This podcast begins with an insightful review of GAB CEO Andrew Torba’s new book.  Torba argues for the creation of a “parallel polis.”  He believes that America will continue on with the current “liberal” order and an alternative, or “parallel” order, that will be built by a variety of churches.

I have deep personal, and professional, experience with this idea in Maine.  It not only did NOT work for me, it created enormous confusion for myself and everyone I love.

Professor Jones points out that the Church was created by Jesus Christ.  He allows that it is also maintained by Him to this day.  And that you can visit the headquarters of the Church Jesus created.  It is St. Peter’s Basilica.  It is located in Rome.  This is reality.

Arriving at this conclusion introduced deep peace into my daily existence as a Christian in Maine.  After extensive prayer, research and reading I concluded I must decide between two headquarter cities if I wanted to remain Western (I considered Eastern Orthodoxy also).  Those two cities are Rome and Washington DC.  Since the end of WWII DC has served as the HQ of Protestantism.  Before that it was probably London going back to King Henry VIII, at least for the part of the world that spoke English.

Religions express in culture the most crucial sort of unity for humans.  No religion can survive by making every single adherent into an ultimate moral authority — a priest.  Protestantism does just that.  The doctrine is called the “Priesthood of all Believers.”

The evidence of the impracticality of this religious practice is all around us.  Some American Christians have elevated Donald Trump above the office of Priest, maybe even Pope.  Christian Zionists, nearly all of them Protestant, are so incapable of rational observation with respect to their “savior” that a majority of them cannot see the evil inherent in the recently circulated short video depicting Trump as a hundred foot high golden statue in the heart of a glorified luxury resort built on the remains of tens of thousands of murdered Gazan women and children.  The video hearkens back to another arrogant leader from Old Testament times, Nebuchadnezzar.  He was judged harshly by God, forced to live for years as an animal.

Turning to the effect of this doctrine on my spirituality, I took my priestly responsibility so seriously that I registered my own “church” with the State of Maine.  The constitution allows for it.  Anyone can create an organization called a “Religious Society.”  I felt a duty to do so because I believe in government.  I honor the God-given duties of governments everywhere.

What led me to this action?

I publicly declared my agreement with the morals of Jesus Christ for twenty years as leader of the Christian Civic League of Maine.  i was forced to resign as Maine turned toward the elimination of civil marriage after adding the politically loaded phrase “sexual orientation” to the Maine Human Rights Act.  I couldn’t pivot without distancing myself from the Gospel.  The League pivoted.  I couldn’t.

And now Maine is insanely embroiled internationally in a fight over whether boys who claim they are girls should be allowed to compete in sports.

I was right not to distance myself from the Gospel on the subject of human sexuality.  I was wrong to think that God wanted me to create a Religious Society for that purpose.  It takes a bad case of hubris to come to that conclusion.  I had a really bad case.

Easter of 2020 I laid aside my pride and entered the Roman Catholic Church.  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit have been deepening their ministry to my soul ever since.  I am more dedicated to my Christian faith than ever, and more relaxed about it.

Torba’s Parallel Polis idea may bear some good fruit.  Who knows.  Only God knows the future.  And He is always going someplace good.

As for me I will keep looking for ways to encourage American unity by way of practicing my Christian faith strengthened by the sacraments of the Church.

Amen.