Todd Wiebe 🇨🇦

A family member used to joke, “I hate violence. If you use violence, I’ll kill you.”
Clearly Trump would not have understood the joke.
Demanding peace after a military strike might indicate a fundamental misunderstanding of peace.
As might threatening violence if violence is not acquiesced.

The Minnesota Suspect’s Radical Spiritual World Before Vance Boelter was accused of killing a Democratic state lawmaker, he had an active, even grandiose, religious life.

Significant parts of evangelicalism have been moving towards violence and terrorism as some far right expressions have allied with hyper charismatic and mega church voices.

André Gagné (Concordia) addresses this.

Book - American Evangelicals for Trump

Podcast - www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Well said. “Christianism” akin to “Islamism”.

Extreme evangelicalism in the United States has been taken over by divisive fear that identifies enemies and demons everywhere. As far as I can tell, the Minnesota shooter was not an unbeliever (in this kind of faith), but rather a true believer.

So - investigations into those who radicalize people like Minnesota shooter to become terrorists?
Lance Wallnau and others who use terms like “demonic” to refer to democrats.
Clearly there is such a thing as evangelical terrorism.
Hucksters and grifters posing as spiritual leaders.

Given the events in Minnesota, I am assuming Fox News and the Evangelical Trump crowd will be warning about the dangers of Christian evangelical extremism and terrorism.

The United States and its far right evangelical death cult is a current day incarnation of old religions that sacrifice children to idols.
In this case the idols are guns and money.

In Toronto
Was at the Jays game while nearby the annual Fall of the Mighty Leafs was occurring.
O Canada, Oh Maple Leafs.

Those Leafs have one more chance to make their fans believe before the seemingly inevitable seasonal exit.

In Toronto at a Housing/Church Redevelopment conference.
Great neighbourhood walk with Jason Byassee of Timothy Eaton Church. Fancy fancy area.
Earlier coffee with recording artist Shad. He pointed out a church in his neighbourhood that is attached to a strip club.
Notice the name of the club.

André, I listened to episode 1 of Spirit, State and Society. Great start! Thanks for putting this out.

Moral rigidity is always hiding something.
Moral outrage is often a form of public confession.

How often do abusers like this constantly holler about the sin of other people?

Theocracies pose as strong - but they are afraid of words and freedom.
“Strongmen” pose as tough guys, but their weakness is on full display.

Margaret Atwood says she cannot remember another time ‘when words themselves have felt under such threat’ - The Guardian

First white South Africans arrive in U.S. as Trump claims they face discrimination - Reuters

Of course. Christian. Nationalism is sometimes simply called Nationalism. Sometimes it’s called “White Christian Nationalism”.
They find friends around the world.

If Christians in America were truly honest with ourselves, we would admit that far too many churches have become places where people are made to be disciples of the Religious Right rather than followers of Jesus and then we would collectively repent from this harmful allegiance.

So maybe the Trump-Pope thing backfired

Opinion | How to Survive the Trump Years With Your Spirit Intact I’ve found it necessary to root myself in anything that feels rehumanizing, whether it’s art or literature or learning.

The paganism of Trump and Christian Nationalism.

How to Survive the Trump Years With Your Spirit Intact www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/o...

#fanjoyfanboy

Pierre Poilievre loses Carleton riding he's held for 20 years - Global News

Of course. All class.

I think that Trump’s “Vladimir, STOP!” might be more accurately read as flirtatious, than presidential.

Alarm as Florida Republicans move to fill deported workers’ jobs with children: ‘It’s insane, right?’ Governor Ron DeSantis leads push to loosen child labor laws as immigration crackdown leads to workforce shortage

"The answer, according to Florida lawmakers, is the state’s schoolchildren, who as young as 14 could soon be allowed to work overnight shifts without a break – even on school nights" www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

It's so odd that Christian Nationalists are trying to stomp out *pretend* "anti-Christian bias" when their repudiation of everything Jesus ever said is the biggest example of *real* "anti-Christian bias" in the United States right now.

I recall that earl in his pontificate, Pope Francis said that moral rigidity is always hiding something.
My Orthodox friend David Goa says similarly that moral outrage is a form of public confession.
May we listen to voices like these, rather than to self-appointed moral gatekeepers.

I did indeed. Jason Stanley and others leaving the US as well.

Pope Francis spent a lifetime serving the poor and challenging Catholic Church orthodoxy Argentine Jesuit priest eschewed the pomp of the Catholic Church’s highest office and advocated for the poor and peace

Mark Carney, a practicing Catholic, shared thoughtful words of tribute after Francis’ death.
Carney (and other business leaders) worked with Pope Francis on The Council for Inclusive Capitalism.

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Fox News just now: “He has passed away and the liberal Catholic movement is passing away with him. Young people know the truth. They believe that doctrine is love as Pope Benedict said.”

My hope is that Christianity is known to be like Francis, not like JD Vance and others hungry for power.

White House of Worship: Trump Elevates Christian Prayer and Power Evangelical leaders are relishing the new atmosphere at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — and greater access to the president.

The most faithful Christian response to so called faith in the White House is not pride, but revulsion.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/u...

Christian faith is being hijacked in service of hatred, power, greed and worship of a person.

Being sickened by this is a faithful response.

Video: The Conservative Christian Network Inside the White House From the moment President Trump was re-elected, his conservative Christian supporters have rejoiced in a second chance at political power. Elizabeth Dias, the national religion correspondent for The N...

How did Jesus relate to earthly power?

Christian Nationalism is not Christian.
Christians should speak against lust for power and domination that is labelled as Christian.

On this Good Friday reflection includes a call of our times.

www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...

How We Got Here: Six Reasons Liberal Philanthropy Is Losing the Battle for America’s Future Drawing on conversations with leaders across the progressive funding and nonprofit worlds, IP Editor-in-Chief David Callahan tells a story of strategic missteps, blind spots and underinvestment that l...

"Most left-of-center funders have tended to shrink back in response to an intensifying attack on everything they care about." www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/how-we-...

Via @bradleyjersak.bsky.social

Thomas Friedman NYT

“The world is now seeing Trump’s America for exactly what it is becoming: a rogue state led by an impulsive strongman disconnected from the rule of law and other constitutional American principles and values.”