The Price of National Arrogance

by Thomas Abshier | Apr 4, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts

The Scourge of Ungodly Character

COVID, Lebensraum, and the Pattern of the Strong Exploiting the Weak

Renaissance Ministries | April 4, 2026

A Fellowship Discussion Essay

“The strong take what they will, the weak endure what they must, and Justice is spoken of only between equals.”
— Thucydides

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
— 1 Timothy 6:10

“But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”
— Matthew 19:30

Introduction: A Case Study in Power

Dr. Rick Kirschner, a naturopathic physician and respected colleague, recently posted his analysis of the COVID-19 intervention. His documentation — which we will not reproduce in full but will engage substantively — represents a devastating case study in what happens when the strong exercise power over the weak without restraint.

The numbers are staggering:

• Massive wealth transfer from the middle class to the already wealthy
• Small businesses destroyed while corporations flourished
• Experimental interventions mandated on populations who could not refuse
• Dissenting voices silenced, careers destroyed, families divided
• Children’s development disrupted, mental health crises created
• Deaths and injuries from the interventions themselves, often unacknowledged

Whether every claim in Dr. Kirschner’s analysis proves accurate in the historical record is not our primary concern here. What is undeniable is that a pattern emerged — a pattern we have seen before:

The strong took what they would. The weak endured what they must. And justice was spoken of only between equals.

This essay connects the COVID experience to our previous exploration of Thucydidean justice, to the deeper question of national character, and to the historical pattern of lebensraum — the ideology that justified the strong taking from the weak in the name of “necessity.”

Part I: The Pattern Revealed

What Actually Happened

Strip away the debates about virology and epidemiology. Strip away the partisan framing. Look at the structural pattern:

1. The strong became stronger

• Billionaires added trillions to their wealth
• Large corporations expanded while competitors were forcibly closed
• Pharmaceutical companies received liability immunity while mandating their products
• Government authority expanded dramatically
• Tech platforms became arbiters of permissible speech

2. The weak became weaker

• Small businesses closed permanently — over 200,000 in the US alone
• Workers lost jobs for refusing medical interventions
• Children lost years of education and socialization
• Mental health crises exploded, especially among the young
• The elderly died alone, isolated from family
• Those injured by interventions were dismissed, denied, gaslit

3. Justice was not spoken of

• Dissenting scientists were silenced, not debated
• Injured parties had no recourse (liability shields)
• Those who questioned were labeled “misinformation”
• No accountability for policies that failed
• No apologies for harms caused

This is the Thucydidean framework in action. The strong did what they could. The weak endured what they must. And justice? It was spoken of only between equals — between the powerful institutions that negotiated among themselves.

The Melian Dialogue, 2020 Edition

The Athenians told the Melians: Submit or be destroyed. Appeals to justice are irrelevant when power is asymmetric.

The 2020 version:

“Take the intervention or lose your job.” “Comply or your children cannot attend school.” “Accept the narrative or be silenced on every platform.” “Submit to the mandate or be excluded from society.”

The Melians appealed to justice, to the gods, to common decency. The Athenians replied that such appeals only matter between equals.

Sound familiar?

Those who questioned the narrative appealed to science, to informed consent, to bodily autonomy, to constitutional rights. The response: “We have the power to mandate, to silence, to exclude. Your appeals are irrelevant.”

The strong took what they would.

Part II: The Root Cause — Loss of Godly Character

Beyond Policy Failure

The COVID response was not merely a policy failure. Policies can be corrected. Mistakes can be acknowledged. Lessons can be learned.

What we witnessed was something deeper: the revelation of national character.

When a crisis arrives, it does not create character. It reveals character. The pressure of emergency stripped away pretense and showed what was actually present in the hearts of those with power.

And what was revealed?

• The love of money — Pharmaceutical profits protected at all costs; wealth transfer accelerated
• The love of power — Emergency authority seized and held long past necessity
• The love of control — Dissent silenced, conformity demanded, deviation punished
• The absence of mercy — The vulnerable sacrificed, the injured dismissed, the questioning destroyed

This is not a partisan observation. Both political tribes participated, each according to their own form of the disease.

The Common Man’s Heart

But the failure was not only among elites. The common man participated:

• Neighbors reported neighbors for gathering
• Families divided over compliance
• Workers demanded the firing of non-compliant colleagues
• Citizens cheered the exclusion of the “unvaccinated” from society

Where was the embedded care for fellow man? Where was the Golden Rule?

When the opportunity arose to exercise power over the weak — even the small power of social pressure — many chose to exercise it. The strong (those who complied with the approved narrative) took what they would. The weak (those who dissented) endured what they must.

This reveals something disturbing about national character: The principle of justice toward the weak has not been embedded in the hearts of the people.

Given the opportunity to exploit power differential, many did. Given the opportunity to exercise mercy, many chose judgment. Given the opportunity to protect the vulnerable from overreach, many joined the overreach.

The Scourge

This is a Godly scourge. We are suffering for our lack of character.

The economic damage, the health damage, the social damage, the loss of trust in institutions — these are not merely consequences of bad policy. They are the fruit of hearts that did not know how to love neighbor as self.

And the scourge will continue until character changes. Because without transformation of heart, it is only a matter of time and circumstance before the same pattern emerges again — potentially with much greater suppression of the weak.

Part III: The Lebensraum Pattern

Expansion at the Expense of the Weak

Lebensraum — “living space” — was the Nazi ideology that justified taking land from “inferior” peoples to benefit the German nation.

The logic was Thucydidean:

• Germany needs space to thrive (the strong have needs)
• The Slavic peoples of the East are inferior (the weak have no standing)
• Therefore, Germany may take what it needs (justice is spoken of only between equals)

Hitler did not invent this logic. He applied it with industrial efficiency. But the underlying pattern is ancient:

The strong define their needs as necessities. The weak are redefined as obstacles. Justice becomes irrelevant because the parties are not equals.

The COVID Parallel

Consider the structural parallels:

The scale is different. The methods are different. But the logic is identical:

1. The strong define a “necessity” that requires action
2. The weak are redefined as obstacles to that necessity
3. Normal principles of justice are suspended because the situation is “exceptional”
4. The weak must endure whatever the strong impose

Why This Comparison Matters

I am not claiming that COVID measures were equivalent to Nazi genocide. That would be historically illiterate and morally obtuse.

I am claiming that the underlying logic is the same — and that this logic, once accepted, has no natural stopping point.

If:

• The strong may define what constitutes “necessity”
• The weak may be redefined as obstacles to be overcome
• Normal principles of justice may be suspended in “emergencies”
• The weak must endure whatever the strong impose

Then the only limit is what the strong choose to impose. Today it is mandates and exclusion. Tomorrow?

The Nazis did not start with gas chambers. They started with defining a necessity, identifying an obstacle, suspending normal principles, and imposing on those who could not resist.

The COVID response did not start with camps. But it started with the same logic. And that logic, unchecked, leads where it has always led.

Part IV: The Transformation Required

A Change of Heart

The solution is not merely better policy. It is not merely different leaders. It is not merely reformed institutions.

The solution is transformation of character — at the individual level and the national level.

What must change?

1. The love of money must be dethroned

“For the love of money is the root of all evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10)

The COVID response was shaped at every level by financial incentives:

• Hospitals paid more for COVID diagnoses
• Pharmaceutical companies earned billions
• Tech platforms grew as physical commerce was suppressed
• Wealth concentrated while the masses impoverished

Until the love of money is dethroned — replaced by love of God and neighbor — the strong will continue to structure emergencies for profit.

2. The love of power must be dethroned

Power was seized during COVID that has not been relinquished. Emergency authorities normalized. Surveillance expanded. Speech controlled.

Those who tasted power rarely give it back voluntarily. The love of power must be dethroned — replaced by the understanding that power is a test, not a license.

3. The fear of man must be replaced by fear of God

Many participated in COVID overreach because they feared social consequences more than divine judgment. They feared being labeled “anti-science” more than being unjust to their neighbors.

“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)

The fear of man drove conformity. The fear of God would have driven justice.

4. The Golden Rule must be embedded in hearts

Not merely known. Not merely approved. Embedded — so deeply rooted that it operates automatically, even under pressure.

“All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” (Matthew 7:12)

Would you want to be fired for your medical choices? Then don’t fire others. Would you want your voice silenced for asking questions? Then don’t silence others. Would you want to be excluded from society for non-compliance? Then don’t exclude others.

This principle must become reflex, not calculation.

National Repentance

What would national repentance look like?

1. Acknowledgment — Admitting what was done, without excuse or minimization
2. Accountability — Holding responsible those who abused power, even if they are powerful
3. Restitution — Restoring what was taken: livelihoods, reputations, relationships
4. Reform — Changing structures so the same abuses cannot recur
5. Recommitment — Embedding the principles of justice toward the weak in education, culture, and law

Without such repentance, we remain under the scourge. The same character that produced COVID overreach will produce the next crisis’s overreach — potentially worse.

Part V: The Divine Perspective

God Experiences Both Sides

As we explored in “Justice Between Unequals”:

God is present in both the strong and the weak. He experiences both sides of every interaction.

During COVID:

• God was present in the executive who mandated compliance and in the worker who lost his job for refusing
• God was present in the pharmaceutical company and in the injured patient denied acknowledgment
• God was present in the tech platform and in the silenced voice
• God was present in the compliant neighbor and in the reported dissenter

Every act of exploitation was felt by the One who sustains both parties. Every injustice registered in the consciousness that experiences all perspectives.

The Strong Man’s Judgment

The strong man who used COVID to:

• Accumulate wealth while others impoverished
• Seize power while others lost freedom
• Silence dissent while claiming to speak for science
• Exclude the non-compliant while claiming compassion

This man revealed his character. He acted on animal impulses — the desire for money, power, control — unconstrained by consideration for those who could not resist.

And what has he gained?

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

He has gained temporary advantage in a temporary world. He has lost the opportunity to develop the character that qualifies for Kingdom responsibility.

The first shall be last.

The Weak Man’s Vindication

And the weak? Those who:

• Lost jobs for conscience
• Were silenced for truth-telling
• Were excluded for non-compliance
• Were dismissed when injured

They endured what they must. But their endurance was not without witness. Their suffering was experienced by the One who sustains them.

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)

The last shall be first.

Part VI: The Warning

It Will Happen Again

Without transformation of character, it will happen again.

The next crisis — whether pandemic, climate, economic, or conflict — will provide the same opportunity:

• The strong will define necessity
• The weak will be redefined as obstacles
• Normal principles will be suspended
• The weak will endure what the strong impose

And many will participate. Because the character that participated last time has not been transformed.

The Stakes Are Higher

Each iteration of this pattern escalates:

• The infrastructure of control is more developed
• The precedents for overreach are established
• The technology of surveillance and enforcement is more capable
• The social conditioning to compliance is more thorough

The COVID response was a trial run. The next iteration will have more data, more capability, more precedent.

Unless character changes.

The Only Defense

The only defense against the next iteration is transformed character — at scale.

Not just policy reform. Not just different leaders. Not just better institutions.

People who will not comply with injustice, regardless of cost. People who will speak truth, regardless of consequences. People who will extend justice to the weak, regardless of power differential. People who fear God more than man.

This is the Christos vision: forming people of such character, connected in networks of mutual support, embedded throughout society.

The strong can only take what they will if the populace complies. Mass non-compliance — rooted in Godly character — is the only restraint on Thucydidean power.

Part VII: Practical Implications

For Individual Christians

1. Examine your COVID response — Did you participate in the exclusion of the weak? Did you report your neighbors? Did you demand compliance from those who could not resist? Repent where necessary.
2. Embed the Golden Rule — Not as calculation but as reflex. Would you want this done to you? Then do not do it to others.
3. Prepare for the next crisis — It will come. Your character will be tested. Are you developing the virtue to resist when resistance is costly?
4. Fear God more than man — The pressure to conform will be intense. Social costs will be real. But the judgment of God is more real.

For the Fellowship

1. Create accountability structures — Help each other maintain character under pressure
2. Develop discernment — Learn to recognize the Thucydidean pattern when it emerges in new forms
3. Build resilience — Economic, social, spiritual resilience to withstand exclusion and pressure
4. Extend justice — Actively protect the weak within your sphere of influence

For Society

1. Demand accountability — Those who abused power during COVID should face consequences
2. Reform structures — Emergency powers must have limits; liability shields must end; dissent must be protected
3. Educate the next generation — The pattern must be recognized; the principles must be taught
4. Advocate for the vulnerable — Those injured, excluded, or destroyed deserve acknowledgment and restitution

Part VIII: Discussion Questions for the Fellowship

On the COVID Response

1. Looking back, where do you see the Thucydidean pattern — the strong taking what they will, the weak enduring what they must — in the COVID response?
2. Did you participate in pressure on the non-compliant? How do you evaluate that now?
3. What does repentance look like for those who supported policies that harmed others?

On National Character

4. The essay argues that COVID revealed rather than created character failures. Do you agree? What was revealed about national character?
5. What would national repentance for COVID overreach look like? Is it possible?
6. How do we transform national character? What levers exist for such transformation?

On the Lebensraum Parallel

7. Is it legitimate to compare COVID response logic to lebensraum logic? Where does the comparison illuminate, and where does it mislead?
8. The essay argues that the same logic, unchecked, has no natural stopping point. Do you agree? What would check it?
9. Are we at risk of a more severe iteration of the same pattern? What conditions would enable it?

On the Divine Perspective

10. If God experiences both sides of every interaction, what did He experience during COVID?
11. How does the “first shall be last” principle apply to those who gained during COVID at others’ expense?
12. How does the “last shall be first” principle provide hope to those who suffered?

On Preparation

13. What character development do you need to resist the next crisis’s overreach?
14. How can the fellowship prepare collectively?
15. What practical steps can you take now to be ready?

Key Principles Worth Preserving

On the pattern:

“The strong took what they would. The weak endured what they must. And justice? It was spoken of only between equals — between the powerful institutions that negotiated among themselves.”

On character revealed:

“When a crisis arrives, it does not create character. It reveals character. The pressure of emergency stripped away pretense and showed what was actually present in the hearts of those with power.”

On the common man:

“The principle of justice toward the weak has not been embedded in the hearts of the people. Given the opportunity to exploit power differential, many did.”

On the scourge:

“This is a Godly scourge. We are suffering for our lack of character. And the scourge will continue until character changes.”

On lebensraum logic:

“The scale is different. The methods are different. But the logic is identical… This logic, once accepted, has no natural stopping point.”

On the solution:

“The only defense against the next iteration is transformed character — at scale. People who will not comply with injustice, regardless of cost.”

On urgency:

“The COVID response was a trial run. The next iteration will have more data, more capability, more precedent. Unless character changes.”

A Closing Prayer

Lord God, we have sinned. As a nation, we have allowed the strong to exploit the weak. As individuals, many of us participated — in fear, in conformity, in the desire to be on the side of power.

Forgive us. We reported our neighbors. We demanded compliance. We excluded the dissenting. We dismissed the injured. We chose comfort over courage, approval over integrity, power over mercy.

Transform our character. Embed the Golden Rule so deeply that it becomes reflex, not calculation. Make us people who fear You more than man, who extend justice to the weak regardless of cost, who will not comply with evil even when compliance is rewarded.

Heal our nation. Where trust has been shattered, rebuild it on truth. Where relationships have been broken, reconcile them in humility. Where bodies and minds have been harmed, bring healing and acknowledgment.

And prepare us for what is coming. The pattern will recur. The test will return. Make us ready — not with confidence in ourselves, but with character formed by You.

We deserve the scourge we are suffering. But we appeal to Your mercy. Not because we merit it, but because You are good.

In Jesus’ name, who was weak that the weak might be strong, who was last that the last might be first. Amen.

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
— Micah 6:8

“Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”
— Isaiah 1:17

Source Material: Dr. Rick Kirschner, COVID intervention analysis (Facebook, April 2026); Thomas Abshier reflection on Thucydidean justice; Copilot analysis of lebensraum; Scripture; Renaissance Ministries fellowship discussions.

Related Christos Content: “Justice Between Unequals” (Thucydides and the Golden Rule); “The Kings You Cannot See” (manufactured movements); “The Duty to Judge the Law” (citizen responsibility); “The Regulated Enemy” (demonic influence on power structures).

Do Unto Others is Justice

by Thomas Abshier | Apr 4, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts

Justice Between Unequals

How the Golden Rule Dissolves the Power Asymmetry

Renaissance Ministries | April 4, 2026

A Fellowship Discussion Essay

“The strong take what they will, the weak endure what they must, and Justice is spoken of only between equals.”
— Thucydides, The Melian Dialogue

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
— Matthew 7:12

“But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”
— Matthew 19:30

Introduction: The Coldest Line in Political Philosophy

In 416 BC, the Athenians sailed to the island of Melos with an ultimatum: submit or be destroyed. The Melians, a small neutral colony, appealed to justice, to the gods, to the common decency of Greeks dealing with Greeks.

The Athenians replied with what may be the coldest line in the history of political philosophy:

“The strong take what they will, the weak endure what they must, and Justice is spoken of only between equals.”

This is not a statement of values. It is a statement of fact — or so the Athenians claimed. They were describing how the world actually works, stripped of moral pretense.

And they were right. Descriptively.

In the absence of God, justice is indeed a function of power symmetry. It emerges only when neither party can dominate the other. Where power is asymmetric, the strong impose and the weak submit. Appeals to fairness are simply noise.

The Melians refused to submit. The Athenians killed every man of military age, enslaved the women and children, and colonized the island.

This is the world Thucydides documented. It is the world we still live in — at the level of nations, corporations, and often within families and communities. Power determines outcomes. Justice is spoken of only between equals.

But there is another perspective — one that dissolves the power asymmetry entirely.

Part I: The Pagan Analysis

Justice as Political Artifact

Thucydides is not celebrating the strong. He is not condemning the weak. He is making an observation about how justice functions in human affairs:

Justice only matters when both sides have the power to make it matter.

Consider the logic:

• Between equals: Neither can dominate, so both must appeal to justice, fairness, and mutual obligation. Justice becomes a practical necessity — the terms of an equilibrium.
• Between unequals: The stronger has no incentive to consider justice. The weaker has no ability to enforce it. The appeal to fairness is a plea, not a claim.

This is not cynicism. It is structural analysis. In a world without transcendent moral authority, justice is simply what emerges when power is balanced.

The Implications

If Thucydides is right, then:

1. The weak can appeal to justice — but their appeal has no binding force. It is a moral plea, not a political tool.
2. The strong can ignore justice — because nothing compels obedience unless the consequences of ignoring it are too costly.
3. Among equals, justice becomes necessary — because neither side can impose its will without suffering unacceptable losses.

This is why international relations, corporate negotiations, and even family dynamics so often follow this pattern. Power determines who listens and who is heard.

The Modern Applications

The Thucydidean principle is visible everywhere:

• Nations: Great powers do what they will. Small nations endure what they must. International law is “spoken of” when great powers face each other; it is ignored when they face the weak.
• Corporations: Large corporations impose terms on suppliers and customers. Small businesses comply or perish. Antitrust law is “spoken of” only when corporations of comparable size collide.
• Individuals: The wealthy navigate a different legal system than the poor. The powerful escape consequences the powerless cannot.
• Relationships: The emotionally stronger partner often dominates. The weaker accommodates. “Fairness” is invoked when neither can afford to lose the other.

This is the world. This is how it works. Thucydides was right.

Unless there is a God.

Part II: The Divine Dissolution

The Golden Rule Reframes Everything

Jesus offered a principle that, properly understood, dissolves the entire Thucydidean framework:

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)

This is not merely good advice. It is a complete reframing of the power question.

The Golden Rule does not say: “Treat others well if they can retaliate.”
It does not say: “Be fair to those who can enforce fairness.”
It says: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” — regardless of power differential.

Why would anyone do this? Why would the strong constrain themselves when they don’t have to?

Because God is watching. And more than watching — God is present in both parties.

God as Both Rich and Poor

Here is the insight that transforms everything:

God is simultaneously the strong man and the weak man. He experiences both sides of every interaction.

This is not metaphor. It is ontology.

In the Christian understanding, God is not a distant observer. He is:

• The Creator who sustains all existence moment by moment
• The One in whom “we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28)
• The Presence who said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40)

When the strong man exploits the weak, he is exploiting God. When the rich man ignores the poor, he is ignoring God. When power is exercised without justice, it is exercised against the One who inhabits both positions.

This is why the Golden Rule is not merely ethical advice but divine law. It reflects the structure of reality itself.

The Level Playing Field

The Thucydidean framework assumes that the strong and weak are separate parties with separate interests. Justice only emerges when they are forced to negotiate.

But if God is present in both parties, the field is always level — not because power is equal, but because the same Person experiences both sides.

The wealthy man who exploits the poor is, in a sense, exploiting himself — or rather, exploiting the God who dwells in both. His apparent advantage is an illusion. His power to act without consequence is temporary.

The Christian framework says: There are no unequals before God. The apparent power differential is a test of character, not a license for exploitation.

Part III: The Test of Character

What Power Reveals

The Thucydidean world is actually a testing ground. Power differential reveals character.

Consider: If justice only matters when enforced, then:

• The man who is just only toward equals has no character — he is merely calculating
• The man who is just toward the weak, when he could exploit them without consequence, has genuine virtue
• The man who exploits because he can reveals his true nature

This is why Jesus said:

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:10)

Power is a test. How you treat those who cannot retaliate reveals who you actually are.

The Animal Impulses

The strong man who disregards justice is acting on animal impulses. He sees, he wants, he takes. There is no constraint beyond capability.

This is not strength. It is weakness — the weakness of a soul that has not developed beyond appetite.

Ripperger, in our previous essay, noted that demons are “psychologically compatible” with certain humans. What makes a human compatible with demonic influence? Precisely this: the willingness to impose one’s will without regard for justice, to take because one can, to ignore the suffering of those who cannot resist.

The strong man who exploits the weak has not escaped the moral order. He has revealed his alignment with it — and it is not with God.

The Unconstrained Rich Man

“The wealthy/strong man, unseen/unknown by God in his own perception, does not fear God and acts according to his animal impulses, and enforces his will, because he can, and he can get the satisfaction he desires, unconcerned by the suffering of the poor/weak.”

This is the Psalm 73 problem — the prosperity of the wicked:

“They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment… And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?” (Psalm 73:5-6, 11)

The strong man believes himself unconstrained because he does not perceive God’s presence. He thinks he is operating in a Thucydidean universe where power determines outcomes.

But he is wrong. He is merely postponing the accounting.

Part IV: The First Shall Be Last

The Reversal

Jesus made a statement that only makes sense if the Thucydidean framework is incomplete:

“But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” (Matthew 19:30)

Why would the first become last?

Not because God is arbitrary. Not because He enjoys reversing worldly hierarchies. But because:

The “first” in this world have often achieved their position by violating justice toward those who could not resist. Their character is revealed by their actions. And character determines status in the Kingdom.

The rich man who exploited the poor never developed the character of Godliness. He never learned to:

• Constrain his appetites when he didn’t have to
• Consider the suffering of those who couldn’t retaliate
• Act justly when injustice would go unpunished
• See God in the face of the weak

He will be given low status in the Kingdom — appropriate to his low character.

Meanwhile, the poor man who maintained integrity despite powerlessness, who treated others justly even when he could not enforce justice for himself, who trusted God when the world offered no hope — this man has developed the character that qualifies for Kingdom leadership.

The Character Development Framework

The Thucydidean world is not God’s ideal. It is His training ground.

Power asymmetry exists not because God approves of exploitation, but because it is the optimal environment for developing character. Consider:

• The strong are tested: Will you constrain yourself when you don’t have to? Will you see God in the weak?
• The weak are tested: Will you maintain integrity when no one will defend you? Will you trust God when power offers no hope?
• Both are given opportunity: To develop the character that prepares them for eternal assignment.

This is why “the first shall be last” — not as punishment, but as natural consequence. Those who never developed self-constraint in this life are not prepared for positions of responsibility in the next.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

Jesus told a story that illustrates this perfectly (Luke 16:19-31):

The rich man “was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day.” Lazarus, a beggar covered with sores, lay at his gate desiring crumbs.

Both died. Lazarus was carried to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man was in torment.

Note: Jesus does not say the rich man committed any specific crime. He simply ignored Lazarus. He had the power to help and didn’t. He acted in the Thucydidean mode — justice (or mercy) toward the weak was simply not his concern.

And now the reversal is complete. The rich man begs Abraham for a drop of water. Abraham replies:

“Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” (Luke 16:25)

The rich man, who spoke of justice only with his equals, now finds himself on the weak side of an unbridgeable chasm.

Part V: The CPP Perspective

God as Substrate

In Conscious Point Physics, God is not a distant being observing the universe from outside. He is the conscious substrate in which all existence occurs. Every Conscious Point executes its rules within the field that God sustains.

This means:

• God is present in every interaction, not as observer but as participant
• The distinction between “strong” and “weak” is a surface phenomenon; at the substrate level, the same consciousness experiences both
• Every act of exploitation is felt by the One who sustains both exploiter and exploited

The Golden Rule, in CPP terms, is not just ethical wisdom — it is a description of how reality is structured. To harm another is to harm the fabric of consciousness in which you yourself exist.

The Nexus and Justice

The Nexus, in CPP, is the atemporal, non-local coordination of all Conscious Points. It is the mechanism by which coherence is maintained across the universe.

Justice, in this framework, is not a political artifact that emerges from power symmetry. It is a feature of the Nexus itself — the principle by which the fabric of reality maintains its integrity.

When justice is violated, it is not merely a social problem. It is a distortion of the Nexus — a tear in the fabric that must eventually be repaired.

The “accounting” that awaits the unjust is not arbitrary punishment. It is the restoration of coherence — the universe returning to its proper configuration.

The Regulation of Power

Just as demons are “regulated” (Ripperger’s insight from our previous essay), so is human power. The strong man thinks he is unconstrained, but he operates within a system that:

• Records every action
• Experiences every consequence
• Will eventually balance every account

The Thucydidean world is real at the surface level. But beneath the surface, the Nexus maintains the ultimate ledger.

Part VI: Practical Implications

For the Strong

If you have power — whether financial, physical, social, or positional — understand:

1. Your power is a test, not a license. How you treat those who cannot resist reveals your character.
2. God is present in the weak. “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these…”
3. The Golden Rule applies regardless of power differential. You are to treat others as you would want to be treated, not as your power allows.
4. Your character is being formed. Every decision to constrain yourself when you don’t have to develops the virtue that qualifies for Kingdom responsibility.
5. The first shall be last. If your position is built on exploitation of the powerless, your apparent success is preparing your ultimate demotion.

For the Weak

If you lack power — if you are on the receiving end of the Thucydidean equation — understand:

1. Your situation is not the final word. The reversal is coming.
2. Your character is being formed. Maintaining integrity under pressure develops the virtue that qualifies for Kingdom elevation.
3. God sees and experiences your suffering. You are not alone; the One who sustains reality is present in your pain.
4. Justice delayed is not justice denied. The accounting will be complete, even if not in this life.
5. Your response matters. How you treat those even weaker than yourself — and how you treat those who oppress you — reveals and shapes your character.

For All

1. Reject the Thucydidean framework as ultimate. It describes surface reality, not deep reality.
2. Apply the Golden Rule universally. Not because of consequence calculation, but because God is in both parties.
3. Evaluate your own character. How do you treat those who cannot retaliate? That is who you actually are.
4. Pray for the strong. They face a test that most fail. Their apparent success may be preparing their destruction.
5. Trust God for justice. The weak cannot always enforce justice, but the One who sustains reality will complete the accounting.

Part VII: The Melian Epilogue

The Athenians destroyed Melos. They killed the men, enslaved the women and children, and colonized the island.

They won.

Eleven years later, Athens lost the Peloponnesian War. Their fleet was destroyed. Their empire collapsed. Their walls were torn down. Sparta imposed terms.

The strong became weak. The logic they had applied to Melos was applied to them.

And now, 2,400 years later, we remember the Melians not as victims but as witnesses — their appeal to justice echoing across millennia, while the Athenian empire is dust.

Thucydides documented the power calculus accurately. But he also documented its limits. The strong do take what they will — for a time. But “many that are first shall be last.”

The universe has a longer memory than empires.

Part VIII: Discussion Questions for the Fellowship

On the Thucydidean Framework

1. Do you agree that, descriptively, justice often functions as Thucydides describes — emerging only between equals? Can you give examples from current events?
2. If you had to live in a purely Thucydidean world (no God, no afterlife, no ultimate accounting), would it change how you behave? Be honest.
3. The Athenians were not monsters by their own standards — they were applying what they considered realistic principles. How do we evaluate “realistic” ethics?

On the Golden Rule

4. The Golden Rule is found in virtually every major religion and ethical system. Why do you think it’s so universal? And why is it so universally violated?
5. How does understanding God’s presence in both parties (strong and weak) change the meaning of the Golden Rule?
6. Is the Golden Rule practical in a world that operates by Thucydidean logic? How do you live by it without being destroyed?

On Power and Character

7. How do you treat people who cannot retaliate? What does this reveal about your character?
8. Can you think of times when having power (even small amounts) revealed something about yourself you didn’t like?
9. The essay suggests that power differential is a “test” designed by God to develop character. Does this framing help you understand your own experiences of power and powerlessness?

On the Reversal

10. “The first shall be last” — do you believe this? How does believing (or not believing) this affect how you live?
11. The rich man in Luke 16 didn’t commit any specific crime; he just ignored Lazarus. Is ignoring the weak as culpable as exploiting them?
12. If character determines status in the Kingdom, what character traits are you developing through your current circumstances?

On Application

13. Where in your life do you have power over others who cannot easily resist (employees, children, service workers, etc.)? How are you using that power?
14. Where in your life are you on the weak side of a power differential? How are you responding?
15. How should this understanding affect our political analysis? Our economic behavior? Our family dynamics?

Key Principles Worth Preserving

On the Thucydidean world:

“Justice only matters when both sides have the power to make it matter… In a world without transcendent moral authority, justice is simply what emerges when power is balanced.”

On the divine dissolution:

“God is simultaneously the strong man and the weak man. He experiences both sides of every interaction… When the strong man exploits the weak, he is exploiting God.”

On the test of power:

“The man who is just only toward equals has no character — he is merely calculating. The man who is just toward the weak, when he could exploit them without consequence, has genuine virtue.”

On animal impulses:

“The strong man who disregards justice is acting on animal impulses. He sees, he wants, he takes. This is not strength. It is weakness — the weakness of a soul that has not developed beyond appetite.”

On the reversal:

“The ‘first’ in this world have often achieved their position by violating justice toward those who could not resist. Their character is revealed by their actions. And character determines status in the Kingdom.”

On the Golden Rule:

“The Golden Rule does not say: ‘Treat others well if they can retaliate.’ It says: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ — regardless of power differential.”

A Closing Prayer

Lord God, You are present in both the strong and the weak. You experience both sides of every interaction. Nothing escapes Your notice; nothing falls outside Your care.

Forgive us for the times we have acted as Athenians — taking what we could because we could, ignoring the appeals of those who could not resist us. We have treated power as license rather than test. We have revealed our character, and it has not always been Christlike.

Help us to see You in the face of the weak. Help us to apply the Golden Rule regardless of power differential. Help us to constrain ourselves when we don’t have to — developing the character that prepares us for Your Kingdom.

And for those among us who are weak — who endure what they must because they have no power to resist — give them hope. Let them know that You see, You experience, You record. The accounting will be complete. The reversal will come.

Make us people who speak of justice not only between equals, but toward all — because all are sustained by You, and in harming any, we harm the One who holds all things together.

In Jesus’ name, who being in the form of God took the form of a servant, and being strong became weak for our salvation. Amen.

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
— Micah 6:8

“Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”
— Proverbs 31:9

Source Material: Thucydides, The Melian Dialogue (416 BC); John Howard quote and Thomas Abshier reflection; Copilot analysis of Thucydidean justice; Scripture; Renaissance Ministries fellowship discussions.

Related Christos Content: “The Mind That Sustains the Lattice” (CPP and God’s presence); “When God Gives Nations What They Deserve” (Romans 13); “The Regulated Enemy” (Ripperger interview — power and demonic psychology); Christos AI Theological Grammar.

Exorcism and Demonology – Fr. Ripperger

by Thomas Abshier | Apr 4, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts

The Regulated Enemy

What an Exorcist Reveals About Spiritual Warfare

Renaissance Ministries | April 4, 2026

A Fellowship Discussion Essay
Demonology Series, Part 1 of 4

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
— Ephesians 6:12

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils.”
— Mark 16:17

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
— 1 Peter 5:8

Introduction: The Forgotten Twenty-Three Percent

Tucker Carlson, a Protestant who grew up thinking exorcism was “something kooky that the Latin Church does for weird cultic reasons,” recently discovered something that shocked him:

“Twenty-three percent of the Gospels are actually about Christ dealing with demons.”

The first miracle Jesus performs in the Gospel of Mark is casting out a demon. He repeats this continuously throughout His ministry. When He sends out the disciples, their commission is explicit: “Preach the good news and cast out demons.”

And yet, as Carlson notes, the modern church — at least in the Protestant West — has “so de-emphasized this to the point where it’s disappeared.”

Fr. Chad Ripperger has been an exorcist for eighteen years. He founded a society of priests dedicated exclusively to exorcism work. He has dealt with cases ranging from ordinary temptation to full possession by Satan himself. His interview with Tucker Carlson provides a window into a dimension of reality that most modern Christians have been trained to ignore.

This essay is the first in a series on demonology. It extracts the key insights from the Ripperger interview and connects them to Scripture, to the Renaissance Ministries theological framework, and to practical Christian living.

Part I: What Are Demons?

Fallen Angels

Demons are not mythological creatures. They are fallen angels — spiritual beings created by God who rebelled against Him.

According to the theological tradition from Pseudo-Dionysius through Thomas Aquinas, God created the entire hierarchy of angels instantaneously, all at once. These beings are “pure spirits” — they have no bodies, only intellect and will. Unlike humans, who learn by gathering information through the senses and reasoning toward general principles, angels have all knowledge infused directly. They know immediately and exhaustively everything about any subject they turn their attention to.

Ripperger explains:

“All their knowledge was infused. So they know exactly what the essence and nature of every created thing that exists is… They don’t have to sit and reason it out, they just immediately know it.”

This has practical implications for exorcism:

“This is a diagnostic we use in session. If you ask them a technical, theological, or philosophical question, if it’s a human being, you can see they have to think about it. That’s not how demons work. They’ll immediately give you the answer.”

The Three Instances

The angels were created and then faced a choice. Ripperger describes “the three instances”:

1. First Instance: They were created in an act of knowing — understanding God, themselves, their assigned task, and all of creation.
2. Second Instance: A concomitant act of delight in the magnificence of God’s creation.
3. Third Instance: The choice — will you do what God is asking, or not?

The choice required sacrifice. Each angel was given an assigned task that was, in some sense, below a perfection they could see and desire. To accept the task required letting go of something they wanted.

“They had to be willing to let go of that thing they wanted. They literally wanted something that God had not intended for them.”

A third of the angels refused. Their choice was made with full knowledge — “unadulterated malice.” And because angelic choice is complete (unlike human choice, which is often confused or half-hearted), their will became permanently fixed.

“Once they make their choice, it’s all in. It’s not half-hearted. They’re either going to accept God’s will or they’re not.”

The Hierarchy of Evil

Under Satan (who is also called Lucifer and Beelzebub — a “trifurcated personality” as punishment for wanting to be God), there are five demons who function as “generals”:

1. Baal — The spirit of fornication and impurity
2. Asmodeus — The demon of homosexuality in men
3. Lilith — The demon of homosexuality in women (passive type)
4. Leviathan — The demon of homosexuality in women (aggressive type)
5. Baphomet/Moloch — The demon of child sacrifice (abortion)

Ripperger traces a progression:

“When they shot down the anti-fornication laws… they ceded the territory to Baal. After Baal, and we get this from St. Paul, if people give in to lust, then eventually men start sleeping with men and women start sleeping with women… And when they allowed abortion in this country… those five generals now basically have a gainsay over our country.”

This is not a conspiracy theory. It is the application of a theological framework that takes seriously both Scripture and centuries of exorcist experience.

Part II: The Good News — Demons Are Regulated

Christ Has Complete Control

Here is the most important insight from the interview — and it is profoundly encouraging:

“Demons are one of the most regulated things in the universe.”

They are regulated by three things:

1. Their nature — Each demon has a specific nature with specific inclinations and limitations.
2. Their fixed will — Once they made their choice, their will became fixed. They cannot change direction; they are almost “obsessive-compulsive” in following the pattern of their original sin.
3. Christ’s authority — They cannot do anything without Christ’s permission.

Ripperger emphasizes:

“All power was given to me in heaven and earth — that means the demons. They know that they can’t do anything without Christ’s permission… In the spiritual warfare landscape, I don’t have to worry. If it turns into the type of thing where I get shellacked a little bit during a session, I know Christ is still controlling and metering how much and what He can and cannot do.”

He illustrates this with the story of the legion and the pigs:

“The demons actually approached Christ to ask to go into the pigs. They can’t even enter into pigs without His permission.”

And from his own experience:

“The demon said, ‘When I entered, Christ restricted me to this part of the body.’ That’s when it made me realize — He has control over everything. When they can manifest, how long they can manifest, the kind of manifestation they can do, how they can attack the person that’s possessed, how they attack us, even in our ordinary temptations. He regulates all of it.”

For Our Spiritual Benefit

This regulation is not arbitrary. It serves a purpose:

“It’s ultimately for our spiritual benefit.”

Christ uses demons as instruments of sanctification. The person who overcomes demonic temptation develops greater virtue than they would have otherwise. The person who fights their way out of possession often becomes “some of the most holy people you’ll ever meet.”

Ripperger notes that demons hate this:

“I’ll mention to the demon, ‘You’re becoming this person’s instrument of sanctification.’ They’ll admit it’s true, and they hate it.”

Part III: How Demons Operate

Levels of Influence

Ripperger distinguishes several levels of demonic influence:

1. Ordinary temptation — Normal temptation that all Christians experience. Demons suggest, but we can resist.
2. Oppression — Attacks on externals: job, relationships, health, circumstances.
3. Obsession — Attacks on psychological faculties. The demons “besiege the imagination and emotions to such a degree that the person can’t really think outside the box.”
4. Possession — The demon takes possession of a specific part of the body and from there affects the rest of the person.

How Demons Attack

Demons affect us primarily through imagination and emotion:

“They have the ability to affect our imagination and our emotions. A lot of times what they do is they put a perspective on an image in your imagination.”

Ripperger gives the example of marriage:

“When a guy is first married, he thinks his wife is wonderful. Then after ten years, his perspective on her changes because they’ve had fights. When he sees her — even though she hasn’t changed — his perspective of her has, and so his emotional response changes.”

Demons can artificially create this perspective shift:

“They can put that perspective on your imagination… The first thing they ever do in a marriage is try to put a perspective on one of the spouses to psychologically divide the people — so the person thinks they see something bad in the other spouse when it’s actually not there.”

This insight is crucial. Much of what we experience as “just how I see things” may actually be demonic manipulation of our perspective.

Signs of Demonic Involvement

How do you know if something is demonic versus merely psychological?

1. Switching on and off without external stimulus — “You’ll wake up in the morning just torqued. You’re like, ” Why am I angry? Why am I sad?”
2. No prior causation — “I just sat down one day, and I was just depressed from that point on.”
3. Resistance to normal intervention — If you can use will to put aside a thought, but it keeps coming back, that’s an indicator.
4. Pattern of preternatural signs — In possession cases: speaking foreign languages never studied, knowledge of hidden things, superhuman strength, morphing (physical changes in appearance).

The Building of Psychological Compatibility

This is one of the most disturbing insights:

“From the very beginning of our lives, they’ll start tempting us with certain things. When they see us being born, because the knowledge of these things is infused in their mind, they actually know what our DNA is. So they know, because of this guy’s genetic disposition, he’s more likely to be inclined to these kinds of sins.”

The demons pick at weaknesses from childhood:

“Their goal is not just to get him to commit sin and offend God, but it’s to slowly build a psychological compatibility. Each time you give in, you create a set of habits and defects that make you much more easily intertwined with them.”

Over decades, this builds a person who is “psychologically compatible” with certain demons, whose patterns of thinking mirror demonic patterns.

Part IV: How Possession Happens

The Three Doors

According to Ripperger, there are three ways people become possessed:

1. Grave sin (50% of cases)

“You commit some grave sin — abortion, murder, engaging in the occult arts, selling your soul to the devil. Those sins can open you up to diabolic influence.”

The occult is particularly dangerous:

“Engaging in the occult arts is one of the principal ways we see people becoming possessed.”

2. Grave disorder done to you (50% of cases)

“Something really disordered or grave has happened to you. About 50% of our caseload are women who have been raped, molested, psychologically or physically abused in a grave fashion. That disorder is the domain of the diabolic.”

This seems unjust — the victim becomes vulnerable? But Ripperger notes:

“Christ permits it, and what you find very often is those, especially the women, as they climb their way out, they become some of the most holy people you’ll ever meet.”

3. Christ’s permission is still required

Opening the door is not enough. Christ must permit the demon to cross the threshold:

“Most people who do stuff that’s bad don’t become possessed because Christ just doesn’t allow it, because it’s not gonna be good for the person ultimately.”

The Rarity of Possession

Possession is rare. Of the 400-800 monthly requests for help that Ripperger’s society receives, only about four are actual possession cases.

Most people dealing with demonic influence are experiencing obsession or oppression, not possession. These are serious but not the high-drama events depicted in movies.

Part V: Exorcism

What Exorcism Looks Like

Ripperger describes the practical process:

1. Initial interview — Understanding what the person is experiencing and what might have caused it.
2. Prayers over the person — If it’s psychological, not much changes. If it’s demonic, the person will experience relief (“lifting”) that may last hours or days before symptoms return.
3. For possession cases — A series of sessions (potentially over years) where the demon is progressively weakened and eventually expelled.

Why It Takes So Long

“The average case is four to eight years.”

Why so long?

• The depth of possession varies
• The person must cooperate in their own liberation (if they want the demon there, Christ respects their free will)
• The person must address whatever opened the door in the first place
• The person must develop the virtue necessary to remain free

“This Kind Only Comes Out by Prayer and Fasting”

When the disciples couldn’t cast out a demon, Jesus said this kind only comes out by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29). Ripperger explains:

Prayer: Petitioning God enough through intercessory prayer so that liberation occurs.

Fasting: “Bringing your body under subjection” (St. Paul). This is meritorious work that can be offered for the person’s liberation.

Why does fasting help?

“When we get our body under subjection, two things occur. One, demons don’t want to get involved with you because if they attack you and suggest something contrary to that subjection, you’re going to reject it outright… But also, you become much more sensitive. As you fast, if the demons attack you, you’re much more sensitive to that disorder.”

Ripperger fasts six days a week when in session — one moderate meal in the evening only.

Part VI: The Connection to Culture and Politics

Why Christian Leaders Are Targeted

“When you get to a position of power, that attracts the demons. Because they know, if I can get control of this guy, then I can basically use his power to cause all this other damage.”

Ripperger observes:

“A lot of times the Christian leaders go with the right intentions, but when you get that high profile, the demons are going to be really spending a lot of time and energy trying to take you down.”

And they don’t just target existing leaders — they cultivate future ones:

“They’ll get the wrong types of people into positions of authority. They know this particular person has this defect. They’ll give the person the inspiration, ‘You should go into politics.’ Knowing that because of this person’s psychological compatibility with the demons, they can manipulate this person to cause all sorts of damage.”

Communism and Demonic Psychology Are Identical

Ripperger made a startling claim:

“I actually did a series on how communism and diabolic psychology are identical. When you strip the veneer away of one being political and the other being from the spirit world, the patterns of thinking are exactly the same.”

The pattern:

1. Promise pie-in-the-sky — Present the temptation as wonderful, all pleasure, everything will be great
2. Get buy-in — Get the person to sign off
3. Then take them down — Use the compliance to destroy them

“They sell you a bill of goods, they get you to sign off on it, and then from there they take you down. And that’s exactly what the communists do… I always watch politicians in this country that are clearly communist. They’ll start out idealistic. Give them a couple years and you’re gonna see the malice.”

The Attack on Christianity Specifically

Tucker observed that government and media actions seem “aimed at Jesus.” Ripperger agrees:

“Their goal is ultimately to destroy the Christian religion, because they know deep down that is the religion that Christ established, period… You can be any other religion you want, believe anything, do anything you want. But don’t, whatever you do, don’t be Christian.”

The State of American Culture

Ripperger does not mince words:

“If you, by hopeful, mean in the sense that human beings are going to correct this, right this ship — I think it’s beyond human correction at this stage… Especially when you look at the corruption in the higher levels of government.”

But he is hopeful that Christ will correct it:

“If you look at the history of how God deals with human beings, He’ll let us be evil only for so long and then He gives us a spanking… We’re almost as bad as Sodom and Gomorrah. At least at Sodom and Gomorrah they weren’t trying to marry each other.”

Part VII: Practical Protections

What Opens the Door

Based on Ripperger’s experience, the primary doors:

1. The occult — Tarot, Ouija, séances, fortune-telling, witchcraft, New Age practices
2. Grave sexual sin — Pornography, fornication, homosexual acts, abortion
3. Substance abuse — Creates vulnerability; some substances are deliberately cursed
4. Trauma — Being victimized opens vulnerability
5. Cursed objects — Items that have been cursed can carry demonic influence

On pornography specifically:

“The number of men that confess is pretty high up there… A lot of the pornography is cursed to increase its addictive effect. That was one of the things that Satanists taught people in the porn industry — curse the master copy and then the copies that are made will influence the people.”

What Provides Protection

1. Consistent prayer life — “If you’re praying regularly, you can pray for your own protection.”
2. Fasting — Brings the body under subjection, makes you more sensitive to demonic attack, and creates virtue.
3. Sacramental life — For Catholics, regular confession and communion. For Protestants, regular repentance and communion.
4. Stop the sinning — Especially the grave sins that open doors.
5. Address undisciplined areas — “Every person the demons attack, there’s some area of their interior life that is undisciplined.”
6. Community — The exorcism team provides support; Christians need fellowship.

The Pattern of Attack

Ripperger identifies a key pattern:

“The first two years of the exorcist is the worst. The demons are probably contesting every single area of your weakness, and they know your weaknesses because they’ve been watching you your whole life.”

This applies to any Christian who gets serious about spiritual warfare:

“You have to really shore up those areas in a hurry, because otherwise you’re going to get taken down.”

Part VIII: Connecting to Renaissance Ministries Themes

The CPP Connection

Conscious Point Physics posits that consciousness is the fundamental substrate of reality. In this framework, angels and demons are not bizarre add-ons to a materialist universe — they are perfectly intelligible as conscious beings without physical embodiment.

The materialist assumption that only physical things exist is what makes demonology seem “kooky.” Remove that assumption, and spiritual beings become entirely plausible.

Moreover, CPP’s understanding of the Nexus — the atemporal, non-local coordination of all Conscious Points — provides a framework for understanding how demons can:

• Know all created things (infused knowledge)
• Perceive events anywhere in the universe instantaneously
• Influence physical systems (since physics is consciousness at the bottom)

The Discernment Theme

Our recent essays have emphasized discernment:

• “The Kings You Cannot See” — discerning manufactured movements
• “What Is Truth?” — discerning motivated reasoning
• The Seismometer Principle — being microscopically perceptive of wrongness

Ripperger adds the spiritual dimension: some of what we’re discerning is not merely human error or malice, but demonic influence operating through psychologically compatible humans.

This does not excuse human responsibility. It does explain why:

• Certain movements have an almost supernatural coordination
• Certain lies are told with a complete absence of a normal human conscience
• Certain people seem “willing to sacrifice other people for the sake of even the most modest of gains”

The Christlike Remainder

In our essay on interfaith engagement, we argued that what is Godly in any religion is Christlike; what differs from Christ is not-God.

Ripperger’s framework adds depth: the “not-God” elements in false religions may not merely be human error but demonic influence. The demons have been active throughout history, seeding false religions with elements that lead people away from Christ while providing enough truth to be plausible.

The Christlike remainder is what remains when demonic distortion is stripped away.

The Voting Network

The Voting Network concept envisions every citizen informed, voting, and contributing to the ongoing conversation about how we live together.

Ripperger’s analysis suggests that this project has spiritual dimensions:

• The “principalities and powers” are actively working to corrupt public discourse
• Psychologically compatible people are being positioned in leadership
• The pattern of communism and demonic psychology being identical suggests that certain political movements are spiritually animated

The Voting Network, then, is not merely a political tool but a spiritual one — creating a network of Christians whose discernment is sharpened by prayer, fasting, and the Holy Spirit.

Part IX: Discussion Questions for the Fellowship

On the Nature of Demons

1. Were you aware that 23% of the Gospels involve Jesus dealing with demons? How does this change your reading of the Gospels?
2. Ripperger says demons are “one of the most regulated things in the universe.” Does this framing change how you think about spiritual warfare?
3. The idea that demons have been watching us from birth and know our weaknesses — how does this affect your understanding of temptation?

On Demonic Influence

4. Ripperger describes how demons “put a perspective” on our imagination, especially in marriage. Have you experienced sudden shifts in how you see someone that might have external causes?
5. The pattern of demonic obsession: switching on and off without external stimulus, no prior causation, resistance to normal intervention. Have you experienced anything like this?
6. Ripperger says people who hold power attract demonic attention. What does this mean for how we pray for leaders?

On Cultural Implications

7. The claim that communism and demonic psychology are identical — does this resonate with what you observe in current political movements?
8. Ripperger says the specific attack on Christianity (versus other religions) reveals a demonic strategy. Do you see this pattern?
9. He believes the country is “beyond human correction” but that God will intervene. How do you hold hope and realism together?

On Protection

10. What “undisciplined areas” in your life might make you vulnerable?
11. Are you maintaining a consistent prayer life and periodic fasting? If not, what stands in the way?
12. Have you been involved in any occult practices (even seemingly innocent ones like horoscopes or Ouija boards) that might need to be renounced?

On Integration

13. How does this interview change your understanding of the news, of politics, of cultural movements?
14. How should this understanding affect our fellowship’s prayer life?
15. What does “putting on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6) look like in light of this interview?

Key Insights Worth Preserving

On demonic regulation:

“Demons are one of the most regulated things in the universe… Christ has complete control over the spiritual landscape.”

On how demons attack:

“They put a perspective on an image in your imagination… The first thing they ever do in a marriage is try to psychologically divide the people.”

On psychological compatibility:

“From the very beginning of our lives, they’ll start tempting us with certain things… Their goal is to slowly build a psychological compatibility.”

On communism and demons:

“Communism and diabolic psychology are identical. The patterns of thinking are exactly the same.”

On the attack on Christianity:

“You can be any other religion you want, believe anything, do anything you want. But don’t, whatever you do, don’t be Christian.”

On protection:

“Every person the demons attack, there’s some area of their interior life that is undisciplined.”

On hope:

“I think Christ is going to correct it, probably fairly soon… God will let us be evil only for so long and then He gives us a spanking.”

A Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, You came to destroy the works of the devil. You cast out demons throughout Your ministry. You gave Your disciples authority over unclean spirits.

We confess that we have neglected this dimension of Your work. We have been trained by a materialist culture to dismiss what You took seriously. We have left ourselves vulnerable by our ignorance and our undisciplined lives.

Open our eyes to see the spiritual battle around us. Give us the discernment to recognize demonic influence in our own thoughts, in our relationships, in our culture, and in our politics.

Protect us from the enemy. Shore up our weaknesses. Bring our bodies under subjection. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we are sensitive to any demonic approach.

And use us as instruments of liberation for others who are oppressed, obsessed, or possessed. Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

We pray in the Name that makes demons tremble — the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
— James 4:7

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
— Revelation 12:11

Source Material: Tucker Carlson interview with Fr. Chad Ripperger (2024); Scripture; Renaissance Ministries fellowship discussions.

Series: This is Part 1 of the Demonology Series. Upcoming essays:

• Part 2: Richard Gallagher, Demonic Foes — The psychiatrist’s perspective
• Part 3: Carlos Martins, The Exorcist Files — Case studies from the field
• Part 4: Synthesis — An integrated framework for spiritual warfare

Related Christos Content: Christos AI Theological Grammar; “The Kings You Cannot See”; “What Is Truth?”; CPP and the nature of consciousness.

The Kingdom Citizen

by Thomas Abshier | Apr 4, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts

The Duty to Judge the Law

Birthright Citizenship, Citizen Responsibility, and the Voting Network

Renaissance Ministries | April 4, 2026

A Fellowship Discussion Essay

“We ought to obey God rather than men.”
— Acts 5:29

“A law repugnant to the Constitution is void.”
— Marbury v. Madison (1803)

“Rebellion against tyranny is obedience to God.”
— Attributed to Benjamin Franklin

Introduction: The Citizen’s Burden

As a 508(c)(1)(a) church, Renaissance Ministries can — and must — engage with political topics. This is not because politics is ultimate (it is not), but because how we live life individually and as a group is shaped by policy and law. The public and private overlap in complex ways that cannot be neatly separated.

Each of us is obligated to decide what is true, right, and good in how we treat others as categories and as individuals in context. We cannot shirk that responsibility and blame the state, the dictator, or the oligarchs for our choices. We stand before God alone and are alone responsible for our choices.

This week’s essay examines a specific legal controversy — birthright citizenship — but the deeper topic is the citizen’s responsibility before God:

1. To know the law — both man’s law and God’s law
2. To judge the law — to assess whether human law conforms to moral law
3. To obey or disobey — to comply with righteous law and resist unrighteous law
4. To bear the cost — to accept the consequences of principled disobedience
5. To mobilize action — to work for the reform of unjust systems

This is the framework of the Christos Voting Network: every citizen informed, every citizen voting, every citizen contributing their argument to the ongoing conversation about how we shall live together.

Part I: The Birthright Citizenship Controversy

The Current Legal Framework

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, states:

“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

The controversy centers on the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”

The original purpose was clear: to grant citizenship to freed slaves after the Civil War. As Justice Clarence Thomas noted in recent oral arguments: “How much of the debates around the 14th Amendment had anything to do with immigration?” The answer: very little, if any.

The Brennan Footnote

According to the research compiled by Margo Abshier, the current practice of granting automatic citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil — regardless of parents’ legal status — traces not to the 14th Amendment itself, but to a footnote in a dissenting opinion by Justice Brennan in the 1980s.

This is remarkable:

• Not a majority opinion, but a dissent
• Not even the holding, but a footnote (dicta)
• In a case that was not about immigration

From this slender reed, a practice has grown that now grants citizenship to:

• Children of illegal immigrants
• Children of temporary visa holders
• Children of “birth tourists” who come specifically to obtain citizenship

The Numbers

The scope of the issue is staggering:

• 225,000-250,000 births to illegal immigrants in 2023 alone (nearly 7% of all U.S. births)
• 500,000 children born to temporary visa holders over the past decade
• Over 1,000 “birth tourism” businesses are operating in China alone
• One million Chinese babies born in the USA in the last 13 years — children of CCP elites who will soon be eligible to vote
• Projections of 50 million illegals becoming 125+ million new “citizens” through chain migration and high birth rates

The Constitutional Question

The Trump administration has challenged this practice, arguing that “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” was never meant to include:

• Foreign nationals present illegally
• Temporary visitors with no permanent allegiance
• Foreign agents or diplomats

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments recently. Justice Thomas appeared sympathetic to this view. Chief Justice Roberts appeared skeptical, asking about birth tourism’s prominence and responding: “It’s a new world, it’s the same Constitution.”

But as J.J. Carrell argues: if any country on earth can lay claim to American citizenship simply by sending enough people to give birth here, then citizenship has ceased to mean anything. It becomes “an accidental geographic perk instead of a sacred bond of loyalty and assimilation.”

Part II: The Duty to Judge the Law

Jury Nullification — The Forgotten Duty

The American legal system contains a safeguard that is rarely discussed: jury nullification.

A jury has the power — and arguably the duty — to acquit a defendant not only if the facts don’t support conviction, but also if the law itself is unjust. The jury judges not only the facts but the law itself in light of moral law.

This power derives from the fundamental principle that citizens are the ultimate check on government overreach. The jury stands between the individual and the state, with the authority to say: “This law is unjust, and we will not enforce it.”

John Adams wrote:

“It is not only [the juror’s] right, but his duty… to find the verdict according to his own best understanding, judgment, and conscience, though in direct opposition to the direction of the court.”

The Marbury Principle

In Marbury v. Madison (1803), Chief Justice John Marshall established:

“A law repugnant to the Constitution is void.”

And crucially, such a law is void ab initio (from the beginning), not merely after a court declares it so. Citizens need not wait for official permission to recognize that an unjust law has no moral authority.

As we discussed in our March 30 fellowship:

“You have to know the principles. You have to know the Constitution. And when a law repugnant to the Constitution presents itself for enforcement right in front of you, you treat it as if it’s void — it doesn’t exist.”

The Higher Standard

But the Christian adds another layer. We judge human law not only against the Constitution but against moral law — God’s standards of right and wrong.

A law may be constitutional and still be immoral. A law may be legal and still violate God’s commands. In such cases, the Christian must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).

This does not mean we become anarchists, rejecting all law. It means we hold all human law accountable to divine law — and we are willing to suffer for our refusal to comply with laws that violate God’s standards.

Part III: The Cost of Kingdom Citizenship

Two Citizenships

The Christian holds dual citizenship:

• Citizenship in an earthly nation — with its rights and responsibilities
• Citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven — with its higher allegiance

When these conflict, the Kingdom takes precedence. But this comes with a cost.

The Martyrdom Spectrum

As we discussed in our March 30 fellowship, martyrdom exists on a spectrum:

• Social martyrdom — the sneers, the disbelief, the looks
• Professional martyrdom — job loss, career damage, professional ostracism
• Legal martyrdom — fines, penalties, legal action
• Physical martyrdom — imprisonment, violence, death

The person who refuses to endure the small martyrdoms will eventually face the large ones. If you won’t speak up when the cost is social discomfort, you will not speak up when the cost is your head.

Standing Against Unjust Law

What does this look like practically?

If birthright citizenship as currently practiced is unconstitutional — based on a footnote in a dissent, never voted on by the American people, contrary to the original intent of the 14th Amendment — then citizens have a duty to:

1. Know the truth — understand the legal history and the arguments
2. Speak the truth — articulate the case to others
3. Vote accordingly — support candidates who will reform the law
4. Accept the cost — endure the social and professional consequences of holding unpopular positions
5. Mobilize action — work collectively to change the system

This is not insurrection. This is citizenship.

Part IV: The Voting Network — A Christos Implementation

The Vision

The Christos Voting Network is the public-facing projection of the Renaissance Ministries vision for bringing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

The concept is simple:

• Every citizen informed — studying the issues that affect our common life
• Every citizen voting — not just in elections, but in an ongoing way about everything they read
• Every citizen contributing — adding their argument to the conversation on particular topics

Your opinion/vote is a way of letting the rest of the country know how you feel about various issues. This matters because opinion begets consensus among those who are less informed.

How It Works

1. You study what interests you — You don’t have to be an expert on everything. Focus on the domains where you have knowledge, passion, or calling.
2. You form your opinion — Based on biblical principles, constitutional principles, sociological understanding, and practical wisdom.
3. You register your vote — Your position on a given topic becomes part of the aggregate.
4. You contribute your argument — Not just a vote, but the reasoning behind it. The argument is then out there for others to engage.
5. You influence your sphere — You talk with your fellowship group, your family, your neighbors, your colleagues. You enroll locally to affect the vote globally.

The Multiplication Effect

Each person who is passionate, interested, and informed argues according to their principles for their position. This creates a multiplication effect:

• One informed person influences their fellowship group
• One fellowship group influences their church and community
• One church influences their region
• Many churches influence the nation

This is how the Kingdom advances — not by political coercion, but by persuasion, one mind at a time, one heart at a time, one conversation at a time.

The Responsibility of Knowing

The Voting Network makes a claim: It makes a difference what you study and what you know.

The uninformed citizen defaults to the positions fed to them by media, academia, and culture. They become pawns of whatever narrative is most effectively promoted.

The informed citizen can evaluate claims, detect manipulation, and form independent judgments. They become participants in the conversation rather than objects of it.

This is why Christos emphasizes learning — not just spiritual formation, but education in all the domains of life: law, politics, economics, science, medicine, culture. The citizen of the Kingdom must be wise as a serpent in all these areas.

Part V: Applying the Framework to Birthright Citizenship

The Questions to Ask

Using the Christos framework, we ask:

1. What does Scripture teach?
   • Nations have borders (Acts 17:26: “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place”)
   • Strangers are to be treated justly (Leviticus 19:34: “The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you”)
   • But this does not mean unlimited immigration or automatic citizenship
   • The stranger who “dwells among you” is one who has submitted to the laws and customs of the nation — not one who has invaded
2. What does the Constitution actually say?
   • “Subject to the jurisdiction thereof” — a phrase with specific meaning
   • The original intent was to grant citizenship to freed slaves
   • The current practice derives from a footnote in a dissenting opinion
   • This is not how law should be made in a republic
3. What are the consequences of the current practice?
   • Incentivizes illegal immigration
   • Creates “anchor babies” that chain entire families to welfare
   • Enables foreign powers (notably China) to plant citizens through birth tourism
   • Dilutes the meaning of citizenship
   • Drains public resources
   • Threatens national security
4. What is the just solution?
   • Clarify that “subject to the jurisdiction” requires permanent legal residence and allegiance
   • End automatic citizenship for children of illegal immigrants and temporary visitors
   • Require Congress to define the terms, as the Constitution empowers them to do (Article 1, Section 8; 14th Amendment, Section 5)

The Action to Take

As citizens:

• Be informed — understand the legal and constitutional issues
• Speak clearly — articulate the case to others
• Vote accordingly — support candidates who will fix this
• Pressure representatives — demand action from Congress
• Accept the cost — endure being called names by those who disagree

As the Voting Network:

• Register your position — let your vote be counted in the aggregate
• Contribute your argument — add your reasoning to the public conversation
• Influence your sphere — enroll your fellowship, family, and community

Part VI: The Broader Principle

Every Issue, Every Domain

Birthright citizenship is one issue among many. The same framework applies to:

• Election integrity — Is the SAVE Act sufficient? How do we ensure fair elections?
• Immigration policy — What is a just approach to borders, visas, and naturalization?
• Economic policy — What does biblical stewardship require of taxation and spending?
• Medical freedom — What are the limits of government authority over the body?
• Parental rights — Who decides how children are raised and educated?
• Free speech — What protections are required against censorship?

In every domain, the citizen must:

1. Know the facts
2. Apply biblical and constitutional principles
3. Form a judgment
4. Register that judgment (vote)
5. Contribute to the argument
6. Influence their sphere
7. Accept the cost

The Kingdom Advance

This is how the Kingdom advances in the political realm. Not by theocracy — we do not seek to impose Christianity by law. But by participation — Christians engaging as citizens, bringing their values to the public square, persuading their neighbors, shaping public opinion.

The Voting Network is the infrastructure for this participation. It allows millions of Christians to:

• Coordinate their understanding
• Aggregate their opinions
• Amplify their arguments
• Influence their spheres

The result is not a political party but a movement — a movement of citizens who take their dual citizenship seriously, who judge human law against divine law, and who work peacefully but persistently for the reform of unjust systems.

Part VII: Discussion Questions for the Fellowship

On Birthright Citizenship

1. Were you aware that the current practice of automatic birthright citizenship derives from a footnote in a dissenting opinion, not from the text of the 14th Amendment? Does this change how you think about the issue?
2. The original purpose of the 14th Amendment was to grant citizenship to freed slaves. How should “original intent” factor into constitutional interpretation?
3. What do you think “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” means? Who is and is not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States?
4. How do you weigh the competing values of compassion for immigrants and the integrity of citizenship? Is there a way to honor both?

On Citizen Responsibility

5. Do you believe citizens have a duty to judge the law — not just obey it, but assess whether it conforms to moral law? What are the limits of this duty?
6. Jury nullification is rarely discussed. Should juries be informed of their power to nullify unjust laws? Why or why not?
7. What does it look like practically to “obey God rather than men” when human law conflicts with divine law? What are the risks? What are the costs?

On the Voting Network

8. The Voting Network concept suggests that every citizen should be informed, voting, and contributing to the argument. Is this realistic? How would it work practically?
9. The essay argues that “opinion begets consensus” — that the opinions of informed citizens shape the views of the less informed. Do you agree? How have you seen this work?
10. What issues are you most passionate about? Where would you want to focus your study, voting, and argumentation?

On Kingdom Citizenship

11. How do you navigate dual citizenship — in an earthly nation and in the Kingdom of Heaven? When do these come into conflict?
12. The essay describes a “martyrdom spectrum” from social discomfort to physical death. Where are you on this spectrum? What would it take to move you to the next level of cost?
13. How do you distinguish between Christian political engagement (appropriate) and theocracy (inappropriate)? Where is the line?

Key Principles Worth Preserving

On citizen responsibility:

Each of us is obligated to decide what is true, right, and good. We cannot shirk that responsibility and blame the state, the dictator, or the oligarchs for our choices. We stand before God alone and are alone responsible for our choices.

On judging the law:

The jury judges not only the facts but the law itself in light of moral law. This is the forgotten safeguard of the American system.

On the Marbury principle:

A law repugnant to the Constitution is void — ab initio, from the beginning. Citizens need not wait for official permission to recognize that an unjust law has no moral authority.

On the Voting Network:

Every citizen informed, every citizen voting, every citizen contributing their argument to the ongoing conversation about how we shall live together.

On Kingdom advance:

This is how the Kingdom advances in the political realm. Not by theocracy, but by participation — Christians engaging as citizens, bringing their values to the public square, persuading their neighbors, shaping public opinion.

On the cost:

The person who refuses to endure the small martyrdoms will eventually face the large ones. If you won’t speak up when the cost is social discomfort, you will not speak up when the cost is your head.

A Closing Prayer

Lord God, You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. Every earthly authority exists under Your sovereignty and will answer to Your judgment.

We thank You for the gift of citizenship — in our earthly nation and in Your eternal Kingdom. Help us hold both with integrity, honoring earthly authority where it reflects Your justice, and resisting it where it violates Your law.

Give us wisdom to understand the issues of our day. Give us courage to speak truth even when it costs us. Give us humility to know we may be wrong and openness to correction.

We pray for our nation — that its laws would conform to Your righteousness, that its leaders would fear You, that its citizens would be vigilant.

We pray for the Supreme Court as it considers the question of citizenship. Give the justices wisdom to interpret the Constitution according to its original intent, and courage to correct the errors of the past.

And we pray for ourselves — that we would be faithful citizens of both realms, engaged in the conversation, contributing our arguments, bearing the cost, and trusting in Your ultimate victory.

Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”
— Proverbs 29:2

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
— Proverbs 14:34

Source Material: Margo Abshier, daily email compilation on birthright citizenship (April 2026); J.J. Carrell, “Birthright Citizenship = Death!”; The Federalist; Peter Schweizer congressional testimony; Renaissance Ministries fellowship discussions on citizen responsibility and the Voting Network concept.

Related Christos Content: “When God Gives Nations What They Deserve” (Romans 13 essay); “Planting Roots in the Cold” (March 30 fellowship on righteous rebellion); Christos AI Module specifications (Voting Network).

Unity in Christ

by Thomas Abshier | Apr 4, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts

The Christlike Remainder

Finding Unity Through What Is Godly in Every Religion

Renaissance Ministries | March 31, 2026

A Fellowship Discussion Essay

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
— 1 Timothy 2:5

“In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not… That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”
— John 1:4-5, 9

“Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
— John 10:16

Introduction: The Unifying Principle

How do we engage with other religions?

The typical Christian responses fall into two camps:

The Exclusivist: “All other religions are false. Christianity alone is true. There is nothing to learn from or affirm in other faiths.”

The Pluralist: “All religions are equally valid paths to the same God. It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere.”

Both positions have problems.

The exclusivist cannot explain why other religions contain obvious moral truths — why Buddhism teaches compassion, why Islam insists on honesty, why Hinduism values self-discipline, and why Judaism upholds justice. If these religions are entirely false, where did these truths come from?

The pluralist cannot explain the contradictions. If all paths lead to the same place, why do they teach opposite things about who God is, what happens after death, and how salvation works? Mutually exclusive claims cannot all be true.

This essay proposes a third way — a principle that allows for both unity and distinction, for affirmation and correction, for respect and truth-telling:

What is Godly in any religion is Christlike. What differs from Christ is not-God. Every religion is Christian to the extent it reflects God’s character, and evil to the extent it departs from it.

Part I: The Principle Stated

The Core Insight

The principle can be stated simply:

1. God’s character is the standard — Goodness, righteousness, love, truth, justice, mercy — these are not arbitrary categories but reflections of who God is.
2. Christ is the perfect revelation of God’s character — “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). Christ is the full expression of what God is like.
3. Whatever reflects God’s character is Christlike — Whether found in Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, or secular philosophy — if it is good, true, beautiful, righteous, it participates in Christ’s nature.
4. Whatever contradicts God’s character is not-God — Even if found in a “Christian” church, a “Christian” nation, or a person who calls themselves “Christian” — if it is evil, false, ugly, unrighteous, it is not of God.
5. Every religion is a mixture — Some portion reflects God (the Christlike remainder); some portion departs from God (the not-God element). The proportions vary, but the principle applies universally.

The Practical Application

This means:

• Islam teaches submission to God, honesty in business, care for the poor, and hospitality to strangers. To that extent, Islam is Christlike. Where Islam teaches violence against unbelievers, subjugation of women, or death for apostasy — that is not-God.
• Buddhism teaches compassion, self-discipline, freedom from destructive desires, and mindfulness. To that extent, Buddhism is Christlike. Where Buddhism denies the personal God, rejects the reality of the self, or offers salvation through self-effort — that is not-God.
• Hinduism teaches reverence for life, devotion to the divine, the importance of duty, and the reality of spiritual existence. To that extent, Hinduism is Christlike. Where Hinduism affirms caste oppression, idolatry of created things, or the absorption of personality into impersonal Brahman — that is not-God.
• Judaism teaches the holiness of God, the moral law, justice, covenant faithfulness, and hope for redemption. To that extent, Judaism is profoundly Christlike — indeed, it is the root from which Christianity grew. Where Judaism rejects Jesus as Messiah and thus rejects the fullest revelation of God — that is not-God.
• Secular humanism teaches human dignity, reason, compassion, and justice for the oppressed. To that extent, it participates in Christlike truth (even while denying its source). Where it denies God, absolutizes human autonomy, and makes man the measure of all things — that is not-God.

The Reflexive Application

The principle applies not only to other religions but to Christianity itself:

A person who calls themselves Christian but acts unGodly is not being Christian in that act. They are being a hypocrite.

The label does not sanctify the behavior. The behavior must conform to the character of God — or it is not-God, regardless of the label attached.

This means:

• The Crusader who killed wantonly in Christ’s name was not being Christlike in that killing
• The Inquisitor who tortured for orthodoxy was not being Christlike in that torture
• The slaveholder who cited Scripture to justify slavery was not being Christlike in that oppression
• The prosperity preacher who exploits the poor is not being Christlike in that exploitation
• The judgmental Christian who condemns without love is not being Christlike in that condemnation

The standard is not the label. The standard is the character of God revealed in Christ.

Part II: The Theological Foundation

The Logos in All Things

John’s Gospel begins with a profound claim:

“In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4)

And then:

“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” (John 1:9)

This is a staggering statement. The Logos — the divine reason, the ordering principle of the universe, the Word who became flesh in Jesus — enlightens every person who comes into the world.

Not just Jews. Not just Christians. Every person.

This means that wherever truth, goodness, and beauty exist — in any culture, any religion, any philosophy — the Logos is present. Christ, as the eternal Word, is the source of all truth, wherever it is found.

General and Special Revelation

Theologians have distinguished between:

General Revelation — What God reveals to all people through creation, conscience, and reason. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). “The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen” (Romans 1:20). “The work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness” (Romans 2:15).

Special Revelation — What God reveals specifically through Scripture, prophets, and ultimately Christ. This is fuller, clearer, and more complete than general revelation.

Other religions participate in general revelation. They perceive God through creation, conscience, and reason — and they get some things right. But they lack the fullness of special revelation in Christ, so they also get things wrong.

The Christlike remainder in other religions is their participation in general revelation. The not-God element is where they have distorted, rejected, or failed to receive what God has revealed.

The Fulfillment Model

Jesus said:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matthew 5:17)

Christ fulfills what came before. He does not simply negate it but completes it, perfects it, brings it to its intended end.

This can be extended: Christ fulfills not only the Law and Prophets but every genuine human longing for God. Where religions express authentic reaching toward the divine — the desire for transcendence, meaning, moral order, salvation — Christ is the fulfillment of that reaching.

The Buddhist seeks escape from suffering and the endless cycle of desire. Christ fulfills this: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

The Muslim seeks submission to the will of God. Christ fulfills this: “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42) — perfect submission.

The Hindu seeks union with the divine. Christ fulfills this: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us” (John 17:21).

The Jew seeks covenant faithfulness and the coming Messiah. Christ fulfills this: He is the Messiah, and in Him the covenant is established forever.

Christ does not destroy the genuine longings expressed in other religions. He fulfills them.

Part III: The Unity This Creates

Common Ground for Conversation

The principle creates common ground for genuine dialogue:

When speaking with a Muslim, you can say: “We agree that honesty is required, that the poor must be cared for, that God is one, that submission to God is the purpose of life. These convictions we share. Where we differ is on who Jesus is — and that difference matters profoundly. But let us start with what we share.”

When speaking with a Buddhist, you can say: “We agree that desire for the wrong things causes suffering, that self-discipline is essential, that compassion is the heart of righteousness. These truths we hold in common. Where we differ is on whether there is a personal God who loves you — and that difference changes everything. But let us start with what we share.”

When speaking with a secular humanist, you can say: “We agree that human beings have dignity, that reason is valuable, that justice matters, that the weak should be protected. These convictions we share — though I believe their source is God and you do not. Let us start with what we share and explore where our foundations differ.”

This is not compromise. It is recognition of truth wherever it exists — and an invitation to the fuller truth that only Christ provides.

The Basis for Cooperation

The principle also creates a basis for cooperation on shared concerns:

Christians and Muslims can work together against pornography, because both recognize it as destructive to human dignity.

Christians and Buddhists can work together on practices of contemplation and self-discipline, because both recognize the danger of uncontrolled desire.

Christians and Jews can work together on justice, because both are rooted in the same moral law.

Christians and secular humanists can work together on caring for the poor, because both affirm human dignity — even if they ground it differently.

This cooperation does not require abandoning distinctives. It requires recognizing that others may be right about some things even if they are wrong about ultimate things.

The Invitation to Fullness

But the principle is not mere affirmation. It is also invitation.

The Christlike remainder in other religions is precisely the point of contact for the gospel. Where someone already values compassion, you can show them that Christ is compassion perfected. Where someone already values submission to God, you can show them that Christ is perfect submission — and perfect revelation of the God to whom we submit.

The not-God element is what needs correction — gently, respectfully, but clearly. Where a religion teaches violence, we must name that as not-God. Where a religion denies the personal God, we must offer the truth of the God who loves persons. Where a religion offers salvation by works, we must proclaim grace.

The goal is not to destroy but to fulfill — to bring people from the partial truth they have received to the full truth revealed in Christ.

Part IV: The Application to the Christian

The Mirror

The principle holds a mirror to the Christian:

You claim to follow Christ. Does your life reflect His character?

Where you are loving, patient, kind, truthful, just, merciful — you are being Christlike. The label fits.

Where you are hateful, impatient, cruel, deceptive, unjust, merciless — you are being not-God. The label is a lie. You are a hypocrite.

This is not about perfection. All Christians fail. But the question is: What is the direction? What is the trajectory? When you fail, do you repent and return? Or do you justify and continue?

The Buddhist who practices genuine compassion is more Christlike in that moment than the Christian who practices cruelty. The label matters less than the reality.

The Call to Integrity

Jesus reserved His harshest words for religious hypocrites:

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” (Matthew 23:27)

The Pharisees had the right label. They had the right doctrines. They had the right practices — externally. But their hearts were far from God.

The Christian who has correct theology but corrupt character is worse than the pagan who has wrong theology but genuine virtue. Because the Christian knows better. Because the Christian’s hypocrisy blasphemes the name they claim to honor.

The Path of Sanctification

The Christian life is the progressive elimination of the not-God and the progressive manifestation of the Christlike.

This is sanctification: becoming in reality what you are in position. You are declared righteous in Christ; you are being made righteous by the Spirit. The gap between the two is where growth happens.

The honest Christian looks at their life and says:

• “Here is where I am Christlike — thank God for His work in me.”
• “Here is where I am not-God — Lord, have mercy and transform me.”

This is not self-condemnation. It is honest assessment that leads to growth.

Part V: The Mecca/Medina Distinction Revisited

The Application to Islam

In our earlier discussions of Islam, we identified the Mecca/Medina distinction:

• Mecca-period Islam (early) — Peaceful, spiritual, persuasive, tolerant
• Medina-period Islam (later) — Militant, political, coercive, intolerant

The doctrine of abrogation says the later (Medina) supersedes the earlier (Mecca). This is why mainstream Islam has difficulty reforming — the violent verses have doctrinal priority.

The principle in this essay offers a different frame:

Mecca-period Islam is more Christlike. It reflects God’s character more fully — the God who invites rather than compels, who persuades rather than coerces.

Medina-period Islam is more not-God. Violence against unbelievers, subjugation of women, death for apostasy — these contradict the character of God revealed in Christ.

A “Christlike Islam” would be one that prioritizes the Mecca period — the portion that reflects God’s character — and acknowledges the Medina period as a departure.

This is exactly what Mahmoud Taha argued in Sudan before he was executed in 1985. He said the Mecca verses should take precedence. This was considered heresy because it reversed the traditional priority.

But from a Christian standpoint, Taha was right. The Mecca-period teachings are more Christlike. An Islam that emphasized them would be closer to God — and therefore closer to genuine peace with Christianity.

The Path to Unity

This suggests a path:

Unity with Muslims is possible to the extent Muslims emphasize the Christlike elements of their tradition and de-emphasize the not-God elements.

The same applies to any religion. The Christlike remainder is the common ground. The not-God elements are the points of difference that must be acknowledged.

We do not create unity by pretending all religions teach the same thing. We create unity by identifying what is genuinely shared — what reflects God’s character — and building from there.

Part VI: Practical Implications

1. For Interfaith Dialogue

When engaging with people of other faiths:

• Affirm what is Christlike — Recognize genuine truth, goodness, and beauty in their tradition
• Build relationship on common ground — Work together where convictions align
• Acknowledge difference clearly — Don’t pretend disagreements don’t exist
• Invite to fullness — Share how Christ fulfills the genuine longings their religion expresses
• Speak the truth in love — Name what is not-God, but with humility and compassion

2. For Evangelism

The principle shapes evangelism:

• You are not bringing light to total darkness — you are bringing fuller light to partial light
• Start with what they already know is true — and show how Christ completes it
• Don’t attack everything they believe — identify the Christlike remainder and affirm it
• Focus on the core distinction: who is Jesus? This is where religions ultimately differ

3. For Self-Examination

Apply the principle to yourself:

• Where in your life are you being Christlike?
• Where in your life are you being not-God?
• What would change if you took seriously that the standard is Christ’s character, not the Christian label?
• Where is hypocrisy hiding?

4. For Church Life

Apply the principle to the church:

• Where is your church being Christlike in its community?
• Where is your church being not-God — judgmental, hypocritical, exclusive in wrong ways?
• What would change if the church measured itself by Christ’s character rather than doctrinal correctness alone?

Part VII: Objections and Responses

Objection 1: “This is relativism”

Response: No. The standard is absolute — God’s character revealed in Christ. What is relative is human approximation of that standard. Every religion gets some things right and some things wrong. But the standard by which we measure is not relative; it is Christ.

Objection 2: “This undermines the uniqueness of Christ”

Response: The opposite. Christ is the standard by which all else is measured. Every good thing in every religion is good because it reflects Christ. Christ is not diminished by finding His reflection elsewhere; He is exalted as the source of all that is good.

Objection 3: “This opens the door to syncretism”

Response: Only if you stop at affirmation without moving to invitation. The Christlike remainder is not the whole truth — it is partial truth. The goal is not to blend religions but to bring people from partial truth to full truth in Christ.

Objection 4: “This is harsh on Christians”

Response: Jesus was harsh on religious hypocrites. The principle simply applies consistently what Jesus Himself taught. Those who claim His name must reflect His character — or stand condemned by their own claim.

Objection 5: “How do we know what is Christlike?”

Response: We have the Gospels. We have the full revelation of God in Jesus. The question is not unanswerable — it requires study, discernment, and the guidance of the Spirit, but the answer is available. Christ’s character is revealed; we can know it.

Part VIII: Discussion Questions for the Fellowship

On the Principle

1. Does the principle — “what is Godly in any religion is Christlike, what differs from Christ is not-God” — make sense to you? What questions does it raise?
2. Can you think of examples of Christlike elements in religions you’ve encountered? What about not-God elements?
3. How does this principle differ from both exclusivism (“all other religions are entirely false”) and pluralism (“all religions are equally valid”)?

On Application to Other Religions

4. Apply the principle to Islam. What is Christlike? What is not-God? How does this frame relate to the Mecca/Medina distinction?
5. Apply the principle to a religion or philosophy you have personal experience with. What do you find?
6. How would this principle change the way you engage in interfaith dialogue or evangelism?

On Application to Christianity

7. The principle says a Christian acting unGodly is not being Christian in that act — they are being a hypocrite. How does this land with you?
8. Where have you seen the church (or yourself) being not-God while wearing the Christian label?
9. What would change if Christians measured themselves by Christ’s character rather than by doctrinal correctness or religious identity?

On Unity

10. Does this principle create a genuine basis for unity with other religions? What are its limits?
11. How do you hold together affirmation of the Christlike remainder and honest acknowledgment of the not-God elements?
12. What would “Christlike Islam” or “Christlike Buddhism” look like? Is such a thing possible?

Key Principles Worth Preserving

The core principle:

What is Godly in any religion is Christlike. What differs from Christ is not-God. Every religion is Christian to the extent it reflects God’s character, and evil to the extent it departs from it.

On hypocrisy:

A person who calls themselves Christian but acts unGodly is not being Christian in that act. They are being a hypocrite. The label does not sanctify the behavior. The behavior must conform to the character of God — or it is not-God, regardless of the label attached.

On the Logos:

The true Light enlightens every person who comes into the world. Wherever truth, goodness, and beauty exist — in any culture, any religion, any philosophy — the Logos is present.

On fulfillment:

Christ does not destroy the genuine longings expressed in other religions. He fulfills them.

On unity:

We do not create unity by pretending all religions teach the same thing. We create unity by identifying what is genuinely shared — what reflects God’s character — and building from there.

A Closing Prayer

Lord God, You are the source of all truth, goodness, and beauty. Wherever these exist — in any religion, any culture, any person — they come from You.

Help us see Your reflection in unexpected places. Help us affirm what is Christlike, even in those who do not know Christ’s name. Help us build bridges on common ground.

But help us also speak truth. Where religions depart from Your character, give us courage to name it. Where we ourselves depart from Your character, give us honesty to confess it.

Guard us from the hypocrisy of claiming Your name while contradicting Your nature. Let our lives be consistent with our labels. Let our character reflect our Christ.

And use the Christlike remainder in every religion as a point of contact — a bridge by which people can come to the fullness of truth in Jesus. Not destroying what is good, but fulfilling it. Not condemning what is partial, but completing it.

You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let all partial truths find their completion in You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”
— Titus 2:11

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
— John 12:32

Source Material: Renaissance Ministries fellowship discussions on interfaith engagement; Christos AI Theological Grammar; previous essays on engaging Islam; the Logos theology of John 1.

Related Christos Content: “The Religion of Peace Question” (Daniel Johnson essay); Christos AI Theological Grammar Part VI (Engaging Islam); “Planting Roots in the Cold” (March 30 fellowship).

Come Out of the Egypt in Your Heart

by Thomas Abshier | Mar 30, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts

Planting Roots in the Cold

Separation, Zion, and the Power That Follows Obedience

Renaissance Ministries | March 29, 2026

A Fellowship Discussion Essay 

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
— Isaiah 59:2

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
— Matthew 5:8

Participants

• Thomas Abshier, ND — Founder, Renaissance Ministries
• Susan Gutierrez — Theological essays, Romans 13 research
• Charlie Gutierrez — Apologetics, Scripture research
• Leonard Hofheins — LDS background, historical parallels
• Armond Boulware — Personal testimony, practical application

Introduction: Three Essays and a Question

This week’s fellowship began with Thomas introducing three essays that had been distributed:

1. “When God Gives Nations What They Deserve” — On Romans 13, righteous rebellion, and the Holocaust question (based on the previous week’s conversation with Charlie)
2. “Tending the Garden” — Robert Malone’s metaphor for regenerative agriculture as applied to medicine, faith, and society
3. “The Mind That Sustains the Lattice” — A reflection on AI as analogy for God’s personal relationship with humanity

But the real topic of the meeting emerged from a single question that had been hovering over the fellowship for weeks:

“Where do we go from here?”

What are the next steps? How do we reach beyond our small group? How do we build something that will actually change hearts — not just in our circle, but in the nation?

The answers that emerged wove together threads from all three essays and produced a new insight: the Paw Paw Principle.

Part I: The Holocaust Question Revisited

Susan’s Scripture

Susan opened with Isaiah 59:2:

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

This became the frame for the ongoing discussion of the Holocaust and theodicy. Susan’s insight was sharp:

“I think the people who have been taught the gospel and reject it are the most hard-hearted people. And so that is an element here of the Jews’ condition before the Holocaust — and now, actually, too. They have this hard-heartedness. You hear the stories of Jews who have come to Christ, and they say, ‘I didn’t know much about what I did believe, but I knew I didn’t believe in Jesus.'”

She added a point rarely acknowledged:

“The Jewish leaders and the people, if we take the exact words in the Bible, when they were before Pilate — they created a curse against themselves. ‘His blood be upon us and our children.’ And curses in the Bible? They have a big effect. They’re not something to just dismiss.”

The Esther Counter-Example

Charlie offered a powerful counter-example:

“There was a Holocaust planned for the Jews in the time of Esther, and that Holocaust was avoided — by righteousness, by fasting and prayer, and the people arming up and having the support of the king to defend themselves. How different it would have been in the 30s and 40s in Germany if there was the same kind of humbling.”

Susan built on this:

“Them giving up their guns is simply an indication that they were putting their trust in man, not God. They didn’t respond like Esther did — turning in fasting to God to find a way.”

The Seismometer Principle

Thomas articulated what he called the “seismometer principle”:

“If you don’t have a really fine sense of morality, whenever you start to see things move in the wrong direction toward tyranny, and you don’t stand up — you’re not willing to be a martyr, not willing to light yourself on fire for the Lord in terms of action and saying no — that is the society that is going to be susceptible to being taken over by the left.”

The key insight:

“The level of righteousness that a society has to have is so great that it is microscopically perceptive of wrongness in the society, and it’s willing to stand up at personal cost. Unless we have that perfect seismometer — that sensitive instrument that moves at any motion toward evil — we immediately go into activation mode, because we have detected it. We know where it goes, and we won’t allow it.”

The martyrdom begins small. The sneers. The disbelief. The social cost. That is the first level of martyrdom. If you won’t endure that, you will eventually face the real thing — head chopped off with thousands of others.

Part II: The Legalization Question

Charlie’s Research

Charlie had asked AI to research three scenarios:

1. The specific requirements in Nazi Germany
2. The requirements during the Iranian Islamic Revolution
3. The consequences to Christianity when it was made legal in Rome

The third question produced a startling insight.

Armond read the AI’s analysis:

“The legalization of Christianity in Rome was a huge turning point. It ended official persecution, let Christians worship openly, and eventually allowed the church to grow from a hunted minority into a powerful public institution. My view is that it helped Christianity spread, organize, and define doctrine more effectively — but it also changed the religion by tying it more closely to imperial power.”

And the crucial assessment:

“The legalization did not just free Christianity — it transformed it. It became more institutional, more hierarchical, and more entangled with government, which brought both positive outcomes like charity and organization, and negative ones like coercion and doctrinal enforcement.”

The Uncomfortable Question

Charlie asked the question that disturbed everyone:

“This is the first time I thought of this question, and I’m wondering now if the legalization of Christianity was really a big favor to Christianity, to Christ, or not. Did we convert the government — or have they converted us?”

Susan’s response: “A little of both. But if it’s both, then what we have is very diluted. And what’s the good of that?”

The Need for Opposition

Thomas articulated a universal principle:

“If you don’t have something to push against, you get weak. If you don’t have anything to push against, there’s no drama. What we basically said was, ‘We just took the guy in the wrong color jersey off the court, so we have no enemy.’ We’re now just supposed to be good with nobody pursuing us? We’re supposed to stay fit and vigilant and righteous and hone our weapons and sword and knowledge — but for what?”

This is the pattern throughout Scripture:

• Bad kings → persecution → repentance → good kings → prosperity → apostasy → bad kings again

The cycle requires opposition. Without persecution, the church gets lazy, gets apostate, loses its fire.

Mark 16 and the Missing Signs

Charlie read from the end of Mark’s Gospel:

“These signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

Then the uncomfortable observation:

“I find the book of Acts and this set of verses really disturbing — because they don’t describe the modern church. Maybe this is why. Because we’re actually in the low, decline, weak period of that cycle. And if that’s the case, and it looks like it is — we’re actually in a lot of trouble.”

Part III: Susan’s Thesis — Separation and Power

The Call to Come Out

Susan has been developing an essay arguing for a different approach than political activism:

“Instead of trying to reform government — which is where most people are thinking, ‘We need to get the right people in government, combat these false elections’ — instead of that, I think what the Bible is actually teaching us is we come out of government. We come out of the secular governments and let Christ be our King.”

She continued:

“I believe that if we separate, Christ will then bless us with these signs. He will bless us with His Spirit in more abundance. And the people around us will see — just like in Acts — ‘Oh, there’s something different here.’ Because right now, people look at Christians and they don’t see a big difference.”

The Abraham Precedent

Susan drew on Abraham’s story:

“In Abraham’s life, it was after he separated from Lot that God then began to talk to him more. He had done what God commanded — except that he had brought Lot with him. So after he separated himself from Lot, then God began talking to him more. Things changed for Abraham after that.”

The principle: Separation precedes power. Obedience unlocks blessing. Half-obedience produces half-results.

Thomas’s Response — The Holism

Thomas pushed back, but not to disagree entirely:

“I don’t think our solution is in solving the government. I don’t think our salvation lies there. But I see the entire thing as a holism. We have the righteousness of the people. We have the righteousness of the government. And if either one of them is going toward unrighteousness, the righteous will suffer.”

He continued:

“You can’t just heal the government and have it work. If you still have the Soprano-type people running around raising mayhem, that’s going to be a bad situation. And if you’ve got the government wanting to be Ayatollahs, you’re going to have a bad situation. So it’s a holism. It’s not separable. It’s not one or the other. It has to be both.”

The Resolution — Armond’s Insight

Later in the conversation, Armond synthesized the positions:

“We do have to separate ourselves — but we’re doing it just by following Christ. We’ve already separated ourselves.”

Thomas affirmed this:

“That was the point I was trying to emphasize, and I didn’t do it adequately. But what you just said hits the nail on the head. She said we need to separate. But the separation isn’t going to Zion-all-a-matrix, or the North Idaho separatists. It’s separating yourselves out internally, personally. You’re changing your heart.”

The separation is internal. You don’t leave the geography. You leave the orientation. You reorient toward God — and that reorientation is itself the separation.

Part IV: The Zion Question

Leonard’s Provocation

Leonard asked: “What is the Christian concept of Zion?”

The group discovered that the word “Zion” appears 153 times in the King James Bible — yet none of them could articulate what it meant for Christians today.

Thomas pulled up a comprehensive definition:

“Originally it was the Jebusite fortress that David captured in 2 Samuel 5:7. It became the City of David, later associated with the Temple Mount. It’s a symbol of God’s presence — Zion becomes the place where God dwells among His people. In the prophets, Zion is the place of judgment for unfaithfulness, place of restoration for repentance. In Christian theology, it becomes a symbol of the church — the people of God, the body of Christ, the spiritual temple where God dwells.”

“Zion Is the Pure in Heart”

Charlie offered a quote from Mormon scripture: “Zion is the pure in heart.”

Leonard connected it to the Sermon on the Mount: “What did Christ say about the pure in heart? ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'”

Susan grounded it in New Covenant theology:

“In the New Covenant, we understand that we are supposed to be the temple of God. He is supposed to inhabit us. The true believers of Christ are supposed to be where God dwells. It’s not in a building anymore. It’s not a physical building. We are the building.”

The Co-opted Term

Leonard noted the sad irony:

“They’ve co-opted the whole concept of Zion to be a kind of play to capture and control. Whereas Christians should consider Zion a true goal — to establish it and to be pure in heart.”

Susan agreed that while the term “Zionist” has become negative, the underlying concept is thoroughly biblical — and needs to be reclaimed, or at least understood through New Testament equivalents.

Part V: The Paw Paw Principle

Armond’s Story

The most striking image of the meeting came from Armond, who had recently been researching a native Midwestern tree:

“There’s a native tree in the Midwest called the paw paw tree. It tastes like a tropical fruit — like a cross between a mango and a kiwi. You would never believe it grows here in the Midwest.”

He had been talking to the owner of a health food store who had tried to plant paw paw saplings in the spring — and they didn’t take.

“Through my research, I found out you have to plant them in the cold so that they grow down first and establish strong roots. And then within two years, they’ll actually fruit.”

Leonard caught the imagery immediately: “There’s something there. Plant your roots in the cold.”

The Theological Application

Armond made the connection explicit:

“That’s what we’re doing here. We’re planting our roots in the cold. And it won’t even fruit for two years. What we’re doing now is growing downward into darkness. To change hearts — and to change my heart — it required entering into darkness before my heart was changed. And then I can grow towards the light.”

The Paw Paw Principle:

1. You have to plant in the cold — in difficulty, in opposition, in darkness
2. The first growth is downward — roots, not fruit
3. Only after the roots are established does the fruit come
4. The fruit takes time — two years for paw paws, perhaps a generation for cultural change

Gravitropic vs. Phototropic Growth

Armond introduced botanical terminology that captured the dynamic perfectly:

“I think it’s not an uphill struggle. It’s actually a downhill struggle. We’re talking about establishing gravitropic growth in Christ. What we’re doing now is setting roots. Eventually, we’ll have the phototropic growth we’re looking for — where others grow to the light.”

Gravitropic growth — growing downward, toward the pull of gravity, establishing roots in the darkness of the soil.

Phototropic growth — growing upward, toward the light, producing leaves and fruit visible to the world.

You can’t have the second without the first. The roots must come before the fruit.

Part VI: Winning in Your Own Kingdom

The Strategy of Encounter

Armond articulated a strategy that emerged from his own experience of transformation:

“As a believer and as someone that has seen all of the ways that are ungodly — all the ways that are just so commonplace as being the norm — in my heart I don’t want those ways. I don’t want to be doing those things or being in those places. Do you separate yourself? Yes, you separate yourself. But when you get a chance — because you’ll always cross paths with these different people — that’s when they get to see the light in you.”

The key insight:

“In short-lived, controlled environments — you’re not trying to win them over in their kingdom. You’re not trying to win them over in the places where they thrive. You win them over in all the places that you thrive.”

Don’t fight on their turf. Don’t try to argue in their frame. Instead, live so compellingly in your own frame that when they encounter you, they see something different.

The Gospel Incarnate

Thomas extended the insight:

“The tools that we give are implicit in our way of being — our way of speaking, our way of analogizing, sharing by story, by example, by theory. There really isn’t even any pedagogy going on. We’re not actually teaching anything. But we’re doing it silently. It’s when we live. It’s who we are. As we speak, as we live — we’re not in any kind of a formal analysis of life. We’re actually picking up groceries and doing childcare and running errands and working at our job. And the way that we do it is the way lived out. If we do that, we are the gospel incarnate. We are living it and enrolling others in being it.”

Conflict as Root-Spreading

Armond added a crucial observation:

“In the moments where we actually come in direct opposition to the darkness — that’s us spreading our roots. When we are at those crossroads, in strife with others or internally, where we get to show the light in those places — that’s us spreading our roots. They get to see us in conflict, in relationship to others, and how we respond in those conflicts. That gives someone else an opportunity to say, ‘Wow. I didn’t expect that. I probably expected the norm. But to see that — that’s pregnant. That’s pregnant gospel.'”

Part VII: The Christos Vision — Next Steps

Charlie’s Question

Charlie asked the question that had been hovering over the fellowship:

“What are the next steps in this church? What do you see?”

Thomas’s Honest Assessment

Thomas was candid:

“At some point we have to be able to reach out. I’ve sent out notes to probably 10 people. Nobody shows up. That was surprising. Are we actually dealing with the fact that people, even those who have good intentions and are on fire, actually won’t participate? And this forum is actually ineffective, and it really won’t make any difference at all, because people won’t actually do it?”

But he also saw the path forward:

“I’m documenting it. I’m trying to create an AI that will be able to embody it — and anybody can download it and put it on their computer, and it can be the thing that they use as a seed to guide their field. I’ve got 12 different modules of how they could use this. Take it however you want to use it. Use it. Implement it. Strategize. Do it for guerrilla warfare. Do it for community meetings. Organize your business around it. Have it as a family philosophy of how you live and discipline and relate to each other.”

The GitHub Vision

Thomas described the technical implementation:

“Anybody can load this body of knowledge. It’s loaded on GitHub — the storage repository for files. They download that onto their computer. They then have cloned the Renaissance Ministry vision — the way of teaching the theory, the concepts of Christ and God and world and physics. And then they can use that as their own personal group leader, as their counselor, as whatever they need.”

Armond added: “It’s got to have an app.”

The vision: a central database on GitHub, freely accessible, that allows anyone to clone the Renaissance Ministry approach and implement it in their own context — family, business, small group, community.

The Fruit Trees Conspiracy

Armond shared a disturbing discovery from his research on fruit trees:

“My idea is there were food trees all over this country at one point. Why are there so few of them? And so then I read that most municipalities’ legalized list of trees — none of them are fruit-producing trees. And this started to be put into law to combat migration of free men.”

Leonard: “Interesting.”

Armond: “Because if you can’t eat, then you’re tied. And that’s kind of what we deal with today in society. If you’re not part of society, and you don’t have cash — you can’t go to the store and buy anything.”

His response has been to start giving fruit trees as gifts:

“I gave one of my clients a dwarf peach tree when I sold a house for them. I want to start giving gifts like that — whenever somebody buys a house, I want to give them a tree that’ll start to bear fruit eventually. It’ll be the gift that never stops giving.”

Part VIII: Integrity as Foundation

The Hypocrisy Problem

Armond shared a conversation with his brother about integrity:

“The premise was, ‘Men are flawed.’ He brought up Martin Luther King — ‘Oh, people wanted to vilify him because they say he was a womanizer. But they should have been listening to his message.’ And I’m like, ‘No. That’s not right. You cannot be in opposition to the principles that you promote and think that someone’s supposed to find any credibility in it.’ That’s the whole point.”

His brother responded: “But men are flawed.”

Armond’s answer:

“Yeah, that’s the point. That’s the point of having principles and having integrity and overcoming them. We’ve got free will. That’s why we have to be the examples for our children. Otherwise, they’re not going to take it seriously. They’re going to look at you like, ‘How can you tell me this and you’re not doing it?'”

No Apologies for Righteousness

Thomas affirmed:

“You don’t ever have to apologize if you’ve simply been righteous. You never apologize.”

Armond extended the principle:

“That requires a huge amount of integrity and intention. You can only have shame in being a hypocrite. I don’t think you can be shameful if you’re not being hypocritical.”

The foundation of witness is integrity. Without it, the message has no power. With it, the message needs no defense.

Part IX: The Closing Prayer — AI-Generated

Thomas introduced something new: a closing prayer generated by AI based on the themes of the fellowship discussions:

Lord God, we confess that we live in a nation that has turned from You. We have tolerated what You hate. We have called evil good and good evil. We have trusted in government more than in You.

Forgive us. Awaken us. Give us courage to stand up against unrighteousness, even when it costs us.

We pray for those who suffered in the Holocaust — for the victims, for the survivors, for their descendants who still ask, “Where were You?” Help us give answers that are honest, humble, and hopeful.

We pray for our nation — that the independent center would be grounded in Your truth, that the idol of tolerance would be cast down, that righteousness would exalt us again.

We pray for ourselves — that we would be Daniels in the lion’s den, willing to disobey human commands that violate Your law, willing to suffer for righteousness.

And we pray for the day when every government will reflect Your justice, when rulers will truly reward good and punish evil, when Your kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven.

Until that day — give us fire, give us courage, give us wisdom.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Leonard’s response: “Not bad for an AI prayer. That’s pretty good.”

Part X: Discussion Questions for the Fellowship

On the Holocaust and Theodicy

1. Susan cited Isaiah 59:2 — “Your iniquities have separated you from your God.” How does this apply to the Holocaust question? Is it “blaming the victim” or identifying a causal pattern?
2. Charlie drew the parallel to Esther — where a planned Holocaust was averted through fasting, prayer, and arming up. What made the difference between Esther’s generation and the European Jews of the 1930s?
3. Thomas described the “seismometer principle” — that a society must be microscopically sensitive to movements toward tyranny. How sensitive is your seismometer? What would activate it?

On the Legalization of Christianity

4. The AI analysis suggested that Constantine’s legalization transformed Christianity — making it more institutional, more hierarchical, more entangled with government. Did we convert the government, or did they convert us?
5. Thomas argued that without something to push against, we get weak. Is persecution necessary for spiritual vitality? What are the implications for Western Christianity today?
6. Charlie noted that the signs of Mark 16 — casting out devils, healing the sick — don’t describe the modern church. Why not? What would have to change?

On Separation and Power

7. Susan argues that the biblical call is to “come out” of secular government and let Christ be our King — and that this separation will unlock the power of Acts. Thomas argues for a holism where both government and people must be righteous. How do you reconcile these positions?
8. Armond synthesized: “We do have to separate ourselves — but we’re doing it just by following Christ. We’ve already separated ourselves.” What does internal separation look like practically?
9. Leonard described Zion as “the pure in heart.” How does this connect to the Beatitudes? What would a Zion community look like today?

On the Paw Paw Principle

10. Armond’s image: plant in the cold, grow roots downward into darkness, then fruit in two years. What does this mean for our fellowship? For the broader Christos vision?
11. Armond distinguished gravitropic growth (roots, downward) from phototropic growth (leaves and fruit, upward). Which phase are we in? What does that mean for our expectations?
12. Armond said, “You win them over in all the places that you thrive — not in their kingdom.” What are the places where you thrive? How do you create encounters there?

On Integrity and Witness

13. Armond argued that you cannot be hypocritical and expect credibility. His brother argued that “men are flawed.” How do you hold the tension between high standards and human weakness?
14. Thomas said, “You don’t ever have to apologize if you’ve simply been righteous.” What does this mean for how we respond to criticism?
15. What would it look like for our fellowship to be “above reproach” — living with such integrity that our witness needs no defense?

Key Quotes from This Meeting

On the Holocaust:

“I think the people who have been taught the gospel and reject it are the most hard-hearted people.” — Susan

“There was a Holocaust planned for the Jews in the time of Esther, and that Holocaust was avoided — by righteousness, by fasting and prayer, and the people arming up.” — Charlie

On vigilance:

“The level of righteousness that a society has to have is so great that it is microscopically perceptive of wrongness in the society, and it’s willing to stand up at personal cost.” — Thomas

On legalization:

“Did we convert the government — or have they converted us?” — Charlie

On separation:

“We do have to separate ourselves — but we’re doing it just by following Christ. We’ve already separated ourselves.” — Armond

On Zion:

“Zion is the pure in heart.” — Charlie (quoting Mormon scripture)

On the Paw Paw Principle:

“You have to plant them in the cold so that they grow down first and establish strong roots. And then within two years, they’ll actually fruit.” — Armond

“We’re planting our roots in the cold. What we’re doing now is growing downward into darkness. To change my heart, it required entering into darkness before my heart was changed. And then I can grow towards the light.” — Armond

On witness:

“You win them over in all the places that you thrive — not in their kingdom.” — Armond

“We are the gospel incarnate. We are living it and enrolling others in being it.” — Thomas

On integrity:

“You can only have shame in being a hypocrite. I don’t think you can be shameful if you’re not being hypocritical.” — Armond

A Closing Reflection

This meeting was about roots.

The roots of the Holocaust — in apostasy, in trusting government, in failing to stand up at the first signs of tyranny.

The roots of Christianity — transformed when it was legalized, entangled with empire, weakened by acceptance.

The roots of Zion — not a physical place but a condition of heart, the pure in heart who see God.

The roots of witness — integrity that requires no defense, lives that embody the gospel before they speak it.

And the roots of the paw paw tree — planted in the cold, growing downward into darkness before they can bear fruit.

This is where we are. Planting in the cold. Growing downward. Establishing roots in the darkness.

The fruit will come. But first, the roots.

“Way down yonder, in the Paw Paw patch…”
— Traditional American folk song

Source Material: Renaissance Ministries Fellowship Meeting, March 30, 2026. Participants: Thomas Abshier, Susan Gutierrez, Charlie Gutierrez, Leonard Hofheins, Armond Boulware.

Related Christos Content: “When God Gives Nations What They Deserve” (Romans 13 essay); “Tending the Garden” (Malone essay); “The Mind That Sustains the Lattice” (CPP-theology essay); Christos AI Theological Grammar.