https://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-documentarian-banned-from-filming-at-historic-site.html
Thursday, December 04, 2025
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Fascinating and Indubitably Accurate.
The most dangerous enemy America faces.
America has no shortage of enemies. China seeks to eclipse us geopolitically. Radical Islamists dream of our downfall. Cultural Marxists work tirelessly to dismantle our institutions. Secularists wage war on faith, history, and tradition. Our streets are fraught with crime, our politics with venom, our families with fracture.
But of all the adversaries that threaten the very soul of this nation, none is more profound, more insidious, or more spiritually corrosive than the rise of Progressive Christianity.
Why do I say this? Because Progressive Christianity wears an attractive attire of faith while quietly emptying it of its substance. It keeps the Bible’s vocabulary but drains it of meaning. It blesses what God condemns and condemns what God blesses. In doing so, it leaves our nation defenseless, not just politically or culturally, but morally and spiritually.
One need only glance at the trajectory of progressive theology to see its insidious shape. Scripture’s authority is the first casualty. Once the Bible is dismissed as myth and folklore — stripped of its divine inspiration, authority, and inerrancy — what follows is not mere drift but apostasy. Every doctrine, every moral boundary, every spiritual truth falls like dominoes. Sin is no longer rebellion against a holy God but merely a failure to “live authentically.” Sexual ethics are reimagined, with everything from LGBT behavior to adultery and fornication celebrated as legitimate expressions of love. Abortion becomes a “sacrament of autonomy.” Gender becomes fluid. Idolatry becomes spiritual pluralism. Judgment becomes symbolic. Hell — once the solemn warning of the Lord Jesus Himself — is reduced to a psychological metaphor, then dismissed altogether. This is not enlightened theological evolution. This is a damnable doctrinal demolition.
Here lies one of the great ironies of our time: Progressive Christians have long contended that conservative evangelicals should stay out of politics — that faith should have no role in public policy, that pastors should not speak to cultural issues, that the church must remain within its “private spiritual lane.” Yet in recent years, their own doctrinal reinterpretations have shaped the direction of this country far more profoundly, and far more negatively, than any sermon, rally, or voter guide ever produced by Christian conservatives.
When Progressive Christianity dismantles biblical authority, denies moral absolutes, blesses sexual anarchy, redefines family, sanctifies abortion, and erases the fear of God, these ideas do not remain within the walls of the church. They spill outward into legislation, education, entertainment, and cultural norms. Their theology has influenced our courts, our classrooms, and our culture, always drifting toward moral permissiveness and spiritual decay.
To ensure conservative believers remain silent, progressive clergy smear Christian conservatives with labels like “Christian nationalist,” a term so elastic it can be stretched to vilify anyone who believes Scripture should inform the national conscience. It is a weapon, not a description. It’s meant to intimidate and delegitimize anyone who refuses to surrender biblical truth. By demanding that conservatives retreat, progressives have cleared the public square for their worldview to dominate. The results have been spiritually devastating for America.
History illustrates just how dangerous this is. Germany — the land of Martin Luther, the cradle of the Reformation — did not collapse spiritually overnight. It started in the seminaries, where liberal theologians divested Scripture of its supernatural core. Miracles were dismissed. The resurrection was “demythologized.” Judgment was declared incompatible with an “enlightened society.” Moral commands were viewed as culturally conditioned. By the time Hitler rose to power, the German church was spiritually hollowed out. Its pulpits had already stopped preaching sin, judgment, and the fear of God. So, when real evil appeared, the Church lacked the moral clarity to stand against it.
Germany did not fall because Christianity failed the nation. It fell because a counterfeit had supplanted Christianity.
The parallels to America today are chilling. Progressive Christianity is training a generation to believe that God does not judge, that sin is whatever society says it is, that Jesus came not to redeem but to affirm, that the Bible must bow before cultural sensibilities, and that salvation is really unnecessary because everyone is already acceptable to God as they are.
Our nation cannot long endure such a spiritual vacuum. No external enemy can destroy a country faster than a church emptied of the truth. For once, the pulpits surrender, the people lose their compass. When the people lose their compass, every institution eventually collapses — the family, government, education, law, culture. Without the fear of God, the moral imagination of a nation darkens.
Progressive Christianity, then, is not simply another view of Christianity. It is actually a dismantling of the Christian faith from the inside. It is a spiritual Trojan horse. It is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It offers America all the trappings of Christianity but none of its power. It lulls the nation into a false peace while severing it from a Holy God who judges those who transgress His law, and a gracious God who mercifully saves sinners.
America may face adversaries abroad and agitators at home. Still, none is more dangerous than a fake Christianity that preaches grace without a Cross, a kingdom without righteousness, and a God without holiness. If America falls, it will not be because our enemies outside the gate were stronger. It will be because the enemies inside our sanctuaries and standing in the pulpits were subtler than we realized, preaching a Gospel without a rugged Cross and a Christ without a crown.
A faith stripped of truth cannot save a soul, much less save a civilization.
Rev. Mark H. Creech is Executive Director of the Christian Action League of North Carolina, Inc. He was a pastor for twenty years before taking this position, having served five different Southern Baptist churches in North Carolina and one Independent Baptist in upstate New York.
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Evangelical Catholics. (I'm not sure that I understood all of this.)
11 reasons I’m an Evangelical Catholic.
I realize the title of this article may sound like an oxymoron. However, the original Protestant Reformers never viewed themselves as abandoning the Catholic Church. The term “Catholic,” which simply means universal, was not synonymous with Roman Catholicism in their minds. They believed they were reforming the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, not departing from it.
Consequently, in an age of theological confusion and denominational fragmentation, for the past several decades I found myself increasingly drawn to a vision of the Church that is both ancient and reformational, rooted in the apostolic faith and renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, I consider myself an Evangelical Catholic: (not a Roman Catholic!) a believer who affirms the essential truths of the Protestant Reformation while holding fast to the spiritual richness and theological depth of the historic, catholic (universal) Church. This is not about denominational identity but about fidelity to the fullness of the faith once delivered to the saints.
Here are 11 reasons why I identify as a Protestant Catholic:
1. I Believe in Scripture alone as the final authority, but not as a solo Scriptura
The Reformers championed sola Scriptura, that the Bible is the highest authority in matters of faith and practice. I affirm this wholeheartedly. But “Scripture alone” does not mean “Solo Scriptura” or “me and my Bible alone.” The Evangelical Catholic reads Scripture within the historic, Spirit-filled community of faith, guided by the creeds, councils, and trusted teachers of the Church. We do not worship tradition, but we respect it as the echo of the Spirit’s voice through the ages.
2. I embrace the great tradition without submitting to post-biblical innovations
Being Evangelical means I reject doctrines that emerged in reaction to or in deviation from the apostolic faith — like the Roman dogmas of papal infallibility or the immaculate conception of Mary. Being catholic means to embrace the Church’s creeds, its patristic wisdom, and its liturgical heritage. I am not interested in reinventing Christianity every generation. I desire a rooted, durable faith — one that spans the centuries and draws strength from the historic communion of saints.
3. I hold to justification by faith — but also to the transforming power of grace
The Reformers rightly taught that we are justified by faith alone, apart from works. I affirm this as the heart of the Gospel. Yet true faith is never alone — it brings transformation. The grace that justifies also sanctifies. True catholicity rejects the false dichotomy between faith and obedience, between salvation and discipleship. We are saved by grace alone, but grace is not cheap — it is the power of God that reorders the soul for the purpose of engaging in good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).
4. I believe in the unity of the Church — not denominational tribalism
Jesus prayed in John 17 that His followers would be one, just as He and the Father are one. This is spiritual oneness with the Triune God, His body. As an Evangelical Catholic, I also long for the visible unity of the Church — not through institutional uniformity, but through spiritual and missional harmony. I do not align myself with sectarianism that pits one group of Christians against another. Rather, I seek to honor the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, even if I disagree strongly with some aspects of historical expressions of Christianity.
5. I practice a sacramental life without sacramental legalism
I believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are more than mere symbols. They are means of grace, through which God acts upon the believer in faith. I reject the notion that these practices are magical or salvific in themselves, but I also reject the modern evangelical reduction of them to mere symbols.” An Evangelical Catholic can espouse a high view of the sacraments without falling into some extreme teachings of sacramentalism.
6. I value the mystical and contemplative streams of the Church
Too much of modern Christianity is shallow, distracted, and performative. As an Evangelical Catholic, I draw deeply from some of the wells of Christian mysticism — from Augustine’s longing for God, to Bernard of Clairvaux’s fiery love of Christ, to the Eastern fathers’ vision of theosis. While I test all spiritual practices by the Word, I recognize the importance of silence, stillness, and interior transformation. God is not just to be studied — He is to be encountered.
7. I uphold apostolic ministry without apostolic elitism
I believe the five ministry gifts of Ephesians 4:11; however, I do not confuse biblical apostolicity with hierarchical dominance. An Evangelical Catholic vision of apostolic ministry is servant-oriented, Christ-centered, and accountable, not based on personal ambition or dynastic control. The historic Apostolic Episcopacy exists to ground the Church in truth and launch it into mission.
8. I Preach the Kingdom of God, not just individual salvation
The church throughout the ages not only emphasized personal salvation, but also the priesthood of all believers, and the sacredness of work as a vocation. Furthermore, Protestant Reformers like Calvin held that God’s moral law (the Decalogue) provided the ethical framework for both personal conduct and civil order
As an Evangelical Catholic, I believe Salvation includes the Lordship of Christ, renewing every aspect of civilization. I preach the cross and resurrection not only as a personal benefit but as a cosmic victory.
9. I love the Church Fathers and learn from them
Many believers have little knowledge of the early Church Fathers, yet these men — Athanasius, Irenaeus, Cyril, Maximus, and Augustine — laid the groundwork for much of what we believe. As an Evangelical Catholic, I read them not as infallible authorities but as wise guides who preserved the faith under fire.
10. I believe the Church must be both Reformed and ever reforming
An Evangelical Catholic subscribes to some form of the Protestant mantra “Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda est”— the Church reformed must always be reforming. This is not a license for theological innovation but a call to constant repentance, humility, and realignment with Scripture. I do not seek nostalgia for a golden age nor bow to cultural trends. Instead, I seek a Church that is faithful, historically rooted in the great tradition, mission-driven, and Spirit-empowered — a Church that recovers the past to redeem the future.
11. I am not a restorationist
I do not believe the Ephesians 4:11 ministry gifts were missing for 1800 years and restored in the 20th century. God has been building His church for 2000 years and never left Himself without a witness of all the ministry expressions of His Son.
To be an Evangelical Catholic is to hold the tension between truth and tradition, Word and Spirit, past and future. It means grounding ourselves in Scripture, standing with the historic universal Church, and living out the Gospel in the world today.
Dr. Joseph Mattera is renowned for addressing current events through the lens of Scripture by applying biblical truths and offering cogent defenses to today's postmodern culture. To order his bestselling books or to join the many thousands who subscribe to his acclaimed newsletter, go to www.josephmattera.org.
Lots Of Dreadful Things Come From Brussels.
‘Insult to Our Traditions’: Faceless ‘Inclusive’ Nativity Scene Sparks Backlash in Brussels.
Nicolas TUCAT / AFP via Getty ImagesA faceless and “inclusive” Nativity scene put on by the city of Brussels has sparked controversy and calls for it to be removed, with critics branding the installation as an insult to Christian heritage and tradition.
On Friday, the Brussels city government unveiled its new Nativity scene at the Grand-Place, the medieval market square in the city centre of the Belgian capital. The city said that it was necessary to replace its previous feature as it had become dilapidated and difficult to transport without destroying it.
Mayor of Brussels Philippe Close, a self-described secularist and Socialist Party politician, said that he farmed out the design of the new Nativity scene to the Cathedrals of St. Michael and St. Gudula, who selected the design of Brussels-based artist Victoria-Maria.
Unlike traditional Nativity scenes, the one designed by Victoria-Maria was made entirely of recycled fabrics, and the figures of Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, a donkey, the Three Wise Men, a shepherd, and a sheep were all faceless, replaced with a pixelated patchwork of beige and brown fabrics.
A member of the designing team told La Libre the purpose was to create “an inclusive mix of all skin tones, so that everyone can see themselves reflected.”
However, many found the scene insulting, including Belgian Senator Georges-Louis Bouchez, who described the faceless figures as being more akin to the “zombies at Brussels stations than a real nativity scene”.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – NOVEMBER 28: German-born interior architect and designer Victoria Maria Geyer (L) and the Brussels Mayor Philippe Close (R) pose beside the controversial nativity scene in Brussels Grand-Place on November 28, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
“How ugly, a society that denies its values… This nativity scene is terrible and an insult to our traditions… It is unacceptable to see our traditions erode time and again because of so-called inclusivity,” the Reformist Movement leader wrote on X.
“An inclusive society is one that brings people together — and Christmas is THE holiday that does that.”
Bouchez called for the Nativity to be replaced “immediately, or at the latest for next year’s edition.” Mayor Close had previously said the city hopes the scene will be used for at least the next five years.
Professor of Cognitive Psychology, Wouter Duyck, of Ghent University, suggested that political correctness and a fear of angering Brussels’ large Muslim population was the true inspiration for the faceless Nativity scene.
“In Islam, the faces of prophets are not depicted. This is the nativity scene in the capital of Europe. Whoever decided to impose a hierarchy on religions in favour of the least tolerant one?” Prof Duyck questioned.
“As a freethinker, I am greatly concerned about our secularity/neutrality. Co-existence and freedom of religion require precisely that you do not impose things on others. The strange thing is that it is not Muslims who are doing this (I hope).”
He suggested that it was a “misplaced fallacy” among liberals, holding that “spewing mist over one’s own traditions, values, and fundamental principles would be beneficial for integration and would facilitate living together in diversity.”
Meanwhile, the Mayor’s office said on Saturday that the head of baby Jesus was stolen from the Nativity scene, De Standaard reported. It is so far unclear what the motive for the theft was.
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Breitbart.
Open Doors.
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Wednesday, December 03, 2025
Council of Nicaea.
Church leaders pray for unity in service marking 1,700 years since Council of Nicaea.
An ecumenical service has been held by Christian leaders in Iznik, Turkey, to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
Persecution in Turkey.
Spotlight falls on discrimination against Christians in Turkey as Pope visits.
(Photo: Getty/iStock)Pope Leo XIV arrived in Turkey on Thursday for a three-day apostolic visit, the first papal journey to the country since Pope Francis travelled there in 2014.
The visit coincides with the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and comes days after the publication of a detailed report documenting the continuing difficulties faced by Turkey’s Christian minority.
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Turkey is home to some of the earliest Christian communities and was the setting for several events recorded in the New Testament. Seven of the churches addressed in the Book of Revelation are located within its modern borders.
The Council of Nicaea, held in what is now the town of İznik, produced the original version of the Nicene Creed, a central statement of Christian belief still recited in churches worldwide.
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Official Turkish statistics do not record religious affiliation, but estimates place the current Christian population at around 257,000 people – fewer than 0.3% of the country’s 85 million inhabitants. In 1915, Christians made up approximately 20% of the population of the same territory.
A 50-page report published on 24 November by the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) states that Christians in Turkey continue to face legal, administrative and social obstacles.
It says that the decline in Turkey's Christian community over the last century "stems from genocides, pogroms, and systematic state policies aimed at creating an ethnically and religiously homogeneous Turkish Sunni Muslim nation".
Key points include at least 12 documented physical attacks on churches since 2020, some involving firearms or explosives, and the expulsion of dozens of foreign Protestant pastors and charity workers on supposed national-security grounds, amounting to the "systematic targeting" of foreign clergy.
The negative portrayal of Christianity and Christian converts is common in textbooks and media, it says. "Hate speech" against Christians is "widespread" in the media and public discourse.
The report also details the confiscation or transfer of ownership of more than 1,000 church properties since 2002, and the continued denial of legal personality to many Christian associations, preventing them from owning property in their own name or opening churches.
The Halki (Heybeliada) Theological Seminary has been closed since 1971, limiting the training of Orthodox clergy, the report notes.
It quotes President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s 2019 statement, made in the presence of then US President Donald Trump, that the seminary would be reopened. Despite this, no steps towards reopening it have been taken.
The report goes on to say that UNESCO should request an evaluation of the status of Christian heritage sites in Turkey, including Hagia Sophia, Chora, and Syriac monasteries. The Hagia Sophia was controversially made a mosque again in 2020.
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"The ECLJ calls on Turkey to respect and protect its Christian citizens and residents, to uphold its obligations under the Treaty of Lausanne, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and to guarantee genuine freedom of religion and belief for all," the report said.
During his weekly audience on 24 November, Pope Leo XIV asked Catholics to accompany his journey with prayer, describing Turkey and Lebanon as “lands rich in history and spirituality”. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin noted that Turkey remains “the cradle of Christianity” and underlined the importance of the Nicene Creed in defining core Christian doctrine.
The Pope’s programme includes a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, and a visit to the site of the Nicaean Council in İznik. He will then travel onward to Lebanon. CT.
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Franklin Graham preached in Glasgow, launches new fund to defend religious freedom in the UK. Staff writer Franklin Graham preaching at ...
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8729962/Quango-bosses-double-their-pay.html Good work, 'Dave'!
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