little leisure, and they make art. Every time. Sub-creators through and through.

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Go to church tomorrow.

A little humility seems appropriate here. Jay himself went from Calvinism to Roman Catholicism, then spent roughly 2½ years confessing Orthodoxy as a catechumen before deciding not to be received and publicly announcing his return to Catholicism. Years later, after continuing to wrestle with these questions, he ultimately entered the Orthodox Church. That isn't a criticism of Jay. If anything, his own history illustrates how complicated a person's search for the truth can be—and why we should probably be cautious about reducing someone else's religious journey to “get off the internet.” On a related note, I'd genuinely be interested if Jay has ever published a point-by-point reconsideration of his 2008 essay My Retraction of Eastern Orthodoxy. He gave substantial theological reasons at the time for rejecting Orthodoxy, and I'd be interested in reading how he later came to understand those particular arguments differently. @Alex_Ortodoxie @LukasNectarios @JayDyer

Jotting down these post-debate notes as I think of them and get a spare moment: Before I do anything else, I need to credit Joshua P. Hochschild, whose excellent and compact summary of nominalism — and of what makes it distinct from (1) its caricature, (2) realism, and (3) conceptualism — I relied upon in my opening statement. I neglected to credit him on the stream, for which I apologize. The summary in reference can be read in context in Hochschild’s 2014 paper, "What's Wrong With Ockham? Reassessing the Role of Nominalism in the Dissolution of the West" — link [1] in the replies. Hochschild is a papist, and I am a Lutheran, so I do not agree with all of the conclusions he draws in his paper. Nevertheless, it is one of the best short treatments of the subject out there. YMMV. In our debate Dyer again mentioned The Harvest of Late Medieval Theology by Heiko Oberman (hereafter: Harvest) — "again" because he had mentioned it in his interview with Tucker Carlson, and he has referred to it on X. He seems like the book quite a bit. It is odd, then, that he consistently claims that Oberman was Lutheran. Dyer made this claim in his Tucker interview, on X recently at least once, and in our debate (Tuesday August 4). In point of fact, Oberman was not Lutheran: he was Dutch Reformed. Harvest is a great book, as is Oberman’s scholarship overall. He was a particularly gifted intellect. That said, some of his conclusions are a tad overwrought. Maybe it's a Dutch thing (I can sympathize, being much Dutch myself). It's important to remember that being an academic and writing a book does not make someone an authority on anything. Neither is it per se a signal of intelligence. Hath not the great Dyer quipped "What’s that saying — 'You have to be an academic to be really stupid'?" Indeed, he hath. (See link [2] in the replies, "Transcript of Jay Dyer Interview: Tucker Carlson Show.") Some academics are quite bright. Others are quite stupid. It's noteworthy that the E.O. in particular seem to have a niche fascination with Oberman's work. Dyer is not the only one — see link [3] in the replies: "Championing an Unknown and Unbeloved Era: A Survey of Heiko A. Oberman’s Life, Work, and Methodology." Why? Well, it certainly is possible to tweeze threads from Oberman's work, especially Harvest, which seem to fit with and validate the E.O.'s fan-fic tapestry of Church history and, alongside it, the worldview of Current Year convertodoxy and orthobroism for which Dyer is an acolyte. The Just-So story that bad Filioque-infected "Latinized" Western scholasticism "gave birth to" nominalism which "gave birth to" Luther's "novel" theology which then "gave birth to" anything and everything that is called Protestantism (and also Walmart and transgenderism) is very appealing to certain casts of mind. It seems to do real explanatory work, especially among those who believe that God will damn them if they don't attach themselves to the right group of bishops by the end of the day . . . or at least make plans to do so — apparently some sort of indulgence applies during OCIA, sort of like the insurance binder that covers you while you're driving the car home from the dealership. Here is is a slightly longer version of the Just-So story mentioned above: Western Christendom "Latinized" after the "first thousand years" of the Church (dating from Pentecost rather than Genesis), [eventually resulting in "nominalism",] which then inevitably produced "Protestantism." While the hopelessly "Latinized" Roman Catholics, as much as they did not like or approve of [all of the damage that the nominalism pitbull did, including] Protestantism, were/are nonetheless responsible for it. Current Year degeneracy is the fourth-order effect of people believing that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. "Rome added to Holy Orthodoxy; Protestants subtracted from Holy Orthodoxy." So you need to "begum Orthodox", because "Orthodoxy" is actual Christianity. Also you should do that soon, because you're "saved" (insofar as this can be predicated of anyone before they actually enter heaven — and you sweet summer child we have not even begun to discuss the aerial toll-houses) not by believing in Jesus Christ but by being in communion with "the Orthodox Church", i.e., being properly submitted to one of their bishops, etc. — or at least in OCIA and posting on X. You may have thought that the Philippian jailer in Acts 16 was converted and believed in the Lord Jesus unto salvation and that he had eternal life right then per John 3, but no: what was happening was rather that he and his household were "entering into communion with the Orthodox Church" and beginning their uncertain journey of mystical participation in the divine energies in the hope that they would someday become godly enough to enter heaven. /end Notice that you can read the foregoing with or without the bracketed parts that refer to nominalism and still get the standard Ortho doomer philosophy of history, but if you are familiar with the flannel-graph nominalism of Dyer and others, the bracketed parts make the story even more fetching. More points on the graph make for a smoother curve. The problem, though, is that the E.O. Just-So story is false, except for the part about the papacy being responsible for the sectarianism — and in some cases heresy — which arose after the Reformation. That’s the assertion. The argument and proof is not something that’s going to fit in a Friday afternoon X post. In the meantime, and in closing: Western man, you are being lied to in the name of God. "Holy Orthodoxy" isn't. The "Orthodox" aren't. Yes, there are some who are nominally in that camp who are indeed Christians, despite the false doctrine which surrounds them and the carnal confusion of their own minds (see link [4] in the replies). This is a mercy of God. Do not dare to presume upon it in your own case. Many, many "converts" who flee to the temples of the East are indeed apostatizing in the fullest sense of the word — denying the Lord who bought them, treading under foot the Son of God, counting the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing, and insulting the Spirit of grace. God is a God at hand, not a God afar off. He Himself is your peace. He has deigned to dwell among us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ our Savior. Not through His mystical energies, not through some mysterious created substance of grace; no, but in a mystery which defies our understanding and yet also can — and will — still all fear and uncertainty, He even now fills all things as both God and Man. Let not your hearts be troubled — He has overcome the world. The prophetic and apostolic Scriptures declare this to you. The Word of God, written, read, proclaimed, and confessed, really and truly communicates God's gracious will to you. Baptism really does unite you to Christ’s death and resurrection, confer the gift of the Holy Spirit, and clothe you in Christ. The bread and wine of the Lord's Supper really and truly are the holy body and blood of Christ, once for all given into death and poured out for the forgiveness of your sins, that you who eat and drink of it would be strengthened and preserved in faith unto life everlasting, and have joy and peace in believing and abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit, even in the midst of the tribulation and testing of your faith which you undergo, even as your flesh groans with all creation, yearning for that better country and the mansions of the City of God. Because you really do have an advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ the righteous really and truly did make atonement for the sins of the whole world. That includes you and your sins. Be reconciled to God, therefore. For He has made His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us all, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. It truly is finished. The Law says "do this," and it is never done. But the Law's accusation has been done away with in Christ. He has forgiven you all trespasses and blotted out the decree that rightly arraigned and condemned you and sentenced you to death and damnation. Out of pure grace and love beyond all telling, not because you are worthy but because He is good, He took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross. Grace says "believe this," and everything is done already. How could a mere man experience the infinite wrath of God against sin, which we, being but temporal and finite creatures, would necessarily experience for eternity — how could a mere man suffer this in a temporal way? He could not. He would necessarily suffer it eternally. But Jesus Christ is no mere man. He is true God, begotten of the Father from all eternity, and also true Man, born of the Virgin Mary. "These things the Savior endured, and made peace through the Blood of His Cross, for things in heaven, and things in earth. For we were enemies of God through sin, and God had appointed the sinner to die. There must needs therefore have happened one of two things; either that God, in His truth, should destroy all men, or that in His loving-kindness He should cancel the sentence. But behold the wisdom of God; He preserved both the truth of His sentence, and the exercise of His loving-kindness. Christ took our sins in His body on the tree, that we by His death might die to sin, and live unto righteousness. Of no small account was He who died for us; He was not a literal sheep; He was not a mere man; He was more than an Angel; He was God made man. The transgression of sinners was not so great as the righteousness of Him who died for them; the sin which we committed was not so great as the righteousness which He wrought who laid down His life for us" (St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313-386), Catechetical Lectures, 13.33). Child of Adam for whom Christ died: to him that does not work, but believes in God who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. "Then said the Jews unto Jesus, 'What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?' Jesus answered and said unto them, 'This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent'" (John 6:37). Human reason is indeed scandalized, offended, and incredulous at this prospect. That's the point — it has no place here. God bless your afternoon.

And then . . . stone-choir.com/category/lxx-s…

x.com/bonifacegroup/…

The Boniface Group @bonifacegroup

8 months ago

If you haven't already heard Mikkel's excellent interview on the topic of the Septuagint with @RevBraats on @gottesdienst2, remedy that! A great introduction to his work. gottesdienst.org/podcast/2025/6…

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If you haven't already heard Mikkel's excellent interview on the topic of the Septuagint with @RevBraats on @gottesdienst2, remedy that! A great introduction to his work. gottesdienst.org/podcast/2025/6…

Yes, surely no one has foreseen where this could go.

Crémieux @cremieuxrecueil

6 days ago

It's remarkable how often LLMs will just regurgitate the common view from Reddit. AFAICT, no one really seems to see this as a looming knowledge crisis. Unless you think relying on Reddit is OK, then LLMs desperately need to be fixed to stop doing that.

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When Jay Dyer is on a debate he pushes more people away than he converts.

youtube.com/live/ORoz--7DC…

I originally thought she was pathetically desperate for the approval of the same forces tormenting her. Now I'm thinking she's actually just one of them (she was a Kamala gal), and is more fearful of losing her conservative/midwestern audience by saying what she really thinks.

Matt Walsh @MattWalshBlog

a week ago

Caitlin Clark might be the biggest coward in the history of sports. She refuses to say anything about the anti-white racism she has been subjected to since coming into the league. She punts on the trans question, which is the easiest question you could ever be asked. No spine.

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Jesus and the rest of the New Testament quote the Greek Septuagint almost exclusively. The opening moment of Christ's public ministry begins with Him quoting the Greek Septuagint scroll of Isaiah. This reading is not found in the same form in the rabbinic forgery.

You can sue McDonald’s for spilling hot coffee on yourself. But you can’t sue Pfizer if their vaccine injures you. This is the world we live in. MAHA

Despite his childish and inappropriate behavior during our previous interaction, I would be willing to debate Penal Substitutionary Atonement with @JayDyer. Given his recent post about a debate in Nashville, that seems most convenient.

When the courts overturned the tariffs they stole your money and gave it to giant corporations that hate you

Polymarket @Polymarket

2 weeks ago

JUST IN: Apple received an estimated $2,200,000,000.00 tariff refund this quarter.

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