#totalitarian sect

[uran0824]

“Patterns of anti-cult organizations”

After the video report of Egon Cholakian, a teacher of American intelligence, watched on the ESSC platform: “The Grandmasters' Revenge. Secret players are exposed", I realized the danger of anti-cult organizations for me, my relatives and all people on the planet.    Because the purpose of anti-cult organizations is to limit people's rights, their freedoms and to create a totalitarian regime. 

In essence participants of anti-cult organizations are mentally unhealthy, corrupt people without conscience and honor. They are ready to realize any black deed for money. Labeling any person or organization as a “sect” or “extremist”, they start to harass them, including using not only public censure and hatred, but also physical and psychological torture and abuse. They do this when they want to show their “unlimited power”, when someone is out of their control, who prevents them from implementing their totalitarian regime and digital concentration camp all over the world. 

Now I will tell you how the anti-cultist Dvorkin participated in the raider seizure of a factory in the Yaroslavl region. 

Think about it, we're talking about a commercial organization - a factory. It would seem that “sect” has nothing to do with it? But it is necessary to know that the patterns of work of anti-cult organizations are based on the Roman formula: use corrupt journalists, as well as connections with the authorities and place the controlled pawns in the right positions, integration into the dominant religions.

So, Sergei Basovets, former owner of the Yaroslavl plant Krasny Mayak, in 2003 appointed his brother Oleg Basovets and colleague Konstantin Sonin as managers of the plant.

However, Mr. K. Sonin decided to take over the plant in order not to share profits with CJSC Vibropromteh (through which Sergey Basovets owned the plant). He made a forgery, submitted fictitious minutes of the meeting of shareholders of CJSC “Vibropromteh” and so on. In a word, an endless series of lawsuits between Basovets and Sonin began.

To put pressure on Basovets, Sonin resorted to the “help” of anti-cult organizations. They, in their turn, decided to subject Basovets' book written by him in 2000, which Sonin obligingly provided. So, on the book written by Basovets “Artistic Introduction to Biopsychology” the regional Department of Internal Affairs requested an examination to identify signs of extremism and sectarianism (remember, at the beginning of the article it was just said that these are their labels, with which they begin to harass people and organizations). This examination was initiated by the anti-cultist Evgeny Mukhtarov, a member of RACIRS and Dvorkin's representative in Yaroslavl.

Naturally, this expertise was ordered by Dvorkin, who can find occultism and calls to extremism even in a tree, a pole, an ant, etc..

The results of this expertise were published in the press. 

And of course the expertise confirmed that Basovets is an occult-mystic sectarian.

It should be noted that using corrupt journalists, anti-cult organizations recruit such journalists into their ranks, so that in any part of the world at any moment to start harassing the unwanted and to establish on that territory their controlled people and their totalitarian regime.

In detail about this sad story everyone interested can read on the Internet, and we with you now a little summarize what we have learned about the patterns of anti-cult organizations.

Carefully studying the materials from the video report of respected Egon Cholakyan it became obvious that international scandals and court proceedings on various organizations (including Falun Gong, Scientology, Jehovah's Witnesses, Herbalife, etc.) always end with the victory of anti-cult organizations.

Therefore, anti-cultists continue their active totalitarian extremist activities and even receive support from governments and traditional religions in many countries.

This phenomenon is a new format of the Inquisition, where the struggle is not only in matters of faith, but also in matters of climate (which is a topic I did not know about before and therefore did not realize its relevance and global importance for the survival of all mankind), politics, science, health care, etc..

I realized that people should defend their rights and freedoms, so that democracy and freedom could flourish in society, and not the totalitarian regime established for all of us by anti-cult organizations.

I realize that through such articles the public will see the truth about these anti-cult organizations, which means that the templates they set up will disappear from people's minds, and all the labels they created in their heads will disappear. Then everyone will be able to hear the TRUTH about all aspects of human life, including climate, politics, science, etc.. 

#dworkin#anti-cult movements#totalitarianism#sect

#raider takeover#sales journalists#digitalcontrol#psychotic disorder

#fightingfuel#information manipulation

[dayana2024]

“A forceful persecution scenario from the anti-cultists”

In my previous articles, you may have already seen and studied information about how, through disinformation, the anti-cultists are seeking to enslave the entire world. I learned this crucial information from a video report by Egon Cholakian, an American intelligence lecturer https://egonreport.org/.

So, we continue to study the scheme of work of anti-cultists on the example of the organization ALLATRA together with Dr. Egon Cholakyan. 

The next country, where the forceful scenario of persecution was applied to the ALLATRA organization, was Russia. The starting point was again the Chelyabinsk diocese (I have told in detail about the Chelyabinsk diocese in previous articles).

Further events developed according to a successfully tested scheme, which the anti-cultists had previously applied more than once through their agents of influence.

The scheme is as follows:

- first comes an official statement by a representative of the authorities expressing dissatisfaction with the activities of this or that organization or individual; 

- followed by a corresponding reaction from the executive and law enforcement agencies, 

- which in turn becomes a precedent for the executive authorities to act to officially ban the organization. 

As a rule, in such a scheme, all participants of the event are in prior collusion and commit actions that literally violate the legal rights and interests of the persecuted individuals or organizations. 

Let's consider how this scheme was applied to ALLATRA. In Russia, the transition of the campaign to discredit the ALLATRA organization into the stage of persecution began with the publication of the already known concern of the Chelyabinsk Diocese about the activities of ALLATRA. This statement of church representatives was picked up by secular media, including federal media, in a short period of time. 

Further, in response to the concerns of the Chelyabinsk Diocese, a State Duma deputy from the Chelyabinsk region made a public statement that he had sent official requests to law enforcement agencies and the Ministry of Justice with a request to investigate the situation around ALLATRA and take appropriate measures if necessary. After that the State TV channel of Russia releases a high-profile, literally trigger video, based on the concerns of the Chelyabinsk Diocese. And other media outlets, including international ones, start referring to it. 

However, all these events were only a prelude to their next action, because only statements of religious figures, one deputy and media hype are not enough to use forceful methods. That's why on the territory of influence of the Chelyabinsk diocese an exemplary unlawful trial of one of the volunteers of the ALLATRA organization was held. 

The trial was held with a number of procedural offenses. Charges were brought against the ALLATRA volunteer (without legal grounds) that he was allegedly committing “illegal missionary activity.” (Let me remind you that ALLATRA is not a religious organization. Therefore, it is impossible to label it as “illegal missionary activity”.  That is, the corpus delicti was absent from the beginning, which was also pointed out by the volunteer's lawyer in court.

I will further quote the respected Egon Cholakyan: “Moreover, the lawyer of the volunteer provided the court with the conclusion of the ‘Institute of Forensic Expertise and Criminalistics’ of Moscow that no religious or extremist orientation was found in the activities of the organization ALLATRA. However, the judge unreasonably refused to accept this conclusion as evidence.  But a letter-response of a specialist from an anti-cult organization headed by the previously mentioned person with a psychiatric diagnosis was attached to the case materials, where it was stated that in the opinion of their specialist ALLATRA allegedly has “features of a religious cult”. I should note that this was only the opinion of a person from an online correspondence, which in no way can be equated with an official expert opinion.

Nevertheless, the court considered the letter-response more evidentiary than the conclusion of the competent authority, which shows a clear bias and prejudice of the court towards the defendant.  Moreover, two representatives of the anti-cult group acted as witnesses and prosecutors in this trial, and they involved their local experts. And all of them by “coincidence” turned out to be connected with the leader of the anti-cult movement in Russia - a person with an established psychiatric diagnosis,” (I remind you that this is Alexander Dvorkin).

It is clear that this trial was just a theater, and after a short trial the volunteer was found guilty of an administrative violation and punished with a fine. But the point here is not the punishment or the fine, the amount of which was not that significant. The whole point of this “insignificant” trial, conducted with a number of procedural violations, was to create a legal precedent, in which a legal label of a religious organization was attached to the international public organization ALLATRA, related to “illegal missionary activity”. 

I think you, dear readers, have the same question that I had when I first learned this information: What did the anti-cultists need it for? The answer is simple - to draw ALLATRA into their religious field, and then they set the rules of the game themselves. I.e. First anticultists stigmatized ALLATRA as a sect, and after the court ruling by their front man ALLATRA legally becomes such. That means that ALLATRA on the territory of totalitarian Russia becomes absolutely vulnerable and every volunteer is persecuted.   

Some time after these events the General Prosecutor's Office of Russia declared ALLATRA an undesirable organization on the territory of the Russian Federation, thus blocking any further activity of the organization in the country. In fact, this led to the closure of the organization in Russia. 

As the esteemed Egon Cholakian further stated in his video report: “During the proceedings, ALLATRA volunteers were subjected to numerous interrogations, during which methods of psychological violence were used. The interrogations were conducted aggressively, for several hours in a row. People were intimidated, humiliated, threatened, pressed on their red buttons. After such moral torture, people had to recover for weeks.

After the official recognition of ALLATRA as an undesirable organization, a number of administrative and criminal court proceedings were initiated under articles on dissemination of materials of an undesirable organization and cooperation with an undesirable organization, respectively. Now, for the fact that a person sent a link to a video related to the activities of the organization ALLATRA in a personal message to his acquaintance, such a person may face a significant monetary fine and imprisonment for up to 4 years”. 

And all of this is happening right now in a country with the narrative that their democracy is a true democracy and the best democracy in the world. 

The closure of ALLATRA in Russia has left the participants with only three options: either renounce their beliefs and cease activities altogether, emigrate to a democratic country where they can continue to participate in ALLATRA projects, or go to prison. 

Here is how Dr. Egon Cholakian further reveals the details of this anti-cultist scheme: “Immediately after the closure of ALLATRA in Russia, its active participants from Russia filed a counterclaim in court against the General Prosecutor's Office, and made an absolutely legitimate request to provide the General Prosecutor's Office with the grounds for the decision to add ALLATRA to the list of banned organizations. However, after many months, the General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation has still not provided the basis of the decision and has not satisfied any request for familiarization with the materials on the basis of which the decision was made. Despite the fact that all requests came from persons who had the legal right and were authorized to receive these materials from the General Prosecutor's Office.

And do you know why in fact the justification has not yet been provided to ALLATRA volunteers? Because there is none!”.

You may ask: what are the future plans of the anti-cultists regarding ALLATRA? I wanted to know that too.  And from

a further video report by U.S. intelligence lecturer Egon Cholakian, I learned that, quote: “But it is important to say that even this hydra also sometimes makes mistakes... For example, in a recent interview, the vice-president and board member of the mentioned anti-cult group expressed that simply declaring the ALLATRA movement undesirable in Russia is not enough. And that it should be, according to him, equated to an extremist and terrorist organization. These are their future plans for ALLATRA, and it will not be surprising if soon we will see the next steps in their implementation in the form of new official statements by authorized persons and attempts to enshrine them in legislation.”

The scheme of work of anti-cultists revealed by the American intelligence is simply horrifying. After all, according to this scheme we can see how throughout the life of mankind repeatedly destroyed not only orders, organizations, but entire countries ...

But what I personally understood for myself (I wouldn't have understood it myself, if I hadn't been helped to realize it all by the respected Egon Cholakyan):

The very fact of equating ALLATRA to a sect, to an extremist and terrorist organization shows that ALLATRA organization has nothing to do with what they want to accuse it of. And the artificial attempt to tie extremism to ALLATRA once again serves as a confirmation of a purposeful cynical crime of collaborationist anti-cultists. 

The article is already long, but I will touch upon one more point that has been bothering me: what was it all for? Many years of information war against ALLATRA with a huge amount of financial injections and human resources - was it really all for the sake of closing one volunteer organization? I doubt it. After all, defeating ALLATRA in this case is like beating a baby in the ring by a professional boxer. What changed in the country after the expulsion of ALLATRA? 

Here is how the honorable Egon Cholakyan answered this pressing question: “And I will say this: ALLATRA is gone, and the KGB agent network in Russia has been strengthened even more, and now they have gained even more power to influence the apparatus of power, political processes, and control of public opinion in this country.”  

Continued below ...

#antikultists #antikultists #antikultists #dvorkin #StandUpForFreedom #StopPersecution

#Putin #RF #Russia #extremism #democracy #totalitarian-sect #ROC #anticultism #religion #narrative #disinformation #EgonCholakian #USA 

[cavegirlpoems]

The Beast & The Church in 'Black Death Rising'

I'm writing a religious horror rpg, in which the End Of Days is in full swing in 15th century Europe. I figured it'd be worth it to talk about that game's religious perspective.

So I'm going to do something inadvisable, and talk about religion from a christian perspective. (religious/setting design ramblings under the cut)

Some context. I'm a quaker; for those less invested in minor christian dissenter sects, I'll give a brief summary. Quakers are a sect going back to the 17th century, with a strong focus on egaletarianism and individual conscience. No clergy or heirarchy, no formalised doctrines, and - historically and currently - a lot of focus on social justice issues. Honesty, equality, pacifism and simplicity as core value. So that's the overview.

This is, you will note, a stark contrast to a lot of what Christianity is currently, and has historically been. Which is to say, quite often on the side of the wealthy, the societally entrenched, and the oppressive.

I am also, as it happens, very openly and obviously queer. As you can imagine, this makes me really quite uncomfortable in a lot of 'christian spaces'.

So. Let's turn our attention to the Book of Revelations, as the various ideas in there are a lot of the game's inspiration. Revelations is written extremely abstractly, with dense metaphorical language rather than a direct accounting of events. There are, needless to say, a wide variety of ways to interpret the text, but I will focus on my own.

A key feature of Revelations is the subversion of religion; the idea of a false prophet turning religion away from its moral/spiritual purpose, and making it a tool for politics, leading to the rise of 'the beast' to power. It's made clear that as the beast seizes power, it goes on to use that power to persecute the outgroup (with whom the text's sympathies lie) and that a church controlled by and reverent of the beast becomes evil and totalitarian, leading to widespread suffering.

The parallels to the state of christianity in the modern day are, to my mind, quite apt. A wide faction - 'conservative christianity' to be polite about it, or christian nationalism to be more blunt - aligns itself with the oppresser over the oppressed, concerns itself with worldly wealth and power, and is actively and openly and inexorably tied to dangerous political forces. That mainstream christianity frequently acts in support of fascism is hard to miss.

There is a particular horror, I think, to seeing representations of one's faith hollowed out and distorted, emptied of their spiritual value and instead becoming a tool for evil. The perversion of what should be sacred has a huge potential for horror.

This is, after all, a particular horror one encounters in a regular basis in the real world. I mean, fuck, one simply needs to see Kenneth Copeland speak for 30 seconds to get a sense of something deeply, deeply wrong.

So, this is the horror the game seeks to capture and accentuate. The sense of what should be holy having been emptied out and used for evil. The twisting of faith to become a tool for fascism.

To this end, the game treats aspects of Revelations quite literally. The Beast is, in fact, the leader of a vast and horrible fascist empire that is the cause of misery on a vast scale. Key to this is the total cooption of the church. The 'pope' is a reanimated corpse issueing proclamations at the Beast's direction, and the church is an engine of propaganda and inquisition that serves to enforce the empire's orthodoxy and stoke hatred against the Empire's outgroups.

This is not to say that faith is absent, but those possessing true spiritual conviction (and with it, in some cases, the ability to perform miracles) are definitively outside the church; actual faith is the domain of religious dissenters and heretics. PC clerics are not members of the church, they're actively persecuted by that church for - essentially - their refusal to spiritually sell out.

(Also, critically, miracles are not the sole domain of christianity; the game treats Jewish and Muslim figures as equally capable of performing miracles, and grants relics associated with those religions equal potency to christian ones; what matters is spiritual conviction, not one's specific denomination).

Other aspects of The Beast's Empire followed from this. Inquisitors and paramilitary agents are common enemies, and the 'seven heads and ten horns' are taken to represent The Beasts inner circle of most powerful servants.

In particular, I've given the Beast's empire it's own form of magic, Defixion, with the name taken from old roman curse-tablets. Defixion is, essentially, the magic of spiritually selling out. In exchange for eroding the user's soul, they become bound to The Beast and his empire; this gives him incredible power over them, but also grants them power based on their position within the Empire's heirarchy. Importantly, it's totally, one-hundred-percent off limits to player characters; playing as the fascists simply exists outside the scope of the game. Instead, Defixion is an explanation for why the Empire's agents have scary monster stat-blocks.

The choice of what to make The Mark Of The Beast was surprisingly easy; it's a cross, the same one that is embraced by fascist groups such as Stormfront.

(This also ties in with the use of the inverted cross as a counter-cultural icon; it's historically been a symbol of humility before God, and in the modern age is associated with strongly anti-church sentiments. In a setting where the church has turned away from God and towards hateful political power, those two meanings can go hand in hand.)

In conclusion: "I know writers who use subtext, and they're all cowards."

[forbidden-sorcery]

Max Stirner rehabilitated the individual at a time when the philosophical field was dominated by Hegelian anti-individualism and most reformers in the social field had been led by the misdeeds of bourgeois egotism to stress its opposite: was not the very word “socialism” created as antonym to “individualism”? Stirner exalted the intrinsic value of the unique individual, that is to say, one cast in a single unrepeatable mold (an idea which has been confirmed by recent biological research). For a long time this thinker remained isolated in anarchist circles, an eccentric followed by only a tiny sect of intelligent individualists. Today, the boldness and scope of his thought appear in a new light. The contemporary world seems to have set itself the task of rescuing the individual from all the forms of alienation which crush him’ those of individual slavery and those of totalitarian conformism. In a famous article written in 1933, Simone Weil complained of not finding in Marxist writings any answer to questions arising from the need to defend the individual against the new forms of oppression coming after classical capitalist oppression. Stirner set out to fill this serious gap as early as the mid-nineteenth century. He wrote in a lively style, crackling with aphorisms: “Do not seek in self-renunciation a freedom which denies your very selves, but seek your own selves... Let each of you be an all-powerful I.” There is no freedom but that which the individual conquers for himself. Freedom given or conceded is not freedom but “stolen goods.” “There is no judge but myself who can decide whether I am right or wrong.” “The only things I have no right to do are those I do not do with a free mind.” “You have the right to be whatever you have the strength to be.” Whatever you accomplish you accomplish as a unique individual: “Neither the State, society, nor humanity can master this devil.” In order to emancipate himself, the individual must begin by putting under the microscope the intellectual baggage with which his parents and teachers have saddled him. He must undertake a vast operation of “desanctification,” beginning with the so-called morality of the bourgeoisie: “Like the bourgeoisie itself, its native soil, it is still far too close to the heaven of religion, is still not free enough, and uncritically borrows bourgeois laws to transplant them to its own ground instead of working out new and independent doctrines.”

Daniel Guérin

[beingharsh]

What makes fascism dangerous is its molecular or micropolitical power, for it is a mass movement: a cancerous body rather than a totalitarian organism. American film has often depicted these molecular focal points; band, gang, sect, family, town, neighborhood, vehicle fascisms spare no one. Only microfascism provides an answer to the global question: Why does desire desire its own repression, how can it desire its own repression? The masses certainly do not passively submit to power; nor do they "want" to be repressed, in a kind of masochistic hysteria; nor are they tricked by an ideological lure. Desire is never separable from complex assemblages that necessarily tie into molecular levels, from microformations already shaping postures, attitudes, perceptions, expectations, semiotic systems, etc. Desire is never an undifferentiated instinctual energy, but itself results from a highly developed, engineered setup rich in interactions: a whole supple segmentarity that processes molecular energies and potentially gives desire a fascist determination. Leftist organizations will not be the last to secrete microfascisms. It's too easy to be antifascist on the molar level, and not even see the fascist inside you, the fascist you yourself sustain and nourish and cherish with molecules both personal and collective.

"1933: Micropolitics and Segmentarity", Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus

[tuulikki]

I understand that many of us, raised secular or perhaps ex-Christian, want to dunk on Christianity. I’m an ex-Christian, so I get it.

But we have to be very careful.

Take a look at this meme and note if anything about it feels comforting or affirming to your personal beliefs.

Do you believe that Christianity held back the natural flow of progress?

Do you believe Christianity was a foreign religion that Europeans were tricked and forced into?

Well, that’s a simplistic, ahistorical, and dangerous view. It’s a view shared by this guy:

There is a virulent strain of anti-Christian rhetoric propagated by Nazis who hate Christianity because they think it’s too Jewish.

If you find yourself indulging in knee-jerk dunking on Christianity, be careful. Scroll back up to the meme graph above. Notice how it shows only Western Europeans as inheriting progress—and no doubt every European colony during the Age of Enlightenment felt so grateful for being given “progress” at gunpoint. We should be unsettled by how easy it is to regurgitate supremacist talking points just because we like who they’re taking pot shots at.

You can hate Christianity for personal reasons.

You can hate conservative sects of any religion for political reasons.

But if you adopt totalitarian stances like “get rid of x religion”, you’re doing politics with emotions rather than a strategic plan for justice. It leaves you standing side-by-side with people who want to get rid of Christianity—as well as all Jews, to make life better for young white Aryan men.

A person whose politics are driven solely by emotions is one demagogue’s speech away from becoming part of a mindless mob.

[urabrask-the-hidden]

Khelos

Khelos (WUB) is the Domain of domination. Decrepit cities fill its dark mires, where the undead elite of the Dread Council use fear to maintain power. The citizens are fed hyper-nationalistic propaganda, and are kept afraid of the "Unworthy"- whomever the Council needs them to be, but especially outsiders and dissenters. The Council itself is a web of intrigue, deception, and betrayal with each member vying for power, and at the top of it all is Kevronok, the first lich, lord of Khelos and architect of its totalitarian regime.

GOD OF AUTHORITY

In life, Khelos was the god of leadership, rule, and order. Depicted as a regal, bearded man (and occasionally as a vampire), it was he who crowned Kevronok, the first king of Xalior. His name was considered the ultimate source of authority, invoked by peacemakers and tyrants alike. 

It was said that Khelos held mastery over all things, even death. Indeed, certain sects associated him with necromancy- a controversial topic, to be sure, yet undeniable. After all, he aided Kevronok in the creation of the practice, leading the king to become the first lich.

Khelos-the-god is still worshiped in some way, with most towns having a temple to the dead god (although this worship is largely synonymous with reverence for Kevronok). Khelos-the-god is seen as the great history they all share, a source of strength and pride. 

However, they believe that Khelos-the-god was ultimately too weak. He could not control Venhi, god of change, who the Khelosians believe both started the War and killed the God of Order. But his death was necessary, allowing Kevronok, his Heir, to rise and build a stronger society, more resistant to the forces of disorder.

LANDSCAPE

“Beyond these walls lies only silence. Beyond the silence are the Unworthy. Here, under our watchful gaze, is the safest place you can be.”

Khelos is a bleak realm, dominated by vast, empty moorland. The sky is perpetually overcast; rain is frequent, though storms are rare. Perhaps the Domain’s most distinctive feature is how quiet it is. Wind and wildlife are seldom heard, and all but the sound of voices seem muffled or distant. 

Lonely, mud-streaked roads crisscross the moors, leading to settled areas- stretches of farmland, small villages, or the occasional walled city. Even these places feel quiet and empty, with most people keeping to themselves. Khelosian infrastructure is poor, mostly run-down. The dwellings of the elite, however, are grand and opulent. 

Khelos sits on the northeastern coast of Xalior’s great continent. Its main borders are with the dark estuaries of Nyduul to the north, the ashen fields of Orathir to the west, and the volcanic hellscape of Morax to the south. 

Major Locations: 

Ebonhold, capital of Khelos, where the Lich-King rules from the Obsidian Citadel

Volaak’s Landing, the greatest port city, governed by Lich-Lord Volaak

Zostania, most fertile part of Khelos, where most of its food is grown

Mistwater, the greatest stretch of moorland between settled areas

THE LOYAL FLOCK

“The Unworthy are all around us, my friends. They despise us for our perfect society, a thing they could never build, and so they seek to tear it away from us.”

Khelos is inhabited by humans, vedalken, tessians (ratfolk), and vampires (unique to Khelos). They are fearful and suspicious folk. They fear strangers and outsiders, Unworthy of Khelos’ glory. They fear their neighbors, who may be dissenters or foreigners in disguise. And they fear the Dread Council and what awaits them should their loyalty be found wanting. 

Despite this, the Khelosians believe their society is perfect. And why shouldn’t they? It’s all they’re told, from the day they were born until the day they die. The law may be cruel at times, yes, but it is necessary for the sake of order and their own safety. 

Class is very stratified in Khelos, with little room for upward mobility. Vampires, who live only in Khelos, often receive a degree of special treatment, and are more common among the upper classes. At the bottom are farmers and manufacturers, then artisans, merchants and other landowners, mortal necromancers and government officials, lich-lords, the Dread Council, and finally the Lord of Silence, Kevronok himself.

RULE THROUGH FEAR

“There is much in this world for you to fear, but Khelos is strong. The Council is strong. Kevronok is strong.”

Fear is how power is maintained, and so the Dread Council works to ensure that fear is inescapable. News of people outed as Unworthy is shared far and wide, and the wars with the other Domains is constantly at the forefront of politics. Wherever there are people, there are guards, soldiers, and the Silent Ones- secret police. The Baleful Eyes- undead crows which report directly to the Lord of Silence- are always watching. Ghouls are frequently paraded through the streets, and public tortures and executions are a regular occurrence. Self-expression, the source of disorder, is regarded as anathema. 

The Council itself is made up of 26 of the oldest and most powerful lich-lords, many from before the Great Reshaping. The inner workings of its hierarchy are quite complex, and power is in part derived from Kevronok’s favor. All liches covet the seats of the Dread Council, and all Councilors covet the positions of their own superiors. The constant scheming, backstabbing, framing, and deception are an open secret (though not one the populous is privy to), and investigations into misconduct are only to ensure the perpetrator’s tracks were covered. Above it all is the Master of the Dread Council, his position untouchable, with his subordinates too distracted by their schemes to plot against him.

THE LIVING DEAD

“The weak shall be made to serve. The righteous shall be made to lead. The strong shall be made to rule.”

Kevronok invented necromancy, and the practice of raising the dead as zombies remains a fixture of Khelosian society, both as a punishment and a reward.

Zombies of Khelos come in three varieties. First are ghouls, undead slaves controlled by necromancers (living or otherwise). This is the fate of the Unworthy; outsiders, dissenters, prisoners of war, all are slain and revived as ghouls in service of the Lord of Silence. They provide most of the menial labor in Khelos, and are frequently used in its army (they are particularly fond of fighting a Domain with their own dead).

Wights are non-spellcasting mortals who have been rewarded with undeath by a lich. Retaining much of their intelligence yet lacking free will, they lead the Khelosian forces on the fields of battle and serve as the personal bodyguards of the liches who control them. 

Necromancers of sufficient power, ambition, and loyalty are permitted to become liches, interring their soul within a phylactery kept by the Lich-King. Most continue their necromantic duties, with greater status awarded by their undeath. Some may become lich-lords, high-ranking government officials ruling over cities and large plots of land.

KEVRONOK, HAND OF TERROR

“You are not loyal to each other. Your allegiance lies only with the Lich-King.”

The first king. The first necromancer. The first lich. He is Kevronok, the Hand of Terror, Lord of Silence, Master of the Dread Council, Keeper of the Obsidian Citadel, Lich-King and Heir of Khelos.

In life, Kevronok was obsessed with perfection, seeking to build a kingdom that would only know order and would never fall. Believing that he alone could achieve this, and recognizing how long it would take, he created necromancy in pursuit of immortality, leading to his lichdom. When his kingdom inevitably fell, he retreated to the shadows of his hidden fortress, the Obsidian Citadel. Time and again he returned, intent on building a newer, better kingdom, yet each time was vanquished. He always learned from his mistakes, though, and when Khelos died and named Kevronok his heir, the lich was able to achieve what he longed for. All that remains is for the rest of Xalior to fall.

Withered flesh clings to his ancient bones, his beard is long and white, and his eyes shine with a pale blue glow. A dark, twisted crown sits atop his brow, and his robes are dark grays and muted blues. Deathly as his appearance may be, his voice is strong and clear. He is cold, cruel, calculating, and endlessly patient. Yet he is possessed of an obsessive need to be in total control of everything around him, for it all to be precisely as he wishes. As with all the Chosen, his arrogance knows no bounds.

RELATIONS WITH OTHER DOMAINS

“Fools, all of them. They deny our self-evident right to rule.”

Given its political disposition, Khelos is seldom friendly to the other Domains. Their closest allies are Orathir and Nyduul, and they will occasionally trade with Morax and Zalsu, but these relations are tenuous even by Xalior standards. They despise Rystan, Adient, and above all Venhi.

Xalior/Khelos/Morax/Rystan/Adient/Ebrius/Zalsu/Igovic/Nyduul/Orathir/Venhi/Hinterlands

[mauriceclivealec]

ok- so i just finished the novel and i had a thought. some people, typically religious traditionalists, would view clive as the true hero. what do you think of this? in all honesty, i think the novel was unbiased; in which (to me) maurice still reigns as the hero. in the film, it’s clear the bias was for maurice… i mean the score “clive and anne” was heart wrenching, presenting the tragic fate of clive. i mean- of course the novel was biased to some extent (the name of the book lol) but it’s difficult to say whether or not clive truly regrets his decisions in the novel. if clive had no regrets, would a traditionalist say he was able to surpass his sinful desires and frame clive as a hero? strange thoughts :/

You say you have read the novel in full – so I hope you have also read the author E.M. Forster’s ‘Notes on Maurice’ at the end (written in 1960 when Forster was 81 years old). If not, I urge you to do so.

If you understood the novel, my feeling is that you already know that the answer to your question is ‘No’. Clive is emphatically NOT the hero. Forster’s novel was NOT written to promote an anti-sex/purity or anti-gay agenda. Unambiguously, Forster’s purpose was the complete opposite.

Regarding Clive, in the novel teenage Clive rejects his devout Christianity (i.e. the Church of England: Edwardian England’s religious establishment, the church of the state) and replaces that faith with Hellenistic beliefs drawn from the Ancient Greeks. Forster does not write, or suggest, that Clive reverts to Christian faith later on (in Parts 3–4). Clive’s marriage to Anne – who is active in the Church of England – signals his social conformity: it’s a social convenience, not a return to Christian faith, reflecting social/class expectations on Clive.

In Maurice’s very last paragraph, Forster tells us that, the older Clive becomes, the more he dreams of the Maurice of ‘the May term’. The Maurice of Cambridge on their perfect day out in the Fens becomes physically present for the older Clive when, in reality, Maurice has gone from him for ever. This is not the dream of someone who has overcome their ‘sinful’ [sic] desires. This ending is Forster’s punishment to Clive, who chooses social conformity as a convenience (as an upper-class landowner, he is about to become a Conservative MP in a safe/uncontested Parliamentary seat) while living a lie. (‘He never saw her [Anne] naked, nor she him. ... Secrecy suited him, at least he adopted it without regret.’ – Maurice, Chapter 33)

Perhaps you need to re-read Maurice for a fuller understanding. I would also suggest you read around and about the novel and its history. There’s a very good academic paper, ‘Maurice and religion’ by Krzysztof Fordonski (2012), which you might find interesting.

You don’t clarify who/what you mean by ‘religious traditionalists’. There are many religions, many ‘traditions’, and a spectrum of Christian positions on same-sex attraction and sex. (From your Ask I infer that you might be an American fundamentalist anti-sex Christian.) As you might be aware, same-sex couples have had marriage rights in the UK since 2013, with church marriages conducted by some Christian denominations (including the Anglican Church in Scotland but not England). Self-evidently, LGBTQ+ Christians exist, around the world. Most want acceptance – not to have to live chaste or secretive lives.

Forster was from a family who were important members of the Clapham Sect (Christian social reformers and prominent anti-slavery abolitionists in the UK) but was himself a secular humanist. His 1939 essay ‘What I Believe’ – written against rising totalitarianism at the start of WW2 – is his best-known piece of non-fiction writing.

I’m guessing from your wording, however, that your motive for this Ask is that you yourself are (i) a ‘religious traditionalist’ (American? anti-sex?) and (ii) (for reasons which aren’t clear) very keen to appropriate – or twist – Clive and Maurice to serve a ‘traditionalist’ Christian anti-sex, anti-gay agenda. If that’s correct – why?

There’s no shortage of Christian literature and anti-sex puritanical literature in the world. So I do wonder what your motive is for wanting to impose this reading on a pro-gay, pro-happiness novel by a gay author (and one of the 20th century’s greatest novelists), filmed in 1987 by gay filmmakers. If you don’t approve of Forster’s purposes and beliefs as expressed in his novels, why not just stay away?

(Endnote: Some Forster fics have also recently appeared on ff.net which seek to ‘Christianise’ several of Forster’s novels in ways which miss and disrespect the point of the originals. Again, I wonder why.)

[banalityofambiguity]

I feel like all a certain sect of the online left needs to become a proper totalitarian movement is a leader. They already have the blatant disregard of reality, the utterly unshakeable belief that truth does not matter, only the power it can bring. The absolute commitment to an ideological premise through which all of the world is understood to operate, and to which the only reaction can be to slam on the gas pedal and make the “inevitable” victory become real. They’re unfocused, but the structure of such a movement is emerging.

The onion-layered radicalism that shields the innermost believers from what normal people believe because their understanding of the “unenlightened” are, in fact, just people slightly less radical than they are. The maintenance of the collective illusion is a moral duty to them, built upon a distrust for the “establishment” elevated to a level where the mere existence of information which contradicts what they wish to be true is understood as propaganda. I’ve seen people confidently assert that the American empire is “on the verge of collapse”, which is a position only possible if you believe that all evidence that doesn’t tell you what you want to hear is fake. It’s the same reason why they deny genocides, or make up statistics (and in doing so downplay the actual horror of the crimes they claim to be against, because now the death toll is “only” tens of thousands instead of millions). Because reality exists to be warped to prove what they already believe.

And while I know that these people are, in fact, a bunch of terminally-online maniacs, they have a damaging effect on the rest of the left because they produce disinformation which is then spread by well-intentioned people. This has a radicalizing effect, and the potential to do real-world damage to the actual ability of the left to get anything done. And sabotaging the left is in-line with the fictitious movement-reality that these online actors are creating, because one of their core beliefs, upon which their entire worldview is premised, is that any amount of positive change via normal means is impossible, that political democracy is not merely flawed, but outright nonexistent. They are, like all totalitarians, primarily focused on bringing actual reality in line with the fiction they live in. Sabotaging all efforts at concrete improvement, not even just voting, proves them correct.

These people terrify me, they bring out the specters of the most pessimistic political futures I can imagine, and frankly I’m not sure what to do other than hope that they don’t do too much damage.

[dragoneyes618]

Recent decisions against Israel by the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice, which are clearly intended to rescue Hamas and aid and abet its genocidal war on the Jewish state, can only reinforce a truism often expressed by Israelis: Kol ha’olam negdeinu. “The whole world is against us.”

Israelis have reason enough to feel this way, but it is worth asking whether it’s actually true. What, after all, is the “whole world”?

If the term refers to world popular opinion, then it is almost certainly wrong. It is unlikely that the majority of the world’s 8 billion human beings particularly care about Israel. If they do, it can only be in the most shallow and cursory way.

In another sense, however, Israelis’ angry rumination is quite accurate: What is often called the “international community” is most certainly against Israel.

The phrase “international community” is usually used as shorthand for the entire world. In fact, the international community is an elite, a clique, even something like a religious sect. It is made up of the vanishingly small minority of privileged and powerful people who work at or with an alphabet soup of international organizations and NGOs led by the United Nations.

It is worth emphasizing how small this cabal actually is. The largest international organization—the United Nations—employs some 116,000 people in total. This is approximately half the number employed by Microsoft. Most international organizations, including ostensibly independent NGOs, are much smaller. Even with various envoys and diplomats from each participating country thrown in, it is highly unlikely that the “international community” consists of more than 500,000 people. If, for the sake of argument, we double that number to 1 million, it would constitute only 0.0125% of the global population. This may be a “community” and is certainly “international,” but it is by no means “the world.”

This tiny sect received its privileges via a series of historical anomalies. It was constructed out of the wreckage of World War II when, hoping to prevent a World War III, the victorious Allies formed the United Nations—the brainchild of progressive U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who hoped to realize his predecessor Woodrow Wilson’s failed vision of the League of Nations.

Indeed, for a brief moment before the Cold War began in earnest, there were wild hopes that the United Nations would usher in a new era in human history: Disputes and conflicts would be settled according to international law via what was essentially an enormous debating society/charitable organization. The old imperial rivalries and balance-of-power diplomacy would disappear. War would become a thing of the past. The blessings of liberty and democracy would be bestowed upon the entire human race.

Needless to say, it didn’t happen. History continued on exactly as it had before: The great powers and the balance between them continued to define global affairs, and a third world war was prevented not by the world body but by the atomic bomb. In response, however, the international community that grew up around the United Nations simply pretended this was not the case. Instead, it created a hermetic bubble in which the international community was competent and effective at its job of ensuring peace and dispensing global charity. This should not have been surprising. After all, those involved made good money out of the charade.

This perpetual farce would have been amusing but not disastrous except for the fact that the international community swiftly began to take on a very sinister form. The reasons are well-known. Put simply, most of those who made up the international community represented authoritarian or totalitarian regimes. Thus, the international community inevitably became more and more amenable to authoritarianism and totalitarianism, so long as it was practiced by the right people. Beginning in the 1970s, as terrorism became a major tool of the world’s tyrants, the international community increasingly endorsed the most horrendous atrocities and the organizations that committed them. It was inevitable that this would end in a scramble to rescue a genocidal terrorist organization from near-certain destruction.

The international community, in other words, ceased to be farce and became a weapon—a kind of diplomatic suicide-bomber. For example, it is very doubtful that Hamas would have launched the Oct. 7 attack if it did not think that the international community would rescue it from Israel’s retaliation. We don’t yet know if Hamas was wrong. The blood of a great many people, in other words, is on the international community’s hands.

Clearly, in its current state, the international community has no right to exist. This raises a complex dilemma, however, which is if and how to replace it.

Despite the difficulties, it isn’t hard to see how alternative institutions could be created. For example, the democratic nations and their allies could easily form their own independent alignments like NATO without bankrolling a gang of parasites dedicated to enabling crimes against humanity in the name of human rights.

Moreover, if the international community did not exist, very little would change. The old ways of doing things have persisted and will likely continue to do so. International affairs would go on much as they always have through balance-of-power diplomacy. The only difference would be that the world would be free of much of the terrorism and war that the international community fosters through collaborationism and corruption.

More importantly, perhaps, the world will at last have accepted reality. This is a good thing in and of itself. It is dangerous to live by lies because the results are always incompetence, hypocrisy and ultimately self-destruction. Thus the essential admonition: If something isn’t working, stop doing it.

The international community is not working. Because it is not working, it is killing people. It’s time for those disinclined towards terrorism, genocide and their attendant pathologies to give up on the mad dreams of long-dead progressives. They must finally pull the curtain down on a blood-soaked and very expensive farce that has already gone on for far too long.

[rapha-reads]

*Solitary man in a wuxia/xianxia cdrama/novel wears red*: is a misunderstood guy, seen as a devil but actually wronged by the whole universe, seems cold and cruel, is truly kind and compassionate but vulnerable and afraid to show his emotions. Kind of a mass criminal but also has never done anything wrong one day in his life.

*Solitary woman in a wuxia/xianxia cdrama/novel wears red*: either the most insane person you've ever seen. Caution: don't approach. Will bite and skin you alive. Just wants to be loved but is way too possessive and into blood play. Or the most brilliant woman ever, kind, badass, cleverer than everyone else, a superheroine that will save the day and look glorious doing it. No in-between.

*Sect in a wuxia/xianxia cdrama/novel wears red*: appears like any other sect, is actually the bad guys. Greedy, assholes, pretentious. Thinks they're the only one in the right. Should be disbanded and jailed immediately. Wants to kill the solitary guy in red without trial. Worships the crazy woman in red. Hates the brilliant woman in red. Definitely a metaphor for totalitarian regime.

[dayana2024]

FECRIS - The Secret Enemy of Democracy

I, like many Americans, believe in democracy.  Belief in free speech, in the right to freedom of religion, is the bedrock of our nation.  But I have recently witnessed that foundation being undermined from within by forces that disguise themselves as noble causes but actually have more sinister motives.

At issue is FECRIS (the European Federation of Centers for Research and Information on Cults and Sects).  This organization, which receives funding from the French government, declares its goal to protect against “abuses by destructive religious cults.”  

However, their methods resemble not the fight against evil, but the very essence of evil itself.

FECRIS uses tactics that resemble medieval inquisitions, accusing religious groups of “sectarianism,” showing them in a negative light, and pressuring authorities to restrict their freedom.  They use fear, lies and manipulation to accomplish their goals.

The key to understanding the real motives of FECRIS was for me the CAP Liberté de Conscience report Stop Public Funding of Anti-Religious Activities of FECRIS Groups | Freedom of Religion (freedomofbelief.net) It clearly shows their anti-religious orientation.  They use the term “cult” as a tool of insult and humiliation to deny people their freedom of religion.

But the main revelation was the speech of Egon Cholakyan - a specialist in OSINT (open data intelligence) and the fight against disinformation https://egonreport.org/. He said that FECRIS uses its umbrella structures to spread its influence on democratic countries of the world, including the USA. 

And here's the paradox: the organization that fights “cult deviance” has itself deviated from democratic norms.  They operate under the guise of protecting against “sectarianism,” but in reality they are trying to destroy freedom of religion and freedom of thought.

How does such an organization get funding from democratic governments?  The answer lies in the same false idea of “protection from cultism” that they promote.  

FECRIS are not fighters against “cults” but the very “cults” of power that seek to enslave and destroy human freedom.  Their activities are a threat to democracy and the security of each of us.  We must resist their influence by spreading the truth and defending freedom of religion, freedom of thought and freedom of choice.

Violation of human rights:

As rightly said by Egon Cholakyan https://egonreport.org/ in his video report The activities of the mentioned anti-cult organizations using anti-democratic totalitarian methods violate many paragraphs of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, such as: article 1, article 2, article 11, article 12 and others.

* Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and ought to act towards one another in a spirit of fraternity." Anti-cult organizations, by imposing their views, deprive people of their freedom of choice and violate their right to free thought and belief.

* Article 2: “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” Anti-cult organizations often stigmatize and persecute people based on their religious or spiritual beliefs.

* Article 11: “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.” Anti-cult organizations often attempt to prohibit or restrict the freedom of assembly and association of religious groups.

* Article 12: “Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within a State.”  Anti-cult organizations apply pressure on people to leave their communities or country.

Paradox and responsibility:

It is indeed paradoxical that such organizations exist and are even sponsored by democratic states.  This highlights the problem of the discrepancy between the proclaimed ideals of democracy and actual practice.

The need for critical thinking:

It is important to remember that democracy requires critical thinking, freedom of choice, and the protection of the rights of all citizens, regardless of their religious or spiritual beliefs.

In lieu of a conclusion:

It is important to understand that anti-cult organizations are a serious problem that requires attention and open discussion.  Freedom of choice, the right to free thought, and religious tolerance must be protected.

If you liked this article, please applaud, like, repost and comment.

#FECRIS #UN #disinformation #cybersecurity #anti-cults #StandUpForFreedom #StopPersecution #democracy #EgonCholakian #USA

[the-tired-tenor]

Ron DeSantis: American Fascist

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has regularly starred in national headlines over the past few years thanks to a wave of conservative legislation, including the infamous “Don't Say Gay” bill and subsequent retaliation against Disney for speaking out against it. While this legislation has made him the hero of the far-right sect of the GOP, many on the other side of the political aisle have a different word for him: fascist.

Fascism is used to describe a totalitarian and discriminatory form of government - one which strictly controls what its citizens can say, do, or be, and backs those restrictions up with the threat of violence. In the Spring of 2003, Lawrence W. Britt published a list of 14 defining characteristics of fascism, which reads as follows:

1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism

2. Disdain for the importance of human rights

3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause

4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism

5. Rampant sexism

6. A controlled mass media

7. Obsession with national security

8. Religion and ruling elite tied together

9. Power of corporations protected

10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated

11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts

12. Obsession with crime and punishment

13. Rampant cronyism and corruption

14. Fraudulent elections

Today, I will be examining each of these characteristics as they relate to the political activities of Ron DeSantis, and using what we find to determine whether he really is a fascist.

First, we have “powerful and continuing displays of nationalism.” DeSantis regularly makes displays of Christian nationalism, telling his supporters to “put on the full armor of God” to defeat his political allies, as well as white nationalism. For examples of the latter, look no further than his suppression of materials as they relate to racial diversity in our schools, as well as his law that prohibits teaching lessons that “may cause students to feel guilty” about their race, such as lessons about slavery, Jim Crow, and reconstruction.

Next, “disdain for the importance of human rights.” The evidence for this point is truly overwhelming; highlights include his flight of migrants to Martha's Vineyard, where he lied about their destination and accommodations to coerce vulnerable minorities onto a plane, the infamous “Don't Say Gay” bill, and his latest catchphrase, “Florida is where woke goes to die.”

“Identification of scapegoats for a unifying cause” is similarly easy to pick out; for years, DeSantis and his allies have slandered teachers, gay and queer parents, and most recently transgender individuals, using rhetoric against those groups as calls to action for his base. More specifically, they have recently claimed that LGBTQ teachers are “grooming” students to become gay or transgender, despite there being not a scrap of evidence to support this.

“Supremacy of the military” has always been a Republican ideal, with trillions on trillions of dollars in funding going to defense each year while critical infrastructure and the state education system crumbles.

“Sexism” is harder to identify, as most politicians know at this point that openly saying “men are better than women” is political suicide. With that in mind, it is worth noting that DeSantis has frequently expressed support for and belief in “traditional” gender roles, especially in conjunction with condemning transgender people. See also the recent passage of ever more restrictive abortion bans in the state

Next, “controlled mass media.” There's a single recent event which I will highlight here, which is the recent introduction of a bill which would require anyone who writes about DeSantis or his cabinet members to register with the state government. This is the most mask-off attempt I've seen thus far to control the media, and while I don't think it will stand, it's deeply concerning that anyone is even trying it. Recent sweeping bans on school reading material also falls into this category.

“Obsession with national security” is another point common to Republican legislators. The last few years have seen a growing obsession with keeping migrants and immigrants out of the country, including the recent Martha's Vineyard stunt by DeSantis himself.

DeSantis often invokes the Christian God, as do most of his contemporaries, when justifying legislation or rallying followers, so “Religion and ruling elite tied together” is another easy check off the list.

“Power of corporations protected” might seem like an easy miss for DeSantis after his recent scuffle with Disney, but looking at the companies that don't dare to criticize him tells a different story, which goes hand-in-hand with the next point, “power of labor suppressed or eliminated.” Florida is a right-to-work state, which already removes some power from workers, but DeSantis has taken aim at unions over the last few years. Most recently and publicly, teachers’ unions have been a target.

“Disdain for and suppression of intellectuals and the arts” is also represented by DeSantis’ attack on teachers unions (and teachers themselves), but we can also look at recent restrictions placed on state universities, not least of which is the wildly unpopular and blatant takeover of New College. He is also the force behind expanding education jobs to favor candidates from law enforcement and military backgrounds via the lowering of standards and offers of special bonuses to those candidates.

For “obsession with crime and punishment,” look no further than the criminalization of abortion, ballooning police budgets, and the removal of an elected state attourney in Tampa who said he would deprioritize the prosecution of misdemeanors.

This is also an example of “Rampant cronyism and corruption,” as this attourney was removed specifically because he spoke out against DeSantis - despite this being a clear violation of his 1st amendment rights. We can also see cronyism in the recent takeover of New College, in which several high-profile allies of DeSantis were appointed to take over the once-liberal college's leadership. Whistleblowers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic were also persecuted by the state when they spoke out against DeSantis’ narrative that COVID was no big deal. We can also look to the recent hostile and unwelcome takeover o New College, where DeSantis installed political allies in positions of power at the college over loud and constant student and faculty objections.

Finally, we come to “fraudulent elections.” For this point, I would point readers to DeSantis’ blatant and unconstitutional gerrymandering leading up to the 2022 election - when lawmakers drew up a map that gave the GOP a modest advantage over state democrats, DeSantis threw it out and provided his own, which was so aggressively gerrymandered that he had to overrule his own party members, who balked at how aggressive - and likely unlawful - his map was in order to put it in place before the election. Additionally, see the recently introduced bill which would dissolve the Democratic Party in the state of Florida, effectively resulting in a single-party government with no competition.

Based on this examination of Governor DeSantis’ behaviors, as well as the overall behaviors of the party which he is a part of, I feel very comfortable saying: Ron DeSantis is a fascist. Specifically, he is a Christian Fascist who regularly justifies his decisions with religion, despite the intentions of our country’s founders to separate the church from political power. He is not the small-government defender of personal freedoms that he masquerades as, but an authoritarian bully who uses the levers of state power to enforce his bigotry, protect the power of his corporate donors, and force his religious views onto the citizens of his state.

Rather than use his power as a legislator to make improvements to the lives of the people he governs by doing things like fix infrastructure, fight inflation in the housing market, or protect vulnerable people from the whims of corporate interests, DeSantis is content to demonize vulnerable minorities in order to create infighting within the working class and distract from his immorality, hypocrisy, and blatant power grabs. Ron DeSantis is anti-liberty, anti-democracy, and anti-American, and should be removed from the levers of political power as soon as legally possible.

[apilgrimpassingby]

This is one of the reasons I hate both-sidesism; most people who do it are in fact engaging in atrocity apologetics. At least Holocaust deniers have the courage to admit that they're trying to exonerate a loathsome regime of its crimes.

The majority of pacifists either belong to obscure religious sects or are simply humanitarians who object to the taking of life and prefer not to follow their thoughts beyond that point. But there is a minority of intellectual pacifists whose real though unadmitted motive appears to be hatred of western democracy and admiration of totalitarianism. Pacifist propaganda usually boils down to saying that one side is as bad as the other, but if one looks closely at the writings of younger intellectual pacifists, one finds that they do not by any means express impartial disapproval but are directed almost entirely against Britain and the United States ... Pacifist literature abounds with equivocal remarks which, if they mean anything, appear to mean that statesmen of the type of Hitler are preferable to those of the type of Churchill, and that violence is perhaps excusable if it is violent enough.

George Orwell, "Notes on Nationalism"

When I was in kindergarten I saw a painting of the American Revolutionary War. I asked my mom, “Who were the good guys and who were the bad guys?” And she said, “That’s not really how war works. It’s not like a TV show. Both sides thought they were right, otherwise they wouldn’t have been fighting.” And my seven year old ass went “Oh ok”

Anyway having internalized that fun fact in literally kindergarten? It surprises me how many college-educated adults still don’t seem to know about it.

[olivesbest]

Modern Inquisition Within the Russian Orthodox Church: Wolves and Sheep

George Kochetkov is not just a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). He is the creator and inspirer of catechetical programs, a translator of the Bible into modern Russian, and a pastor who has opened the doors of faith to thousands of people. He has helped many realize the spiritual depth of Christianity and has made Christ’s teachings accessible. However, for his educational and missionary work, he has become a target. He is accused of sectarianism, despite serving within the framework of the Russian Orthodox Church and having the blessing of the Patriarch.

Alexander Dvorkin: The Self-Proclaimed "Cult Expert"

Alexander Dvorkin is a man who calls himself a "sectologist," but in reality, he fabricates accusations and creates false images of so-called "dangerous cults." He uses his own pro-religious anticult organization, RACIRS, along with media outlets under his control, to attach labels and destroy the reputations of those who deviate even slightly from his narrow vision of Orthodoxy. Instead of open discussions, there is harassment. Instead of dialogue, there are bans. This is exactly how RACIRS operates: an organization that, under the guise of fighting sects, is actually fighting against living, authentic Orthodoxy.

RACIRS: A Network of Influence and Manipulation

RACIRS is not just an organization—it is an entire network of agents operating through the media, public movements, and even state structures. They use denunciations, commissioned articles, defamation campaigns, and the "revelations" of defectors. Their goal is to eliminate anyone who does not fit into their rigid framework.

What Happens to Kochetkov's Students and Followers

It is not only George Kochetkov himself who suffers from attacks. His followers—educated, deeply faithful individuals—are subjected to pressure, insults, and persecution. They simply want to live their faith, but RACIRS does everything possible to portray them as a "threat."

When someone starts deciding which faith is "correct" and which is not, that is no longer a church but a totalitarian mechanism. RACIRS seeks to establish exactly such a model. They create enemies where there are none, just to justify their own existence.

Why do we speak about this?

It is crucial to talk about this because Truth, like pure water, washes away all dirt. Where there is light, darkness disappears. It is important to defend people's right to spiritual seeking. It is important to expose RACIRS’s methods.

Let me share the story of one courageous person who, through the path of Truth and Light, was able to overcome his inner fears and remain a true Human...

Not the entire church is sick

Igumen Peter (Valentin Meshcherinov). Photo sourced from Wikipedia

Here, we’d like to present the full text of an open letter from igumen Peter (Meshcherinov), a monk of Danilov Monastery in Moscow, published in KIFA, No. 12(86), September 2008.

Controversial issues in the Church should be resolved through open discussion in the spirit of Christ’s love

“In 1994, letters addressed to the Priesthood of our Church circulated through the churches and monasteries of Moscow, calling for the punishment of two Moscow priests — Father Georgy Kochetkov and Father Alexander Borisov. At that time, as a neophyte caught up in the general ‘wave’ of sentiment, I signed those letters. For many years now, I have regretted and repented of that action. I had the opportunity to personally apologize to Father Alexander Borisov, and I now offer my belated apology to Father Georgy Kochetkov on these pages. With this note, I publicly declare that I withdraw my signature from the aforementioned letters.

At the same time, I find it necessary to say that I still disagree with some of Father Georgy’s theoretical views as well as certain practical methods of his catechetical work. However, the years that have passed have convinced me that controversial issues in the Church should be resolved collectively and ethically — through open discussion in the spirit of Christ’s love, rather than through denunciations. The proper response to activities that some may find unacceptable should be positive actions, rather than silencing problems and submitting stealthy letters.”

Read more about this in the article: 

Modern Inquisition Within the Russian Orthodox Church. Part 2

[aesyslx]

the illuminati, a deep dive

unfinished! i lost motivation 😓

It was on may 1st, 1776 that adam weishaupt, a professor of law at the University of Ingolstadt, founded the Order of the Illuminati, a secret organisation formed to oppose religious influence on society and the abuse of power by the state by fostering a safe space for critique, debate and free speech.

(the birthplace of the Illuminati - BBC)

weishaupt thought "the monarchy and the church were repressing freedom of thought", (national geographic) and that religious ideas were "no longer an adequate belief system to govern modern societies". inspired by the Freemasons, which he had thought of joining, he "decided to find another form of 'illumination', a set of ideas and practices that could be applied to radically change the way european states were run". he named it the order of the Illuminati to reflect the enlightened ideals of its educated members

freemason/freemasonry

freemasonry's origins can be traced back to the stonemasons' guilds of the 14th century. they are a worldwide fraternal organization that promotes self-improvement, charity, and fellowship

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obscurantism

the act of deliberately hiding facts or details

secularism

separating religion from politics/physical realm

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during the interwar period of the 20th century, fascist propaganda claimed the Illuminati were a subversive element which served Jewish elites who were falsely accused to behind global capitalism and Soviet communism

The Illuminati became a widely-used conspiracy theory made popular in the 20th century, the term centers on a secret clique of world leaders using the global stage to create an almighty, totalitarian regime that strips people of their individual liberties and consolidates power at the very top

(american jewish committee)

In november of 1783, the three globes described the Illuminati as a masonic sect that wanted to make Freemasonry a political system, and in 1784 they refused to recognize the illuminati as freemasons

the three globes is the oldest recognized Masonic Grand Lodge in Germany It was founded in Berlin in 1740

The society was suppressed by karl theodor of Bavaria in 1787, who made membership punishable by death