#parliament live updates

[favhere]

Monsoon Session LIVE Updates: Delhi Services Bill In Lok Sabha Today

The opposition INDIA bloc plans to oppose the bill. New Delhi: The contentious Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 will be taken up in the Lok Sabha today for consideration and passing. Home Minister Amit Shah will also move that the Bill be passed. The opposition INDIA bloc plans to oppose the bill with the Aam Aadmi Party calling it “most undemocratic”…

[prisonhannibal]

Fosen update 12th of October 2023

Yesterday was the 11th of october, which means it’s been two years since the supreme court ruled the wind power plants at Fosen illegal and a violation of indigenous human rights. The local sámi reindeer herder families sued the state and WON in the supreme court, and despite this, the wind turbines are still up and the government is making no effort to change the situation even though they apologized and called it an ongoing human rights violation back in march after the first round of demonstrations. We live in a country where the state and state owned power companies can continue to violate sámi rights even after losing in the supreme court. 11th of october also exactly one month after the 700th day since the ruling, which was election day, and the day a sámi activist and artist moved into a lávvu in front of parliament where he still lives now. Because of threats, harassment, and vandalism, the lávvu has needed to be guarded 24/7 by other activists.

Yesterday, the main street in Oslo (which runs next to the parliament and continues up to the royal castle) was filled with lávvus while the surrounding traffic was blocked by people sitting down in the round. The lávvus were moved to the park in front of the parliament later that night, joining the first lávvu, pretty much filling up the whole lawn and some on the sidewalk. A group of activists entered the parliament, and yoiked (traditional form of singing/chanting) they sat in the main hall for hours until they were carried out by police while people were yelling ČSV and yoiking outside.

more than 40 years ago, sámi activists went on a hunger strike in a lávvu on that same grass to protest the building of the Alta hydroelectric power station (look up Alta conflict). They are still doing this to us, and they’ll continue unless we fight it and hold the state responsible for the harm it has done and continues to do to indigenous people of sápmi.

Today, all the entrances of the headquarters of the fully state owned company Statkraft have been blocked. Statkraft makes money off this ILLEGAL power plant. Statkraft operates the Alta hydroelectric power station, and the Pilmaiquén hydroelectric plant in Chile that the indigenous mapuche people have been fighting against. They have shown us so much solidarity and support in the fight against this company and Norway’s green colonialism, both in Sápmi and in Chile.

The lávvus in front of the parliament are still up, people are sleeping there and plan to stay.

thank you for listening to us, ollu giitu.

Baajh vaeride årrodh! ČSV ❤️💚💛💙✊🏼

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a message from Yahya Sinwar (the Hamas leader inside Gaza) was passed to Hamas leaders who live outside of it, and the essence of that is not to worry, because Sinwar believes they have Israel exactly where they want it. In other words, when Hamas is estimated by Israel to have at least 12,000 of its terrorists killed, and despite the fact that they could stop the death of Gazans by releasing the Israeli hostages and surrendering, Sinwar doesn't see any issues with where the war is at. I think the most important part is this: "According to the report, Sinwar also told the Hamas officials that the terror group is prepared for Israel’s expected operation in Rafah, the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city, and is relying on the high civilian death toll reported by the Hamas-run health ministry to cause enough global outcry that Israel is forced to withdraw" (my emphasis). At what point do people realize that they are serving the interests of Hamas' mass murderers, kidnappers and rapists?

A few days ago, I wrote about the attempt to allow aid trucks into northern Gaza directly from Israel, instead of bringing it to the south, and waiting for Gaza-based elements to deliver it to the north. This means an escort of Israeli soldiers is accompanying the trucks. This is the route the aid trucks cross:

Today, these aid trucks were stormed by a huge crowd, and according to the IDF, many people died from pushing and trampling (at the link you can see aerial video footage of the stampede), not an unheard of phenomenon when a huge herd of people all rush in at the same time. On top of that, some Gazans were also advancing at the soldiers securing the aid trucks. The soldiers felt undr threat, and they opened fire at those charging at them, but according to their estimate, this accounts for only 10 of the dead. Still, you can count on the anti-Israel crowd to adopt a narrative that, immediately and without investigation, calls this a massacre and blames every single death on Israel, not on Hamas, which started the war that made even aid supply into a dangerous and complicated situation.

Here's a reminder that even in the middle of the war, when no one is paying attention to it, Israel continues to demolish illegal homes built by Jews. But you're never gonna hear about it, not even during more normal times, because it doesn't fit the anti-Israel narrative, so anti-Israel sources will only ever tell you about it, when Israeli demolishes illegal homes built by Arabs.

As threats to British Members of Parliament (MPs) are rising due to threats from the anti-Israel crowd, the UK has allocated bodyguards to some of them, along with 31 million pounds designated for the security of British democracy. If some of the most powerful people in Britain are that scared, what do you think Jews there are going through? Indeed, today we heard that 72 million pounds are meant to help secure Jewish centers and institutions in the UK. The problem is that until the root of the problem will be tackled, this is just taking care of the symptoms, instead of curing the disease.

Israeli security forces have stopped two Palestinian cousins, one 17 years old and the other 29 years old, from carrying out an independent terrorist attack. I refer to such attacks as independent in order to point out that they're not a part of some greater plot, unlike every single terrorist attack on Oct 7, which were all interconnected, and rocket attacks since, which are launched as a part of the war that Hamas started waging against Israel. However, some of these attacks ARE connected to Hamas. Apparently, these two cousins contacted Hamas in Gaza to get help in committing their intended crime.

This is 59 years old Michel Nissenbaum.

He made alyiah on his own from Brazil when he was 13 years old. Friends say that coming to Israel saved him. He worked in hi-tech, as well as a tour guide, and volunteered with Bedouin kids. Here he is with one such group:

On Oct 7, Michel heard that the Re'im IDF base was under attack from Hamas terrorists. Knowing that his granddaughter was there, visiting her dad, Michel decided to go there and get her out. While he was making his way to the base, he stopped responding to messages. His granddaughter was rescued from the place hours later, but Michel himself had disappeared. He's believed to be kidnapped in Gaza, but his family is scared, because he wasn't spotted in any of the pics or vids released by Hamas.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[spaghettificationandpretzels]

Aussie Update

Hello dear friends,

For those of you who don't know, Australia had a historic referendum today for "The Voice to Parliament." This referendum was needed to change the Australian constitution so that an advisory body could give the federal government their opinion on matters affecting Indigenous Australians.

For the voice to pass, we need 51% of the country and 4 out of six states, and it's important to know that most referendums fail. The counting started at 6:00PM in every state, with one to go due to daylight savings. However, it has already failed.

This is not the outcome I wanted, but it is the outcome I expected. This referendum failure points to what POC have always known, we have a problem with racism in this country. We also have a huge problem with apathy and ignorance, the main slogan of the no side was "If you don't know, vote no," and people didn't take the time to educate themselves. I had many conversations with people who had no idea about The Voice or what it meant and all their fears were unfounded because of the missinfo campaign.

This didn't happen in a vacuum, the cost of living is insane, rent is unaffordable, and investors are buying up all our houses. This horrible outcome is just another log in a pile that disproportionately affects Indigenous Australians.

All we can do now is acknowledge the hard work and efforts of the Yes campaigners and thank them for what they did for the country. Hug your friends, give some a call if you think they're having a hard time.

13yarn 13 92 76 the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support line.

13 11 14 lifeline.

These services may be very busy right now but there are people who are there for you. If someone is at immediate risk, please call 000.

[madi-konrad]

My wlw/lesbian fantasy romance novel A Demon's Name Upon Your Lips released today, Jan 6!! I'll update this post with all the links you can purchase it at. Right now, the following links are live!

Grab it at $5.99 at the following places:

itch.io (PDF, ePub, and mobi all included!)

Kobo link (ePub version)

Apple Books, Smashwords, and a few others (ePub version)

Amazon (Kindle version)

Barnes and Noble (ePub)

Synopsis below the cut!

Lucia is a succubus, a demon with the power to shape the emotions and passions of mortals. Summoned often into the world of Melodia, she takes pride in upholding her demonic contracts to the best of her abilities. She likes to think she does her job well … though a string of recent failures say otherwise.

Talia, the recently elevated Duke of Fallmire, summons Lucia for a simple reason: to pose as her wife and fulfill marital obligations to the satisfaction of Parliament. All to say, just a few weeks of walking around the estate and playing nice with the neighbors before a conveniently tragic death. Quick and easy.

But immediately, Lucia smells blood in the water. Behind closed doors, the Duke plots vengeance upon those who killed her father—and the demon wants in. Revenge, after all, is much more fun … and more lucrative, to boot.

But can Lucia predict how hard she’d fall for the Duke? (Not a chance). And can the Duke find it in her vengeful heart to love?

Spice Level: lightly described nudity, fade-to-black sex.

64,000 words.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week 🐧

1. ‘Robin Hood’ energy strikers give free power to French schools, hospitals, low-income homes

Amid national strikes in the energy sector, some workers in France have found a novel way to protest. On Thursday, "Robin Hood" operations – unauthorised by the government – provided free gas and electricity to schools, universities, and low-income households throughout the country.

Among the facilities provided free energy were public sports facilities, daycare centers, public libraries, some small businesses and homes that had been cut off from power. 

2. UK scientists discover method to reduce steelmaking’s CO2 emissions by 90%

Researchers from the University of Birmingham have developed an innovative method for existing furnaces that could reduce steelmaking’s CO2 emission by nearly 90%.

The iron and steel industry is a major cause of greenhouse gasses, accounting for 9% of global emissions. That’s because of the inherent carbon-intensive nature of steel production in blast furnaces, which currently represent the most-widely used practice.

3. Watch this cargo ship fly a giant kite to save fuel and cut emissions

The 2,700-square-foot parafoil is helping to tow the cargo ship and lessen the workload of the massive diesel engines — reducing the ship’s use of dirty fuel.

4. Scientists discover emperor penguin colony in Antarctica using satellite images

A newly discovered emperor penguin colony has been seen, using satellite images of one the most remote and inaccessible regions of Antarctica.

The colony, home to about 500 birds, makes a total of 66 known emperor penguin colonies around the coastline of Antarctica, half of which were discovered by space satellites. Emperor penguins are the only penguins that breed on sea ice, rather than land, and are located in areas that are very difficult to study because they are remote, inaccessible and can experience temperatures as low as −60C

Kowalski, analysis!

5. Dungeons & Dragons Scraps Plans to Update Its Open Game License

Wizards of the Coast, publisher of Dungeons & Dragons, announced yesterday that it will no longer be pursuing deauthorization of the Open Gaming License 1.0a. The deauthorization of the OGL 1.0a was a huge sticking point for fans and third-party publishers who made a living using a license that was granted nearly two decades ago.

6. Turning problem sea algae into a replacement for plastic

Excessive outbreaks of seaweed and microalgae are clogging up waters from the Caribbean to the Baltic. Now both are being harvested alongside farmed crops to create ingredients for cosmetics and food products.

7. German parliament officially commemorates LGBTQ victims of Nazi regime for first time.

The German parliament for the first time on Friday focused its annual Holocaust memorial commemorations on people persecuted and killed over their sexual or gender identity during World War II. Campaigners in Germany have worked for decades to establish an official ceremony to commemorate the LGBTQ victims persecuted under the Nazi regime.

“Today’s hour of remembrances focuses on a group of victims which had to fight for a long time to achieve recognition: people who were persecuted by the National Socialists because of their sexual orientation or their gender identity,” Baerbel Bas, president of the Bundestag lower house, said while opening a ceremony marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation.

- - - 

That's it for this week. If you liked this post you can support this newsletter with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Have a great week ahead :)

[nando161mando]

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol declares emergency martial law - live updates

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cn38321180et

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Mary McCool

Published: Apr 18, 2024

Scotland's NHS has paused prescribing puberty blockers to children referred by a gender identity clinic.

The Sandyford clinic in Glasgow also said new patients aged 16 or 17 would no longer receive other hormone treatments until they were 18.

It follows a landmark review of gender services for under-18s in England.

Dr Hilary Cass's review said children had been let down by a lack of research and there was "remarkably weak" evidence on medical interventions.

NHS England confirmed it would stop prescribing puberty blockers in March.

Puberty blockers work by suppressing the release of hormones that cause puberty and are often prescribed to children questioning their gender as a way of stopping physical changes such as breast development or facial hair.

Like other parts of the UK, Scotland has seen a rapid rise in the number of young people questioning their identity or experiencing gender dysphoria.

The only specialist service for under-18s is the Sandyford clinic in Glasgow, where people can self-refer or can be referred through their GP.

Figures released to BBC Scotland News under a freedom of information request, showed that at the end of 2023, 1,100 patients were on the waiting list.

As well as referrals for puberty blockers, the Sandyford also refers patients for "gender affirming hormones" such as testosterone or oestrogen to 16 and 17-year-olds.

In the NHS in England, fewer than 100 children - who had already started a prescription - are now taking puberty blockers.

In Scotland, the number is likely to be far smaller.

Following the position taken by NHS England, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) and NHS Lothian deferred starting new patients on the treatment in mid-March.

The Glasgow health board said patients had now been formally notified, however existing patients currently receiving treatment would not be affected.

Dr Emilia Crighton, NHSGCC's director of public health said: "The findings informing the Cass review are important, and we have reviewed the impact on our clinical pathways.

"The next step from here is to work with the Scottish government and academic partners to generate evidence that enables us to deliver safe care for our patients."

Review findings 'considered'

Scottish Health Secretary Neil Gray welcomed the decision, saying the government and health boards are considering the recommendations of the Cass review.

He said: "We have been clear it is for clinicians and health boards to make decisions about clinical pathways, and that these decisions should be made carefully and based on the best evidence available.

"This is what both health boards have done and their position is supported by the chief medical officer.

"More broadly, the Cass review's final report and findings are being closely considered by both the Scottish government and health boards, in the context of how such healthcare can be best delivered in Scotland."

Vic Valentine, of Scottish Trans and the Equality Network, said pausing puberty blockers was the wrong decision and said it would "harm trans children and young people".

A statement said: "This decision has been taken within the context where the reality of trans people's experiences and lives is questioned almost daily in some of the media and some political circles.

"This makes us worry that the decision has been influenced by that context rather than solely through consideration of the best interests of trans children and young people."

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Meghan Gallacher said the decision was "long overdue" and accused the government of leaking the news to the press "before having the decency to update parliament".

She called for an urgent ministerial statement so MSPs had a chance to ask questions on the matter.

She said: "I'm beyond fed up with this lackadaisical approach to gender care. They are failing children and young people."

--

==

"Social Murder Charter" is the best band name ever.

[k-odyssey]

From today 3 December 2024

WTF!! I'm not following SK news closely but this is a surprise and concerning!!

Editing with good news:

[gallivantingheart]

Use Your Mouth as an Anchor

masterlist | previous | next

🍵 chapter 5: persimmon🍵

who?: soonyoung/hoshi x (f)reader

word count: 2403

genre/s: fluff, humour, social media!au

warnings: some course language

genre: social media!au, princess diaries II !au, humour, romance, mild angst

warnings: none, as of yet

**please ignore the timestamps - they are not accurate**

a/n: my dudes, we go a biggin'. also, updated line break design, if one cares. trying real hard not to make wonwoo too ooc, i'm just so used to being totally delulu infatuated with him *sigh* also also! shameless self-plug, but i have a new jeonghan fic (hold onto your pants, it's 41K+ wc) here, if you would like some "light" reading pffft

The royal residence never failed to take your breath away, day or night. Tonight though, coming through the small gardens before the front doors instead of the servants’ entrance, felt a little like entering enemy territory.

The Old Genoa Palace has been standing for almost 500 years, built not too long after the split between Amaide and Korea. Built in the same style as Joseon-era Korean architecture, it stood as the image of independence. New Genoa Palace is only about 140 years old, built a lot more like the mansions from New York with its style of stone work and what look like western features - those western motifs are actually a lot closer in eastern influence with intricate and sharp square lace-like stonework. But enough about the history.

Wonwoo was meeting you there - he was carpooling with another journalist that lived closer to him. Apparently, you also took forever to get ready, which you took offence to. You had picked up the dress from Joshua yesterday, who was bristling with excitement for you. Your ID, phone and invite in a purse with a long silver chain strap on the passenger seat.

You pull up the entry of the small formal gardens, turning off the engine of your lovingly beat up hatchback. The car was easily kissing 20 years of age and looked pitiful against the rich expanse of a damn palace. You pass the keys to a valet.

“Please be careful with her.” You mutter.

The shockingly young man smiles fondly and slips in. You watch her putter off and show your invite to the next employee, who flips it over and scans it under UV light. A symbol shows up and he nods, checking you off a list on his tablet.

“Up the main paved path, following the lights.”

You follow diligently and try not to linger on the fragrant florals or the pretty bridge over the man-made pond - more layers to a trap. Surely there were easier ways to enter, but this must be their way of showing some kind of prowess or setting some kind of ambiance. When you break through, you realise why. You hadn’t come in the front doors, not really. It’s the Old Palace, beautifully lit. The queen had arranged for the event to be held in the massive courtyard of the historical palace, over the cool slate coloured stone under the last of the warm weather for this time of year. It had glorious acoustics, the orchestra raised on the next landing on the staircase carrying the music effortlessly. Despite all the beauty, your stomach lurches into your throat. Where was Wonwoo!

You try to stick to the edges, taking a flute of… oh. Champagne. You put it back on the next tray and try to find something a little less traumatic to drink. Quiet as can be amongst the vast array of guests - from members of parliament to foreign dignitaries and ambassadors. You do spot a few celebrities, mainly of the musical variety. It was well-known that King Consort Jihoon studied music and was very invested in it. Wonwoo might be there. Snippets of conversation were light and devoid of any big news, which was nice. Quite a few about family gripes and dog maintenance. Still, through it all, you feel as if your family name has been branded on your forehead, just waiting to be seen. Finally you find him the shadow of a covered walkway, looking very sleek in his three piece suit.

“Thank God. I forget you hide better than I do.” You mutter.

He smiles, genuine. “That’s true. You��re here earlier than I expected.”

“Still offending me, ‘Woo.”

He shrugs and gestures to guide you to a manned refreshments table with another vaguely familiar face. It was a servant of the house you had interviewed a few times for work at the advice of your main contacts.

You smile. “Hey, lovely to see you.”

“And you! Surprised though ‘cause of, well, you know.”

Your expression becomes brittle on your lips and you clear your throat to steel yourself. Way to point out the obvious.

“Me too! But I got the invite, so I do as I’m told. Do you have anything that isn’t champagne?”

You are handed a glass of a non-sparkling rose and the fruity notes ease you. With Wonwoo on side you’re confident to venture a little further into the crowd.

“Got much in the way of work intel?” You hum behind your glass.

He shrugs, adjusting his glasses - you knew he was due for a contacts appointment, but was putting it off.

“I guess.”

“You’re really keeping that convo rolling, Wonwoo.”

“I’m the only one here who doesn’t feel like overtalking when they’re nervous.”

You glare. “Okay, you really gotta shut up - blow after blow, buddy. Like, it hurts.”

He grins. “Make up your mind - talk, don’t talk…”

“Stop dragging me! You’re my best friend!” You whine, taking an extra step ahead to turn and face him as you walk, almost walking backwards. “Like it doesn’t help that I’m a cat amongst the pigeons - I need moral support -oof!”

You missed the way Wonwoo’s eyes had gone over your shoulders, blown wide so you couldn’t save yourself when you stepped into someone and jabbed your stiletto into their shoe. There was a heavy grunt and your balance tipped dangerously. All your body could process was panic. Wonwoo reaches for you just as you do for him but there is a third set of hands setting you right. You spin to face the other party, an apology already formed on your tongue - it quickly goes dry at the sight of curious dark eyes.

“I-I Kwon Soonyoung.” You croak.

He goes a little shy at the intensity of your gaze. “Yeah. Careful there.”

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going. Is your foot okay?” You stoop as if to reach for his designer dress shoe.

He chuckles and shrugs. “I’ve had worse. Please, enjoy your night.”

You squeak out a noise to respond as he slips away. Your number one anti and you stepped on his foot! Wonwoo is swarming you as well, something you are more familiar with.

“Soonyoung! You need to be careful.” He says low.

You rub at your arms like scrubbing off in a shower. “I know! But, he must not recognise me.”

The pair of you stick together while you mingle, shooting glances here and there in silent conversation - notes and quotes of others to keep in mind for the next publication. 

You note that Queen Haneul makes the rounds as well, but nowhere near you. Well, at least someone knows the target on your back, even as she invited you in. But something struck you as odd.

“Wonwoo.”

He hums and turns to face you, stooping a little with your quiet call. “Yeah?”

“Have you seen a pattern between some of these guests?”

“Spell it out.”

“A good 60% of them have come in pairs or threes.”

“Of course. Couples, assistants.”

You shake your head and lift your hand from the tight grip on your purse to point at a trio to your right. Italian, old money - dare you say, part of the old Sicilian royal family.

“Majority are heirs - daughters - with an escort party. All our age.”

Now, Wonwoo frowns, adjusting his glasses while you point, again and again to different little pockets. Soonyoung is all smiles, squeezing the shoulder of a parliamentary member while exchanging for another flute of champagne with his free arm, not even looking as he does so.

“And they’re all eyeing up Head Advisor Soonyoung like prime Wagyu beef.” Wonwoo slowly adds.

Your jaw hangs loose as you straighten up and grab your friend’s lapel. You even make a dramatic gasp. Together you see the first catch of the evening, a pretty woman, European, lay a hand gently on his shoulder, curtsey and then gesture for the floor. You take a look around the party guests and note that every young woman you had pointed out is of good standing and single. Your jaw drops - it’s royal speed dating for goodness sake! 

 “Oh my - it looks like a matchmaking session. Queen Haneul is hosting. She personally signed my invite, and most likely everyone else’s here too.” Now that was some good gossip.

Together you watch between glasses of wine and champagne as Soonyoung works his magic. Passionate and charismatic, none of his partners tear their gaze from him. The Head Advisor to Queen Haneul had always been filled with boundless energy and a smile that could be familiar to Amaide residents everywhere - you had grown up with it, after all.

But as you’re watching this man go for a turn about the dance floor for the fourth time with some left-footed aristocrat you cringe and wince like a bad sports game.

“What the hell is happening there? Maybe Uncle Fred is right - the royal family is cruel.” You’re onto your third rosè, which is a little tacky of you but hey, free good quality alcohol should never be denied.

Wonwoo is at your back, visibly wincing. “Yeah. At this rate he’s going to leave tonight with less toes than when he started.”

“Or at least some serious swelling.” You add.

Now a Singaporean socialite slips into his arms and for all her class and grace, has no rhythm. You knew Soonyoung was an excellent dancer - it was no secret he had etiquette and dance lessons as part of the royal family. But his patience and talent was growing thinner with every partner. That passion had a volatile streak, edging closer with every match. You put your empty glass onto a passing tray.

“Oh, Wonwoo, someone has to help him. How can no one at this damn party keep time?” You lament.

By no means were you a musical genius, but you could count a 4/4 time and do a simple box waltz. You shrug your purse off your shoulder and stuff it into Wonwoo’s long hands.

“Stay here.”

“Where are you going?” His voice belies a rising panic.

You wink over your shoulder and shrug. “To help Kwon Soonyoung.”

You see Soonyoung's nose wrinkle and his teeth bare as the young woman steps on his left foot again.

“Uh, may I cut in?” You say with a light hand to his shoulder.

He turns too fast, bringing his partner with him and his expression nothing less than gobsmacked. His shoulder eases under your touch.

“Sure.” He dips his head to the tall young woman with knobbly elbows and knees. “Thank you very much for the dance.”

She mirrors him and shoots you a confused expression with her well-shaped brows before slipping back into the ocean of people. His grip is secure but not strangling and you pause to pick up the timing of the music.

“Just a heads up, I think you’re gonna need a medic by the time tonight is over. I’m surprised you’re still walking.” You mutter. “I couldn’t stand watching it any longer.”

He laughs, throwing his head back and his own grasp secure on your waist. “Thank you, I appreciate your concern for my poor feet. However, the queen has given me worse while she was in training. You’re in good hands with me.”

Soonyoung is an exceptional dancer, leading the pair of you as if you’re on air, gliding through the other couples. Somehow, you manage to forget the distain you’ve seen in his gaze when fellow reporters ask about the latest Chon family farce. The venom in his gaze has since melted away and he even worms a twirl out of you, your dress fanning out with the motion. This must be what it’s like to be a fairytale princess - if only your uncle knew. When he catches you, his grin is cheeky and bright, every bit the charismatic Advisor he was known to be.

“Told you that you were in good hands.” He says smugly.

Before you can refute it, his grip tightens and the world tilts in a deep, graceful dip. You can’t help but gasp, mouth rounded as he shades you from the moonlight. You love and hate the way your heart stutters. Romance is dead, you remind yourself. Not to mention it would never happen with Chon Hater #1. Still, you push past your reservations to make idle conversation.

“So I am. I hope you didn’t mind me butting in. I don’t mean to be arrogant when I say I know I can dance better than any of them. For your sake.”

He grins. “Of course not. It’s not conventional, sure, but since when has anything here been conventional.”

He switches up the tempo and position of your dance, edging into foxtrot territory and you frown to concentrate. The strings finally signal the song’s end and the two of you go still on the edge of the dance floor.

“For the record, you are a great dancer.” He murmurs, close to your ear and conversational in nature. “What was your name?”

Your throat dries up and you clear it roughly. “Uh, just Y/N.”

Soonyoung makes a show of bowing to you and you curtsey. “Well then, just Y/N, I hope you enjoy the rest of your night.”

You murmur and smile. “You too, Soonyoung.”

You feel like Cinderella, fleeing the scene as soon as someone else sinks their claws into him, pushing through the throng of attendants to find Wonwoo. Your eyes are wide and beseeching, catching like a hangnail on every face to find your familiar safety net. That rosé must have really gotten to your head. You lock eyes with the Queen as you roughly push through. Her face mirrored yours in youth and she brightened at the sight of you, some kind of knowing in her sight you couldn’t understand. She was the one who invited you, after all. You finally crash into Wonwoo, snatching your bag from him and getting tangled in the long chain strap. 

“‘Woo, I gotta go. I - I need to get home. I’ve had too much to drink.” You’re breathless.

Tactfully, he doesn’t stop you and you don’t look over your shoulder as you skirt through the many open air corridors to an alternative exit, your feet throbbing and breath heaving.

Oh, this wasn’t going to bite you in the ass, no waaaay.

[royalty-nobility]

Portrait of King William the Fourth (1765-1837)

Artist: Sir David Wilkie (Scottish, 1785–1841)

Date: 1838

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Birmingham Museums Trust, Birmingham, England

William IV

William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded his elder brother George IV, becoming the last king and penultimate monarch of Britain's House of Hanover.

William served in the Royal Navy in his youth, spending time in British North America and the Caribbean, and was later nicknamed the "Sailor King". In 1789, he was created Duke of Clarence and St Andrews. Between 1791 and 1811, he cohabited with the actress Dorothea Jordan, with whom he had ten children. In 1818, he married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen; William was not known to have had mistresses during their marriage. In 1827, he was appointed Britain's first Lord High Admiral since 1709.

As his two elder brothers died without leaving legitimate issue, William inherited the throne when he was 64 years old. His reign saw several reforms: the Poor Law was updated, child labour restricted, slavery abolished in nearly all of the British Empire, and the electoral system refashioned by the Reform Acts of 1832. Although William did not engage in politics as much as his brother or his father, he was the last British monarch to appoint a prime minister contrary to the will of Parliament. He granted his German kingdom a short-lived liberal constitution. William had no surviving legitimate children at the time of his death, so he was succeeded by his niece Victoria in the United Kingdom and his brother Ernest Augustus in Hanover.

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

I wrote yesterday about a Hezbollah drone which crashed in Israel without setting off the sirens, and missed by a small margin a kindergarten. Now we know about a second Hezbollah drone, which was found in someone's backyard in northern Israel, and which also didn't trigger any alarm systems. The fact that no warning systems were set off twice that we know of, is a real cause for concern, and is being looked into. As this second drone didn't explode after crashing, Israel will be able to study it, which is the main silver lining.

I have written repeatedly about UNRWA's complicity in Palestinian terrorism in general, and Hamas' in particular. We're getting even more data on this. Previous numbers talked about how many UNRWA members had ties to any Palestinian terrorist organization, now the figures on ties to Hamas specifically are being shared: at least 440 UNRWA workers in Gaza were active Hamas terrorists, at least 2,000 are registered Hamas operatives, and at least 7,000 have a first degree relative who's a Hamas member, making a total of at least 9,440 UNRWA employees in Gaza closely tied to Hamas out of a total of 12,000 Gaza UNRWA workers. And since we're talking about this UN agency again, remember when I recently wrote about the social worker employed by UNRWA, who was captured in CCTV footage kidnapping the body of a murdered Israeli man to Gaza, with the help of a fellow Hamas terrorist? Well, we now know who the man, whose lifeless body Faisal Ali Mussalem Naami was kidnapping, is. It's 21 years old Yonatan Samerano.

He was attending the Nova music festival on Oct 7. It seems he and two friends tried to escape the slaughter there by fleeing to the nearby kibbutz Re'im, where all three were murdered by Hamas terrorists at the community gate. Then Naami showed up DRIVING A UN VEHICLE (that's right, with UN LICENSE PLATES, as confirmed by Ayelet Samerano) and used this car to kidnap Yonatan's body. In the interview I heard with Ayelet Samerano, Yonatan's mom, she said she's going to be demanding answers from the UN secretary general, and that the family is considering filing a lawsuit. Meanwhile, because Jewish lives really are nothing, I'll remind you that UNRWA has been nominated by a Norwegian member of parliament for a Nobel Peace Prize. If you think this is the bad judgment of one politician, Norway is also one of the few western countries NOT temporarily suspending funding of UNRWA until further investigation, and have even said they might increase it. There's only one bit of good news, and that's the fact the US is saying its suspension of UNRWA fudning is going to be permanent.

The reality of Hamas' brutal sex crimes isn't news at this point to anyone with a bit of decency regarding Israeli civilians' fate on Oct 7, but a new report delving into more details than ever on those sex crimes has now been sent to the UN. I expect it to have zero impact given the UN's track record, but it's still important that this report was compiled and submitted by ARCCI, the Israeli association of organizations aiding rape and sexual assault victims.

There's a whole saga with Brazil's president, Lula. Sit tight. It started with Lula saying that what Israel is doing right now in Gaza has never happened before in history, and if it did, it was only when Hitler decided to genocide the Jews (this is absolutely untrue on any measurable level. The war in Gaza is not the bloodiest one ever, doesn't have the highest rate of killed civilians when the global one is a 9:1 ratio of killed civilians compared to killed militants while in the Gaza war there's a 4.5 times lower rate at 2:1, and certainly doesn't include an intentional attempt to kill all Palestinians on an intense industrial level with tens of thousands often being killed daily as the Nazis did to the Jews and which made the Holocaust stand out even in comparison to other cases of genocide). So to make it clear, what Lula did was antisemitic, both in falsely demonizing the Jewish state, and in minimizing the Holocaust by presenting it as comparable to a drastically less extreme event (in fact, the internationally accepted IHRA definition of antisemitism has included false comparisons of Israel to the Nazis for years now). In response, Israel has declared Lula a persona non-grata (unwanted personality) here until he retracts these antisemitic comments. This didn't make Lula reconsider his antisemitic comments, instead he recalled the Brazilian ambassador to Israel. This is maybe connected to Lula's warm ties with the Islamist regime in Iran (including allowing Iranian ships to dock in Brazil), which officially denies the Holocaust.

Here is a vid 21 years old Maya Regev, who was injured, and then kidnapped together with her younger brother Itay by Hamas on Oct 7, from the Nova music festival. Despite her complicated leg injury, she didn't get any medical help during here time in captivity, which compounded her state. She was released in the hostage deal more than 2 months ago, and had undergone several surgeries due to the state of her leg. In this footage, shared yesterday, Maya is seen walking on crutches for the first time since her abduction, more than 4 months ago.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[girlactionfigure]

🚨IDF BEGINS STRONG & DESTRUCTIVE ATTACKS ON BEIRUT - Updates from Israel  

ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

Moadim l’Simcha from Israel - wishes for a happy Succot intermediate holy days.

( VIDEO - demolition of Hezbollah buildings near the northern border adjacent to Israeli towns. )

❗️IDF WARNING TO LEBANON - All Lebanese residents who live near Hezbollah's economic assets - evacuate immediately. We will attack tonight and tomorrow economic assets that have helped Hezbollah.  In the next few hours we will attack in Beirut and throughout Lebanon.  “Buildings will fall in Beirut.”

.. IDF spokesman in Arabic addresses the people of Lebanon and informs them that the IDF is expected to soon attack the infrastructure of the "Good Loan Association" (Al-Karch Al-Hassan), which is a recognized financial institution of Hezbollah, through which Hezbollah finances terrorist activities.

.. ATTACKS HAVE BEGUN.

.. IDF spokesman publishes in Arabic in the last 10 minutes at least 14 evacuation notices in Dahiya and the Al-Baqaa area.

▪️STRONG GPS JAMMING.. reported in parts of Israel.  Mapping apps may not work, set ALERT apps to a location instead of “where I’m at”.

▪️TERROR PREVENTED - GERMANY.. an attack on the Israeli embassy in Germany was prevented: an illegal resident from Libya, a 28-year-old ISIS supporter.

▪️A HERO COMMANDER HAS FALLEN.. in battle in Gaza: Ahsan Daxa, 41, from Daliyat al-Karmel.  May the fallen receive mercy, and may the family be honored.

▪️A NOVA SURVIVOR HAS FALLEN.. to the trauma / PTSD, ending her life on her 22nd birthday.  Nova survivor, Shiral Golan, at 22.  Her family requested the info be shared.  May her family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and may G-d avenge her blood!

🔸ANXIETY / MENTAL HEALTH HOTLINES: experiencing issues? Help is available..

.. in English : Tikva Helpline by KeepOlim, call if you are struggling!  dial 074-775-1433.

.. in Hebrew & other languages (and English): Eran Emotional Support Line - dial 1201 or chat via eran.org.il  

.. Get Help Israel is offering 3 free sessions for war-related issues through vetted clinicians -  https://gethelpisrael.com/webpage/?title=israel-crisis-support-center

▪️HARRIS TO BAN?  Senator Bernie Sanders to CNN estimates that Harris will be open to accepting his proposal for a total arms embargo on Israel due to the war in Gaza.  (Although US Senator Sanders has no connection to the Harris campaign nor speaks for her.)

♦️LEBANON - IDF: Golani fighters killed about 60 terrorists in southern Lebanon, terrorist infrastructure were destroyed.

♦️LEBANON - IDF fighters continue their activity in the area of ​​southern Lebanon: many weapons and launchers were destroyed, including the launcher from which the launches towards the north of the country were detected earlier today.

🔹LEBANESE SPEAKER SAYS.. Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Navia Berri: I am authorized to speak on behalf of Hezbollah and it agrees to abide by UN Resolution 1701.

🔹THAAD.. The American THAAD system for intercepting ballistic missiles became operational today in Israel.

🔹SYRIAN PRESIDENT SAYS.. Syrian President Assad conveyed messages to Iran and Hezbollah not to embroil him in a war with Israel and warned that offensive actions from Syria towards Israel could endanger his rule.

▪️THOSE WHO WOULD GIVE UP.. Hundreds of academics signed a petition calling for sanctions to be imposed on Israel in order to save Israel from the Israelis who are interested in continuing the "Gaza massacre". The petition was also signed by MK Ofer Kasif, activists of the organization B'Tselem and Peace Now.

✡️A word of Torah: Crying is very bad; one must serve G‑d with joy.  The only exception is when you cry from joy and bonding with G‑d. Then it is very good. —Tzava’at Harivash 45.

♦️BEIRUT EVAC, HEZBOLLAH THREATENS, HOUTHIS (possibly) LAUNCH - Updates from Israel  

ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

Moadim l’Simcha from Israel - wishes for a happy Succot intermediate holy days.

▪️FAKE VISUALS.. within a few minutes of the IDF spokesperson threats, videos of explosions were already appearing on various channels.  THE VIDEOS WERE from 6 days ago - so FAKE NEWS.  We’re sure Beirut videos will be shared, but the real ones are not out yet.

.. Videos of Beirut traffic jams as people evacuate - those appear to be real and semi-live.  

▪️GUNFIRE MODI’IN.. Following inquiries from residents about the sounds of gunshots heard throughout the city, the issue was investigated, and it is training being carried out at the military facility near the city.

♦️LEBANON - Enemy report: a massive movement of people fleeing Beirut has begun - following the IDF's threats to attack al-Qard al-Hassan facilities used by Hezbollah.

.. Hezbollah's "Good Loan" association has 31 branches throughout Lebanon, of which 14 are in Beirut, 10 in southern Lebanon and 6 in the Beqaa area.

♦️LEBANON - The government hospital in Baalbak began to evacuate after the IDF spokesman's announcement in Arabic.

♦️LEBANON - Six more sites have been added to the IDF's evacuation orders, 24 at the moment.

♦️GAZA - A strong attack is also reported in the north of the Gaza Strip.

🔹HEZBOLLAH COUNTER-THREATENS.. Hezbollah threatens through American intermediaries: "Israel will make the mistake of attacking our economic assets, we will be forced to escalate and launch precision missiles at the banks in the center of the entity”.

🔹UNIFIL ALERT.. Sirens sounding at UNFIL Naquora - Lebanon, Level (3): Extreme Danger.

⭕MULTIPLE ROUNDS of SUICIDE DRONE attacks on NAHARIYA from HEZBOLLAH.  No casualties reported.

❗️(unconfirmed) Reports of LAUNCHES by the HOUTHIS - YEMEN.  If ballistic missiles, we’ll know within 15 minutes as alerts come in.  If cruise missiles, in a hour.  Drones much longer (2-6 hours).  The ballistic missiles are low volume but high flying, so result in a very wide alert area due to possible falling debris from interception.

🇺🇸The Jerusalem Post: "The Biden government leaked to the Iranian government Israel's plan to attack Iran and gave the exact date it would be carried out and the targets of the attack."

Part 2

⚠️ ESCALATING ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES AND PREPARATIONS FOR A MAJOR ATTACK ON IRAN AMID INCREASING THREATS FROM HEZBOLLAH AND IRAN-BACKED FORCES

🚨 US Army convoy, including THAAD systems, is moving around Be'er Sheva, Central Israel. The convoy also includes fuel tankers and generators.

💥 Intense Israeli airstrikes target the southern suburbs of Beirut, including a strike on the main entrance of Al-Manar TV headquarters, affiliated with Hezbollah.

🔴 Israeli military spokesman Hagari stated, "We have drawn up attack plans targeting every place in the Middle East that poses a threat to us."

🔴 An Israeli security official revealed to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority that Israel is preparing for a major attack on Iran and is ready to repel any subsequent Iranian responses.

💩 Iranian military sources to "Tasnim" News Agency warned, "Our finger is on the trigger, and the biggest surprise awaits the Israelis." They added that if Israel attacks military or nuclear sites, Iran's response would be "certain and beyond Israeli expectations," potentially leading Iran to reconsider its nuclear policies.

❗️ Donald Trump reportedly told Netanyahu, regarding a strike on Iran, "You do what you have to do."

⭕ The IDF confirmed that a drone launched from Iraq towards Israel was shot down over Syria before entering Israeli airspace. The drone was intercepted without any sirens being sounded. The Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the drone attack on a target in the Golan Heights.

Source: t.me

[writerownstory]

I’m bad with titles and just wanted to post this finally! Happy Juke Jeudi! 🥳

I really had this just sitting in my Notes app 🤧 There was more to it, but if I kept going I don’t think I’d ever finish…

part two to this.

~

It starts with secret meetings in the castle gardens after dark, with Rose keeping Ray busy while Julie slips out for an “evening walk” on her own as long as she stays within the palace’s boundaries. 

Then it’s meetings in town where Julie dresses like the next plain-clothed young woman with a red baseball cap and dark sunglasses obscuring her features as Luke whisks her into the little coffee shop that he works at with Reggie who also keeps an eye out for the royal security or anyone who might get Julie in trouble.

It can only happen while Rose runs her daily errands and the guards are occupied. Ray thinks Julie is with her mother, and neither Molina woman lets him know any different. Rose knows Luke will keep Julie safe and she trusts Julie not to do anything that would put herself in harm’s way.

And it’s perfect until it’s not. 

Julie and Rose are out one night to attend a music charity gala—naturally they both are excited to go and Luke gets a selfie of the two of them from Julie just before they head out. It’s the last time he talks to her for the night, until he’s awoken out of his sleep by his phone buzzing incessantly. 

The stormy weather made for a turbulent trip and there is a terrible car accident from which the queen doesn’t survive. The Molina family, along with most of the country but specifically the capital city, is absolutely devastated. Queen Rose brought so much life and love into the lives of everyone around her. She ruled the Costa de Estrella with a firm yet caring hand, and her absence is felt throughout the country. 

Julie takes it the worst, walking away from the crash with only a few scratches and a broken wrist, but her heart is shattered into a billion painful pieces. She disappears from the public eye, and though Luke had every intention of coming to see her, he hasn’t been able to sneak inside the palace since it happened. 

Her physical injuries heal with time, but Julie has felt like she’s been underwater ever since that night. Most nights she calls Luke because she can’t sleep, and she falls asleep listening to him talk or sing or play guitar, even though they both wish they could be together. Her father and Parliament are strangely understanding, allowing her time off her usual duties to grieve. 

Until a month later, and the Council has already planned a ball for her to host–her father’s idea–as part of her search for a suitable partner. Julie is immediately against the idea and when she confronts Ray, they have their worst argument yet and she hasn’t spoken to him since. 

Julie hasn’t spoken much to anyone besides Carlos and Luke if the few texts they manage to exchange count. (Ever since they announced the ball, the Council has been keeping Julie extra busy with preparations so she hasn’t had much of a chance to breathe, much less check her phone.) 

The night of the ball, the door to her bedroom slams open, startling her in her seat in front of her vanity. “Geeze, Flynn!” 

Oh, and she talks to Flynn. But Flynn won’t hear of anything differently. 

Flynn Taylor is one of Julie’s ladies in waiting but they both have always made faces at that title because Flynn has always been much more than that to Julie. Though Flynn works as her assistant, Julie knows that Flynn has her back more than anyone. 

“Sorry, you know I’ve got to make a grand entrance,” Flynn apologized as she rushes over to where Julie is sitting. “But I’ve got very important updates.” She brings her arm out from around her back, placing an elegant white lace mask over Julie’s eyes. 

“A mask?” 

“Yes, my dear princess Julienna, because I have convinced Victoria to make tonight’s ball a masquerade.” Flynn’s smile as she meets Julie’s gaze in the mirror tells her Flynn is not only excited but also incredibly pleased with herself, but Julie is still confused. 

“But… why?” Julie removes the mask from her face to turn and look at her best friend. 

“Just trust me on this one, J. I promise it’s worth it. And it matches your absolutely stunning gown.” 

“Except I don’t want to look stunning,” Julie says, turning away from the mirror to face her friend. “This whole ball is to look for a partner, Flynn. But I have Luke.” She knows she sounds whiny and maybe ungrateful, but the idea of looking for a partner that her father and the Council deems suitable feels ridiculous, not to mention wrong. There’s no reason to look for someone else when her heart already belongs to Luke who would do just about anything to protect it and her.

Flynn’s smile turns into a sympathetic look before she gives her a small grin. “I promise, it’s all going to work out.” She squeezes her shoulders before offering to help Julie finish getting ready. 

By the time Flynn leads her to the ballroom doors to make her grand entrance, anger and sadness are warring within Julie, making her incredibly grumpy and on edge.

This shouldn’t be happening.

Her mother should be here and this shouldn’t be happening. Though if Rose was still here, this would’ve never made it past a mere mention among the Council.

And the thought makes her stomach drop just as the doors open. 

Julie plasters on a fake smile as she makes her way over to where her father and Carlos are waiting. Her father says a few words, thanking everyone for coming  and plenty of other things Julie doesn’t really hear. She accepts dances from a few different men, and it isn’t so bad, but all she can think about is how she’d rather be dancing with Luke. 

She has to hand it to Flynn though, the masks do add an air of mystery and elegance to the night, though she’s not entirely sure how she’s supposed to tell who exactly she dances with. 

Julie finally catches a break between dances when a man walks up to her in a deep, navy blue suit and a matching black mask. 

He bows, as is customary when someone below nobility approaches Julie. When he straightens up he takes her hand and brings it to his mouth to press a kiss to her knuckles. 

Her immediate response is to give this man a piece of her mind, until he leans toward her, his whisper clear as day over the noise of the rest of the party, “May I have this dance, Princess?” 

Julie’s eyes widen as she meets the eyes of the masked stranger in front of her. “Luke?”

Despite the mask covering the top half of his face, Julie would recognize the bright, perfect smile on his face anywhere. “It’s me, boss,” he confirms as she reaches up to cradle both sides of his face.

“How are you here?” she whispers with tears gathering in her eyes.

“Flynn convinced Victoria to make the ball a masquerade. Your dad can’t kick me out if he doesn’t know its me.”

Julie takes a moment to take Luke in. Between the tux, the mask, and…his hair was done??? “Your hair,” she giggles, reaching up to brush her fingers over it.

“Flynn said it would help with the nobody recognizing me thing,” Luke says with a sheepish grin. She definitely owes Flynn for this.

A watery smile spreads across her face. “I missed you so much.” She hadn’t realized until he’s standing right in front of her just how much.

“I missed you too, Jules. You have no idea how much.” He reaches up to wipe away a few tears she hadn’t realized were falling, and ends up cradling her face like it’s the most precious thing he’s ever seen.

Like she’s the most precious thing he’s ever seen.

And suddenly none of it matters: the ball, her deteriorating relationship with her father, or looking for a partner. As long as she has Luke by her side, they’ll figure it out somehow.

[stele3]

https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/saudi-arabias-human-rights-record-under-fire-after-world-cup-bid-win-2024-12-11/

[mrpagesfrontispiece]

here it is: the Separation of Church and State post

This one’s been a while coming but I had to get it out eventually because I keep talking about writing it. Anyway.

Separation of Church and State is an important issue to me, but maybe for a different reason than most people. A lot of people, especially in this website, want it to limit the Church’s influence on civil society, keeping religion out of schools and such. And I agree with that! The government should not favor one faith over another, and people should be free to choose their beliefs or lack of such without undue outside influence. However, I do not think that the Pope/Archbishop of Canterbury/High Priest/Caliph/Grand Council of Baptists or whatever those fellows have/Etc. gaining control over a country is the real danger of breaking the SoCaS. (as I will hereafter refer to Separation of Church and State)

in fact, I think it’s the opposite. I stipulate that SoCaS’s finest purpose is to protect the Church from the State.

Look at the Russian Federation. They’ve been intertwining the Russian Orthodox Church with their excuse of an empire for a good while now, and look where it’s landed that noble institution. Rather than establishing some sort of Third Rome with the Patriarch of Moscow at its head, it has merely subordinated said Patriarch to a sniveling puppet of Vladimir Putin, who’s entire purpose in life is to justify an imperialist war and claim that God personally endorses killing Ukrainians, and that anyone who doesn’t is an apostate. Not to mention the 40K-esque prayers over nuclear warheads. (go google that, it’s real)

I’ve got examples from history too! I don’t even need to talk about Hitler’s Kirchenkampf, wherein the Church in Germany was slowly broken into yet another tool of the NSDAP, everyone knows about that. But I will talk about something a lot further back. The year is 312 Anno Domini, and Emperor Constantine is about to acknowledge just which Lord exactly that year belongs to. With Constantine’s conversion to Christianity, it swiftly becomes the state religion of the Roman Empire, and thus the spirit of Christ begins to dissipate. The Empire continues on just as it had beforehand, except now, lands were being conquered for a different God entirely. The doctrines of Christianity are molded into whatever the Roman elite would prefer, establishing systems of oppression that would last for centuries, and thoroughly eliminating its revolutionary roots. Gone are the proto-Communistic Christian groups, The Sermon on the Mount mothballed in favor of ideas that would become the Doctrine of Discovery many years later, and Render Unto Caesar is preached across every rooftop, conveniently ignoring the context and other verses which should be read in tandem. Yes, I am a Tolstoyan, why do you ask? Anyway, Constantine’s havoc upon Christianity as a whole cannot be denied, and do you know how he did it? Because the Roman Empire had no SoCaS.

I will give a dispensation to the English on this one. Though they have a state church, they’re also all agnostic due to the incredible apathy resulting from living on Britain. This amusing dichotomy has resulted in several funny things, like their Book of Common Prayer not having been updated since 1662. (Since it requires Parliamentary approval) BUT YOU’VE ALL BEEN FOOLED! THAT’S RIGHT, I WAS MAKING A POINT HERE! The United Kingdom having the Church of England as its state Church (the very existence of a a state church being a violation of SoCaS) have shackled the Anglican Church to the whims of Parliament, which, due to the aforementioned mass agnosticism on the part of the British, has resulted in them being unable to do things agreed upon as necessary by the vast majority of the Church itself. The good old C of E can’t update their prayerbook, they can’t change the hymnal, (not that any good religious music has been written in the past four hundred years) they can’t even politely request government funding to pay for the upkeep of their very many beautiful and exceptionally historical churches, because the United Kingdom pays their salaries instead. The Magna Carta states that “The English Church shall be free”, but then, since when have the British kept their promises? Just look at the Labour government.

Now, I've been leading up to my final example here. The question on all of your minds is this: but what about America? We live in a time where Christian Nationalists and other deplorable types have been gaining exceptional amounts of power in our (in case you aren’t American, just assume I’m using the Royal We) country, and they too wish to erode the sacred protections put upon the Church known as Separation of Church and State. Even now you see it in the efforts to, for example, put the Decalogue into schools. Except this isn’t a plot by any church to gain control of the minds of our youth. This is a plot by Republicans to gain control of the minds of our youth. The version of the Ten Commandments pushed by those, and I use this word entirely unironically and in its proper meaning, heretics is one of the worst butcheries of a holy text I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’ve read the Word on the Street Bible. (Which is an entirely different conversation) Not only do they start with the King James Version, (an admirable work of poetry, but nothing more) but it is then mutilated by snipping out bits that its authors in the “Fraternal Order of the Eagles” find inconvenient. Even ignoring the fact that this runs roughshod over Jewish and Muslim believers, who also as it happens follow the Decalogue, this translation does not conform with any recognized Christian denomination’s interpretation of the Decalogue, Catholic, Protestant, or Other. Mark my words, this is a purely political move aimed at throwing the legitimacy of God behind the disgusting and frankly blasphemous cause of the Far-Right, chaining the Church to the hellish engine of the Republican political movement. Christian Nationalists, no matter what they claim, are not Christian. They cannot be, for Christianity is antithetical to every last value they hold. As long as I live, I will fight to stop there from being another Constantine, because I will not see my religion, the very core of my being, bastardized into yet another tool of state tyranny. Not again, and not here. Every last person who truly holds faith should do the same, because the honey-tongued liars who claim to share your values are lower than the Pharisees of old, making loud proclamations of belief in the public square while seeking only power. Fall not for the temptations of the snakes in Congress and the houses of the states, because before long they’ll be rewriting the rest of scripture too. My bet is that No Man can serve Two Masters is going next. After all, it bodes unfortunately for loyalty to Donald Trump.

TLDR: Separation of Church and State is good because it stops the church from being controlled by the state not vice versa it is the middle of the night and I am going to bed.