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The only answer to a distressing situation

I send out this article, centred upon a text which is most suitable when Ulster is marking that day when God in His mercy granted a victory to the forces of William of Orange which providentially, secured for Ulster Protestants the freedom to worship in accordance with the Word of God.

I have to say that sadly, the day will be marked by many Orangemen crowding into public houses, many of which are owned by Irish republicans, in total ignorance of what it was happened on July 12th 1690 or the true significance of that event! They will have carried banners with Scripture texts and some lodges are even led by one of its members carrying a copy of the Bible as they march in the procession.

But grievingly such symbolism is meaningless to so many Orangemen!

We have surely witnessed the the foundations of our gospel heritage being eroded and destroyed by a departure within the main Protestant denominations

Sincerely in Christ’s name,

Ivan Foster

Polished granite stones, photo by L R on Unsplash

The only answer to a distressing situation

“If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:3.

The circumstances in which “the foundations” of true religion are deemed to be destroyed in a land is set forth in the Psalm.

1. When the believer is as a helpless bird being hunted, as was David in the days of this Psalm. In a day of apostasy the Christian is counted of little value, afforded little honour and deemed an easy target. David’s words to Saul as the king hunted him, are worth repeating. “Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains,” 1 Samuel 26:20.

Nothing is more despised than is the witness of the gospel today. It is for this reason political organisations such as the Democratic Unionist Party seek to cast off the cloak of ‘the old-time religion’ it once was happy to wear because it is now deemed a liability and costing them votes!

2. When the wicked feel that they are free to target the upright. “For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart,” verse 2.

Sadly it is not just the wicked but foolish and blinded professing Christians who ‘shoot’ lies and false criticisms at those who are ‘correct’ in their denunciations of the sins of this age. They whisper and seek to conceal their false and defamatory statements from those they target for they know in their hearts that there is no substance to their allegations!

It is in such circumstances that it may be seen that the ‘foundation, support, stay’ (Hebrew) of true and holy religion has come under attack and ‘been pulled down’.

Is that not the state of affairs today? (more…)

Eastwood’s empty oath & Translink and anti-Protestant discrimination

The SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, underscores how empty and worthless are his solemn, sincere and faithful promises as he makes a mockery of his oath to the king in order to obtain his MP’s salary.

His actions are but a public display of what Roman Catholics believe is morally acceptable – ‘Mental Reservation’.

It is defined thus: “Mental reservation (or mental equivocation) is an ethical theory and a doctrine in moral theology which recognizes the “lie of necessity”, and holds that when there is a conflict between justice and telling the truth, it is justice that should prevail. The doctrine is a special branch of casuistry (case-based reasoning) developed in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance and associated with the Jesuits.”

See this article: MP oath to King an empty formula, says SDLP leader

Also for your reading is this article by Dr Edward Cooke of Queens University, Belfast.

Is Translink a company that increasingly discriminates against Protestants and Unionists within Northern Ireland in its policy of mutual cultural recognition?

This question arises when you consider that on the 12th, 13th and 14 July 2024, Translink (according to the latest timetable) run eight, eight and five trains respectively from Portadown to Dublin, when on the 13th and 14 July there are three all-Ireland, semi-final GAA matches being played at Croke Park in Dublin and when on the 13 July, Translink run only two trains from Portadown to Scarva (at 6.07pm and 11.07pm) after the Royal Black Scarva pageant has finished?! Why the disparity, considering the potential for Translink to generate revenues on the 13th July when some 100,000 spectators travel (by private transport) to watch the Scarva pageant?

Scarva increasing is a victim of its own success. Difficulty, and the increasing cost of accessing the limited amount of car-parking and the inequalities in relying on private transport with an exclusionary public transportation policy, asks equality questions of the operations management at Translink! Moreover, Translink appear to provide none of the regular public bus services from Banbridge and Portadown to Scarva, and in doing so, this policy clearly disadvantages elderly and economically disadvantaged Protestants and unionists who have no private means from spectating at one of the cultural delights within Northern Ireland. It a[pears on the face of it, Translink have omitted to consider the S.75 equality screening implications of its operating decisions around the provision of public transportation to Dublin and Scarva!

With these disadvantages in mind, it is little wonder that increasingly more NI unionists are continuing the 12th July holiday period with a rail visit to Bangor on the 13th July to watch the Bangor and Lurgan Black Preceptory parade, a parade that paradoxically deserves to be better supported by the NI unionist population.

If Translink have taken a conscious policy decision to abandon the 13 July Scarva parade, it then falls on the parade organisers of the Scarva pageant to better inform (and improve) public accessibility to Scarva for all in order to ensure that the elderly and economically disadvantaged unionist community are provided with information and a means to watch the Scarva pageant.

Dr Edward Cooke

Why the Muslim Vote campaign is a glimpse into a horrifying future

This article from ‘The Telegraph’ of London makes interesting reading.

We may not agree with every sentence and sentiment but the core of the article is all about the input of the alien cultural ambitions of some Muslim activists that has had an impact upon the recent election and will have a great impact in the future!!

What is happening in England is something that I mentioned long ago! I recall that I wrote that the back-stabbing by the Westminster governments of the loyalist people of Northern Ireland in the treacherously deceitful way that the terrorism of the IRA was used by governments to wear down and force compromise after compromise from foolish Unionist politicians, would come back upon their heads one day!

One wonders if the Muslim ‘campaign (which) is a glimpse into a horrifying future’ referred to in this article, might take on an even greater likeness to Sinn Fein/IRA’s end game of murderous terrorism?

Sincere regards,

Ivan Foster

Why the Muslim Vote campaign is a glimpse into a horrifying future

Group’s sectarian insurgency over Gaza succeeded in making a dent to Labour’s majority

Jake Wallis Simons

Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth is one of numerous Labour members toppled by a independent candidate in their constituency Credit: Tayfun Salci/Shutterstock

When the circus finally arrived, it offered the usual attractions. The old rituals were a comfort. John Curtice, the swing-o-meter, Laura Kuenssberg and Jeremy Vine performed the familiar motions, not to mention the irrepressible Count Binface.

(Count Binface is a satirical perennial candidate created by the British comedian Jonathan David — The BB Editor)

But while the Labour celebrations and the Tory misery felt routine – even after we had grown used to them in opposite roles – under cover of darkness, a shocking new act crept into the tent.

An insurgent force has entered British politics. The Muslim Vote had no rosette and advanced no meaningful manifesto beyond a set of deeply sectarian principles. It stood candidates tactically, and owed their allegiances purely to religious and ethnic interests.

It had a single set of demands, all related to Gaza. This was a non-party. Yet in numbers, its victory was equal to Reform.

On the day of the election, Jeremy Corbyn proclaimed: “Today, Palestine is on the ballot.” If victorious in Islington North, he added, he would “stand up for the people of Gaza” and campaign tirelessly for “an end to the occupation of Palestine”. (more…)