This Week in Word from the Bird

Gnosticism. Downs Syndrome Lives. A Demiurge. Christian Nationalism. The Biblical Canon. Romans 13.

This is a mega, uber, super, duper, epic week on the substack.

Monday: What is Gnosticism? (Free Sign-Ups)
A video explaining some key terms such as Gnosis, a Gnostic, and Gnosticism.

Monday: Of the mixing of religion and politics there is no end (Free Sign-Ups)
Excerpt from Jesus and the Powers. What we believe in is a theo-political gospel that declares that Jesus is Lord and Caesar is not, and Jesus’s kingdom is about forgiveness and freedom to flourish as renewed human beings.

Tuesday: Are Down’s Syndrome Lives Worth Living? (Free Sign-Ups)
My apologies if the question causes any offense! I mean it not to be provocative as if this really should topic of discussion, rather, I ask it to make a point. Last year in the UK, Heidi Crowter, a 27-year-old woman with Down’s Syndrome, lodged a legal appeal to prevent the abortion of babies with Down’s Syndrome. Her appeal was lost and the reasoning of the judges was, well, concerning if you ask me.

Wednesday: Declamations Against the Demiurge (Free Sign-Ups)
I did a weird thing, I asked ChatGPT to write me a poem criticizing Yaldabaoth and it is quite funny but also a good intro into the Gnostic demiurge Yaldabaoth.

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Thursday: No, That's Not Christian Nationalism! (Paid Subscribers)
A recent pundit on MSNBC, Heidi Przybyla claimed that the telltale mark of Christian Nationalism is claiming that rights come from God, not from government or the people. Oh man, I don’t know where to begin with explaining why that is so wrong!

Friday: 6 Things About the Biblical Canon You Did Not Know! (Paid Subscribers)
The funny thing about the Bible is that the Bible does not tell you which books should be in the Bible? So I have Six things that most people do not know about the making of the Bible!

Saturday: Romans 13 and Obedience to Government (Free Sign-Ups)
N.T. Wright has a three-minute video on Romans 13, explaining what it is affirming, and how it can be abused.