Troops have logged more than 110 complaints about such comments with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

Without any clear message coming from the White House with regard to the purpose of the Iran war, U.S. military commanders have turned to Jesus, apparently telling American troops that the war is “biblically sanctioned.”

The U.S. joined Israel in striking Iran early Saturday morning. By Monday evening, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, or MRFF, was “inundated” with complaints, receiving more than 110 grievances from U.S. military personnel stationed at dozens of sites across the Middle East, reported independent journalist Jonathan Larsen.

One such note included an anecdote from a noncommissioned officer, who reported that their commander had “urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.”

The NCO’s complaint was lodged on behalf of 15 troops, including 11 Christians, one Muslim, and one Jew, according to Larsen. The officer stated that such remarks “destroy morale and unit cohesion and are in violation of the oaths we swore to support the [C]onstitution.”

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[–] 68 points 8 months ago (1 child)

"[The] Republicans are selling their soul to win elections. Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. The government won't work without it. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them."
-Barry Goldwater (November 1994)

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    [–] 56 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    So now it's a Christian holy war. Just perfect, this will not end well for anyone.

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  • [–] [S] 49 points 8 months ago (6 children)

    One such note included an anecdote from a noncommissioned officer, who reported that their commander had “urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.”

    Anything can be "part of God's divine plan" as long as some fundamentalist asshole wants to claim it is.

    Was protecting pedophiles all part of God's divine plan too, or were y'all just improvising? Guess we'll all just have to wait and hear what God says. Probably sooner than any of us were expecting thanks to these mentally I'll murderous cunts "righteous angels" who walk among us.

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  • [–] 25 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    Nah fuck it let's say it is God's plan. Did they miss the part where, in the battle of Armageddon, the worldly armies all belong to the Antichrist? Unless these dipshits are literally descending glorified from heaven with actual physical Jesus leading them, they are on the Antichrist's side.

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  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    Maybe they all expect to get raptured and leave the rest of us to deal with the mess they leave behind.

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  • [–] 5 points 8 months ago

    May be, but that's as unbiblical a belief for them to have as the one mentioned above. What they believe in isn't the Bible or Christianity, it's a pack of malicious lies designed to make them think that not only is it okay for them to kill, steal, and destroy, but that God wants them to do it as his chosen people.

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  • [–] 34 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    It's like Trump has to convince everyone he is the antichrist without actually saying it.

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    [+] 20 points 8 months ago (1 child)
  • [–] 11 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    I fucking hate organized religion. I've hated it since first reading the history of its atrocities . I hate it even more now.

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  • [–] 11 points 8 months ago

    🫠 ugggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

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  • [–] 15 points 8 months ago (7 children)

    Anecdotally, conversations with the terminally online type of leftists shows many to be still quite self-satisfied about not voting for Kamala, though.

    Because, bOtHsIdEs would have started a religious war on behalf of a secular country.

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  • [–] [S] 13 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

    You're not wrong, and to be clear I voted for Kamala just like I begrudgingly voted for Biden in 2020, and if somebody wants to argue things would be just as fucking horrible right now with Kamala as president, I would assume they're a troll or just a contrarian not worth arguing with.

    But if we're looking at this as a continuum of who is to blame if the world were to end today, I do have to say I think there are plenty of more blameworthy people than just those on the left who either fell for propaganda or refused to compromise their values, and honestly (if not naively) believed they were making the right choice.

    Regardless, we can't change that now, but if the world ends this way, as of this day I honestly would have to say the establishment Democrats are continuing to edge towards more complicit than blameless, even while knowing this is their chance to prove why they deserve any votes they don't receive.

    If I could do 2024 again, I would still vote for Kamala, but I have to say, it makes me more than just a little angry to see so little effort by establishment Democrats to consider their constituents before their donors.

    Why Can’t Top Democrats Just Say “No War With Iran”?

    It's definitely not all Democrats, and there have been some (like Wyden) who have made their opinions very clear. Those democrats deserve every vote they can get. But shit like this from Schumer only helps to undermine democracy and public faith in the democratic party. It would be great to not have to constantly question who's interests he actually has in mind.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    Yes, I fully understand all the caveats and the frustrations with the Democratic Party. I think a great deal of Democrats are in the camp you describe, including me.

    I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about what seems to be a relatively small (but very vocal and quite smug) subset of the left that offer no truly viable options and then go on to lecture about how America and the DNC/Democratic Party deserves this kind of thing...if I didn't have a few of these types in my life, I'd think the online ones were an orchestrated campaign to throw elections to the right.

    There are often several headlines per day that put the lie to how Republicans would be no different than the Democrats, and yet I've yet to see one of these types admit they were wrong or apologize for their claims. I mean, I get the fire in the belly - I was once a teenager, too. The sad part is that some of the people I know personally like this are way past the teen years.

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago

    When people are so quick to point an accusatory finger so frequently and unprompted towards them as you did commenting on this post is it any wonder that 3rd party and non-voters start to grow bitter towards their accusers? It would be far more productive of you to join their calls for a better Democratic party and not constantly chastise those with whom you agree on all except their choice to vote on their principles. Harm reduction is not a persuasive argument, it is a strategic decision to acknowledge your moral culpability in both action and inaction, informed by reality not ideals. It would be ideal if everyone understood this concept and voted to cause the least harm, but that is not the reality, and you will not convince them with finger-wagging and moralising. I am asking you to continue practicing harm reduction by keeping your frustrations with non-voters to yourself - knowing that voicing them only causes further harm - and instead direct them to dem electeds and primary candidates to be better at inspiring their vote.

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  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    The dem party leaders have complained about how this war was started, haven't heard much actual opposition to the war itself from them

    They probably wouldn't have been so sloppy, but the messaging I heard was they would have backed up Israel unconditionally

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  • [–] -5 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    Yes, because the US wasn't sucking Israeli cock when Biden was president. It's not guaranteed this exact situation would've played out if Harris was president, but fundamentally it's Tel Aviv setting the schedule here, not DC. It's more than likely a Harris admin would've just taken more care to manufacture consent first (and not call the affair a religious war, but secular bombs aren't any better than religious bombs).

    PS: Leftists unwilling to vote blue don't exist in large enough numbers to skew any US elections.

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  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago

    Jesus about to go full Bobby Hill with how firmly he tells this administration he doesn't know them

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  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago

    More treason? Say it aint so

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  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago

    JFC, between the treasonous racist pedophiles, and the whacked-out delusional religious freaks, who both have a pathological obsession to control every aspect of every citizen's life, how do good, decent, moral people who only want to live a dignified life with their families, stand a chance?

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  • [–] 8 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    Who could have seen the United States becoming so fucked up evil? Unbelievable!

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago

    Hey Commanders! Y'know when they said you had to ignore illegal orders? Passing on illegal orders counts.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago
    [–] 1 point 8 months ago (1 child)
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    [–] 78 points 8 months ago (4 children)

    How convenient that [unpopular war] is sanctioned by God.

    It really seems to me that when rich white men say something is because God wants it, it’s really because THEY want it. Calling your actions ordained by God is an extreme megalomaniacal projection.

    I can’t believe people fall for this shit.

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  • [–] 15 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    Is that REALLY limited to "rich white men" tho? That just seems like all religions across the board.

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  • [–] 8 points 8 months ago*

    Certainly not, but in the USA I find that group tends to truly believe it more than others.

    I have a theory I call “televangelist syndrome” where someone tells a lie that makes them so successful that they begin to believe it themselves, and it becomes integrated into their personality; the lie becomes part of them because they’ve so adapted to it that to believe or do otherwise becomes impossible.

    It does not benefit the actor or the audience to dismantle the performance and expose it for what it really is. But, when that performance is for politics and religion, that is when this form of untruth creates mass surreal insanity like we’re seeing now.

    For instance: when some rich white asshole tells us to die in a war with Iran so God can bring about the apocalypse. Fucking. Bonkers.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago

    I can’t believe people fall for this shit.

    I was always aware of stupid people, but the revelation over the last decade of just how many there are and how stupid they actually are has been shocking.

    It's honestly amazing humanity made it this far. Obviously on the backs of a small percentage of very intelligent people over the millennia.

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  • [+] 40 points 8 months ago (4 children)
  • [–] 41 points 8 months ago (29 children)

    In 20, 30, 40 years, well after the US has collapsed as a superpower, Christian terrorist groups are going to metastasize in its corpse and commit atrocities in the name of Christ, to the point that Christianity will have the same notoriety as Islam in this regard.

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  • [–] -5 points 8 months ago (24 children)

    The US will still be here as a power in 40 years

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  • [–] 10 points 8 months ago (7 children)

    America has already been greatly reduced by this administration and it's actions. Countries are moving away from the US dollar as a global currency. If the dollar collapses...and it very well could if countries stop using it for the oil trade (some already are). If the dollar fails, US Power becomes somewhere close to Russia's current power. Sure, it'll still be a power...but it might never be "great again." That slogan is a blatant failure and a warning of bad things to come.

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  • [–] -2 points 8 months ago (6 children)

    Yes, but it will still be a superpower whether you like it or not

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (5 children)

    You have no basis for that claim. Following the Roman Empire, the most powerful nation on earth has been different every century. The US has already been on top for two centuries, it would be a statistical outlier at this point for it to remain that way for much longer. And if you've been paying attention at all, the US has almost completely eroded its soft power, is already running a deficit that would kill any other country, and is now adding the full cost of its illegal tariffs and at least one more war in the middle east to its bill.

    It is looking supremely unlikely that the US will be able to call itself a superpower in a few decades.

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago (4 children)

    I'm not saying it will stay on top forever or for several hundred years. Just in the near future, the US will still be on top

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago (3 children)

    40y is half a century. You can confidently say the US will be "on top" in 2065? I'm not even confident the US is currently on top.

    Meanwhile, China has all the expertise, all the manufacturing, the population, the resources. The west is floundering to cut off their oil supply in the middle east like that will do anything, but they are beating us in renewables and battery tech too. At this point, China's best strategy is to just wait us out.

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago (2 children)

    Not #1 necessarily, but a superpower nevertheless.

    China is losing population, at some point in the future crossing below the US population. Maybe by 2100 both settle at 500 million people

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago (1 child)

    You could have thought the same about the Soviet Union in 1987. Are you counting it if the US is dismantled and a new country is established in its place?

    You know that from 1979-2020 China had legislation in place to limit the number of children people were allowed to have, right? They only JUST lifted that restriction. Their population curve is very deliberate.

    I think it's much more likely that climate change disrupts the food supply and the global population takes a dive.

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago

    The Soviet Union was in decline for a long time by then. You could have said this about China in 1986 and be wrong.

    It doesn't count if its a rename and reshuffle. It doesn't count if the US loses some territory like Puerto Rico.

    Only counts if the US completely dismantled USSR style or becomes poor Argentina style

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago (4 children)

    The US as it is today will not exist in 10

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  • [–] -4 points 8 months ago (3 children)

    It will still exist like it is now in 40 years, stop LARPing.

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago (1 child)

    Lol.

    Take a look at the last year alone.

    Our rights are being infringed upon on a daily basis. The controlling party isn't even trying to hide that they're attempting to fuck with our elections to assume permanent control. The federal government is murdering American citizens in the streets. Concentration camps are being built. We're well on our way to Russia 2.0.

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago (8 children)

    A power? Maybe, but not a superpower.

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  • [–] -2 points 8 months ago (7 children)

    It will still be the #1 or #2 economy. Impossible that it's not a superpower

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago (5 children)

    It's dropping fast, or are you not aware?

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  • [–] -2 points 8 months ago (4 children)
  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (3 children)

    The dollar is shrinking compared to most major currencies and the NYSE is shrinking to all other stock markets. So your comment is more suitable to, well, your comments.

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  • [–] 0 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    No, when you make an extraordinary claims you require extraordinary evidence

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago* (1 child)

    It's out there, several postings and articles that back my claim have been made. It's not extraordinary, it's reality.

    Edit: it's been shown enough that it's on you to prove it wrong. The "buy Canadian" effort has been working, while the EU is working to move away from American tech. The drip of countries selling off US Treasury bonds. The drop of the stock market. At this point, you're simply either not paying attention, or you're a shill.

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  • [–] 0 points 8 months ago

    Those only provide circumstantial evidence. The stock market dropped many times and it didn't affect the US dominance. Same with the dollar value, bonds, etc.

    You haven't linked me any of those articles, am I supposed to prove your case for you?

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  • With the release of the Epstein files and how it affects practically every leader of every nation (western imperialist nations at least), they've adopted a scorched earth policy to avoid losing power.

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  • [–] 13 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    Jesus is returning because Donald Trump raped children?

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  • [–] 10 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    I am no theologist nor have more than cursory knowlege of the Bible, but isn't Armageddon "started" by God himself, not an emissary, against the gathered armies of Satan?
    And err ... the only ones who gathered armies are trump and bibi (who try to lure in others to join them...)

    Is maga turning a blind eye again to the fact that this announcement of trump bringing about Armageddon points to trump being Satan's plaything?

    If they try to proclaim trump as being God himself then there is a whole other level of delusion going on.

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  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago

    tldr: Trump is an antichrist and so are his followers and worshippers.

    Welcome to the evangelical followers of Trump...the modern GOP (Guardians Of Pedophiles). Yes, they're missing the HUGE point that the only way Trump brings about Armageddon is by becoming the antichrist...which honestly, Trump is so antithetical to the teachings of Christ that he IS an ANTICHRIST. Maybe not THE Antichrist...but an antichrist(ian). Modern evangelical theology in America is NOT a true Christian religion as it views Jesus works as too liberal. They don't like that. Very few of them have EVER read the entire bible...despite their constant drooling out "catchy verses". They cherry pick only the things that can be twisted to fit their worldview. I'm not bragging, but I did read the entire Bible (although I skipped most of the long genealogies). It changed my religious beliefs and turned me against most organized religions (Christianity, Islam, judaism...all of the Abrahamic religions.) Now, I'm more atheist who agrees with the liberal views of Jesua. His main, constant message was to be kind to everyone and not be a hypocrite while caring for the poor, widowed, and orphaned. He supposedly healed the sick with miracles and usually told them not to tell anyone, but to keep it a secret...he seemed to avoid fame for much of how ministry...he preached a message, but asked for no credit for himself - if he existed, he tried to serve God and his fellow man. Modern evangelical followers cannot match Jesus' teachings with their own feelings and hatred (which draws on harsh old testament rules and laws and ignores the words of Christ. Tell an evangelical that they were charged by the Man whose name they claim to feed the poor, no matter what, and they will immediately regurgitate THE SAME verse, in which Jesus supposedly said that if a man won't work, then don't give him food. I disagree with that verse because there are disabled people in the world who cannot work. Plus, Jesus is reported to say that ONLY ONCE. He said to feed the poor, without any conditions, many times more. But, evangelicals are cherry pickers with a subset of scripture that they use to support their inner hatred of their fellow man. Islam and Judaism do the same.

    I'll close this unfortunate wall of text with this: Evangelicals are a cult of Semi-Christian bigots who claim to love the sinner but hate the sin...but the truth: Evangelicals always have mouths full of scripture that warms their hearts filled with hate.

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago

    I am no expert in theology either but I am a comic book/sci fi/fantasy nerd. The source material for any good work of fiction is just that; source material. Later authors can use it as a frame work for their version but frequently retcon any inconsistencies with the original. Think of Trumpageddon like A New Hope: Special Edition. Instead of God shooting first now Donnie does.

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  • [–] 9 points 8 months ago

    Born too early to die in the crusades

    Born too late to die in the crusades

    Born just in time to die in the crusades

    I somehow didn't expect this to turn into a Christian Armageddon ploy. I thought we all agreed all that matters is oil

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  • [–] 9 points 8 months ago

    There is no way to negotiate, appease or appeal to people who are expecting the world to end and will cause the end themselves if they have to. The toddler has a gun and the adults will need to take it from them.

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  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago

    Trumageddon

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  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    Christianity is not a religion of peace.

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  • [–] 5 points 8 months ago

    Trying to get the christofascists on board, just so there is some domestic support.

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago

    You never hear the loud proud kind of Christian wonder if maybe God did send Trump -- as a punishment.

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago

    Sunsetting old bastard is gonna kill us all just to feed his own ego...

    At least hitler didn't have nukes...

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (3 children)

    At least they're not pretending that this is anything other than another Holy War on both sides.

    The good thing is that none of the alliances on either side have any political need to intervine, due to the religiousness of it.

    Russia is looking at Iran and going "who the hell is Allah and why are they fighting for him?" and NATO is "What kind of kind of mess did the Megachurch get into this time, oh well whatever."

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

    Their reasoning has changed repeatedly.

    I think Holy War is a made up excuse to try and curry favor with religious conservatives in America and Israel, and convince that 30% base (not sure what the number is in Israel but I would guess it's similar to America) to keep supporting anything the dear leader does, even if it's definitely not in their interest. They won't ever change their opinions no matter what happens. It's not because they're necessarily stupid and refuse to acknowledge reality or because they're all bad people. In America, even if they were willing to listen, there's a very good chance they will never actually know reality. Their opinions are conditioned and shaped by false narratives (like any of this being God's will), and every piece of information they receive is tightly controlled.

    I honestly believe the real reason, is Trump is hoping to destabilize America enough to provoke more attacks on the U.S. (or at least make any future false flag attacks more believable). That gives him an excuse to further destroy civil rights/liberties, and cancel the midterm elections to avoid any potential accountability for a very long list of things.

    Not sure if Netenyahu has dirt in the Epstein files he's worried about, but he definitely also needs to avoid the possibility of accountability and justice.

    Also, keep in mind this "holy war" was never just the U.S. and Israel. It was also Saudi Arabia before they started trying to spin this. Again, I don't know all the details/dirt on Saudi Arabia, but I do know MbS also wants to avoid accountability for several things including his own name being in the Epstein files and for killing Kashoggi.

    An article written yesterday said Epstein actually might have known about Kashoggi, and it included a picture of a fake Saudi passport for Epstein the DOJ apparently found when they raided his home.

    Basically, the whole world is probably about to be destroyed because a few piece of shit oligarchs think they're too important for the world to keep spinning without them holding power, doing evil shit, and getting away with it, while contributing absolutely nothing positive to humanity.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    You're right. I agree, but also have to believe that we can make a way out of it.

    I initially wrote a long rant but regretted, because I think the two of us could spend all night long writing back and forth and I need to sleep more than arguing in agreement online.

    Remind me: I'll buy you a drink if we're still alive in 5 years.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (3 children)
  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago (2 children)
  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago* (1 child)

    I recreated a website on the anti-Christ into a slide deck. It has biblical quotes for identifying the AC. I would argue there’s more evidence for a particular reading that may not align with a MAGA Republican’s reading.

    I’m not a Christian, but I believe the Bible is being used terribly by modern Christians. It has for a long time.

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