Real Strength – Manly 7

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Introduction

“The Manly 7” … What a title! How truly fitting, for that is what they are; manly. Courageous men taking a stand on faith and conviction. Holding fast to principles and showing a measure of courage and strength that has sent shock waves around the world! God bless them!

It has been amazing to see the events of this week unfold. On Monday, the Manly Sea Eagles were informed that on the Thursday of the same week, their team would be playing in new jerseys decorated with the rainbow pride flag. I am proud to say that my brother, Josh Aloiai, along with 6 teammates (Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Josh Schuster, Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolu Koula, and Toafofoa Sipley) refused to dishonour themselves in this way. And last night (Thursday) they were not even allowed to attend the game.

No Despair

What has truly stood out to me has been the contrast between the Manly 7 and the woke outrage mobs. On the one hand, you can see 7 men taking a stand for what they believe in. As a result they have received insults, death threats, slander in the media, people have turned up to their houses hurling abuse, and their families have been targeted. Nevertheless, unwavering! No despair to be found among them! Resolved, committed, and joyful.

On the other hand, among the reactors, there is wailing in the streets. In Leviticus, God pronounces the kind of judgment that he would inflict on a rebellious people. One of the punishments he imposes on them is a spirit of cowardice; he says, “I will send faintness into their hearts… The sound of a driven leaf shall put them to flight, and they shall flee as one flees from the sword, and they shall fall when none pursues.” (Leviticus 26:36). One journalist wrote about how all of this breaks his heart, justifies the deepest darkest thoughts of LGBTTQ+ people, leads to depression, self-harm, and suicide. He talks about how he is “transported into the home of a young NRL fan who is part of the LGBTTQIA+ community and is being told by this boycott their very existence is wrong.”[1] The faux outrage and pearl-clutching is cringe-worthy.

At a time when LGBTQ+ ideology is celebrated and promoted in every realm of life, the smallest perceived slight causes grown men to have emotional meltdowns. A few men refuse to bend over backwards to accommodate their every whim and tell them how lovely their sodomy is, and their lips tremble as they fear for their lives. They call this “homophobic bigotry”.[2] Some of them show their hand and make clear that mere acceptance is not enough. Nothing less than active allegiance is what they demand.[3] Meanwhile, The Manly 7 are receiving actual death threats and calls for social exclusion. Their knees are not quaking. A hundred thousand men could not set them to flight right now!

The alphabet crowd have shown themselves to be people who have spines of playdough, while the real men have been an inspiring example of strength.

Just A Rainbow?

Of course, I can’t speak for any of the men, but there are plenty of good reasons why no Christian would want to adorn himself with the gay rainbow. For starters, the rainbow is a Christian symbol that reminds us of the covenant God made with Noah. The gay rainbow is a co-opting of this symbol that instead glories in “pride”; a sin that has been considered the core of rebellion for centuries.

More than that, we all know that in our culture, the gay rainbow, in all its variants, is a celebration of LGBTQ+ ideology. The same ideology that fundamentally denies God’s rights as creator, rejects God’s good design for marriage and sex, ignores the obvious reality of the male/female order, and now chemically castrates and mutilates people.

Of course, Christians would not want to align themselves with such things. To Hell with that.

Denying reality and taking pride in shameful things is utterly foolish. In God’s providence, this was put on full display last night. While I always support whatever team my brother plays for, I couldn’t help but see the humour in how things played out. The Manly 7 refused to make themselves less respectable. They refused to sow the seeds of compromise in their own hearts. They refused to emasculate themselves. They refused to allow evil to gain another small victory through them.

At the same time, the men glorifying LGBTQ+ pride put on a shameful performance. The men in the rainbow shirts were pounded by the cocks (Roosters). Anyone watching that game knew full well that if The Manly 7 were there it would have been one sided destruction. In sum, the pride celebration was the cause of a shameful loss.

Hypocrites

Perhaps the most popular push back this week has been the charge of hypocrisy. The woke crowd really thought they had found a zinger when someone realised that the Manly jersey contains a logo for a gambling company and their stadium is named after an alcoholic beverage. Even though the Bible does not condemn alcohol or gambling as inherently sinful, it was enough for them to run with anyway. Here was me thinking that most people knew about the story where Jesus turned water into wine. Now, we all recognise that gambling and alcohol can be abused, and both are the instruments of harm in many lives, nevertheless, a casual bet here and there, or a beer with friends is perfectly fine. But even among Christians who think any use of alcohol, or any gambling is unwise, there is a recognition that LGBTQ perversions are on a whole other level. They are what the Bible describes as an abomination to God. There is no moral equivalence between the two.

To The Manly 7

Thank you for your bold and courageous stand. I know I am not the only one who has been deeply encouraged by you all. Right now, the world wants you to feel ashamed of yourselves. They want you to hang your heads and feel embarrassed for your beliefs. They want you to be afraid and shocked by what is happening. I am confident that they will fail in their efforts. These are words that I’m sure you have reminded yourselves of over the past week, but Peter says, “do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:12-13).

Brothers, be joyful in this time. Be joyful because you have been counted worthy to suffer along with Christ. Be joyful that you have a strength that does not come from you; a strength that comes from God himself. You are men! Your enemies are faint of heart next to you. They are sold out to the narrative that they are perpetual victims. No matter how much you give, they are committed to always being discontent and on the brink of breakdown. I thank God that you men are not that frail. In Christ we are more than conquerors. As Christians and lovers of truth, we possess a kind of strength that cannot be taken from us. It can only be forfeited. Since this is the case, do not forfeit your strength. Let your conscience stand or fall before the Lord. This is the kind of faith that tyrants have feared for two thousand years.

Jesus said, “what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” I judge by your actions that you do know this, but whatever you do from here, there is likely a cost that will need to be paid. It’s not whether there will be a cost, but which cost will it be? On one side there is the physical cost of sponsorship deals, opportunities, popularity, and success. But on the other side, there is the cost that is charged to the soul of the man who compromises himself. Continue to be the kind of men that you want your sons to be. Continue to be the kind of men you your wives and partners admire. Continue to live before God and not men.

Thank you for igniting zeal in so many of us and God bless you all!

[1] https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/07/26/opinion-players-rejecting-the-manly-pride-jersey-are-hypocrites/

[2] https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/gender-and-society/300647815/rejecting-a-pride-jersey-while-endorsing-one-from-a-gambling-company-is-hypocrisy-at-best

[3] Ibid (“It is not enough for them to say that they are not homophobic. They must be actively against homophobia.”)

Lessons from the Gulags – Part 3

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Introduction

Just before Solzhenitsyn was exiled to the West, he left his motherland with a world-class essay called “Live Not by Lies”. It was his parting exhortation to his Soviet brethren, imploring them to refrain from cooperating with the lies of their leaders. This bold and confronting piece has some brilliant lessons to teach us today. The lesson I learned from Solzhenitsyn here was that the first and most basic step towards our liberation from tyranny is to refuse to participate with the lies.

What Lies?

Over the past two years, our nation has been bombarded with lies from our government and its media. Back in September of 2020, our Prime Minister said that there would be no forced vaccinations and that those who chose to opt-out would face no penalties. Newshub even said that it was “conspiracy theorists” who were promoting the idea that there would be mandatory vaccines.[1] In August of 2021, Auckland went into a “one-week” lockdown in order to “go hard and go early”, in response to one COVID case in the community.[2] That “one week” was a lie. It actually ended up being more than fourteen weeks before restrictions were lifted. Then in November of 2021, there was the secretive passing of COVID legislation without consultation[3] and the complete curbing of the Bill of Rights.

While all this is happening, throughout the past two years, there has been vicious censoring of any and all dissent. World experts are being banned from Twitter and we are unable to even link to their material,[4] doctors are fired and punished for rejecting the mainstream narrative.[5]

Now, I know enough about human nature to see what is going on here. Every other time I see one side trying to viciously silence opposing views, it is always because the ones doing the silencing have no ability to respond to their objections. This is why the Critical Theory loonies want to label all conservatives as racist, homophobic bigots, and why our government wants to pass its Conversion Practices Bill. This is why the doomsday climate folks want to cancel any scientists who challenge their false prophecies. This is why the elites want a monopoly on the narrative regarding everything from elections down to gender.

People in power always find it easier to silence their opposition through the exercise of force. The last thing they want is for everything to be exposed in the light and for people to make up their own minds. If that isn’t what is going on here, then why are they acting like it is?

The Problem of Cowards

In New Zealand in 2022, human nature is not so different from that of Russia in 1974. People are much the same. Like them, people here have willingly gone along with the foolish mandates and become state actors. Punishing and disciplining the non-compliant. Out of cowardly self-preservation, men have abandoned principle and embraced the lies. They have thrown people to the crocodiles, hoping to be the last ones eaten. Men have capitulated and compromised hoping that they would not have to pay the price. But there is always a price to be paid. The cowards of our day won’t pay the price of straying from the herd, or social exclusion, or losing their job. However, they will pay the price of losing any strength of character that they might have had. They will squander the liberty and freedoms that their ancestors fought and died for. They will pay the price of diminishing their own soul.

“We have so hopelessly ceded our humanity that for the modest handouts of today we are ready to surrender up all principles, our soul, all the labors of our ancestors, all the prospects of our descendants—anything to avoid disrupting our meager existence. We have lost our strength, our pride, our passion… We hope only not to stray from the herd, not to set out on our own, and risk suddenly having to make do without the white bread, the hot water heater, a Moscow residency permit. We have internalized well the lessons drummed into us by the state; we are forever content and comfortable with its premise”

The price one pays by making himself complicit with the sins of the state is not worth it. What does it profit a man to gain the world and forfeit his soul? This is not the time for cowards. Our children are watching us. They are learning from us. Unfortunately, many men are teaching the next generation to have spines of jelly.

No Excuses

“We cannot escape the environment, the social conditions; they shape us, “being determines consciousness.” What have we to do with this? We can do nothing… Some will counter: But really, there is nothing to be done! Our mouths are gagged, no one listens to us, no one asks us. How can we make them listen to us?”

Counterfeit masculinity excels at making excuses whereas true masculinity voluntarily takes on responsibility. In our climate, there is no shortage of excuses. “This shouldn’t be the hill to die on”, “It’s not a gospel issue”, and “It’s the law, we have to obey”. Oh, and let’s not forget the ol’ faithful “but Romans 13”.

Weak people love excuses, and they love pointing to the fact that they have not been given any specific command to address this specific injustice. Many who recognise the wickedness of the vaccine mandates will glibly go along with them, reasoning to themselves that it is not their problem to deal with. Or hoping that it will pass before too much damage is done.

This mindset is the exact opposite of what was modelled to us by our Lord. From his example, we see that men are called to imitate him by willingly giving of their strength for the sake of others. Christian men should voluntarily spend themselves, give of themselves, face harm for the sake of others. Christian leaders should be the first to face retribution for the sake of their people. This is the example given to us by Christ. Yet today, countless churches and Christian institutions have played ball with the state. Countless good people have lost jobs and faced social exclusion while their leaders have folded and bended to meet the ever-changing standards.

If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? (Proverbs 24:10-12)

By God’s common grace, there are many everyday people who are doing the right thing and refusing to participate in the two-tiered discrimination of our government. Gym owners, café owners, and restaurant owners. In God’s kindness, many non-Christians have seen through the deceit before our church leaders. At this point, there is no excuse for Christian leaders to be participating with the lies.

“And therein we find, neglected by us, the simplest, the most accessible key to our liberation: a personal nonparticipation in lies! Even if all is covered by lies, even if all is under their rule, let us resist in the smallest way: Let their rule hold not through me! And this is the way to break out of the imaginary encirclement of our inertness, the easiest way for us and the most devastating for the lies. For when people renounce lies, lies simply cease to exist. Like parasites, they can only survive when attached to a person.”

Don’t be Cattle

For anyone wishing to live by principle and protect the integrity of their soul, life will be difficult. If you have principles that you have resolved to live by, then severe punishment can always be right around the corner. Those who have such principles will know exactly what I’m talking about when I say this. If you have resolved never to support or promote the LGBT agenda in any way, then your career could implode when HR asks you to wear the rainbow badge for all of June. If you have resolved never to discriminate in your church or Christian institution, you are now stuck facing the wrath of the state. A thousand other examples of potential danger exist for those of us who seek to live by our principles. Compromised men know nothing of this for they will constantly bend and mould their principles to fit their current situation so that they too never “technically” violate them. In reality, they never violate their principles because they have none.

Yes, at first it will not be fair. Someone will have to temporarily lose his job. For the young who seek to live by truth, this will at first severely complicate life, for their tests and quizzes, too, are stuffed with lies, and so choices will have to be made. But there is no loophole left for anyone who seeks to be honest: Not even for a day, not even in the safest technical occupations can he avoid even a single one of the listed choices—to be made in favor of either truth or lies, in favor of spiritual independence or spiritual servility. And as for him who lacks the courage to defend even his own soul: Let him not brag of his progressive views, boast of his status as an academician or a recognized artist, a distinguished citizen or general. Let him say to himself plainly: I am cattle, I am a coward, I seek only warmth and to eat my fill.

In sum, the third vital lesson from the gulags is this; don’t be cattle, don’t be a coward, don’t seek only self-preservation. Live not by lies. Let the rule of lies hold not through you!

[1] https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/09/coronavirus-jacinda-ardern-confident-enough-kiwis-will-get-covid-19-vaccine-for-herd-immunity-without-being-forced-to.html

[2] https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/coronavirus-go-hard-and-early-than-light-and-long-new-zealand-pm-on-snap-lockdown-2512930

[3] https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018822626/rushed-laws-a-constitutional-disgrace-law-prof

[4] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10364679/YouTube-Twitter-delete-Joe-Rogan-interview-scientist-helped-invent-MRNA-vaccines.html

[5] https://nzdsos.com/2021/10/13/irresponsible/

At Least We Aren’t In North Korea

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Introduction

During these crazy times, there is one objection that has been made to me on several occasions. It is an objection that I have been thinking about a lot lately. It normally comes up when I am voicing my objection to the current state of affairs regarding the COVID hysteria or criticising the incompetence and wickedness of the fools running the show. The objection normally goes something like this, “Well, at least we aren’t in North Korea” or “Things aren’t as bad as they were during the time of the early church. If you were complaining like this, you’d be dead”.

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Wisdom and Gravity

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Introduction

Government permissions are not the same thing as freedoms. In a Christian worldview, our freedoms are natural rights granted to us by God, and civil governments are obliged to recognise these rights. In the modern secular worldview, our freedoms are gifts bestowed upon the obedient by government. The state gives and the state takes away.

The only time one person grants freedom to another person is when one of them is a slave. Since I am a citizen and not a slave, I do not wish to concede my freedoms so easily.

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Lessons from the Gulags – Part 2

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As I mentioned in the first installment, Alexander Solzhenitsyn was both burdened and blessed with the misery of the Russian gulags. Burdened because he was a victim and witness to horrors that most cannot begin to imagine. Blessed because he learned the lessons that the gulags had to teach.

I want to explore one such lesson here today. A lesson about the face of evil and the ways in which ideology gives evil the necessary fuel to really take off and soar into space.

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Shot Famz

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Wow, cool, the event is called “Shot Famz”, haha. I call my family “Famz”, and we say “shot” as a colloquialism for thank you, but they made it into a pun, hahaha! So relatable. I bet that’ll be lit[1] because they’re using the same slang words as me! Hang on a second… Kai boxes[2] and candy packs??? Now I’m definitely getting an irreversible medical procedure. Yooooo… DJ music! That’s so hip hop. I’m gonna call all my usos,[3] and we finna[4] turn up! Lesh go![5]

[1] Lit: When something is turned up or popping … John: did you go to that party last night? Daquan: yes that shit was lit

[2] The Māori word for food is kai.

[3] In Samoan, “Uso” means brother.

[4] Finna: Abbreviation of “fixing to”. Normally means “going to”… I’m finna go da’ sto!

[5] Leshgo: NZ SLANG MEANING: Let’s do this, excited, let’s go… Yo leshgo have some cones gee!

Love Your Neighbour and Get Your Vaccine?

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One of the most common arguments that has been repeated again and again across the last year and a half is that we should all get vaccinated to protect the vulnerable. Or in Christian circles, we should get vaccinated as an act of love for our neighbours. The expanded version goes on to talk about how we might not be worried for our personal health with respect to COVID, however, if we are unvaccinated and gather in groups, we place others at risk. We should not stubbornly hold on to our personal rights and preferences at the expense of others. To do so would be unloving and selfish. If we can reduce the risk that others face from COVID why would we not get the vaccine? Some even go further and suggest that because of these considerations, it is right and just for the government to mandate vaccines for large swathes of the population.

While I can see the appeal of this kind of argument, I am convinced that this reasoning is massively inconsistent with the Biblical framework for ethics.

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Lessons from the Gulags – Part 1

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Introduction

Apart from books on theology and Christianity, no book has had a bigger impact on me than The Gulag Archipelago by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. The author was a decorated soldier in the Russian army who was later sentenced to eight years of hard labour in the Russian gulags. His great life’s work, The Gulag Archipelago, documents the atrocities of Communist doctrine applied to the people of Russia. His three-volume work brought the Soviet Union to its knees and made the label communist a slur among all reasonable people.

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Calling a Spade, a Spade

A Whole New World

Traditionally, in the West, lying has been seen as a vice and not a virtue. However, thanks to the growing influence of Critical Theory, this perspective has been flipped on its head. Instead of living by the truth and seeking to understand God and the world as they really are, our society seeks to impose outrageous lies upon us. In many ways we have cooperated with these lies without realising it.

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