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Hidden Proofs Of A Giant Race
As you read this series of extracts, try to visualize the proverbial series of contemporary evolution... something is amiss...
Large bones in stone graves in Williamson County and White County, Tennessee. Discovered in the early 1800s, the average stature of these giants was 7 feet tall.
Giant skeletons found in the mid-1800s in New York state near Rutland and Rodman.
In 1833, soldiers digging at Lompock Rancho, California, discovered a male skeleton 12 feet tall. The skeleton was surrounded by caved shells, stone axes, other artifacts. The skeleton had double rows of upper and lower teeth. Unfortunately, this body was secretly buried because the local Indians became upset about the remains.
A giant skull and vertebrae found in Wisconsin and Kansas City.
A giant found off the California Coast on Santa Rosa Island in the 1800s was distinguished by its double rows of teeth.
A 9-foot, 8-inch skeleton was excavated from a mount near Brewersville, Indiana, in 1879.
Skeletons of "enormous dimensions" were found in mounds near Zanesville, Ohio, and Warren, Minnesota, in the 1880s.
In Clearwater Minnesota, the skeletons of seven giants were found in mounds. These had receding foreheads and complete double dentition.
At LeCrescent, Minnesota, mounds were found to contain giant bones. Five miles north near Dresbach, the bones of people over 8 feet tall were found.
In 1888 seven skeletons ranging from seven to 8 feet tall were discovered.
Near Toledo, Ohio, 20 skeletons were discovered with jaws and teeth "twice as large as those of present day people." The account also noted that odd hieroglyphics were found with the bodies.
Miners in Lovelock Cave, California, discovered a very tall, red-haired mummy In 1911
This mummy eventually went to a fraternal lodge where it was used for "initiation purposes."
In 1931, skeletons from 8 1-2 to 10 feet long were found in the Humbolt lake bed in California.
In 1932, Ellis Wright found human tracks in the gypsum rock at White Sands, New Mexico. His discovery was later backed up by Fred Arthur, Supervisor of the Lincoln National Park and others who reported that each footprint was 22 inches long and from 8 to 10 inches wide. They were certain the prints were human in origin due to the outline of the perfect prints coupled with a readily apparent instep.
During World War II, author Ivan T. Sanderson tells of how his crew was bulldozing through sedimentary rock when it stumbled upon what appeared to be a graveyard. In it were crania that measured from 22 to 24 inches from base to crown nearly three times as large as an adult human skull. Had the creatures to whom these skulls belonged been properly proportioned, they undoubtedly would have been at least 12 feet tall or taller.
In 1947 a local newspaper reported the discovery of nine-foot-tall skeletons by amateur archeologists working in Death Valley.
The archeologists involved also claimed to have found what appeared to be the bones of tigers and dinosaurs with the human remains.
The Catalina Islands, off California, are the home of dwarf mammoth bones that were once roasted in ancient fire pits. These were roasted and eaten by human-like creatures who were giants with double rows of teeth.
One of the latest accounts of a race of giants that occupied Europe comes from the middle ages and involves a surprising figure: Saint Christopher. While modern stories of St. Christopher simply make him out as an ordinary man, or perhaps a somewhat homely man, those who actually saw him had a different story. According to his peers, he was a giant, belonging to a tribe of dog-headed, cannibalistic giants. Jacques de Voragine in The Golden Legend wrote of St. Christopher:"He was of gigantic stature, had a terrifying mien, was twelve coudees tall.”
A coudee is an antique measurement equal to or larger than the English linear measurement of a foot. According to this ancient account, St. Christopher stood from 12 to 18 feet tall (a fact that has become hidden in or even erased from church history).
While Western icons don't picture St. Christopher as contemporary accounts described him, those of the Eastern churches do. Often the suggestion is seen in historic accounts that St. Christopher was the product of a tryst between a human being and an Anubis (a demon-like creature based on the Greek Anoubis, which came from the Egyptians jackal-headed god who was believed to lead the dead to judgment)
John Haywood, The Natural and Aboriginal History of Tennessee, McCowat-Mercer, Jackson, TN, 1958
Cyrus Gordon, Before Columbus, Crown Publishers, NY, 1971
David Hatcher Childress, Lost Cities of North America, Adventures Unlimited Press, Stelle, IL, 1992, p.509. 4.Cyrus Godron, Before Columbus, Crown Publishers, NY, 1971. 5.David Hatcher Childress, Lost Cities of North America-M, Adventures Unlimited Press, Stelle, IL, 1992, p.509. 6.Indianapolis, News News, November 10, 1975. 7.Cyrus Godron, Before Columbus, Crown Publishers, NY, 1971.
David Hatcher Childress, Lost Cities of North America, Adventures Unlimited Press, Stelle, IL, 1992, p.468.
Ibid.
St. Paul Pioneer Press, June 29, 1888.
Chicago Record, October 24, 1895.
Humboldt Star, May 13, 1928.
David Hatcher Childress, Lost Cities of North America, Adventures Unlimited Press, Stelle, IL, 1992, p 494.
Ibid., p.496.
Ibid., p.497.
David Hatcher Childress, Lost Cities and Ancient M, Mysteries of South America, Adventures Unlimited Press, Stelle. IL, 1985, p.199.
The Hot Citizen, Expedition Reports Nine-Foot Skeletons," August 5, 1947.
Ibid.
David Hatcher Childress, Lost Cities North America, Adventures Unlimited Press, Stelle, IL, 1992, p.526.
Malcolm South, Mythical and Fabulous Creatures, Peter Berick Books, NY, NY, 1987, p.303.
Ibid.
Ibid.
In other words, according to the contemporary accounts of his day, St. Christopher was the product of a spiritual being who mated with a human woman. And once again the result of this union was a creature that matches the descriptions of the Nephilim. GENESIS 6:4
There were GIANTS in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the SONS OF GOD (Fallen Angels) came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
1.One of the many races of giants.
...AND THEY BUILT STONEHENGE There is ample reasons to believe that the monoliths in Salisbury, England, were not built by either the Druids or normal human beings. When one consider the megaliths proportions, tonnage, and lack of resources in terms of both nature and human; and the lack of technology, the possibility that I am suggesting is not so far-fetched as it may seem. 1. Not a lot is known about the people who would become known as the Celts. It is known that they migrated across Asia Minor, through northern Europe and into what have become the Celtic countries of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Most accounts of them include references to the giants that were often found among them. The ancient Greek historian Pausanias called them "the world's tallest people."
"Modern historians now believe that, in fact, the giants among the Celts were a ruling class that held control over the indigenous population that formed the majority of the Celtic tribes.
As these 60-some tribes that comprised the Cimbri or Cimmerian peoples traveled across Europe, migrating and taking over areas and later being driven Eastward by other cultures, the name of the people changed. While they were in Asia Minor, they were known as the Gomarian Sacae; this was shortened and modified to become Celtae (meaning "potent and valiant men" similar to the "mighty men" on the Genesis 6 passage). The Greeks called them Galatai a corruption of Celtae; the Romans further changed this name to become Gauls.
Although the Romans 'would eventually devise methods of defeating these giant warriors, attacking long legs that couldn't be guarded by the massive shields these creatures carried, the blue-eyed, blond giants inspired terror among those facing them in battle for the first time.
The travels of the giants through the German region also most likely inspired the Teutonic legends of the Aryan race of superhumans (with the early name of "Cimmerian" having an obvious resemblance that is probably more than happenstance to Aryan). The Nazi ideal "superman" was a blue-eyed, blond giant; this is the exact historic description of the Celtae. DeLoach has also made a good argument that the giants ruling the Celtae may very well have been descendants of the Anakim, the giants the Israelites found in the Promised Land. His argument is based on the Roman poet Virgil's account of the Gauls which describes them: “Golden is their hair and golden their garb. They are resplendent in their striped cloaks,and their milk-white necks are circled with gold.” 5.These distinctive gold necklaces have also been discovered in numerous archeological finds, bolstering Virgil's observations.
This tight gold band around the necks of theCeltae is what ties them to the biblical accounts of the Nephilim. Remembering that the Anakim were one of the tribes that were listed as being giants in the Bible, the clue that links the Celtae to the Nephilim is the Hebrew word which is translated as "Anakim" in English: The actual word is Anaqiy, meaning "a descendent of Anak."
Now the word translated as "Anak" in the English version of the Bible is Anaq and was employed as another term for"Canaanite."
As noted earlier, this suggests that the culture that ruled much of the Promised Land when the Israelites invaded it was comprised of two classes with the Anakim acting as a ruling elite within a larger human population.
But there's more. Hebrew names are often based on common words, giving the names special meanings that relate it back to characteristics of the individual or thing being named. The word, Anaq, which was employed to name the Anak, used in other contexts means "a necklace so tight as to appear to be strangling." Use of this word suggests that the most noticeable feature of the descendants of Anak was a tight chain about the neck. That same feature was the distinguishing characteristic that Virgil chose to remark on when describing the Gauls. This leads to an important possibility. The Anakim, or giants that adopted their practices, were pushed out of Canaan by the Israelites, going northward and eventually traveling westward over Europe and, with the passage of several millennia, finally settled in the Celtic nations. Their Religious Practices
If the Anakim and the giants among the Celtae were one and the same people, then it's possible to gain an insight into the religious practices of the Nephilim. While the Bible doesn't reveal much about the religious practices of the Anakim, it does hint at human and infant sacrifices and similar horrors. God ordered the Israelites to kill all the men,women and children in many of the cities taken during the invasion of the land by the Jews.
10.However, more Is known historically from non-Biblical sources about the religion that the Celtae practiced. Ancient historians had a variety of horrors to tell about the Celtae giants, including the fact that they were homosexuals (another crime which dictated the death penalty under Mosaic law). Athenaeus states that the giants were accustomed to sleeping with not one but two boys. The historian Diodorus also suggested that homosexuality was rampant among the giants when he wrote: “Although their wives are comely, they have very little to do with them, but rage with lust in outlandish fashion for the embraces of males. And the most astonishing thing of all is that they feel no concern for their proper dignity but prostitute to others without a qualm the flower of their bodies; nor do they consider this a disgraceful thing to do, but rather when anyone of them is thus approached and refuses the favor offered him, this they consider an act of dishonor.” These passages also provide important links that help prove the Celtae are Nephilim.
Not surprisingly, the religion that the Celtae practiced was also savage and brutal. This religion has come to be known best for the blood-thirsty priests who led its unspeakable acts, the "Druids." The actual practices of this religion have mercifully been lost to our modern age. This came about through the number of conquests of the areas ruled by the Celtae giants by the Romans and later the Norsemen, Normans and Saxons. The spread of Christianity through the region spelled the final death blow for the bloody practices of the Druids, leaving behind only altars designed for human sacrifices and the placement of "magic" stone monuments that have recently been discovered to have been carefully aligned with the stars, planets, sun and moon. The Druid religion is currently being revived by New Age and neo-pagan groups worldwide another horrifying fact that suggests another assault against the human race might be in place even as we speak.
Because Ireland was never successfully invaded by the Romans, it remained the last holdout of the human beings who practiced the religion of the Druids after the last of the Celtae giants had apparently died off. St. Patrick and St. Columcille are generally credited with bringing an end to the pagan practices. (St. Patrick was also credited with driving the snakes from Ireland; one might speculate that these "snakes" might have been serpents similar to the serpent in the Garden of Eden. If so, these might have been some sort of fallen angels in the form of reptiles.) There are a few horrific details that have filtered down to us about the Druids' practices, however. One is that these priests not only placed their blessings on human sacrifice, they often performed the rites themselves. Julius Caesar wrote:
“The Gauls believe the power of the immortal gods can be appeased only if one human life is exchanged for another and they have sacrifices of this kind regularly established by the community. Some of them have enormous images made of wickerwork, the limbs of which they fill with living men; these are set on fire and the men perish, enveloped in the flames. They believe that the gods prefer it if the executed have been caught in the act of theft or armed robbery or some other crime. But when the supply of such victims runs out, they even go to the extent of sacrificing innocent men.”
Diodorus had an even more horrifying story about how the Celtae giants attempted to read the future:
“They devote to death a human being and plunge a dagger into him in the region above the diaphragm, and when the stricken victim has fallen, they read the future from the manner of his fall and from the twitching of his limbs, as well as from the gushing of the blood, having learned to place confidence in an ancient and long-continued practice of observing such matters."
The exact religious practices of the Anakim are unknown But suffice it to say that the little that has filtered down to us reflects the extreme wickedness and savagery of the Old Testament accounts of these creatures. That groups around the world are now in the process of reviving the Druid and Egyptian practices also speaks volumes about where many in our own times are headed, and what they are really trying to accomplish by reviving this depraved religion.... things are just not always what they appear to be.
Pausanias, 1.35.
Charles DeLoach, Giants. A Reference Guide From History, the Bible, and Recorded Legend. Scarecrow Press, Meuchen, NJ, 1995, p.54.
Ibid.
Virgil, Aeneid, 8.658-660.
Charles DeLoach, Giants: A Reference Guide from History, the Bible, and Recorded Legend, Scarecrow Press, Meuchen, NJ, 1995, p.57.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Abingdon Press, NY, 1894/1970, 6062.
Compiled By, D.M.IV WHERE ARE THEY NOW? “There were GIANTS in the earth in those days....” [Revelation 9:1] And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. [Revelation 9:2] And he opened the bottomless pit; ...”
The assertions starts with the burden of proof listed in, “GIANTS I”, based on the following statement, and further proved beyond doubt that there were indeed a number of civilizations that were giants:
GENESIS 6:2 That the SONS OF GOD saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.... GENESIS 6:4 There were GIANTS in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the SONS OF GOD (Fallen Angels) came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. The standard contention is: is this biblical myth, or is this a historical reality of the past... and today? The new challenging assertion set before you is this: where are they now, if they ever really did exist? The answer?....“the inner earth”. And the entrances to this new homeland: one at the extreme northern axis of the earth, the other at the extreme southern axis. Throughout history and various cultures, this new homeland has taken on various appellations:
The Ultimate Thule Aggartha Shamballa Shangri-La Elusian Fields Asgard Atlantis Valhalla Realm of Jason & the Argonauts, etc.
As fantastic as the assertion sounds, the burden of proof resides in this brief documentation. But to save space, and not to try your patience, I have only chosen select passages from each publications included therein. Nevertheless, let us start from the most ancient documentation, progressing to the more contemporary - Your intellectual foundations are about to be challenged... For truth is sometimes much stranger than fiction From the “SECRETS OF ENOCH” 2. “The men (literally, angels) took me on to the fifth heaven and placed me, and there I saw many and countless soldiers, called Grigori (rebellious angels), of human appearance, and their size was greater than that of great giants...”
“And I said to the Grigori: ‘I saw your brethren and their works, and their great torments, and I prayed for them, but the Lord has condemned them to be under earth till heaven and earth shall end forever’. ....”
THE BOOK OF ENOCH (The Watchers)
“Then they (the angels) took wives, each choosing for himself, whom they began to approach, and with whom they cohabited; teaching them sorcery, incantations, and the divining of roots and trees. And the women conceiving brought forth giants, whom stature was each three hundreth cubits. ....
”To Michael likewise the Lord said,... bind them for seventy generations underneaththe earth,...”
“From there I went on towards the extremities of the earth; where I saw large beasts different from each other, and birds various in countenances and forms, as well as with notes of different sounds. ... ”
“From there I advanced on towards the north, to the extremities of the earth. And there I saw a great and glorious wonder at the extremities of the whole earth.I saw there heavenly gates opening into heavens; three of them distinctly separated. The northern winds proceeded from them, blowing cold, hail, frost, snow, dew, and rain....”
THE BOOK OF JUBILEES 9. “...that the angels of God saw them (earthly women) on a certain year of this jubilee, that they were beautiful to look upon; and they took themselves wives of all whom they chose, and they bare to them sons and they were giants. ...” 10.“And against the angels whom He (God) had sent upon earth, He was exceedingly wroth, and He gave commandment to root them out of all their dominion, and He bade us to bind them in the depths of the earth, and behold they bound in the midst of them...”
1.From, THE THE LOST BOOK OF... . Enoch was a distance grandson of Seth; Seth was the 3rd son of Adam. The book in it’s entirety contains 45 rare manuscripts. First published in 1926 by Alpha House, Inc.; this reprint is by World Bible Publisher, Inc., and the compiler is Dr. Frank Crane. 2.Ch. XVIII: 1, pg. 87 3.Ch. XVIII: 5, pg 87 4.From, THE BOOKS OF ENOCH, THE WATCHERS, TGS Publishing, Yoakum, TX. 77995. Translated by, Richard Laurence, L.L.D. The Watchers were angels whom were sent by God to instruct man. Note also that this is an entirely separate publication. 5.Ch.7:10-12, pg. 3. 6.Ch.10:15, pg. 5. 7.Ch.32:1-2, pg. 13. 8.Ch.33:1-3, pg. 13. 9.Another separate publication from THE BOOK OF JUBILEES, pg. 23, Ch. 5:1-2, TGS Publishing, Yoakum, TX. 77995, Translated by R.H. Charles, 1913. This is an ancient Pharisee text of about 153 BC. 10. Ch. 5:5-7, pg. 23.
ADMIRAL RICHARD B. BYRD'S DIARY (FEB - MAR.1947) (“The Inner Earth : My Secret Diary”)THE LAND BEYOND THE POLES - THE EXPLORATION FLIGHT OVER THE NORTH POLE. I must write this diary in secrecy and obscurity. It concerns my Arctic flight of the nineteenth day of February in the year of Nineteen and Forty Seven. There comes a time when the rationality of men must fade into insignificance and one must accept the inevitability of the Truth! am not at liberty to disclose the following documentation at this writing... perhaps it shall never see the light of public scrutiny, but I must do my duty and record here for all to read one day. In a world of greed and exploitation of certain of mankind, one can no longer suppress that which is truth. 1. FLIGHT LOG: BASE CAMP ARCTIC, 2119/1947 0600 HOURS - All preparations are complete for our flight north ward and we are airborne with full fuel tanks at 0610 Hours..... 0910 HOURS - Vast Ice and snow below, note coloration of yellowish nature, and dispersed in a linear pattern. Altering course for a better examination of this color pattern below, note reddish or purple color also. Circle this area two full turns and return to assigned compass heading. Position check made again to base camp, and relay information concerning colorations in the Ice and snow below. 0910 HOURS - Both Magnetic and Gyro compasses beginning to gyrate and wobble, we are unable to hold our heading by instrumentation. Take bearing with Sun compass, yet all seems well. The controls are seemingly slow to respond and have sluggish quality, but there is no indication of Icing! 0915 HOURS - In the distance is what appears to be mountains. 0949 HOURS -29 minutes elapsed flight time from the first sighting of the mountains, it is no illusion. They are mountains and consisting of a small range that I have never seen before! 0955 HOURS - Altitude change to 2950 feet, encountering strong turbulence again. 2. 1000 HOURS We are crossing over the small mountain range and still proceeding northward as best as can be ascertained. Beyond the mountain range is what appears to be a valley with a small river or stream running through the center portion. There should be no green valley below! Something is definitely wrong and abnormal here! We should be over Ice and Snow! To the portside are great forests growing on the mountain slopes. ...
1.To this point, Ch.7, pg. 80. 2.To this point, Ch.7, pg. 81.
1140 HOURS - Another radio message received. We begin the landing process now, and in moments the plane shudders slightly, and begins a descent as though caught in some great unseen elevator! The downward motion is negligible, and we touch down with only a slight jolt! 1.1145 HOURS - I am making a hasty last entry in the flight log. Several men are approaching on foot toward our aircraft. They are tall with blond hair. 2.In the distance is a large shimmering city pulsating with rainbow hues of color. I do not know what is going to happen now, but I see no signs of weapons on those approaching. I hear now a voice ordering me by name to open the cargo door. I comply. END LOG 3. MARCH 11, 1947 I have just attended a staff meeting at the Pentagon. I have stated fully my discovery and the message from the Master. All is duly recorded. The President has been advised. I am now detained for several hours (six hours, thirty-nine minutes, to be exact.) I am interviewed intently by Top Security Forces and a medical team. It was an ordeal! I am placed under strict control via the national security provisions of this United States of America. I am ORDERED TO REMAIN SILENT IN REGARD TO ALL THAT I HAVE LEARNED, ON THE BEHALF OF HUMANITY! Incredible! I am reminded that I am a military man I must obey orders.... In further confirmation of Admiral Byrd's discovery are reports of individuals who claimed they had entered the north polar opening, as many Arctic explorers did without knowing they did, and penetrated far enough into it to reach the Subterranean World in the hollow interior of the Earth. Dr. Nephi Cottom of Los Angeles reported that one of his patients, a man of Nordic descent, told him the following story: "I lived near the Arctic Circle in Norway. One summer my friend and I made up our minds to take a boat trip together, and go as far as we could into the north country. So we put one month's food provisions in a small fishing boat, and with sail and also a good engine in our boat, we set to sea.
At the end of one month we had travelled far into the north, beyond the Pole and into a strange new country. We were much astonished at the weather there. Warm, and at times at night it was almost too warm to sleep. Then we saw something so strange that we both were astonished. Ahead of the warm open sea we were on what looked like a great mountain. Into that mountain at a certain point the ocean seemed to be emptying. Mystified, we continued in that direction and found ourselves sailing into a vast canyon leading into the interior of the earth. We kept sailing and then we saw what surprised us - a sun shining inside the earth!”
Several of the inner earth inhabitants - huge giants - detected our boat on the river, and were quite amazed...
1.See “GIANTS 1”, for more details on this description. 2.To this point, Ch.7, pg. 82. 3.Ch.7, pg. 85. 4.Ch.1, pg. 12-13. 5.Ch.1, pg. 13.
The presence of the open sea in the Northland is also explained. Olaf Jansen claims that the northern aperture, intake or hole, so to speak, is about fourteen hundred miles across. In connection with this, let us read what Explorer Jansen 'writes, on page 288 of his book: “I have never had such a splendid sail. On to the north steadily north, with a good wind, as fast as stream and sail can take us, an open sea mile after mile, watch after watch, through these unknown regions, always clearer and clearer of ice, one might almost say: 'How long will it last?' The eye always turns to the northward as one paces the bridge. It is gazing into the future. But them is always the same dark sky ahead which means open sea.” Again, the Norwood Review of England, in its issue of May 10, 1884, says: “We do not admit that there is ice up to the Pole - once inside the great ice barrier, a new world breaks upon the Explorer, the climate is mild like that of England, and, afterward, balmy as the Greek Isles.”.....
My name is Olaf Jansen. I am a Norwegian, although I was born in the little seafaring Russian town of Uleaborg, on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, the northern arm of the Baltic Sea.
I was in my nineteenth year when we started on what proved to be our last trip as fishermen, and which resulted in the strange story that shall be given to the world, - but not until I have finished my earthly pilgrimage... There was a tradition my father explained, that still farther northward was a land more beautiful than any that mortal man had ever known, and that it was inhabited by the Chosen.
My youthful imagination was fired by the ardor, zeal and religious fervor of my good father, and I exclaimed: 'why not sail to this goodly land? The sky is fair, the wind favorable and the sea open."....
The compass, which we had fastened back in its place, in fear of another storm, was still pointing due north, and moving on its pivot just as it had in Stockholm. The dipping of the needle had ceased. What could this mean? Then, too, our many days of sailing had certainly carried us far past the North Pole. And yet the needle continued to point north. We were sorely perplexed, for surely our direction was now south.....
Along the banks great forests miles in extent could be seen stretching away on the shoreline. The trees were of enormous size. We landed after anchoring near a sandy beach, and waded ashore, and were rewarded by finding a quantity of nuts that were very palatable and satisfying to hunger, and a welcome change from the monotony of our stock of provisions....
1.Excerpt from the author’s Forward, pg. 5. 2.From this point on, all quotes are from Olaf Jansen, whom is dictating the story to W.G. Emerson. Pg. 7. 3.Ch.2, pg. 10. 4.Ch.3, pg. 15.
It was about the first of September, over five months we calculated, since our leave taking from Stockholm Suddenly we were frightened almost out of our wits by hearing in the far distance the singing of people. Very soon thereafter we discovered a huge ship gliding down the river directly toward us. Those aboard were singing in one mighty chorus that, echoing from bank to bank, sounded like a thousand voices, filling the whole universe with quivering melody. The accompaniment was played on stringed instruments not unlike our harps. It was a larger ship than any we had ever seen, and was differently constructed.... The immense craft paused, and almost immediately a boat was lowered and six men of gigantic stature rowed to our little fishing-sloop. They spoke to us in a strange language. We knew from their manner, however, that they were not unfriendly. They talked a great deal among themselves, and one of them laughed immoderately, as though in finding us a queer discovery had been made. One of them spied our compass, and it seemed to interest them more than any other part of our sloop.....
"They seem to be kindly disposed," I replied, "although what terrible giants! They must be the select six of the kingdom's crack regiment. Just look at their great size...."
The surprise of my father and myself was indescribable when, amid the regal magnificence of a spacious hall, we were finally brought before the Great High Priest, ruler over all the land. He was richly robed, and much taller than those about him, and could not have been less than fourteen or fifteen feet in height. The immense room in which we were received seemed finished in solid slabs of gold thickly studded with jewels of amazing brilliancy....
I remember hearing my father remark that the giant race of people in the land of 'The Smoky God had almost as accurate an idea of the geography of the "outside" surface of the earth as had the average college professor in Stockholm.......
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;” Phillipian 2:10 “And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.” Revelations 5:3 “Seven rivers I beheld upon earth, greater than all rivers, one of which takes its course from the west; it to a great sea its water flows. Two comes from the north to the sea, there waters flowing into the Erythraean sea, on the east. And with respect to the remaining four, they take their course in the cavity of the north” Book Of Enoch 76:6-7
1.Ch.3, pg. 16. 2.Ch.3, pg. 19. 3.Ch.4, pg. 21.
PROLOGUE: IN THE FIRST PLACE PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT I do not expect you to believe this story. Nor could you wonder had you witnessed a recent experience of mine when, in the armor of blissful and stupendous ignorance, I gaily narrated the gist of it to a Fellow of the Royal Geological Society on the occasion of my last trip to London.... 1.The erudite gentleman in whom I confided congealed before I was half through! It is all that saved him from exploding--and my dreams of an Honorary Fellowship, gold medals, and a niche in the Hall of Fame faded into the thin, cold air of his arctic atmosphere.... As I looked I began to appreciate the reason for the strangeness of the landscape that had haunted me from the first with an illusive suggestion of the bizarre and unnatural - THERE WAS NO HORIZON! As far as the eye could reach out the sea continued and upon its bosom floated tiny islands, those in the distance reduced to mere specks; but ever beyond them was the sea, until the impression became quite real that one was LOOKING UP at the most distant point that the eyes could fathom -distance was lost in the distance. That was all - here was no clear-cut horizontal line marking the dip of the globe below the line of vision". A great light is commencing to break on me," continued Perry, taking out his watch. "I believe that I have partially solved the riddle It is now two o'clock. When we emerged from the prospector the sun was directly above us. Where is it now?"
I glanced up to find the great orb still motionless in the center of the heaven. And such a sun! I had scarcely noticed it before. Fully thrice the size of the sun I had known throughout my life, and apparently so near that the sight of it carried the conviction that one might almost reach up and touch it.....
When we had passed out of the amphitheater onto the great plain we saw a caravan of men and women - human beings like ourselves-and for the first time hope and relief filled my heart, until I could have cried out in the exuberance of my happiness. It is true that they were a half-naked, wild-appearing aggregation; but they at least were fashioned along the same lines as ourselves - there was nothing grotesque or horrible about them as about the other creatures in this strange, weird world.
But as we came closer, our hearts sank once more, for we discovered that the poor wretches were chained neck to neck in a long line,... With little ceremony Perry and I were chained at the end of the line, and without further ado the interrupted march was resumed....
On we stumbled beneath that hateful noonday sun. If we fell we were prodded with a sharp point. Our companions in chains did not stumble. They strode along proudly erect. Occasionally they would exchange words with one another in a monosyllabic language. They were a noble-appearing race with well-formed heads and perfect physiques. The men were heavily bearded, tall and muscular; the women, smaller and more gracefully molded, with great masses of raven hair caught into loose knots upon their heads. The features of both sexes were well proportioned..........
1 .As stated in the title, this is an excerpt from the author’s Prologue, E.R. Burroughs; it ends here. 2. Ch.1, pg. 7. From this point forward, the quotes are quoted by David Innes to Burroughs. 3. Ch.3. pg. 13. 4. Ch.3. pg. 14.
MY EPILOGUE: There are some additional notes I wish to point out before closing. According to the ancient manuscripts, the Watchers not only provoked God by going into earthly women but, they also provoked Him by going into different animals - bestiality. And they taught man these depraved acts as well. And the results of their offspring, as you would probably surmise: terrible giants, unheard of abominations, horrible to look upon. Even the ancient historian Herodotus (circa 500 BC) made minute quotes of some of these atrocities (sic) of nature. But let us quote from another ancient manuscripts that was mentioned by the chroniclers of Joshua 10:13, and 2 Samuel 1:18 : From THE BOOK OF JASHER 1.“And their judges and rulers (which were the giants at this time) went to the daughters of men and took their wives by force from their husbands according to their choice, and son of men of those days took from the cattle of the earth, the beasts of field, and fowls of the air, and taught the mixture of animals of one species with the other, in order therewith to provoke the Lord; and God saw that the whole earth and it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon earth, all men and all animals.” From THE BOOK OF JUBILEES 2.“And lawlessness increased on the earth and all flesh corrupted its way, alike men and cattle and beasts and birds and everything that walks on the earth - all of them corrupted their ways and their orders, and they began to devour each other,...”
...and the earth was filled with inquity (sic). And after this they sinned against the beasts and the birds, and all that moves and walks on the earth...”
I think it may be high time that we all had a little private conference with our teachers of Archaeology, Paleontology, Anthropology, Geology, and as well as Geography and Cartography. “And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” Job 1:7 “The devil is the evil spirit of the lower places...” Secrets of Enoch 31:4 Compiled By, D.M.IV
From, THE BOOK OF JASHER (The Upright Record), TGS Publishing, Yoakum, TX. 77995, Ch. 4:18, pg. 8.
Praise and congratulations from politicians, journalists, and others on twitter
Don Beyer, U.S. Representative
If reports are accurate, President-elect Joe Biden has again shown his commitment to diversity and made history with the first-ever nomination of an openly gay American to lead a Cabinet department. An excellent and inspired choice!! "Secretary Pete" has a great ring to it. https://twitter.com/RepDonBeyestatus/1338927879388852225
Phil Murphy, Governor of New Jersey
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Buttigieg's nomination for Department of Transportation: "With Pete Buttigieg, New Jersey will have an ally for safe and modern infrastructure in Washington leading the U.S. Department of Transportation. " https://twitter.com/DanielStrauss4/status/1338933683185725442
Michael Bennet, United States Senator
It’s going to take plenty of intellect, vision, and drive to bring America's transportation infrastructure into the 21st century. @PeteButtigieg has these qualities in spades. I applaud President-elect Biden on this historic nomination for @USDOT. https://twitter.com/SenatorBennet/status/1338984896631627777
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House
As a Mayor, Pete Buttigieg has a profound understanding of the transportion and infrastructure challenges facing American communities. House Democrats look forward to working with the Secretary-designate as we work to Build Back Better. https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1339035120481800198
Rodney Slater, Former Transportation Secretary
Former Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater says Buttigieg is an "inspired choice." As a mayor, "people don’t expect you to just talk about things, they expect you to deal with them.” “What we see here is a president-elect who has selected someone that he really likes and trusts, and he’s putting him in charge of one of the most critical pieces of his agenda for moving the country forward. Boy, to have that challenge,” Slater said. https://twitter.com/samjmintz/status/1339245716087189504
Todd Young, United States Senator
Pete Buttigieg was nominated to be the Secretary of @USDOT. As a former city leader here in Indiana, Pete understands how critical infrastructure is to growth and opportunity. It will be good to have a Hoosier serving in this capacity. https://twitter.com/SenToddYoung/status/1339023821546926080
.@PeteButtigieg is inspiring to so many across this country and now he's poised to make history as the first openly gay cabinet member. Congratulations Mayor Pete, and as a member of the Transportation Committee, I look forward to working with you soon. https://twitter.com/ColinAllredTX/status/1339018230996865030
Dick Durbin, United States Senator
Congratulations @PeteButtigieg—you will make an outstanding Secretary of Transportation. We have a lot of work to do rebuilding our nation's transportation infrastructure, and I can't wait to get started. https://twitter.com/SenatorDurbin/status/1338959052836122624
Sherrod Brown, United States Senator
@PeteButtigieg is more than ready to finally address our nation’s infrastructure crisis. Looking forward to working with him to ensure our infrastructure and public transportation systems will be sustainable and equitable for generations to come. https://twitter.com/SenSherrodBrown/status/1338941133762781185
Tom Malinowski, U.S. Representative
We've had precious few bold ideas in transportation since the Eisenhower administration. Mayor Pete is just the right leader to rebuild and reimagine our transportation system, to create jobs, and help America win the race to a clean energy future. https://twitter.com/Malinowski/status/1338947210814296064
As I’ve gotten to know @PeteButtigieg over the past year, I’ve seen that he more than lives up to his reputation — he’s smart, innovative and he puts in the work. I’m excited to see what he does for our country in the critical role of Secretary of Transportation. https://twitter.com/JoshShapiroPA/status/1339017621228974081
Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor of California
Congratulations to my friend @PeteButtigieg, who if confirmed by the Senate, will be the first openly gay person to lead a Cabinet department in our nation’s history! The country will benefit from your leadership as our next Secretary of Transportion https://twitter.com/EleniForCA/status/1339005336120782851
Malcolm Kenyatta, Pennsylvania State Representative
This is a smart and historic pick by @JoeBiden. @PeteButtigieg is a tireless public servant who will bring fresh ideas and a renewed spirit of bipartisanship to this critical agency. I look forward to working with Pete to move American forward. https://twitter.com/ChrisPappasNH/status/1339004623508692992
Jane Castor, Mayor of Tampa
Congratulations @PeteButtigieg on your appointment as Secretary of Transportation to the @JoeBiden administration. I can’t wait to work collectively on ways we can modernize our mobility infrastructure to #TransformTampa and the region. #MayorsLead https://twitter.com/JaneCastostatus/1338957603871875072
Christine Hunschofsky, FL State Representative
Congratulations @PeteButtigieg! Pete’s leadership style, work ethic, communication skills, attention to detail, and understanding of transportation and infrastructure impacts on communities make him a fantastic choice for this position! https://twitter.com/CHunschofsky/status/1338942797752229890
Jaime Harrison, American Politician
I’m super proud of my friend @PeteButtigieg! He is a tremendous leader and a superb pick for the Biden-Harris cabinet! He will bring a new age approach to rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure and modernizing our transportation systems! #BuildBackBetter https://twitter.com/harrisonjaime/status/1338923965566377988
Robert Garcia, Mayor of Long Beach
A huge congrats to @PeteButtigieg for being selected as Transportation Secretary. America’s ports, bridges, roads, and transit agencies now have a champion who uniquely understands cities. And thank you to @JoeBiden for making a historic pick for our LGBTQ+ community. Flag of United States+Rainbow flag https://twitter.com/RobertGarcia/status/1338932420456767488
Congratulations to my friend @PeteButtigieg on his nomination to Transportation Secretary. Getting to know you on the Comeback Cities Tour was one of my favorite moments of the cycle. Another win for the #BidenHarris team, and for America’s heartland too! https://twitter.com/TimRyan/status/1338934506066235399
Amy Klobuchar, United States Senator
Congratulations @PeteButtigieg! From roads to rail, there is so much to be done and I’m looking forward to working with you! I know you will bring both your big ideas & your local government experience to the job. John & I look forward to welcoming you & Chasten to Washington. https://twitter.com/amyklobuchastatus/1338957366566522882
Gary Peters, United States Senator
Our next Secretary of Transportation will have no shortage of challenges: from rebuilding our crumbling roads & bridges. As a Midwest Mayor, @PeteButtigieg has a unique understanding of how to revitalize our infrastructure, create local jobs, & build strong partnerships. This is a historic nomination & as a fellow former officer in the @navy_reserve – I look forward to discussing more with Secretary-designate Buttigieg on how to keep the American auto industry as the global leader on mobility. https://twitter.com/SenGaryPeters/status/1339270744191229958
Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, French Minister Delegate for Transport
New from Indiana Republican @GovHolcomb on Transportation Sec.-designate @PeteButtigieg: "I value the partnership I’ve had with Pete and am always pleased to see Hoosiers leading in the nation’s capital." https://twitter.com/adamwren/status/1339310918933618689?s=21
Katie Hill, Former U.S. Representative
Congrats to my friend, @PeteButtigieg, who will make history as the first openly gay Cabinet secretary in U.S. history. Representation matters, and seeing the Biden-Harris Administration’s promise of a more inclusive government in action is inspiring. https://twitter.com/KatieHill4CA/status/1339261622615830528
Kathleen Rice, United States Representative
Congratulations to my friend, @PeteButtigieg, on his nomination to lead the @USDOT. I can think of no better person to bring Democrats and Republicans together to pass an infrastructure bill next Congress. https://twitter.com/RepKathleenRice/status/1339241300395249667
Jesús "Chuy" García, U.S. Representative
Looking forward to working with Pete Buttigieg on increasing equity in transportation. I'll continue leading the charge to get funding for our public transit systems which are a lifeline for working people in Chicago and across the country. #SavePublicTransit https://twitter.com/RepChuyGarcia/status/1338960888695582720
Debbie Dingell, U.S. Representative
We need an Administration willing to make bold infrastructure investments. As Secretary of Transportation, @PeteButtigieg will help keep our auto industry at the forefront of innovation and technology, strengthen emission standards, & rebuild our roads, bridges & public transit. https://twitter.com/RepDebDingell/status/1338932541563301892
Angie Craig, U.S. Representative
So pleased that @PeteButtigieg will have an important role leading transportation policy in the Biden Administration – and thrilled that @JoeBiden has made LGBTQ representation in his Cabinet a top priority. https://twitter.com/RepAngieCraig/status/1338927978676359170
Congratulations to my dear friend @PeteButtigieg on being named Transportation Secretary for the #BidenHarris Administration! Pete has the expertise to do this critical job & help America rebuild our infrastructure to compete in the 21st Century economy! https://twitter.com/AnnMcLaneKustestatus/1338936994513162240
Mari Manoogian, Michigan House of Representatives
Congratulations to fellow @NewDEALLeaders @PeteButtigieg on his appointment to Transportation Secretary! Looking forward to seeing all that you’ll do to improve and modernize our transportation systems in the weeks and years to come. https://twitter.com/MariManoogian/status/1338944970179358720
Anthony Brown, U.S. Representative
.@PeteButtigieg has served our country with honor, blazed a trail for others and has the forward thinking vision DOT needs for America to Build Back Better I'm looking forward to working with Secretary-designate Pete to modernize our infrastructure and invest in our communities https://twitter.com/RepAnthonyBrown/status/1339005779169439744
Everyone in South Bend and Indiana is proud of our new Transportation Secretary, @PeteButtigieg. It looks like we can finally have that Infrastructure week we’ve heard about for the last four years! Mayor Pete, you will do a great job. https://twitter.com/JoeforIndiana/status/1338941108747952129
My heart is so full of joy! So proud of Pete, or shall I say Secretary Buttiegege on his nomination. @JoeBiden thank you for your beautifully diverse staff. @PeteButtigieg you will do a great job! Onward! https://twitter.com/Dasharyl/status/1338941577687953410
Transportation policy is right at the heart of climate stewardship, economic growth & equity agendas. @PeteButtigieg will bring the scope of vision, the relentlessness, and the powerful voice necessary to drive that agenda forward. Great pick. https://twitter.com/MayorBronin/status/1338929118893772803
From former mayor to former mayor, congratulations on your historic Cabinet nomination, @PeteButtigieg! I look forward to working with you to develop affordable and accessible transit options for #InlandEmpire families on the move. https://twitter.com/Norma4Congress/status/1339063250952962048
Steve Adler, Mayor of Austin, Texas
Congratulations @PeteButtigieg! Mayors are the innovators of govt & in Mayor Pete, @JoeBiden has found one of the smartest, most innovative, caring & effective civic leaders in the nation to deliver transformational infrastructure investment. This could be what unites us all. https://twitter.com/MayorAdlestatus/1339047075670011906
Andy Kim, U.S. Representative
@PeteButtigieg will bring an intelligence and ingenuity to a job that touches every American and will work every day for smart policies that will rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and our middle class. https://twitter.com/RepAndyKimNJ/status/1338925176956784646
Scott Wiener, Member of the California State Senate
The historic nomination of @PeteButtigieg to be Secretary of Transportation - to be the first Senate-confirmed #LGBTQ person at the cabinet level - is a major step forward for our nation & for human rights. Thank you @JoeBiden & congratulations Mayor Pete! https://twitter.com/Scott_Wienestatus/1338933262693982209
Darrin Camilleri, Michigan House of Representatives
Congrats to @PeteButtigieg on his appointment as Transportation Secretary! He will be the first Maltese-American in a President’s cabinet. Looking forward to working with him to solve our train crossings and local bridge issues. https://twitter.com/darrincamilleri/status/1338934759662219265
Jeremy Moss, Michigan State Senate
Congratulations to @PeteButtigieg! Every local elected official — from South Bend, IN to Southfield, MI and all around the country — must have creativity and resourcefulness to address local infrastructure needs. Mayor Pete is ready to serve. https://twitter.com/JeremyAllenMoss/status/1338949535465426949
Mike Bloomberg, Former Mayor of New York City
Congrats to @PeteButtigieg, who knows from experience that smart transportation policy not only improves our quality of life, but also fights climate change and grows the economy. Mayors will benefit greatly from having a mayor’s perspective at @USDOT.
@PeteButtigieg was one of the strongest of the presidential candidates on the needs for transportation today and in the future. I'm excited about working with him to rebuild and renew America's transportation infrastructure. https://twitter.com/repblumenauestatus/1338942722133135374
Dan Kildee, U.S. Representative
.@PeteButtigieg is a fantastic choice for @USDOT Secretary. Being from the Midwest, Pete knows the challenges many older, industrial communities like Flint and Saginaw face. I look forward to working with the incoming administration to pass a bold infrastructure plan. https://twitter.com/RepDanKildee/status/1339017354886438913
David Cicilline, U.S. Representative
I’ve known Mayor @PeteButtigieg for years. I’m proud he will be the first openly LGBTQ+ Cabinet official in our country’s history. He has a brilliant intellect, a keen understanding of our infrastructure challenges, and will make an excellent Secretary of Transportation. https://twitter.com/davidcicilline/status/1338996597858983937
Richard Neal, U.S. Representative
I welcome the news that Pete Buttigieg will be our next Secretary of Transportation. This is our chance to make real change across our country and I look forward to working with Pete to get it done. From one former mayor to another, let’s get to work building back better. https://twitter.com/RepRichardNeal/status/1339012167706796033
Marty Walsh, Mayor of Boston
.@PeteButtigieg is a strong choice for Secretary of Transportation in the Biden-Harris Administration. A former mayor and fellow member of @usmayors, he will be a champion for communities across America in achieving modern, resilient, sustainable infrastructure. Mayor Pete knows that strong infrastructure is critical to cities’ economic success, safety, and quality of life, and those are key to rebuilding America’s middle class. He will be an effective partner and a voice for cities and towns in Washington. https://twitter.com/marty_walsh/status/1339009265286123522
David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City
Congratulations to my friend & fellow mayor @PeteButtigieg! With Mayor Pete at the helm of Transportation I’m optimistic an infrastructure package meeting the needs of cities will be at the top of the national agenda. https://twitter.com/davidfholt/status/1338946577554149382
Kate Gallego, mayor of Phoenix
As a fellow mayor and classmate, I know @PeteButtigieg will be an avid champion for transportation both nationally and locally. A local perspective like Pete’s is a welcome addition to @JoeBiden's cabinet. My sincerest congrats! https://twitter.com/KateWGallego/status/1338972903707054080
Toni G. Atkins, California State Senator
As a veteran, gay man, and former mayor, @PeteButtigieg will bring a wealth of experiences and a deep understanding of the American people to his role as Secretary of Transportation. I look forward to seeing his calm and unifying style of leadership in @JoeBiden’s cabinet. https://twitter.com/toniatkins/status/1338946745653362688
Derek Kitchen, Utah State Senator
Pete’s experience as a city mayor makes me feel confident in his selection as Sec of Transportation. As America embarks on our effort to #BuildBackBetter, @PeteButtigieg is someone who understand that addressing climate change & investing in public transit are interlinked. https://twitter.com/derekkitchen/status/1338941319469617152
An appointment that is at once profoundly historic & fixed firmly on the future. The roads (+rails, trails & runways) to climate resiliency, equity, safety & building back better meet at @USDOT. Superb pick of @PeteButtigieg by President-elect @JoeBiden. https://twitter.com/mayorcabaldon/status/1338968301397929984
Francis Suarez, Mayor of Miami
Congratulations to my good friend and fellow former Mayor @PeteButtigieg on being named Secretary of Transportation by the Biden Administration. Wonderful choice. Pete knows cities and will be able to navigate the needs of small and large cities making transportation more accessible to all Americans. I look forward to hosting you in Miami to show you the SMART plan. https://twitter.com/FrancisSuarez/status/1338977094475374595
Jon Mitchell, Mayor of New Bedford
I’m thrilled that @JoeBiden has selected a mayor to head up @USDOT, and especially that is my friend @PeteButtigieg, a great mayor who keenly understands that smart investments in public infrastructure can lead to broadly enjoyed prosperity. https://twitter.com/JonMitchellNB/status/1338981529205215240
Rick Kriseman, Mayor of St. Petersburg
@Kriseman Another great appointment! Mayors like @PeteButtigieg understand the importance of @USDOT on our cities and the connection between transportation and our economy and quality of life. Pete will succeed in this post as he has whenever he's been called to serve. https://twitter.com/Kriseman/status/1338939258258812928
Congratulations to @PeteButtigieg on his nomination for transportation secretary. The son of a great Joyce scholar, Pete contributed to our Bloomsday celebrations in June. Ulysses, his (& our) favorite novel, is a story of journeying - a good grounding for the work ahead perhaps! https://twitter.com/IrelandEmbUSA/status/1339339925980770304
André Carson, U.S. Representative
This is a proud and historic moment for Hoosiers and for all Americans. Pete Buttigieg is extremely qualified to lead this agency, and I look forward to working with him to address transportation needs in our state and across America. https://twitter.com/RepAndreCarson/status/1338973972340367363
Jennifer Homendy, Member of the National Transportation Safety Board
This is exciting! Great pick. I look forward to working with @PeteButtigieg and his team to improve the safety of all modes of transportation (including pipelines), prevent crashes and injuries, and save lives. https://twitter.com/JenniferHomendy/status/1338982980472156162
Levar Stoney, Mayor of Richmond
Mayors are on the frontlines of solving our growing transportation disparities. President-Elect Biden is right to put someone in charge who has the experience and background to get the job done at DOT. Congrats, @PeteButtigieg! https://twitter.com/LevarStoney/status/1338997903986135040
Zach Vruwink, Mayor, City of Wisconsin Rapids
Mayors make great additions to a team as they know they must be team players to get stuff done. Congratulations my friend, @PeteButtigieg. @JoeBiden has identified an asset in someone will keep people and goods moving, for a cleaner planet. https://twitter.com/zachvruwink/status/1338966253415919617
Ashton Clemmons, North Carolina House of Representatives
Congratulations Sec. @PeteButtigieg! Transportation is a wonderful way for your brilliance to help us build a better future by connecting Americans to opportunistic each other. https://twitter.com/Clemmons4NC/status/1338943824291303427
Lori Lightfoot, Mayor of Chicago
Congrats, Mayor Pete! I’m happy to see a mayor who understands what local communities need to meet the twin goals of inclusive economic growth and rebuilding our infrastructure and transportation. As with the President-elect and Vice President-elect, Chicago will have a partner in Washington once again. I look forward to strengthening Chicago as a hub for transportation under @PeteButtigieg’s leadership. https://twitter.com/chicagosmayostatus/1339235245955145728
Joe Hogsett, Mayor of Indianapolis
Mayors uniquely understand the challenges of aging infrastructure & the need for safe, multimodal connectivity. I know @PeteButtigieg will help to build stronger, more resilient communities leading the Department of Transportation. https://twitter.com/IndyMayorJoe/status/1339011393887080449
Mike Levin, U.S. Representative
Another historic move under the Biden-Harris Admin. With @PeteButtigieg as @USDOT Secretary, we will not only have a strong advocate for America’s infrastructure, but also one of the first openly LGBTQ+ member in a presidential Cabinet. Congrats, Pete! https://twitter.com/RepMikeLevin/status/1339336519614672896
Tom Perez, Chair of the Democratic National Committee
Congratulations, @PeteButtigieg — Pete is the right person to help lead @JoeBiden's plan to modernize America's infrastructure and #BuildBackBetter. Pete has proven that he will always stand with working Americans and it’s this core belief that will help him excel in this role. https://twitter.com/TomPerez/status/1339270317869572096
Lauren McLean, Mayor of Boise
Congratulations to my friend @PeteButtigieg, President Elect @JoeBiden's nominee for Secretary of Transportation. We look forward to working with you and the incoming administration. Boise's ready to expand mobility and infrastructure! https://twitter.com/boisemayostatus/1338948847985291267
I don't tweet often, but I have to congratulate my friend and supporter @PeteButtigieg on his appointment to U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Excellent choice, President-Elect @JoeBiden! - Rep. Torrey C. Harris [TN] https://twitter.com/TorreyHarris901/status/1338973999381012481
Big ups to Mayor @PeteButtigieg on being named President-elect @JoeBiden’s Sec. of @USDOT. Transportation & Infrastructure are critical for economic development within our nation’s cities. Great move to have a mayor at the helm. https://twitter.com/FrankScottJstatus/1338950681038827521
Tameika Isaac Devine, City Councilwoman in Columbia, SC
Congratulations Mayor @PeteButtigieg on your nomination for Secretary of Transportation. I look forward to working with you to ensure the transportation needs and infrastructure are met. https://twitter.com/TIDEVINE/status/1338968844308787201
I'm incredibly excited to see how @PeteButtigieg will move our country forward! His robust plans for #infrastructure include putting much needed attention to our #roads, expanding #broadband #internet access, and much more! #WinTheEra https://twitter.com/votejustinhodge/status/1339056956426891264
Lina Hidalgo, County Judge of Harris County, Texas
So thrilled for @PeteButtigieg to take the helm at DOT. He knows the importance of local government and has a track record of delivering. In many ways, in Harris county we’ve been fighting an uphill battle on innovative transportation. We’re ready to redouble our efforts! https://twitter.com/LinaHidalgoTX/status/1339056710368059393
Adam Hattersley, Former Member of Florida House of Representatives
Congrats @PeteButtigieg on your nomination - I’m excited to see you confirmed as Secretary of Transportation!
Could not be more excited to see @PeteButtigieg lead the @USDOT and put our roads and rails to work for every American. Improving our nation's infrastructure is going to help all of us find the shortest way home. https://twitter.com/CarlWoog/status/1338949998319345665
Liz Allen
This is my favorite infrastructure week. @PeteButtigieg will bring great perspective & policy chops to @USDOT and a set of issues that are critical to the U.S. economy + people’s everyday lives. https://twitter.com/LizMarieAllen/status/1338934058689171459
Alphonso David
With news of @PeteButtigieg's historic nomination, @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris are keeping their promise & taking a significant step to create an administration that better reflects the diversity of our nation. When confirmed, Pete will soon make history as the first Senate-confirmed, openly LGBTQ member of the cabinet -- a milestone worth celebrating. We have & will continue to engage with the Transition team to ensure that LGBTQ people will be appointed at all levels of government & that those appointments will reflect the full diversity of our community, including LGBTQ people of color, trans & gender non-conforming people. https://twitter.com/AlphonsoDavid/status/1338928258302291970
Annise Parker
Quick statement from @VictoryFund's @AnniseParker: “Pete’s nomination is a new milestone in a decades-long effort to ensure LGBTQ people are represented throughout our government – and its impact will reverberate well-beyond the department he will lead." https://twitter.com/benyc/status/1338925287543803904
With @JoeBiden’s nomination of @PeteButtigieg to lead the Department of Transportation, I don’t think I’ve even felt so confident that our nation now can look forward to an infrastructure renaissance. #SunriseInAmerica https://twitter.com/glennkirschner2/status/1339004200290824192
Sean Shaw
I was #TeamPete from day one, and to witness the historic cabinet appointment of @PeteButtigieg makes me so proud. He will serve the Dept. of Transportation well. Congrats, my friend! https://twitter.com/SShawFL/status/1338982829645062148
Pete in transpo is smart for multiple reasons: 1) a good fit for his skill set (data-driven, localist, solutions-oriented) 2) He's less controversial than Rahm Emanuel 3) Unlike VA, Transpo gives Pete an opportunity to build something tangible that he can point to in a later run Also: Pete's whole political identity is wrapped up in restoring local community through infrastructure + connecting the coasts with the heartland. Transportation is a great way for him to work on that, esp since Biden has signaled ambitious climate-friendly infrastructure plans
Congratulations to @PeteButtigieg who will bring great perspective & policy chops to @USDOT I also know firsthand his love for planes, trains, buses and automobiles. That and smart sewer systems ;) https://twitter.com/ChuckKennedyDC/status/1338947072356134913
Congratulations @PeteButtigieg who makes history again today. A solid addition to the Biden cabinet, and here’s hoping given his experience in local government; the start of a push toward a modern transit infrastructure agenda for the U.S. so we can join the rest of the world. https://mobile.twitter.com/JoyAnnReid/status/1338955122467016709
Congratulations Pete Buttigieg! This is another historic pick as he would be the first Senate confirmed LGBTQ cabinet member. Looking forward to the fresh perspective he will bring to the cabinet in this critical position. https://twitter.com/blackwomenviews/status/1338945760029794308
Fred Hochberg
.@PeteButtigieg's historic nomination to lead the Department of Transportation at this critical moment as we build back better is ground-breaking for a multitude of reasons, but one that is deeply personal to me is what this means for the LGBTQ community. (1/6) When I joined the Clinton admin in 1998, I was one of a small number of openly LGBTQ individuals serving in our federal government. After ending my tenure at SBA I wrote an OPED in the @nytimes about the importance of the LGBTQ community having a seat at the table. (2/6) President-elect @JoeBiden's has promised to build an administration that 'looks like America', and his appointment of our nation's first openly gay––and first millennial––cabinet Secretary helps do just that. (3/6) In his run for the Presidency @PeteButtigieg redefined what it meant for members of the LGBTQ community who wondered what limitations there might be for them because of who they are, or who they love. (4/6) In order to move our economy forward, to increase jobs and to grow exports, we need better infrastructure and at DOT, @PeteButtigieg will be integral to ensuring we accomplish that goal––expanding how American's view our community as a vital part of building back better (5/6) I have no doubt that if confirmed as Secretary of Transportation, Pete will continue to break barriers and build bridges as he helps our country build back better with an eye toward the future. Congratulations, @PeteButtigieg! (6/6) https://twitter.com/fredhochberg/status/1339032615102386176
Jonathan Alter
.@PeteButtigieg is a great choice for DOT. He is a tremendously able guy and will work well with Republicans to get infrastructure projects built and find creative ways (capital budget?) to pay for them. https://twitter.com/jonathanaltestatus/1339023977671483393
Charlotte Clymer
There is no doubt in my mind that Pete Buttigieg will make a great Secretary of Transportation. He works hard, thinks outside the box, prepares extensively for everything he does, and never backs down from a challenge. He'll do well in this role and surprise good faith skeptics. https://twitter.com/cmclymestatus/1338930562799702018
Leah D. Daughtry
@LeahDaughtry. @PeteButtigieg is one of the smartest, most innovative, most thoughtful, and kindest people I've ever met. Incredibly proud of my friend today and I know he will be a great #SecretaryOfTransportation #BidenHarris2020 https://twitter.com/LeahDaughtry/status/1339258718152757252
James Martin
Congratulations to @PeteButtigieg, nominated by @JoeBiden to be Secretary of Transportation. If approved, he would be the first openly gay member to serve in a presidential cabinet. Another historic step for the #LGBTQ community, whose members have so much to offer the world. https://twitter.com/JamesMartinSJ/status/1339231552996257797
Jason Collins
This is incredible news!!! @PeteButtigieg is absolutely brilliant and will excel as our next Secretary of Transportation. @JoeBiden has made an excellent pick & addition to his Cabinet. https://twitter.com/jasoncollins98/status/1338931800177971201
This! But also just so thrilled to see @PeteButtigieg as part of the Biden/Harris administration. My love for Pete (and Chasten) runs deep and I’ve been excited to see what they do and where they go next. https://twitter.com/TheMandyMoore/status/1338953691320045568
Finally!!!! An open #lgbtqia+ person the White House. Our voices will be heard! Congratulations to @PeteButtigieg and @Chasten this is turning out to be a brighter day. Jb @nytimes https://twitter.com/JohnBarrowman/status/1338949022669672448
I hit the character limit so check the comments for more :)
[Politics Monday]- Marxism is Fundamentally Opposed to Christianity
The following essay is x-posted from /Christianityhere I figured that its a good idea to spread it far and wide as it gives what I hope is a comprehensive critique of the evils of Marxism. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello all. In light of recent discussions that I have had here along with the political state of the world, I think that it is of the utmost importance for me to demonstrate that at its core, Marxism is inherently antagonistic to the core values and beliefs of Christianity. The goal of this post is not to attack anyone personally but to educate and warn faithful Christians of all persuasions and denominations of the pervasive anti-Christian tenets, goals, practices, and ideologies of Marxism and prominent Marxist leaders, theorists, and thinkers.
The most important point for Marx and Engels was that human beings created religion--so religious beliefs must have social causes. In early societies, humans didn't yet have the means to understand the forces of nature. So they imagined that these forces had a conscious power--inventing human-like gods that governed the wind and the weather, the rivers, the stars and the earth. Modern religions like Christianity likewise contain stories designed to reconcile people to conditions that seem beyond their control. With the rise of hierarchy and classes in human society, religion became the means for rulers to justify the system that they presided over--often, by declaring themselves gods, or at least in close communication with them. Thus, while Christianity first emerged as the religion of a persecuted minority, it was later transformed into the official ideology of the Roman Empire and numerous other societies since. This is why the effect of religion is generally conservative, providing a justification for the status quo. But the appeal of religion for the have-nots in society isn't its conservatism, but the fact that it seems to be a solution to the suffering and oppression of this world--in a distant afterlife, but a solution nonetheless. The only way that masses of people will reject the future imaginary solution offered by religion is if they see a real solution in the here and now--in the form of a struggle that challenges oppression and injustice.
At its best, Christianity to Marx and his disciples is a coping mechanism of the oppressed underclasses, something that may become obsolete after the introduction of Communism. At worst, however, it was something that was false, superstitious, reactionary, and must be destroyed, root and stem.
What do prominent Marxists have to say about Christianity?
To understand the anti-Christian sentiment inherent to Marxism, one need only let the worlds of prominent Marxists speak for themselves.
“Religion is a sort of spiritual booze.” “there is nothing more abominable than religion,” “all worship of a divinity is a necrophilia.”
In their influential book The ABC of Communism, Nikolai Bukharin and Evgenii Preobrazhensky spoke out strongly against religion. They wrote:
"Communism is incompatible with religious faith"
This book was quite influential, described as "an elementary textbook of communist knowledge." It was among the most read books in the Soviet Union. (Cohen, Stephen F. (1980). Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution: A Political Biography, 1888-1938. Oxford University Press US. pp. 64–65.) And it is still viewed favorably by Marxists today, as shown in The Socialist Worker. Bukharin and Preobrazhensky went on to criticize religion and Christianity by extension. They weren't as hateful of Christianity as Lenin, but still viewed it as a false dogma and ultimately sought to extinguish it:
But the campaign against the backwardness of the masses in this matter of religion, must be conducted with patience and considerateness, as well as with energy and perseverance. The credulous crowd is extremely sensitive to anything which hurts its feelings. To thrust atheism upon the masses, and in conjunction therewith to interfere forcibly with religious practices and to make mock of the objects of popular reverence, would not assist but would hinder the campaign against religion. If the church were to be persecuted, it would win sympathy among the masses, for persecution would remind them of the almost forgotten days when there was an association between religion and the defence of national freedom; it would strengthen the antisemitic movement; and in general it would mobilize all the vestiges of an ideology which is already beginning to die out.
The Fruits of Communism
Matthew 7:15-20 is one of the most important passages in the bible, a dire warning from Christ himself. We are warned of false prophets, wolves in sheep's clothing. And how we know a true prophet from false is by their fruits, for a bad tree bears bad fruit. Marx certainly bears striking resemblance to a prophet. He warns of the imminent collapse of society, the rising, apocalyptic tide of the proletariat destroying the bourgeois for their many sins in a epic battle of the coming world-wide class war as relevatory as Armageddon or Ragnarok. He promises a paradise on Earth that will last forever, a classless, stateless society, an era of justice and peace for all, the end of history. But the poison fruits of communism show that this promise is not to be. Marx is a false prophet, while his ideology promises to deliver heaven, Marxism, time and again brings hell on earth.
Persecution of Christians in the Soviet Union
Russia was the first country to fall under the yoke of Marxism and to have its people enslaved by its ideology. Seizing upon the weakness of a country devastated by years of war, with starving people and unpopular monarchy, Marxist revolutionaries launched a civil war. They launched the Red Terror, a brutal campaign of atrocities and reprisals against their perceived enemies to cement their power. Not even supposed allies of Marxism were safe; peasants who were forcibly conscripted into the Red Army who deserted and factory workers who went on strike were brutally executed by the infant Marxist regime. Werth, Bartosek et al. Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression.(1999), Chapter 4: The Red Terror. But particularly egregious were their actions towards Christians, simply for their profession of faith. In the Soviet Union, tens of thousands of churches were destroyed or converted to other uses, and many members of the clergy were murdered, publicly executed and imprisoned for what the government termed "anti-government activities." An extensive educational and propaganda campaign was launched in order to convince people, especially children and youths, to abandon their religious beliefs. This persecution resulted in the intentional murder of 500,000 Orthodox followers by the government of the Soviet Union during the 20th century. See World Christian trends, AD 30-AD 2200, pp. 230–246 Tables 4–5 & 4–10 By David B. Barrett, Todd M. Johnson, Christopher R. Guidry, Peter F. Crossing (NOTE: They define 'martyr' on p235 as only including Christians killed for faith and excluding other Christians killed) State atheism was instituted, church property was seized. It became illegal to even question the doctrine of atheism under threat of imprisonment. Froese, Paul (6 August 2008). The Plot to Kill God: Findings from the Soviet Experiment in Secularization. University of California Press. p. 122. Children were made to inform on their parents if they practiced religion at home. See Ramet, Sabrina P. (1990). Catholicism and Politics in Communist Societies. Duke University Press. pp. 232–33. Along with execution, some other actions against Orthodox priests and believers included torture, being sent to prison camps, labour camps or mental hospitals. In the first five years after the Bolshevik revolution, 28 bishops and 1,200 priests were executed. In the period between 1927 and 1940, the number of Orthodox Churches in the Russian Republic fell from 29,584 to less than 500. Between 1917 and 1940, 130,000 Orthodox priests were arrested.
War on the Clergy
The exceptional cruelty of the Bolsheviks' actions, methods, and goals were especially sickening and best demonstrates how much they hated Christianity. To see the extents the nascent Marxist state would go to during the civil war and its early administration to see the complete eradication of the Orthodox church as an institution, and the crimes committed against the clergy and laity, we must turn to Dimitry V. Pospielovsky. "A History of Soviet Atheism in Theory, and Practice, and the Believer", vol 2: A History of Marxist-Leninist Atheism and Soviet Anti-Religious Policies, St Martin's Press, New York (1988). Metropolitan Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) of Kiev was the first bishop martyred by the Bolsheviks on January 25, 1918. Unfortunately, he will be far from the last. He had consistently opposed the revolution, and he was severely beaten as well as tortured before being shot outside the Monastery of the Caves. Before being shot by his murderers, in a exceptionally Christian manner, he prayed to God for them to be forgiven (pg. 9-10). In the Don region in February 1918 the Reds were killing every priest they could find. (pg. 10) An 80-year-old monk-priest named Amvrosi was beaten with rifle butts before being killed. A priest named Dimitri was brought to a cemetery and undressed, but when he tried to make the sign of the cross before being killed, a soldier chopped off his right arm. An old priest who tried to stop the execution of a peasant was beaten and cut to pieces with swords. In the Holy Saviour Monastery, Red soldiers arrested and killed the 75-year-old abbot by scalping him and beheading him. In the Kherson province a priest was crucified. (pg. 10-11). Bishop Hermogenes (Dolganyov) of Tobolsk, was killed along with other detainees on 16 June 1918 by drowning. He had organized a religious procession the day after the Tsar had come through Tobolsk on their way to Ekaterinburg (April 28), in which he blessed the Royal family. He was arrested the following week and the Soviets promised to release him for 10,000 roubles, and later 100,000 roubles. When the ransom was collected and submitted, the delegation of notables and clergy that had delivered it were arrested as well and later executed. (pg. 2-3). In Voronezh, seven nuns who had prayed for a White victory in the civil war were reportedly boiled in a cauldron of tar (pg. 11). In Crimea, one priest named Ugliansky was killed by Red forces on grounds that he used green ribbons instead of red ribbons on the church icon lamps. Churches in Simferopol, Feodosia and other parts of the region were desecrated and their clergy were brutally murdered (pg. 3). Filosof Ornatsky, a priest in Petrograd, was arrested in the spring of 1918 after giving a public requiem for victims of the Bolsheviks. He and thirty-two others were driven to a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Finland, where the priest was allowed to perform a brief funeral service and bless the victims, before they were all shot and dropped into the sea. Archpriest John Vostorgov in Moscow, a famous Orthodox missionary and church activist, preached against the Bolsheviks and as a result he was blackmailed by the Bolsheviks, arrested and executed. He was executed along with Roman Catholic priest Lutoslawski and his brother, two tsarist ministers (N. Maklakov and Alexei Khvostov), an Orthodox bishop Efren, former State Council Chairman Ivan Shcheglovitov and Senator S. Beletsky. Fr Vostorgov conducted a short funeral service and preached to his victims to face death as a sacrifice of atonement, after which each victim came forward to be blessed by Fr Vostorgov and the Bishop; then they were shot. (pg. 3-4) During the Red occupation of Stavropol diocese in 1918, the Bolsheviks killed at least 52 Orthodox priests, four deacons and four lectors. Priest Alexander Podolsky was tortured and killed for giving a Te Deum service for a Cossack regiment before it attacked the Bolsheviks. When a peasant came to collect his body, the peasant was shot dead on the spot. Fr Alexei Miliutinsky was tortured, scalped and killed for preaching to Red army soldiers that they were leading Russia to disaster and for offering prayers for the Cossacks. Not even left-wing priests were safe, such as Ivan Prigorsky who was taken out of church on Holy Saturday into the street, where Red soldiers cursed him, mutilated his face and then killed him (pg. 5). Bishop Leontius (von Wimpffen) was murdered along with most of the diocesan clergy in 1919 after he made a sermon that quoted Jesus' words "I was naked and you have clothed me, I was ill and you looked after me" and this quotation was interpreted as an attack against the Bolsheviks (pg. 8). Bishop Macarius (Gnevushev) of Vyazma, who was beloved by the local population, was arrested as a result of his popularity in the summer of 1918. He was executed along with fourteen others in a field near Smolensk, whom he ministered and attempted to comfort with blessings before their execution. One of the soldiers who executed him afterward confessed on his deathbed that he had killed a saint (pg. 7). Lenin's decree on the separation of church and state on January 23, 1918 deprived the formerly official church of its status of legal person, the right to own property or to teach religion in both state and private schools or to any group of minors. This order to seize property was carried out with ruthless violence by Red soldiers. They often opened fire on crowds that surrounded churches in an attempt to defend them and on religious processions in protest against Church persecution. Thousands were killed in this way, especially in the spring of 1918. Shooting down of religious processions are well documented in Voronezh, Shatsk (Tambov province), and Tula (where thirteen were killed and many wounded, including Bishop Kornilii) (pg. 12). In Moscow over 400 churches and monasteries were dynamited, including the famous Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. (Haskins, Ekaterina V. "Russia's post-communist past: the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the re-imagining of national identity." History and Memory: Studies in Representation of the Past 21.1 (2009)).
Suppression of Miracles
For a supposedly atheist state, the Soviet Union was terrified of miracles and did everything in their power to disprove them. Believers could also be arrested in association with claiming or honoring miracles. Miracles needed to be suppressed in the eyes of the state due to their contradiction of the atheism of the official state ideology. However, it was not yet legal to prosecute people simply for making such claims (it would become so in 1929), so the miracle claims were prosecuted instead under the pretext that they were acts of resistance meant to strengthen believers in their resistance to hold on to church valuables. The government issued a decree on March 1, 1919, regarding "the complete liquidation of the cult of corpses and mummies", which ordered the public exposure of saints' relics in order to show them to be frauds (to counter the belief that the saints' bodies were miraculously preserved). In 1918 there were even calls to outlaw the sacrament of the Eucharist on account of its miraculous transformation as believed by Orthodox and Catholic Christians Letters from Moscow, Gleb Yakunin and Lev Regelson However, the bungling Soviet state often undermined its own goals and at times the persecutions drove people into the arms of the church as Bukharin feared. The body of St Sergius of Radonezh was exhumed and declared as fraudulent. The Soviet media eagerly spread this news that there was nothing but rotten bones and dust in his shrine. Revolution and the Church wrote: "Believers no longer weep, don't fall into fits of hysteria, and don't hold a grudge against the Soviet government anymore. They see there has been no blasphemy… Only an age-old fraud has been made naked in the eyes of the nation." (Pospielovsky pg. 19). From the St Sergius-Trinity Monastery where these relics came from, an entirely different story was circulated that when the relics were exposed it was found that the saint's body was in excellent condition (he had lived in the 14th century), and when the crowd of believers that had come there saw this they fell on their knees in prayer, while the Bolshevik commander was pulled off his horse and beaten by the crowd. A similar event occurred in the city of Vladimir when the relics of two saints were exposed and the doctor who had acted as medical state witness reconfirmed his faith according to his own testimony. (pg. 20). The Sretenskaia church at the Sennoi marketplace in Kiev had two gold-plated domes that had for been completely tarnished after many years. These domes experienced a similar renovations one day when light shone so brightly from the domes that it was at first thought to be on fire, and a huge crowd gathered to see it with an atmosphere of religious euphoria. The light reportedly moved in patches around the dome for three days as they were progressively "renovated". The local communist newspaper then printed two articles, one of them signed by members of the Academy of Sciences, which stated that the phenomenon was caused by a rare air wave containing a peculiar electric discharge. A witness claimed it later became known that the GPU had forced the Academy to say this, and that there were other gold-plated things in the area that were not similarly renovated. Several months later the church was dynamited by government authorities. (pg. 21-22) One of the most famous of these supposed miracles occurred in the village of Kalinovka near Vinnitsa in the Ukraine. A detachment of mounted police had come to the village in order to close the local church, but they were met by hostile crowds. The crowds were too big for the police to force their way through and so they retreated. Not far from the church, however, there was a traditional Crucifix standing at a crossroads, and the policemen in frustration fired at the crucifix. One of the bullets hit the crucifix in Christ's side and suddenly blood gushed out of the hole reportedly. One of the policemen lost control of himself and fell off his horse, while the others took off. The crowd went on its knees and prayed in front of the bleeding crucifix. The news spread and thousands of people came to see it. The blood reportedly kept running out for several days. Soon after more police came with orders to hack down the crucifix but each time they returned in failure under the claim that some force was preventing them from approaching it. The local communist press tried to explain the phenomena by claiming that there had been an accumulation of water in the wooden cross behind the metallic figure, and that once the bullet hit the metal, the water, which had turned red from the metal's rust, must have seeped through. The crowds brought crosses with them that they set up beside it, prayed before it and dipped cloths in the miraculous blood. For days and nights they sang hymns as well as burned candles. Priests were absent in fear. Many atheists reportedly converted after seeing this. (pg. 22-23) At the very first opportunity the Soviets destroyed the bleeding Crucifix and all adjacent crosses. It was later claimed that a commission of experts had reported that the fluid coming out of the bullet hole was not blood. The people who had gathered there that day were later depicted as drunkards, fools and scum, and it was claimed that the kissing of the Crucifix had resulted in an outbreak of syphilis as well as mass robberies (pg. 23). As you can see, Marx's first daughter, the Soviet Union brutally suppressed Christianity and the rights, property, liberty, and lives of all of the faithful, as at its core, Christianity challenges Marxism's need for sole authoritarian supremacy in every facet of life where it holds sway. However, as brutal as the atrocities were in the Soviet Union, they did little to stem the flow of this toxic anti-Christian ideology across the globe.
Terror in Spain
By no means do I want anyone to believe that Marxism is monolithic. In fact, Marxists brutally quarrel with themselves almost as badly as they do their enemies. In the modern era, the Soviet Union has lost a great deal of popularity since its collapse. Many Marxists are wont to claim that the regime that arose in the USSR "wasn't true communism". I am not here to argue what true communism is. But what I am going to demonstrate is that whatever the flavor of Marxism, it is brutally anti-Christian and will suppress Christianity whenever it is able. Noam Chomsky is a prominent left-wing academic, one of the most cited people in all of academia in fact He is also a leading supporter of the "anarchist" faction in the Spanish civil war and their short lived "stateless society." And while these "anarchists" were opposed to the particular flavor of Marxism in practice in the Soviet Union, they committed the same brutal atrocities against Christians because of their faith. Atrocities were committed by "by sections of nearly all the leftist groups" Payne, Stanley G. A History of Spain and Portugal, Vol. 2, Ch. 26, p. 650 (Print Edition: University of Wisconsin Press, 1973) and Beevor, Antony (2006), The Battle For Spain; The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939, p. 81 Weidenfeld & Nicolson. The violence consisted of the killing of tens of thousands of people (including 6,832 Roman Catholic priests) as well as the desecration and burning of monasteries and churches. (Cueva, Julio de la (1998), "Religious Persecution, Anticlerical Tradition and Revolution: On Atrocities against the Clergy during the Spanish Civil War", Journal of Contemporary History, XXXIII (3): 355–369, JSTOR 261121) The failed coup of July 1936 set loose a violent onslaught on those that revolutionaries in the Republican zone identified as enemies; "where the rebellion failed, for several months afterwards merely to be identified as a priest, a religious or simply a militant Christian or member of some apostolic or pious organization, was enough for a person to be executed without trial". (Hilari Raguer, Gunpowder and Incense, p. 115) According to Julio de la Cueva, the toll of the Spanish Red Terror was 72,344 lives.
Mexico
Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles was another flavor of Marxist that oppressed the rights of Christians. While he did not consider himself a Marxist, he had close relations with the Soviet Union, where Mexico hosted its first foreign embassy. When the Soviet Union opened its first embassy in Mexico, the Soviet ambassador remarked that "no other two countries show more similarities than the Soviet Union and Mexico". The Mexican government's campaign against the Catholic Church after the Mexican Revolution culminated in the 1917 constitution which contained numerous articles which Catholics perceived as violating their civil rights: outlawing monastic religious orders, forbidding public worship outside of church buildings, restricted religious organizations' rights to own property, and taking away basic civil rights of members of the clergy (priests and religious leaders were prevented from wearing their habits, were denied the right to vote, and were not permitted to comment on public affairs in the press and were denied the right to trial for violation of anticlerical laws). This all culminated in the Cristero War where Christians took up arms against the government.
Now that you know what prominent Marxists say and think about Christianity, and the horrible atrocities they commit on Christians, it is also important to know what Christianity says about Marxism. The Catholic Church, the largest Christian denomination in the world, specifically declared in the Decree Against Communism that Catholics who professed Communist doctrine to be excommunicated as apostates from the Christian faith. Similar proclamations against Communism were made in Divini Redemptoris (1937) Nostis et nobiscum (1849), Quanta cura (1864), and Rerum novarum (1891). The Orthodox Church anathematized communists after suffering such brutal calamities in the Red Terror. The Patriarch of Russia stated:
Christ’s precept to love our neighbor is forgotten and trampled tinder foot. Every day we learn that innocent people, not excluding those lying sick in bed, are being frightfully and brutally murdered for the sole offense that they have honestly discharged their duty to the country and have devoted all their energies to serve the welfare of the people. These crimes are committed … in broad daylight with unprecedented effrontery and outrageous brutality … in almost every city of our native land … These crimes fill our heart with deep sorrow and compel us to denounce sharply these monsters of the human race … in accordance with the precept of the Holy Apostle: “Them that sin reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear.” (I Tim. 5: 20.) Think what you are doing, you madmen! Stop your bloody reprisals. Your acts are not merely cruel, they are the works of Satan for which you will burn in Hell fire in the life hereafter and be cursed by future generations in this life. By the authority given me by God I forbid you to partake of the Christian Mysteries. I anathematize you if you still bear a Christian name and belong by birth to the Orthodox Church. And you, faithful children of the Orthodox Christian Church, I beseech you to have nothing to do with this scourge of the human race: “Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.” (I Corinthians 5: 13.).
https://preview.redd.it/cfeadwtzekn51.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=e7702758b01778b27cd777a782c7eb5743d458f6 Football is back, baby! After an awesome first week of NFL action, which I watched every full game of, I wanted to kind of recap all 16 matchups and come up with three statements for each one. Some of them may be more hyperbolic or could be labelled as hot takes, while others state for obvious facts. You can also listen to my Youtube breakdown of week one, where I just give more of my general thoughts on all these games, while also bringing up some of the points I make in this article. So here’s what I took away from week one:
Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs
1. Clyde Edwards-Helaire makes this KC offense unfair This physicality and ability to break tackles is scary, when you think about how dynamic the Chiefs are with Patrick Mahomes and all those guys streaking downfield. I like what I saw from the offensive line, with Kelechi Osemele adding some power on the inside, but 106 of 138 rushing yards for CEH came after contact. No other player in the league even cracked 100 rushing in general. And he didn’t even get any work in the passing game yet, where I believe he could be even more dangerous, as defenses have to back off and then try to bring this bowling ball to the ground. Thank god I have him in all my fantasy leagues and as my favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year. 2. Will Fuller is the clear number one option in the passing game for Houston With DeAndre Hopkins out of the picture, 150 targets were all of a sudden on the table and “The Flying V” (thanks Fantasy Footballers) should take on the lion’s share of that amount. In the season-opener, the fourth-year receiver caught eight of ten targets on the night for 112 yards. He was on the field for 86 percent of the offensive snaps, while newly acquired running back David Johnson was the only Texans player to catch more than two passes and Fuller was responsible for 44.3 percent of their total through the air. Fuller and Deshaun Watson have a clear connection and with me expecting Houston to be down in games quite a bit, this could lead to a lot of production. 3. The Chiefs are in a different league than the Texans I went into this game thinking the Chiefs were the best team in the NFL and I had the Texans projected to go 7-9, so it wasn’t overly surprising to me that the games was never actually that close, but this was never even a contest beyond the first quarter. Don’t let the final score (34-20) fool you. The Chiefs scored 31 unanswered, while the Texans picked up eight first downs over that stretch. Even with their two starting corners missing half the game, the defense looked strong, with Frank Clark beating Tytus around the corner like a drum routinely, and if Demarcus Robinson just held on to a couple of passes in the end-zone, KC would have scored 11 more points.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Football Team
1. This game was almost a mirror image of what happened in week one between these two in week one of last season In that game to kick of 2019, Washington got out to a 17-0 lead in the first half before Carson Wentz came roaring back, hitting a couple of deep balls to DeSean Jackson to win the game. This time around, Philly dominated the first half, with Washington’s first points coming with less than a minute until halftime. Then two things happened over the final 30 minutes – the Eagles started going down like “birds” and that Washington D-line completely took over the game. I will get to those two points a little more in detail, but it is still crazy to me how everything flipped in half two and how reminiscent it was to what happened exactly a year ago. 2. Philadelphia’s two biggest issues seem to be back First of all, the injuries are already a major concern for the Eagles. They had to bring in three different offensive linemen off the bench, after they had already lost Brandon Brooks and Andre Dillard for the year, plus Boston Scott went to the locker room after they already made the trip without second-year back Miles Sanders. And then, I really didn’t like what Doug Pederson did with the Philly offense in the second half. They almost exclusively went to shotgun, spread sets and ran standard West Coast passing concepts, which Washington was all over, while their pass-rush came crashing down. I know they lost their top run-blocker before the season, but this is still a team that should stick with the ground game and play-action off it. 3. Washington’s defensive line is nasty The “Football Team” racked up eight sacks, as they were beating up everybody on Philly’s O-line and banging Carson Wentz around like a human piñata. Chase Young immediately showed what kind of freakish talent he is and you had multiple guys from that front become free quickly, to put the heat on Wentz. So much so that Washington’s linebacker started getting through untouched. And their DBs started jumping routes, because they knew the opposing QB had to listen to his internal clock, breaking once he first pointed his shoulders at the target. I never thought I’d say this, but “The Football Team” is alone in first place.
Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots
1. The Cam Newton-led Patriots offense could be scary This New England offense is so unique now that they went from statuesque Tom Brady to dual-threat Cam Newton and while Cam loves to spread the field and attack matchups, what they do in the run game is what really creates problems for defenses. The Patriots ran the ball 42 times compared to only 19 passes, with 15 of those carries coming from the quarterback. With jet sweep fakes, inverted veer runs and different option plays, their opponents will have to be very disciplined and assignment-proof. Plus, then with Cam’s big arm, he can push the ball downfield off play-action, which wasn’t even a real factor in game one. If not for N’Keal Harry fumbling the ball into the end-zone, New England’s offense would have scored 28 touchdowns – something they only did once from week eight on last season. 2. No New England skill-position players will be on my fantasy team This is something I haven’t really done in the past either, outside of maybe Gronk, but now – maybe more so than ever – I don’t want the headache of figuring out who will be fantasy-relevant every week. With his rushing upside, Cam might be an interesting option in your leagues, if he is still available on the waiver wire, but none of those skill guys are dependable options for me. Here are the players, who touched the ball at least five times against Miami – Sony Michel (10), James White(8), Rex Burkhead (7), Julian Edelman (6), J.J. Taylor (5) and N’Keal Harry (5). No thank you. 3. We won’t have to wait much longer for Tua Everybody – including current starter Ryan Fitzpatrick – knows that it’s only a question of time until fifth overall pick Tua Tagovailoa is ready and takes over at quarterback for the Dolphins. Fitzy actually played really well in 2019, but was picked off three times in this year’s season-opener and if you just follow the CBS cameras, you’d think Tua was about to go onto the field. Miami will host the division-rival Bills on Sunday, then it’s the Jaguars on Thursday Night Football, before the Seahawks come to town. After that there are two tough road-trips are on the horizon with San Francisco and Denver. So if the Dolphins don’t want to throw him out there on a short week, they might want to wait for that stretch to be over, since the two L.A. teams will come to South Beach after that. But I think we’ll see the rookie by mid-season if he’s fully healthy.
Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings
1. Aaron Rodgers is baaad man I’m sorry for using a Stephen A. phrase here, but I just loved seeing Rodgers shut everybody up with a four-touchdown performance, after people started questioning how good he still is, with the Packers drafting his apparent successor Jordan Love in the first round. The way he threw the ball on the move, the zip that he put on his passes and the way he was straight up dealing reminded me of what I saw from Rodgers over the six plus years he was the best football player in the world. At one point he threw two TDs in the matter of half a minute. The first one to Davante Adams was absolutely filthy, when Rodgers escaped to the right and perfectly placed the ball to a spot where the corner had no chance to make a play on it. And then following a Jaire Alexander interception at the Minnesota 45, he connected with Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a long TD on a go route. Green Bay as a team only punted once all day and did not turn it over. Rodgers is getting himself ready to cash all those offseason receipts. 2. That young secondary will break Minnesota’s back As spectacular as Rodgers was, I’m also highly concerned with this Vikings back-end. I talked about this heading into the year, with that entire group of cornerbacks combining for less than 1500 career snaps on defense, and there is hope that they can still improve as the season goes along, but yesterday they had no answers for number 12 and those Green Bay receivers. Rodgers averaged 10.1 yards per attempt and if not for a couple of drops and guys tripping, that number could have been even higher. You saw the Packers QB pick on Holton Hill quite a bit, their rookies got taught a lesson and nobody could even try to slow down Davante Adams, who hauled in 14 of 17 targets for 156 yards and two TDs. 3. Davante Adams is a top five receiver When I released my personal top 100 list a couple of months ago, I only had Julio Jones and Michael ahead of Adams. DeAndre Hopkins had a spectacular debut in Arizona and while they didn’t show much in week one, Tyreek Hill and Mike Evans are part of that conversation, but nobody was more impressive than that dude from Green Bay. Matt LaFleur did manufacture a few touches for his top target, with bubble screens and deep crossers, but Adams always made the most of those plays, he made some big catches downfield and for good measure, he also recovered the game-sealing onside kick. The way he schooled those young DBs for Minnesota off the line and how that connection between him and Rodgers was almost automatic was fun to watch. As much as there was made about the Packers not drafting a single receiver in a historically great class as a number two to Adams, I also thought MVS and Lazard stepped up in the season-opener. And I also want to say his counterpart on the opposite team in Adam Thielen had a great day himself.
Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars
1. Gardner Minshew is a real quarterback Unlike what new Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette may think, Jacksonville does have a guy people want to go to battle with. You can’t be too mad at Fournette, since he did have to deal with Blake Bortles for most of his career, but after week one, you can definitely say that statement did not age well. Against the Colts, who were favored by eight points coming in, Minshew completed all but one of his 20 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns, showing that gamer mentality and ability to make plays off script on several occasions. I talked about those Jacksonville receivers early on in the offseason, saying that they are a pretty underrated group, and they also found their new lead back in my big draft crush from Illinois State – James Robinson, who took 100 percent of the carries for Jacksonville. Indianapolis should not have lost that game, since they didn’t punt once and almost doubled Jacksonville in total yards, getting stopped inside the Jags’ five and missing a 30-yard field goal, but let’s give these guys some credit. 2. Time for the Jonathan Taylor show First and foremost, it just sucks that Marlon Mack seems to have torn his Achilles. He was off to a strong start in this game and I feel really sick for him, especially being in a contract year. However, as bad as I feel for the veteran, I’m also so excited to see what this rookie running behind that Colts O-line. Taylor did not run the ball very well (nine carries for 22 yards), but surprisingly was a big factor in the pass game – which wasn’t his strong suite at Wisconsin – bringing in all of his six targets for 67 yards, where he showed that sprinter speed and the power he can build up on a couple of plays. While Nyheim Hines should clearly be a factor in that offense, with his ability to produce as a pass-catcher and gadget player, without Mack, Taylor now has all the chances to rival Clyde Edwards-Helaire for Offensive Rookie of the Year. 3. C.J. Henderson will be a stud at corner I could have easily gone with something like “Same old Philip Rivers”, after throwing that bad pick down four in the fourth quarter on a deep crosser to Parris Campbell, when he telegraphed the throw way too much and allowed the safety in quarters coverage to break in front of his receiver. Instead I want to give their ninth overall pick in the draft some love. Henderson was outstanding in his first showing, breaking up three passes and won on kind a jump-ball for an interception, when Jacksonville was down 7-0 at that point in the second quarter, which set up his offense inside the Indy and led to that first touchdown to D.J. Chark. Henderson was all over T.Y. Hilton on a few snaps, including a throw into the end-zone on a third down in the second half (which I thought might be called for P.I. actually) and he knocked the ball out of the hands of Hilton on that fourth down that sealed the win.
Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions
1. Same old Lions I’m starting to really feel bad for people from Detroit. It’s been about 30 years since that franchise last won a playoff game and they have been irrelevant for large stretches of that window. On Sunday it was yet another example of how this team can mess up games. Up 23-6 with the Bears having a fourth-and-one from the opposing 10-yard line heading into the fourth quarter, the Lions had no business losing that game. Mitch Trubisky all of a sudden turned into Joe Montana and scored three touchdowns in just 15 plays. Matt Stafford on the other hand took a bad sack, which led to a missed a 55-yard field goal and tried to force a ball over the middle that got knocked up in the air and intercepted, when Detroit was still up by three. Even with that, the Lions had a chance to still win the game, as Stafford drove them all the way down the Chicago 16 and after spiking the ball with eleven seconds left, the Lions QB hit running back D’Andre Swift for a perfect pass on a wheel route, but usually sure-handed rookie had it slip out his hands and the prayer Stafford threw up with zeros on the clock was knocked. Another heart-breaker for Motown. 2. The Bears offensive line is a lot better in the run game After the main part of free agency and the draft were wrapped up, I thought Chicago had two major holes on the roster – Right guard and a safety to pair up with Eddie Jackson. As bad as their Trubisky was in 2019, my biggest issue with Matt Nagy’s offense was the rushing attack. They finished bottom-six in yards per carry and total yards on the ground. So when they basically replaced Kyle Long with a former first-round bust in Germaine Ifedi I was worried of course, even though I said right away that he would fit better inside. In their first showing of the 2020 season, the Bears started getting people moving and you actually saw linemen five to ten yards down the field, as they put hands on the Detroit linebackers. David Montgomery ran hard, Tarik Cohen sprung loose on a couple of power and draw plays and Cordarrelle Patterson had a couple of crucial carries as well. Overall, they the ball 28 times for 149 yards and I give a lot of credit to new O-line coach Juan Castillo, who replaced the legendary Harry Hiestand. 3. Mitch magic in the fourth quarter Through the first three quarters of the game, Trubisky was 12 of 26 for 153 yards. He did not look like a capable quarterback and had recently missed a wide open Cole Kmet on a third-and-nine from the Detroit ten by several yards. However, over the final 15 minutes he looked like a former second overall pick all of a sudden. Helped by some Lions miscues, he threw three touchdowns on the final four drives (15 total plays) and delivered in the clutch. That final scoring play on a fade route from Anthony Miller out of the slot was a thing of beauty. Miller also made some other huge grabs in that fourth quarter. I still say this was more bad Lions than good Bears, but give the guy some credit. Oh, one more thing – Adrian Peterson still has it. I don’t know how he does it, but he was the best running back on that field on Sunday
Las Vegas Raiders @ Carolina Panthers
1. All those vertical weapons on the Raiders could finally make Derek Carr cut it loose While it was still more of your usual efficient showing by Carr, as he completed 73.3 percent of his passes for 239 passing yards and one touchdown, I thought he displayed the willingness to test defenses deep. That Jon Gruden offense leans on frustrating defenses with short passes, getting the run game going and then hitting them with a few shots over the top, That last element I thought was missing last season, which capped the Raiders’ potential, While DC is a conservative passer by nature – often times to a frustrating extent – that lack of deep balls had something to do with not having the appropriate weapons at the receiver position. With the additions Las Vegas made this offseason, that has changed. On just the second play of the game, Carr put the ball 50 yards in the air for rookie speedster Henry Ruggs III. Later on the first quarter he hit Ruggs on a deep crosser to set a one-yard touchdown by Josh Jacobs. Carr threw a 23-yard dime Nelson Agholor shortly before halftime to put his team back up by five and at least had his eyes downfield much more throughout the afternoon. 2. That Joe Brady offense and Teddy B will put up some numbers While he did already coach under Sean Payton in a much smaller role, this is still a rookie offensive coordinator and to begin your career with 30 points against a pretty good Raiders team has to be nice. Teddy Bridgewater certainly deserves some credit here, but I was very impressed with Brady’s offense, that spread the defense out with five guys out on the route and how he forced the Las Vegas defense to defends every level of the field, leading to a lot of easy completions indicated by simple reads of second-level defenders and zone/man indicators. I don’t know who actually made that call fourth-and-inches just across midfield that would have given the Panthers a chance to still win that game, but obviously you’d rather have the ball in the hands of your best player in Christian McCaffrey or create some separation on some kind of mesh concept. 3. Josh Jacobs is about to become a superstar in this league I came into this season with very high expectations for this second-year back and after watching him put on a show against Carolina, I probably should have put some money on him leading the league in rushing. We already knew how high Jon Gruden was on this kid coming out of Alabama last year and he had a great rookie season, with a team-record 1150 yards on the ground for a first-year player and that was despite missing three games. I already said in the offseason that I believe the Raiders have a top five O-line and the way he puts his head down and runs through people, led to an NFL-best 69 missed tackles forced. The difference this year should be his involvement in the passing game, which he was pretty good at in college, but he only caught 20 balls for 166 yards as a rookie. Against the Panthers he already caught four passes for 46 yards and showed what he can do after catching a simple dump-off, to go with 93 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills
1. The Bills now have all the weapons to force opponents to defend the entire field If there was one area the Bills needed to improve upon this offseason, it was the wide receiver position. John Brown probably had his best season as a pro in 2019 and Cole Beasley was a dependable target in the slot for them. However, neither one of those guys should be a true number one option. Now that they brought in Stefon Diggs via a trade from Minnesota, it puts everybody in their appropriate position. With Dawson Knox taking another step and even having a screen drawn up for him, as well as those backs getting involved, I like what offensive coordinator Brian Daboll can do in terms of making opponents defend the entire field. I know it was “only” the Jets, but Buffalo just seemed to play so much more freely in the pass game. 2. Josh Allen could be an MVP contender in 2020 I actually had Allen as an honorable mention among my MVP candidates and was made fun of a little, when I posted my list on Reddit, but with what I just wrote about the Bills pass-catchers, I just think this could be a big year for their team and the quarterback in particular. The O-line gave him plenty of time to scan the field, he stayed patient and found his checkdowns late and still fired some absolute lasers. Allen also made a lot of plays with his legs on designed runs and scrambles. Will you still get the occasional “What the hell?” moment from him, like fumbling the ball while flipping over a defender? Yes. But if they hone himself in a little and be a more consistent threat from within the pocket, to go with those off-script plays, he could put up some big numbers. 3. The Jets might be the prime contenders for the number one overall pick in the 2021 draft When I released my pre-season power rankings, I had the Jets all the way at the bottom of the list and that’s exactly what they looked like when we first saw them this season. The final score might have been 27-17, but the Bills could have easily blown them out by 30. It took Gang Green 40 minutes to get into the end-zone and it took Jamison Crowder breaking three tackles and going 69 yards and a quick screen play to get there. Buffalo’s rookie kicker Tyler Bass missed two field goals from less than 40 yards – even though I still believe the first one was actually good – Josh Allen fumbled the ball twice and that last touchdown was meaningless, with under a minute remaining. As much as I liked Sam Darnold coming out of USC, as I had him as my top quarterback in the 2018 draft, and I still believe in the right situation he would already be an above-average starter, I don’t know how you could pass on Trevor Lawrence if you are in position to draft him.
Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens
1. The reigning MVP might be even better Lamar Jackson was so sharp and in control of the offense, keeping his eyes downfield even as he was stepping into crowded spaces or backing out and rolling either way. We saw him hit a deep ball to Marquise Brown, which was where I wanted to see him improve, and he impressed with tremendous ball-placement all afternoon, taking advantage of the leverage of defenders and drilling the ball into some tight windows. The day after the game I saw a statistic that he was 9-of-10 for 180 yards on passes of 10+ yards against Cleveland, after he completed only 49.2 percent of those his MVP season. I would just like to see him avoid some of those hits, where he goes head-first to pick up a few extra yards. But in terms of his pure pocket passing, it is scary to think where he could go. 2. The Ravens secondary plastered those Browns pass-catchers It’s not a secret that Baltimore has one the premiere group of cornerbacks in the entire league, but I would argue they are the very best there is. Jarvis Landry got open on some crossers and deeper developing routes, when Baker did have a clean pocket, but altogether outside of Cleveland’s one touchdown at the goal-line, where the Ravens D lost one of the tight-ends out of a jumbo package, it was tough sledding for OBJ & company. Marlon Humphrey is already top five at his position, Marcus Peters is unreal at anticipating and reading routes, Jimmy Smith would be a high quality #2 on any other team and Tavon Young coming back in the slot only helps. Oh, and for Austin Hooper to be the highest-paid tight-end early in the offseason and to only come up with two catches for 15 yards is pretty disappointing. 3. J.K. Dobbins is about to take over this Ravens backfield I’m not saying the rookie will play 80 percent of the snaps or handle more than half the rushing load going forward, but there is a reason I grabbed Dobbins in all my fantasy leagues, He was my number two back in the draft and I said right away that he was a perfect fit for this Baltimore offense. In his debut, the rook had a couple of nice gains and converted twice near the goal-line, while veteran Mark Ingram was stuffed for minimal yardage on several occasions. Gus Edwards will get some work to close out games, when they Ravens are ahead by multiple scores, and Justice Hill is an explosive player, who I really like in the passing game in particular, but Dobbins should be the lead guy for this squad.
Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons
1. The Falcons secondary is still a mess Over the first half of the 2019 season, the Falcons were the worst defense in the NFL, allowing 31.6 points per game, as they went 1-7 over that stretch. They started turning things around after that, but on Sunday afternoon they reverted back to that early 2019 form. We saw them play a lot more man-coverage, where they constantly allowed separation on crossing routes or just lost guys out of their breaks. When they were in zone, those corners gave way too much cushion in cover-three and when they did force some long-yardage situations, they just backed up and allowed easy 10-15 yard plays to set up easy third downs or basically surrender field goals. What really killed them was that 4th & 5 play Seattle had from the opposing 38-yard line when it was still 14-12, as Isaiah Oliver missed his punch in press-alignment, giving up the inside release to D.K. Metcalf, who could still make a perfect over-the-shoulder catch on a fade route. And by the way, Seattle didn’t look much better on the back-end. 2. Russell Wilson is finally allowed to cook As bad as Atlanta was on the back-end defensively – What a performance for Russ. He went 31-of-35 for 322 yards and four touchdowns, while picking up two more first downs with his legs. Seahawks – and all football fans for that matter – have been screaming at the top of their lungs for the coaching staff to let Wilson to throw the ball earlier in games and on early downs. It wasn’t like the Falcons were all over Seattle’s receivers, but the touch Wilson throws with to perfectly put the ball in the hands of his guys in full stride is just a beautiful thing to watch. D.K. Metcalf looks to have taken a step forward with his route-running and Tyler Lockett is back fully healthy. So that means it’s bombs away for the Seahawks, which means trouble for the rest of the league, since they can still win with the power run game and then take play-action shots off that. 3. Calvin Ridley is an absolute stud receiver I always believed in this kid. He was my number one receiver in the draft three years ago coming out of Alabama and he immediately started producing in the pros. While he was on track for a 1000-yard campaign last season, he is off to an even better start in 2020. Against the Seahawks, he hauled in nine passes for 130 yards and two TDs. Ridley constantly created separation by attacking leverage and excellent route-running. While he isn’t a straight-burner necessarily, he knows how to find space and is very shifty after the catch. The only thing that sucked was that one bad drop late in the game on fourth down, when he was too focused on getting his feet in bounds and had the ball go right through his hands because of it. But he and Julio Jones are right there in the race for top receiver duos, in a loaded division for pass-catchers.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Cincinnati Bengals
1. Welcome to Cincinnati, Joe Burrow It’s always tough for a top draft pick to come to a bad team, try to turn things around and learn early on that even if he does everything right, it might not lead to victories. Burrow did not play a perfect game by any means – He got picked off by Melvin Ingram in the fourth quarter, who made such an instinctive play, when he read the screen pass and spun around to have the ball land right in his hands as Burrow shoveled it ahead late, he missed a potential touchdown to A.J. Green on a deep ball earlier and 13 points just don’t get you any wins in the NFL. That being said, he had his team in position to beat the Chargers, as he drove them all the way down to the L.A. three, only to have A.J. Green get called for an offensive pass interference on what would have otherwise been a game-winning TD and then his kicker to miss a chip-shot 31-yard field goal attempt. He better be hurt and not just have faked something there, once he saw the kick was wide right. 2. Mike Williams is one of the great big-play receivers in the game Coming out of Clemson four years ago, Williams was known for being a super-physical downfield receiver, that had connected for a multitude of big plays with his former quarterback Deshaun Watson. That’s exactly what he has been in the NFL so far. Williams is incredible on 50-50 balls, he routinely comes through with big catches downfield along the sidelines and comes through when his team needs him most. Of the three receivers that went in the top ten back in 2017 (him, Corey Davis and John Ross), it is safe to say the Chargers has by far been the most best one – even though Davis had a pretty good showing himself on Monday. Last season Williams cracked the 1000-yard mark on a league-leading 20.4 yards per grab. This past Sunday against the Bengals he might have only caught four passes, but all of them were key in the victory – a great toe-tap grab at the sideline, coming back to the ball on a deep curl route and two go-balls on the sideline, where the safety almost knocked his head off on both of them. 3. Bobby Hart should not ever trash-talk I have said many times that Hart is one of the worst starting offensive tackles in all of football and I have no idea why the Bengals continue to pay him, even with their bad track record of drafting linemen. I’m sure he tries “hart” and it’s not like he doesn’t belong in the league, but he should not talk trash – especially not to Joey Bosa, who came back to beat him for a sack with his well-known double-hand swipe, before getting into the face of Hart. This Chargers D-line was beating the crap out of Cincy’s front-five and the only reason they were in the game was their rookie quarterback speeding up his internal clock and still finding ways to make plays.
Arizona Cardinals @ San Francisco 49ers
1. DeAndre Hopkins is worth so much more than a second-round pick While I do understand that the Texans would not have been able to pay D-Hop the kind of money he demanded, Bill O’Brien doesn’t deserve any sympathy for being the laughing stock for NFL fans. Hopkins is an elite receiver and Houston certainly didn’t get back the return he was worth, as they basically got back a second-round pick and took a bad David Johnson contract off the hands of Arizona, even if he actually looked better in week one than he did all of 2019. Nuk had more catches (14) than all the Texans receivers combined on Thursday (13). He went for 151 yards, including a couple of big grabs, including setting up a one-yard Kenyan Drake touchdown after being called down just short. 2. The Cardinals defense is starting to come together I know the day didn’t start off great for this Arizona D, when they allowed Raheem Mostert to slice through for a 76-yard catch-and-run touchdown on an angle route, but outside of that one play, they held the offense of the game’s most creative offensive play-caller in Kyle Shanahan to just 290 yards. Mostert averaged under four yards per carry on 15 attempts and they held the reigning NFC champs to just a field goal over 50 minutes of game time. I’d advise you to check out Brett Kollman’s breakdown of all the different elements to Vance Joseph’s defense, where it seems like they now have the pieces to actually be successful with it. Budda Baker is a flying missile, their run defense should take a huge step forward with what they added to the front and some of their other young guys made plays when they really needed to, including Byron Murphy breaking up that final fourth down attempt for San Francisco, even though the ball was certainly thrown behind the receiver. 3. Jimmy G has to be more accurate I understand why 49ers fans are frustrated, because their team was in control of the game early on and even after the Cardinals took the lead, their quarterback had all the chances to still get them the W. San Francisco rushed for 123 yards on 4.9 yards per attempt and Garoppolo also relied heavily on his backs in the pass game. If you take away that 76-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Raheem Mostert, where the QB just had to lob it over the middle and watch #31 take off, Jimmy G threw for only 183 yards on the other 32 attempts he had (5.7 yards per attempts). His stat line did look pretty good, but it does not represent the performance he had. Because not only did he almost kill George Kittle on a simple bubble screen, by putting the ball way too high, but when his team needed him most, with the ball at the Arizona 21, he underthrew an easy touchdown to Kendrick Bourne on first down and then thew the ball behind Trent Taylor on fourth-and-five.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints
1. The Saints D-line has a clear advantage over the Bucs O-line The formula for beating Tom Brady has been out there for a while – get home with four. He has been notorious for slicing up defenses when they have to send extra blitzers, which only a few teams have been able to do effectively. On Sunday, Cam Jordan & company made life very uncomfortable for the 43-year old quarterback, as they sacked him three times and made him move around constantly. You saw some frustration on the first pick he threw, expecting Mike Evans to continue going down the seams and he was off with ball-placement on a few occasions. This is the reason I had the Saints beating the Bucs in the NFC title game, when I put out my season predictions two weeks ago. 2. Scottie Miller will be a key piece to the Tampa Bay offense The Bucs obviously have one of the premiere receiver duos in the league with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, their group of tight-end honestly goes three deep and they now have an interesting mixture of backs. However, the one guy who routinely came up with big plays for Tom Brady was little Scottie Miller. Last year’s sixth-round pick out of Bowling Green caught five passes for 73 yards and added another six-yard run against the Saints. Ronald Jones was the only one with more scrimmage yards for Tampa Bay on Sunday and that was by only three. The guy they call “Scooter” lined up inside and out, caught a couple of passes over the middle, came up with a big grab on a slot fade route and forced a P.I. call on an out-and-up. Miller could be Brady’s new version of Julian Edelman in his new home. 3. Alvin Kamara is a different breed While I don’t advocate paying too many running backs beyond their rookie contract and I have to believe the Saints have turned off the salary cap on their Madden team, with how much they will be in the minus heading into next year’s offseason, we saw that elite running back they did pay for on Sunday. The Bucs are a tough for New Orleans, because with Drew Brees’ declining arm talent, they really want to rely more on their backs and that run game to control games, but Tampa Bay was the number one rush defense just last season and they should be near the top once again in 2020. Still, with Kamara not even being the team’s leading rusher (12 attempts for only 16 yards), he caught five passes for 51 yards and converted twice in the red-zone, once on a screen pass that seemed to be dead in the backfield and then on a six-yard run, where he bounced off a tackler, who in cinematic fashion lost his mouthpiece in the process. That explosiveness, the contact balance and the speed are all back, after he was banged up for most of last season. Sunday Night and Monday games in the comments!! If you enjoyed this content, I would really appreciate if you could visit the original piece - https://halilsrealfootballtalk.com/2020/09/16/three-statements-for-each-week-one-nfl-game/ You can also listen to my other breakdowns on my Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxjwwcjGcWpjlDyDj-pY5wQ?view_as=subscriber
519 Losey Blvd. S, La Crosse, Wisconsin Also known as: Chapel of the Blessed Virgin of the Seven Dolors, Cemetery Ch Palmer Brother's Octagons (House) [ Map ] Media Print La Crosse's largest newspaper is the daily ''La Crosse Tribune'' which serves the Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa regions. ''The Second Supper'', a free weekly tabloid with material of interest to the under-30 demographic group, is also published in the area, as are two shoppers, the ''Foxxy Shopper'' and the ''Buyer's Express.'' ''The Racquet'' is the University of Wisconsin La ... Description from John W. Hunt's 1853 Wisconsin Gazetteer: "PRAIRIE LA CROSSE, is the name given to the beautiful prairie at the mouth of La Crosse river, it was formerly an Indian trading station, and was frequented by them for the purpose of playing their favorite game of ball, from which fact the river now known as La Crosse river, derived its original name of Ball river." In 1962, the name “Oktoberfest” was registered with the State of Wisconsin. In 1963, “Oktoberfest, USA” was registered and listed as a trademark with the federal government. In 1965, the newly-formed La Crosse Festivals, Inc., purchased the assets of Oktoberfest from the Chamber of Commerce and became the sponsoring organization. La Crosse Wisconsin Listings Explore all the businesses here. Nestled in the panoramic view of bluffs, valleys, and rivers, La Crosse, Wisconsin is truly one of the most picturesque places to visit, live or establish a business. The LaCrosse area is also known as “God’s Country”. With easy access to I-90, a regional airport, MTU buses, taxis, ... La Crosse is home to the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, Western Technical College, and Viterbo University and is a local technology and medical hub. There are plenty of cultural and historical institutions to explore from the Riverside Museum, which documents the city’s history, to the Dahl Auto Museum, which boasts beautiful classic cars. The University of Wisconsin—La Crosse, known for short as UW—L, is a member campus of the Madison-based state university system. There are close to 90 undergraduate majors, and a variety of ... Heilman is best known for founding The G. Heileman Brewing Company in 1858 in La Crosse, WI. Although originally from Germany, he immigrated over with his family and created the well-known company that produced local beers for people near or far to enjoy. When he passed away his wife, Johanna Heileman, took over the business. From 2015 to 2017, she appeared as a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: New York to follow her music aspirations, and released two mixtapes—Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, before signing with label Atlantic Records in early 2017. La Crosse is a college town, with three colleges in the area (Viterbo, UW-L, and Western). The downtown area is historic and quite beautiful. There is a brewery in town, and La Crosse is famous for its bars. Also the tap water is excellent. NPR r...