Although the Roman Catholic Church has regained much of the influence and prestige that it previously enjoyed during the Dark Ages, it nevertheless has encountered many 20th-century controversies that have been extremely vexing. One of the most pressing and scandalous problems is the issue of sexual misconduct by priests and child abuse. From ancient times, the Catholic Church has promulgated the celibacy of priests, a doctrine that is not upheld by scripture, but has been firmly maintained over the years.

Protestant attacks on priestly celibacy come in a number of different forms—not all compatible with one another. There is almost no other subject about which so many different confusions exist. The first and most basic confusion is thinking of priestly celibacy as a dogma or doctrine—a central and irreformable part of the faith, believed by Catholics to come from Jesus and the apostles. Thus some Protestants make a great deal of a biblical reference to Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:30), apparently supposing that, if Catholics only knew that Peter had been married, they would be unable to regard him as the first pope. Again, Protestant time lines of “Catholic inventions” assign “mandatory priestly celibacy” to this or that year in Church history, as if prior to this requirement the Church could not have been Catholic. These Protestants are often surprised to learn that even today celibacy is not the rule for all Catholic priests. In fact, for Eastern Rite Catholics, married priests are the norm, just as they are for Orthodox and Oriental Christians. Even in the Eastern churches, though, there have always been some restrictions on marriage and ordination. Although married men may become priests, unmarried priests may not marry; and married priests, if widowed, may not remarry. Moreover, there is an ancient Eastern discipline of choosing bishops from the ranks of the celibate monks, so their bishops are all unmarried. The tradition in the Western or Latin-Rite Church has been for priests as well as bishops to take vows of celibacy, a rule that has been firmly in place since the early Middle Ages. Even today, though, exceptions are made. For example, there are married Latin-Rite priests who are converts from Lutheranism and Episcopalianism. As these variations and exceptions indicate, priestly celibacy is not an unchangeable dogma but a disciplinary rule. The fact that Peter was married is no more contrary to the Catholic faith than the fact that the pastor of the nearest Maronite Catholic church is married. CATHOLIC ANSWERS: Celibacy And The Priesthood by Nihil Obstat, August 10, 2004.

The reasons behind the unwillingness of a great many in the Catholic hierarchy to discuss celibacy are, for Scheper-Hughes and Devine (2003: 20), very clear and consist of the fact that the mantle and aura of prestige that has been accorded to Catholic priests allowed them to be treated for generations as special agents of God, as mediators between ordinary humans and the divine. Celibacy endowed Catholic priests with awesome, almost magical, power and authority. Celibate priests were not “ordinary men”. It is this aura, this “mystical halo”, that the pedophile priests have taken advantage of to gain easy access to naive religious families and their vulnerable children. And it is just this powerful aura that the American bishops want to protect. Hence the cover-ups, the secrecy, and the stonewalling of prosecutors. Hence also the Vatican’s resistance to all well-reasoned proposals for eliminating mandatory celibacy for Roman Catholic clergy; for opening up the priesthood to women and married clergy; to an open discussion of an identified subterranean gay subculture of premier American Catholic seminaries; and, consideration of what might be a more positive and healthy alternative to this. CELIBACY AND SEXUAL ABUSE: Is There A Link by Marco Marzano, 2004.

(TO BE CONTINUED).

Today, the Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the world. It rejoices under many names: “Roman”, “Holy”, and “Apostolic Catholic Church”, “Roman Catholic Church”, and “Holy Roman Catholic Church” – continue to appear in various books and other publications. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Catholic ecclesiology professes the Catholic Church to be the “sole Church of Christ”—i.e., the one true church defined as “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic” in the Four Marks of the Church in the Nicene Creed. According to the CIA Factbook and the Pew Research Center, the five countries with the most prominent Catholic populations are, in decreasing order of Catholic population: Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, the United States, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There is only one country on earth in which there is no Catholic Church, and that is Saudi Arabia. There are no parishes in Saudi Arabia, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia. Saudi Arabia allows Catholics and Christians of other denominations to enter the country as foreign workers for temporary work, but does not allow them to practise their faith openly.

Presidents and prime ministers are often the first to come to mind when thinking about who shapes foreign policy. But there is another resonating voice at the center of international relations: the pope. Unlike other religious leaders, the head of the Roman Catholic Church exercises a unique influence over global affairs. In recent years, popes have helped shape the outcomes of critical inflection points in history. The Second Vatican Council’s 1964 dogmatic constitution Lumen gentium (LG) declared that the “pope’s power of primacy” is by “virtue of his office, that is as Vicar of Christ and pastor of the whole Church”, and is “full, supreme and universal power over the Church” which he “is always free to exercise”. The pope does not necessarily possess a great deal of “hard power,” but he certainly serves as a moral authority for followers and leaders across the globe. The Vatican is also an observer to the United Nations, which lends the Pope some authority on international issues as well. While popes traditionally receive a salary, reports indicate that the current wage for the position is $32,000 per month. However, Pope Francis has opted to either donate this money to the church, use it for a foundation, place it in trust, or pass it to a family member.

The Church has no armies, no air force, no navy, no missiles or artillery. She has no tax inspectors or lawcourts to levy taxes on her faithful, unlike secular states, which can freeze your bank accounts or send in bailiffs for failure to pay your taxes. She cannot prosecute or imprison anyone for refusing to attend Sunday Mass. Her power is simply the power of God’s word and the power of persuasion. Catholics are free to walk away from the Church, and they will incur no fatwa, no death sentence for apostasy. The Catholic Church is the largest voluntary organization on the planet and also the largest charitable organization. She has existed for 1990 years because the Holy Spirit supports her with His divine grace and power. The Catholic Church has a lot of influence, because of its 1.3 billion members, but it has no power in the hard sense of power to compel, which all secular governments have. QUORA: How Powerful Is The Catholic Church by Francis Marsden.

LIST OF WEALTHIEST RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

Organization	Worth (billion USD)	Country	Religion/Belief	Notes
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	293	United States	Mormonism	Includes everything from investments, operating assets (ecclesiastical buildings) and real estate, mostly from USA.[1]
Setad (Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order)	95 to 135	Iran	Shiite Islam	[2][3][4][5]
Muhammadiyah	167.74	Indonesia	Sunni Islam	Roughly converted from 400 trillion rupiah as of 2023; mostly in the form of land and buildings (Hospitals, Mosques, Schools, & Universities).[6]
Catholic Church in Germany	47.24 to 265.62	Germany	Catholicism	Some sources suggest a value as high as $265.62 billion, while others put it closer to $47.24 billion due to limited public data on the Church’s finances. Former totals the value of land, real estate, investments and holdings of the Catholic Church and its institutions.[7][8]
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD)	31.11	India	Hinduism	Holdings reportedly includes 10.25 tonnes of gold deposits in banks, 2.5 tonnes of gold jewelry, $1.9 billion in various banks and 960 properties across India.[9]
Catholic Church in France	23.0	France	Catholicism
Catholic Church in Australia	23.25	Australia	Catholicism	Extrapolated figure from calculating assets and investments in the state of Victoria.[10]
Seventh-day Adventist Church	15.6	United States	Adventism	As of 1998.[11]
Church of England	13.84	United Kingdom	Anglican	Endowment funds.[12]
Church of Sweden	11.41	Sweden	Lutheran	FY2012. Largely of assets that are in forests, buildings and securities. Another 3.07 billion as annual income.[13]
Trinity Church	6.0	United States	Anglican	[14][15][16]
Opus Dei (part of the Catholic Church)	3.0	Italy	Catholicism	[17]
Church of Scientology	2.0	United States	Scientology	[18][19]
Holy See (Vatican)	Incalculable[20]	Vatican City	Catholicism	Not available due to widespread properties globally.[21][22][23]

The historical tectonic shifts, such as the Great Schism, the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and the French Revolution, which the Roman Catholic Church experienced, almost obliterated the seventh world empire due to their devastating impact. If that religious behemoth had been completely destroyed from the pages of ancient and modern history, such an event would have been an extraordinary development. All the other ancient world empires, including Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, the Medo-Persian Empire, Greece, and Rome, continue to exist today. But none of them enjoys the universal sway that they exercised during the time of their dominion. The Roman Catholic Church, however, continues to exert religious influence on a global scale. The black Pope, otherwise known as Ignatius Loyola, along with other movers and shakers of the Counter Reformation, can take credit for the continued existence of Roman Catholicism as we know it today.

Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491 into a large, wealthy Spanish family. From a young age, he aspired to become a knight surrounded by fame and glory. He was hit in the leg by a cannonball in 1521, which shattered his career as a knight and his secular aspirations. During his recovery, he started reading about Christ and the lives of the saints. As he read, he came to realize that, under God’s leadership, he could still be a hero. He decided to lay down his weapon and armour at a statue of Mary as a physical sign of his conversion to a life of faith. In his thirties, he matriculated at a university not only to study Latin but also to receive an appropriate education that would equip him to teach and serve in a religious capacity. His influence was contagious. He formed a nucleus of friends who assembled frequently to study the bible and pray. Although the Inquisition accused him of heresy, since he was teaching people to pray and was not a priest, he was declared innocent and later released after spending forty-two days in prison.

As time progressed, Ignatius developed a deep spiritual life in which he sought God’s presence along with the divine approval in all things. He developed significant expertise in giving spiritual guidance to his friends. Together, Ignatius and his colleagues went on to found the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, which evolved from a group of 8 to 1000 members during his lifetime. The Jesuits focused on opening and operating educational institutions so that they could teach others how to discover God’s will for their lives. Saint Ignatius’s legacy of good deeds and adherence to God’s will continues to be an inspiration to Catholics worldwide. KOLBE ACADEMY: Who Was Ignatius Of Loyola? By Stacey Jarzynka 

1. The Catholic Counter-Reformation began in the mid-16th century as a direct response to the challenges posed by Martin Luther and other Protestant reformers, such as Melanchthon, Calvin, and Zwingli. Pope John Paul 111 (1534-1549) is considered the first pope of the Counter Reformation. He also initiated the Council of Trent (1545-1563). This ecclesiastical body was tasked with institutional reform, addressing contentious issues such as corrupt bishops and priests, the sale of indulgences, and other financial abuses.
2. Key outcomes of the Counter-Reformation included the establishment of the Index of Forbidden Books, which sought to control and limit access to literature deemed heretical. This index was compiled by official sensors and was an implementation of one part of the teaching of the Catholic Church: to prevent the contamination of the faith, or the corruption of morals, through the reading of theologically erroneous or immoral books. Certain translations of the bible were included in this index.
3. The Council of Trent reaffirmed core Catholic doctrines such as transubstantiation, the importance of tradition alongside scripture, and the necessity of good works for salvation.
4. The Jesuit order, which had a profound impact on Roman Catholicism, became instrumental in spreading Catholicism globally through education, as a means to counteract protestantism. Through their missions, they emphasized discipline and a focus on intellectual rigor, significantly impacting areas like Asia and Latin America.
5. The Counter-Reformation not only sought to reform internal Church practices but also involved aggressive campaigns against Protestant regions, contributing to religious conflicts like the Thirty Years’ War. AP WORLD HISTORY: Catholic Counter-Reformation

 

Although these plots to ruin a nation that has historically been God’s chosen people, and whose inhabitants have enjoyed divine protection in a world that is hostile to sacred values. These dangerous conspiracies have not necessarily been listed in chronological order, but they are serious enough and of sufficient importance to prevent them from being overlooked or ignored. One such event was the complete destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian emperor, Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah was the son of the righteous king Josiah, a descendant of David.

Zedekiah, aka Tzidkiyahu, originally called Mattanyahu or Mattaniah, was the 20th and last king of Judah before the destruction of the kingdom by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. He was born in 618 BC in Jerusalem, and died in Babylon. He reigned from 597–586 BC. His reign ended in the destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation of the Jews to Babylon. Mattaniah was the son of Josiah and the uncle of Jehoiachin, the reigning king of Judah. In 597 BC the Babylonians under King Nebuchadrezzar, besieged and captured Jerusalem. They deported Jehoiachin to Babylon and made Mattaniah regent under the name Zedekiah. Zedekiah held his throne as a vassal under an oath of allegiance to Nebuchadrezzar. QUORA: Who Was The King Of Judah When The Babylonians Destroyed Jerusalem By Roberta Brown

In 586 BC the Babylonian military, led by King Nebuchadnezzar, succeeded in breaking a two-year-long siege and destroyed much of the city of Jerusalem; her walls, palaces, and most devastatingly, the Temple of Solomon. Nebuchadnezzar was continuing his mission to secure and grow the resurrected Babylonian Empire, known today as the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Years earlier, he had already made Judah a part of his empire (2 Kings 24:1), requiring yearly tribute. But when Jerusalem’s vassal king Jehioakim rebelled, Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city and won (597 BC); instead of destroying it, took in pledge into exile the new King Jehoiachin, much of the royal family, courts, nobility, priesthood, and military. Nebuchadnezzar then appointed a new, and who ended up being the last, king of Jerusalem, Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:10-17). BIBLE DISCOVERY: 586 B.C. The Fall Of Jerusalem, By Corie Bobechko, July 28, 2020.

History has a way of repeating itself. Jerusalem was destroyed because of its own sins in ancient times. Still, before God’s judgement fell upon them, they were repeatedly warned by His prophets over many years. In fact, Jeremiah pleaded with Israel and warned them for forty years before any of his prophecies were fulfilled.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.’ “For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.” Jeremiah 7:3-7 (NKJV).

Israel’s greatest sin was its rejection and crucifixion of the world’s Redeemer. Not all Jews rejected the Saviour, but the majority of the nation did. Those who embraced Jesus were permitted to flee to Perea. While sheltering there, they were able to escape the terrible catastrophe that came upon the Jews who had taken refuge in the city of Jerusalem.

The hour of hope and pardon was fast passing; the cup of God’s long-deferred wrath was almost full. The cloud that had been gathering through ages of apostasy and rebellion, now black with woe, was about to burst upon a guilty people; and He who alone could save them from their impending fate had been slighted, abused, rejected, and was soon to be crucified. When Christ should hang upon the cross of Calvary, Israel’s day as a nation favored and blessed of God would be ended. The loss of even one soul is a calamity infinitely outweighing the gains and treasures of a world; but as Christ looked upon Jerusalem, the doom of a whole city, a whole nation, was before Him—that city, that nation, which had once been the chosen of God, His peculiar treasure. GC 20.3

Not one Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem. Christ had given His disciples warning, and all who believed His words watched for the promised sign. “When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies,” said Jesus, “then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out.” Luke 21:20, 21. Upon the retreat of Cestius, the Jews, sallying from Jerusalem, pursued after his retiring army; and while both forces were thus fully engaged, the Christians had an opportunity to leave the city. At this time the country also had been cleared of enemies who might have endeavored to intercept them. At the time of the siege, the Jews were assembled at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, and thus the Christians throughout the land were able to make their escape unmolested. Without delay they fled to a place of safety—the city of Pella, in the land of Perea, beyond Jordan. THE GREAT CONTROVERSY By Ellen G. White

Prophets had wept over the apostasy of Israel and the terrible desolations by which their sins were visited. Jeremiah wished that his eyes were a fountain of tears, that he might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of his people, for the Lord’s flock that was carried away captive. Jeremiah 9:1; 13:17. What, then, was the grief of Him whose prophetic glance took in, not years, but ages! He beheld the destroying angel with sword uplifted against the city which had so long been Jehovah’s dwelling place. From the ridge of Olivet, the very spot afterward occupied by Titus and his army, He looked across the valley upon the sacred courts and porticoes, and with tear-dimmed eyes He saw, in awful perspective, the walls surrounded by alien hosts. He heard the tread of armies marshaling for war. He heard the voice of mothers and children crying for bread in the besieged city. He saw her holy and beautiful house, her palaces and towers, given to the flames, and where once they stood, only a heap of smoldering ruins. GC 21.1

Looking down the ages, He saw the covenant people scattered in every land, “like wrecks on a desert shore.” In the temporal retribution about to fall upon her children, He saw but the first draft from that cup of wrath which at the final judgment she must drain to its dregs. Divine pity, yearning love, found utterance in the mournful words: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” O that thou, a nation favored above every other, hadst known the time of thy visitation, and the things that belong unto thy peace! I have stayed the angel of justice, I have called thee to repentance, but in vain. It is not merely servants, delegates, and prophets, whom thou hast refused and rejected, but the Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer. If thou art destroyed, thou alone art responsible. “Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.” Matthew 23:37; John 5:40. THE GREAT CONTROVERSY, By Ellen G. White 

If Iran is really plotting to wipe modern Israel off the map, that idea is nothing new. It has existed since ancient times. The first plot was limited in scope and originated in the mind of the Egyptian Pharaoh when he conceived the idea of killing all the Hebrew boys. Probably because one of his seers had foreseen the rise of a Hebrew deliverer who would free them from Egyptian bondage.

According to the Sages, the Egyptians had two distinct reasons for their decree. The first reason was to lessen the exploding Jewish population (Exodus 1:9-10). At first, Pharaoh demanded that the Jewish midwives themselves abort the baby boys. When they refused, he made a nationwide decree to throw all baby boys into the Nile (v. 22). The second reason for Pharaoh’s decree is not stated in the Torah but is noted by the Sages. Egypt was a culture steeped in astrology and all manners of occultism. Pharaoh’s decree was based upon the advice of his astrologers – who predicted that the Jewish people’s redeemer was soon to be born (as he indeed was). They further intuited that he would have a vulnerability to water (and in fact Moses would eventually be punished on account of water – when he produced a well in the desert by hitting a rock rather than speaking to it – see Numbers 20:7-13). Putting these two facts together, Pharaoh’s advisers recommended throwing all the Jewish babies into the water – reasoning that this may enable them to slay the future redeemer at his birth. AISH: Duration Of Decree To Throw Baby Boys Into Nile By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld, February 17, 2025.

Exodus 1:8 says, “Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt.” I believe this pharaoh was King Ahmose (1550-1525 BCE), who drove out of Lower Egypt the ruling foreign Hyksos (Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, p.201)—Lower Egypt being the Delta region referred to in Scripture as Goshen.  Historians tell us Hyksos is a Greek term meaning, “rulers of foreign countries,” and the Egyptians applied it to the immigrants from Syria-Palestine, who grew and prospered through the 12^th and 13^th dynasties of Egypt’s history. MESU ANDREWS: Who’s The Baby-Killing- Meany-Pharoah In Exodus 1?

Although it is estimated that up to 600,000 infants were probably murdered in this act of genocide, the plan was a complete failure. Because Israel’s deliverer was not only born on time but lived until he was 120 years of age. Furthermore, he was instrumental in delivering Israel from Egyptian bondage.

The second plan was to completely exterminate the Hebrew people in their entirety, and it was formulated at the Red Sea by Pharaoh himself. When he ordered his vast cavalry to pursue the fleeing Israelites into the divided waters of the Sea and massacre them. The only problem there is that everything went wrong, and his plan to exterminate Israel spectacularly backfired.

The Pharaoh of Egypt ordered his army and chariots into the parting of the Red Sea primarily to pursue the Israelites after they had escaped from slavery in Egypt. According to the biblical account in the Book of Exodus, after Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, Pharaoh had a change of heart and decided to chase them down to bring them back. The Israelites found themselves trapped between the advancing Egyptian army and the Red Sea. In response to the Israelites’ fear and desperation, Moses, guided by God, parted the waters of the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground. Pharaoh, determined to recapture the Israelites and unwilling to let them go, ordered his forces to follow them into the sea. However, as the Egyptian army pursued the Israelites into the parted waters, the sea returned to its normal state after the Israelites had crossed. This led to the drowning of Pharaoh’s army, which is viewed as a pivotal moment in the narrative, symbolizing the liberation of the Israelites and the power of God over their oppressors. QUORA: Why Did Pharaoh Order His Army And Chariots Into The Parting Of The Red Sea By Saurio

The third plot of historical records was hatched in the mind of the prime minister of Persia, Haman, to be precise. Who felt so aggrieved by Mordecai the Jew’s refusal to bow down before him and render him due homage that he thought the only appropriate remedy was to avenge himself by exterminating all Jews throughout the Persian empire.

Haman (Hebrew: הָמָן Hāmān; also known as Haman the Agagite) is the main antagonist in the Book of Esther, who according to the Hebrew Bible was an official in the court of the Persian empire under King Ahasuerus, commonly identified as Xerxes I (died 465 BCE) but traditionally equated with Artaxerxes I or Artaxerxes II. His epithet, Agagite, indicates that Haman was a descendant of Agag, the king of the Amalekites. Some commentators interpret this descent to be symbolic, due to his similar personality. In the narrative of the Book of Esther, Haman was a proud and ambitious man who demanded that everyone bow down to him as a sign of respect. However, a Jewish man named Mordecai refused to bow down to him, which enraged Haman. Seeking revenge, Haman convinced the king to issue a decree that all Jews in the Persian empire be exterminated. Haman’s plot was foiled by Queen Esther, who was also Jewish and had concealed her identity from the King. Esther revealed Haman’s plan to Ahasuerus and pleaded with him to spare her people. The King was outraged at Haman’s treachery and ordered that he be executed instead. WIKIPEDIA: Haman.

Unfortunately, the Jews rejected the Messiah and, as a result, doomed themselves. Based upon divine revelation, we know that this development was the outworking of the Satanic conspiracy of the ages. Not only to frustrate the plan of salvation, but to get the world to reject the Redeemer. Consequently, the Saviour Himself predicted the fall of Jerusalem and the decimation of the Jewish people.

“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Matthew 23:31-37 (NKJV).

The Jewish people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, have had to pay a heavy price indeed for their rejection of the Messiah and their antipathy towards the Gospel. As the saying goes, “Hindsight is always better than foresight.” Messianic Jews have accepted the biblical teachings about Jesus and look forward to His second coming with fervent hope. Most Jews, however, recoil at the idea that He has come at all and are still looking for His first advent.

But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!” Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!” When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.” Matthew 27:20-25 (NKJV).

The siege and destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, along with the slaughter of countless thousands, was one of the darkest events in Jewish history. These calamities, unfortunately, they brought upon themselves. The wanton waste of priceless treasure, the desecration of the temple, and the unconscionable shedding of the blood of the aged, women, and children are shameful tragedies which will forever stain the pages of Roman and Jewish history.

In 70 AD the land of Judea was plunged into chaos and turmoil. Bands of Zealots and other Jewish rebel groups roved the countryside attacking Roman garrisons and even their own Jewish brethren they accused of sympathizing or appeasing the Romans. The Romans reacted with brutality, showing no mercy as they indiscriminately killed men, women, and children. Scores of Jews throughout the land fleeing the Romans made their way to Jerusalem where the Zealots had successfully ousted the Roman garrison from the city in 66 AD. In April of 70 AD, the Roman General, Titus, who would later become Caesar, besieged the city of Jerusalem with over 100,000 people trapped inside. As the Romans tightened their strangle hold upon the city, the Zealots and groups opposing them began fighting each other within the city, even burning each other’s food supplies. Anarchy, fear, and starvation reigned within Jerusalem’s city walls. Outside the city camped the Romans who would crucify any man, woman, or child caught fleeing the city. So many crosses were being made to crucify those fleeing that the woods in the surrounding area were almost completely deforested. After a four-month siege, on the 9th of the Jewish month of Av (then the 10th of August), the Romans stormed the city, killing everyone who was left inside and completely destroying the city and the Temple. It was said that so many were the slain on the Temple mount that the stairs to the Temple flowed with blood. Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, who was present in Jerusalem when the city was captured and burned, described the devastation in this manner: “The countryside like the City was a pitiful sight; for where once there had been a lovely vista of woods and parks there was nothing but desert and stumps of treesÖ every trace of beauty had been blotted out by war, and nobody who had known it in the past and came upon it suddenly would have recognized the place: when he was already there he would still have been looking for the city.” HOPE FOR ISRAEL: Jerusalem 70 A.D., Not One Stone Left Upon Another.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Listening to World News and witnessing the brutality and horror of women and small children being massacred by Israeli military forces, while they gather at aid agencies to try and obtain food and water. One wonders if there is any lower level of brutality, criminal callousness, and human depravity to which Israel can sink. What amazes me is that no voices are being raised within the ruling American Republican Party to protest against such outrageous and inhumane atrocities. I’m reminded of the words of God’s Son:

 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” Matthew 18:6-7 (NKJV)

At least 34 Palestinians have been killed and several others wounded by Israeli fire while waiting for humanitarian aid in central and southern Gaza Strip, hospital sources told Al Jazeera. At least 82 Palestinians were killed across Gaza by the Israeli army on Friday, sources said, including several in an attack where jets bombed a house west of Deir el-Balah. At least 37 people were killed in central Gaza, including 23 who were seeking aid, according to hospital sources. In Gaza City, another 23 people lost their lives, while 22 were killed in southern Gaza – 11 of whom were also aid seekers. Israeli attacks on hungry Palestinians near aid centres have killed hundreds of people since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) started distributions on May 27. ALJAZEERA: ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT: Dozens Of Aid Seekers Among 82 People Killed In Israeli Attacks On Gaza, 20 June 2025.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vociferously denied this allegation. However, several agencies are accusing the Israeli government of complicity in this matter. Apart from being a revelation of Israel’s hatred of and disrespect for the fundamental human rights of all Palestinians, what could Israel possibly gain from this kind of gutter savagery?

A newspaper report published in Hebrew and English quoting Israeli soldiers saying commanders have ordered them to shoot at unarmed hungry crowds of people in Gaza trying to reach food distribution sites prompted a scathing response by Israel’s prime minister on Friday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement calling the Haaretz report “blood libel.” “These are malicious falsehoods designed to defame the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], the most moral military in the world,” they added. Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 500 people have been killed and more than 4,000 wounded by Israeli forces while seeking food aid in the past month. The Haaretz report quotes multiple anonymous Israeli soldiers describing what they say are the military’s attacks on people trying to get food aid in Gaza since May 27. The soldiers say they were ordered by commanders to fire at unarmed civilians who were approaching food distribution sites during off hours, even when the crowds posed no threat. NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT: Israel’s Leaders Slam A News Report On A ‘Gaza Killing Field,’ Near Food Sites By Aya Batrawy, June 28, 2025.

Israel is losing a great deal of support and goodwill in the rest of the world, primarily because of its actions in the Gaza Strip. The large-scale destruction of houses, hospitals, schools, and other facilities erected to serve and uplift the oppressed Palestinian people is one thing. Such military campaigns have been justified as an attempt to destroy the Hamas guerrillas taking refuge within them. The massacre of defenceless women and children, whose only offence was trying to obtain food from an aid agency located explicitly within Gaza, exclusively for that purpose, is a grave offence which the civilized world will not countenance.

Call it karma, divine providence, the wrath of God, or whatever you will, such amoral deeds return to haunt those who are responsible for them. Students of modern history will never forget the large-scale bombing of Germany by the Allied forces. Following the calculated massacres organized by Hitler and his generals against Jews in general. As we read in scripture:

‘Is this not laid up in store with Me, Sealed up among My treasures?
Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.’ Deuteronomy 32:34-35 (NKJV).

Accordingly, the widespread destruction rained down upon many Israeli cities by gigantic Iranian missiles is no coincidence. Furthermore, I’m sure that the magnitude and severity of the devastation inflicted was a source of great shock to many Jews, not only to those living in Israel but also worldwide. The sobering, brutal truth is that Israel had no sympathizers.

Israel is confronting the aftermath of what US President Donald Trump dubbed as the “12-day war”, a conflict that concluded on June 23 in a shaky ceasefire amid reports of violations. While the road ahead remains uncertain, those 12 days brought some of the most sustained and direct attacks on Israeli cities in decades. Dozens of Iranian missiles broke through Israel’s Iron Dome and layered defense systems, resulting in deaths, injuries, and significant damage to critical infrastructure. As of June 17, based on available reports, Israel had suffered at least 24 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and extensive damage to residential, medical, and scientific infrastructure, with major strikes hitting near Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Beersheba, and Rehovot. The actual toll may be higher, as Israeli authorities have withheld certain casualty and damage figures under military censorship. On June 15, a missile struck Bat Yam, killing nine people, including three children. More than 200 others were injured, five of whom were Ukrainian nationals. WORLD: TRT GLOBAL: The Damage Iran’s Missiles Inflicted On Israel, June 24, 2025.

Only five Arab states have a formal peace treaty with Israel. The others may be considered as being in a state of war with the Jewish nation. From the perspective of this author, a lasting peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis is an unattainable pipe dream.

Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, US president Jimmy Carter, center, and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin clasp hands on the north lawn of the White House as they sign the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, March 26, 1979. (AP/Bob Daugherty)

Prime Minister Menachem Begin, left, with President Jimmy Carter, center, and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt at Camp David in September 1978. (photo credit: CC BY-SA Jeff Kubina/Flickr)

President Anwar Sadat paid with his life for the peace treaty that he signed with Israel. Maybe that’s the reason that Yasser Arafat never dared to sign any peace treaty with the Jewish state, although he had plenty of encouragement from President Bill Clinton.

“Nov. 30 — Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered the most detailed description yet of his peace plan today, saying he would recognize an independent Palestinian state but would put off the explosive issue of control over Jerusalem. In an animated speech to Israeli news editors, Barak spoke of a “phased agreement “ and said he was prepared to recognize a Palestinian state. He said the issue of sovereignty over Jerusalem and the return of Palestinian refugees should be put off for “one or two or three years.” But as widely expected, the Palestinians rejected Barak’s proposal. An aide to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat today said that for a deal to be accepted, any accord had to cover all issues, including that of Jerusalem. “There must be a solution to all permanent status issues, foremost of which are Jerusalem and [Palestinian] refugees,” Nabil Abu Rdaineh said in Gaza today.” ABC NEWS: Barack Proposes Land Deal; Arafat Rejects Offer, November 30, 2000.

It seems that as time progresses and as the years turn into decades, the attainment of a lasting peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis becomes well-nigh impossible. There are many factors contributing to this eternal stalemate. First, because of their mutual painful history, neither Palestinians nor Israelis trust each other.

After nearly one year of ferocious war in Gaza, Hamas lost more than 17,000 of its fighters, including several of its top leaders, while suffering massive destruction of its infrastructure. Even though Hamas has been militarily shattered, Israel’s military might still fail to defeat it entirely. More importantly, Hamas remained an indestructible nationalist resistance movement, and regardless of whether Israel exits Gaza by a mediated arrangement or maintains its military control, Israel cannot destroy Hamas as a movement. Hamas has a significant presence in the West Bank and will continue to resist Israel violently and receive political and material support from Iran and its proxies. IDN-IN DEPTH NEWS: Realities That Neither Israel Nor The Palestinians Can Wish Away.

Even aid agencies and hospitals within the Gaza Strip have had their status compromised because rocket and missile launchers have been found buried beneath their buildings. Accordingly, the outcry against Israeli forces for shooting at such facilities has been somewhat muted. Actions such as these, however, expose the sick mentality of all the so-called freedom fighters who engage in such cowardly and merciless endeavours. The brutal truth is that the Israeli military personnel simply don’t know who is who, and for that reason, many innocent civilians have been massacred. Which is precisely what Iran and its proxies want, if only it will make the *Israelis look like monsters.

Today, in the course of the regular inspection of its premises, UNRWA discovered rockets hidden in a vacant school in the Gaza Strip. As soon as the rockets were discovered, UNRWA staff were withdrawn from the premises, and so we are unable to confirm the precise number of rockets. The school is situated between two other UNRWA schools that currently each accommodate 1,500 internally displaced persons. UNRWA strongly and unequivocally condemns the group or groups responsible for this flagrant violation of the inviolability of its premises under international law. The Agency immediately informed the relevant parties and is pursuing all possible measures for the removal of the objects in order to preserve the safety and security of the school. UNRWA will launch a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident. UNRWA has reinforced and continues to implement its robust procedures to maintain the neutrality of all its premises, including a strict no-weapons policy and regular inspections of its installations, to ensure they are only used for humanitarian purposes. Palestinian civilians in Gaza rely on UNRWA to provide humanitarian assistance and shelter. At all times, and especially during escalations of violence, the sanctity and integrity of UN installations must be respected. UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST: UNRWA Condemns Placement Of Rockets, For A Second Time, In One Of Its Schools

All of the above are nice-sounding, idealistic, bubble and froth, in the face of the incoming defensive, destructive artillery. Launched by the Israelis to achieve some form of security and protection for its citizens. Furthermore, this is only one example of many other AID agencies being adulterated and transformed into hostile ammunition stores, fortresses, and weapons launchers to hurl destructive missiles into Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and other geographical locations in Israel.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

The Palestinian issue is an intractable morass of conflicting goals and expectations. The people in Gaza would naturally love to live in peace and security instead of being at the mercy of Israeli guns and military personnel. This situation has persisted for decades. US President Donald Trump recently suggested that the people living in Gaza should be relocated to some other area on the planet. To the mind of this author, that recommendation makes perfect sense. Historical evidence suggests that the surrounding Arab nations have a vested interest in maintaining the current status quo. Women and children are continually starved, massacred, and brutalized with a variety of cruel weapons of war. Their neighbors watch, the Europeans spectate, the Americans philosophize and moralize, but to date, nothing tangible has been done to change the downward trajectory of pain, misery, and death.

On 7 October 2023, Hamas-led militant groups launched a surprise attack on Israel, in which 1,195 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 815 civilians, were killed, and 251 taken hostage with the stated goal of forcing Israel to release Palestinian prisoners. After clearing militants from its territory, Israel launched a bombing campaign and invaded Gaza on 27 October with the stated objectives of destroying Hamas and freeing the hostages. Israeli forces launched numerous campaigns during the invasion, including the Rafah offensive from May 2024, three battles fought around Khan Yunis, and the siege of North Gaza from October 2024, and have assassinated Hamas leaders inside and outside of Gaza. A temporary ceasefire in November 2023 broke down, and a second ceasefire in January 2025 ended with a surprise attack by Israel in March 2025. WIKIPEDIA: The Gaza War

Why has this Palestinian dilemma been dragged out for so long? Since I was a child, over several decades, there have been discussions about peace, justice, security, and tranquility. But for some strange reason, such goals and objectives appear to be mercurial at best. In fact, with each passing era, the Palestinian cause becomes more desperate, the people become more oppressed, and their lives become more miserable.

Ambassadors met in person in New York as a fragile cessation of hostilities continues to hold, following 11 days of deadly conflict this month which engulfed the Occupied Palestinian Territory and several cities across Israel. “These recent events have made clear once again the costs of perpetual conflict and lost hope”, said Mr Wennesland, officially the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. He spoke via teleconference from Jerusalem, and shortly after the UN and partners announced a $95 million flash appeal to support people in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. 

Political and humanitarian response 

Mr Wennesland stressed the need for the sides to return to the negotiating table, though warning against a “business as usual” approach. “At the end, it is the lack of the proverbial ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ – of a political horizon – after decades of conflict, that kills hope and provides space for those not interested in sustainable peace. ”, he said. “Only through negotiations that end the occupation and create a viable two-State solution, on the basis of UN resolutions, international law and mutual agreements, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States, can we hope to bring a definitive end to these senseless and costly cycles of violence.” UNITED NATIONS: Peace And Security, 27 May 2021. 

As far as the Israelis are concerned, sharing Jerusalem, the Capital of Israel, with the Palestinians is a non-starter. Jerusalem was taken in battle from the Jebusites by King David.

When David’s men captured Jerusalem in c.1004BC, the city was much smaller than it is today, and was confined to the low north-south ridge called Ophel (meaning ‘the hump’) to the south of what is now the Temple Mount. David’s heavily armed men took the defenders by surprise as they climbed up through the narrow vertical shaft and sloping tunnel that enabled the Jebusites to haul water up from the Gihon Spring (the ‘gusher spring’) outside the city wall into their fortified city on top of Ophel Hill. After being occupied by David’s forces, the old Jebusite city became known as the City of David and the ridge on which it stood was renamed Mount Zion (see Map 61). Excavated remains of the old Jebusite city wall, and the ancient underground water system, including the section now known as Warren’s Shaft, can still be visited today. The underground water tunnel can be entered via a spiral staircase descending from the top of Ophel Hill near the observation point. This leads downhill to the Gihon Spring, on the floor of the Kidron Valley, a short distance to the south of the El Aqsa Mosque. The Gihon Spring can also be visited directly from the road running through the Kidron Valley. THE BIBLE JOURNEY: David Captures Jerusalem.

 “And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.” Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). Now David said on that day, “Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), he shall be chief and captain.” Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.” 2 Samuel 5:6-10

What Palestinian demands are unreasonable?

My understanding is that the Palestinians are demanding four fundamental things:

1. The whole of the pre-1967 borders, including Gaza and the West Bank, minor and mutual adjustments notwithstanding.
2. A capital in East Jerusalem.
3. A sovereign state.
4. A just resolution to the refugee question.
5. Precisely what is ‘just’ is subject to interpretation.

(TO BE CONTINUED).

Emperors, historically, usually achieve such a status either by military conquest or royal succession. Neither of which Elon Musk has achieved, and if things continue as they have done for the last fifty years, there is absolutely no hope that Elon Musk will ever be the emperor of anything. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Musk has many gifts. Common sense and wisdom just don’t seem to be a part of his repertoire of talents. The fact that he has appeared on stage on different occasions, severely impaired in his social and mental skills, while under the influence of intoxicating drugs, has done nothing to enhance his reputation.

As Elon Musk became one of Donald J. Trump’s closest allies last year, leading raucous rallies and donating about $275 million to help him win the presidency, he was also using drugs far more intensely than previously known, according to people familiar with his activities. Mr. Musk’s drug consumption went well beyond occasional use. He told people he was taking so much ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, that it was affecting his bladder, a known effect of chronic use. He took Ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms. And he traveled with a daily medication box that held about 20 pills, including ones with the markings of the stimulant Adderall, according to a photo of the box and people who have seen it. It is unclear whether Mr. Musk, 53, was taking drugs when he became a fixture at the White House this year and was handed the power to slash the federal bureaucracy. But he has exhibited erratic behavior, insulting cabinet members, gesturing like a Nazi and garbling his answers in a staged interview. At the same time, Mr. Musk’s family life has grown increasingly tumultuous as he has negotiated overlapping romantic relationships and private legal battles involving his growing brood of children, according to documents and interviews.THE NEW YORK TIMES: On The Campaign Trail Elon Musk Juggled Drugs And Family Drama By Kirsten Grind and Megan Twohey May 31, 2025.

Over the years, Republicans have generally been less supportive of alternative energy sources, such as solar energy and electric vehicles. Traditionally, they have been big supporters of the Oil and Coal industries. As a matter of fact, they even go as far as denying the phenomenon of global warming.

With climate change in the news, it’s a good time to contemplate the unique position the Republican Party occupies in the global climate change debate. In a recent post, Jonathan Chait described it this way:

Of all the major conservative parties in the democratic world, the Republican Party stands alone in its denial of the legitimacy of climate science. Indeed, the Republican Party stands alone in its conviction that no national or international response to climate change is needed. To the extent that the party is divided on the issue, the gap separates candidates who openly dismiss climate science as a hoax, and those who, shying away from the political risks of blatant ignorance, instead couch their stance in the alleged impossibility of international action.

That’s about right. But it’s worth digging a little deeper into just why and how much the GOP is an outlier on this issue. We can glean some insights from a large-scale survey of global opinion on climate change released last month by the Pew Research Center.

Partisan differences over the urgency of climate change are not unique to the US. There’s no doubt that the climate issue is split along partisan lines in the US.

VOX: The GOP Is The World’s Only Major Climate-Denialist Party, By David Roberts, December 2, 2015.

How is it that Elon Musk was ignorant of the Republican stance on the issue of climate change? For several years, the Democrats had a policy that was friendly to the manufacturers and purchasers of electric vehicles. Such policies, however, weren’t enough for Musk. For some strange reason, he felt that it was in his best interest and in the interest of his companies to do his utmost to get the Grand Old Party and its presidential candidate elected to office. After his objective was achieved, Musk discovered that all government support for electric vehicles had been cut from the federal budget. His disbelief, consternation, and disappointment reached levels of paroxysm that were simply beyond words.

Federal proposals to end purchase incentives for electric vehicles, and a presidential halt to California phasing out gas-powered cars, are rattling that transition, but may not halt it, experts said. Federal changes around electric vehicle incentives may be too little too late. “A decade ago it might have been true that policy changes abandoning [electric vehicles] EVs could have choked off the transition, but at this point technology advances have brought down battery costs so much that EVs already have competitive lifetime cost and range,” Jeremy Michalek, professor of engineering and public policy and co-director of the Vehicle Electrification Group at Carnegie Mellon University, said via email. Provisions in the federal budget proposal passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and now under consideration by the U.S. Senate would eliminate the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases, and charge EV owners an annual $250 fee to be paid into the Highway Trust Fund, which is generally funded by gas taxes. A number of states, like California, already charge EV owners an annual added registration fee. GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY: EVs Are On The Move, Regardless of Federal Roadblocks By Skip Descant, June 17, 2025.

After deciding that he had swapped a black dog for a monkey, Musk’s outbursts were fast and furious.

For 130 days, tech billionaire Elon Musk was a “special government employee” working inside the Trump administration to slash what he said were wasteful government programmes and bloated departments. Now, after his exit last week, he is back on the outside. And it is the Trump administration – and the massive spending legislation the president is currently pushing – that is drawing the ire of this new, seemingly unshackled Musk. In a series of social media posts on Tuesday, he took aim at Trump’s signature tax and spending bill that is being considered by the Senate after House Republicans passed it last month. After saying he couldn’t “stand it anymore”, Musk called the bill a “disgusting abomination”. “Shame on those who voted for it,” he said. “You know you did wrong.” And on Wednesday afternoon he went a step further, calling on voters to contact their representatives in Congress to voice their opposition. “Bankrupting America is not OK!” he wrote on X. “KILL the BILL.” Musk’s diatribe against the Trump-backed bill, which includes huge tax breaks and more investment in defence, comes after he spent months pushing for cuts to government spending. BBC: Musk Turns On Republicans – And Gives Trump’s Big Bill A Harder Path, By Anthony Zurcher, 4 June 2025.

Typical of the behavior of a madman, Musk wasn’t satisfied with merely attacking the architects and promoters of the current budget “abomination”; he wanted to ruin every one of them and threatened to finance their political demise. Nor did he stop there; he accused the chief architect, Donald Trump, of being a central figure in the ‘Epstein pedophile scandal’. This kind of behaviour is typical of the conduct of a Manic Depressive Psychotic. His rage has no boundaries, and of course, his mental illness has been exacerbated by years of chronic drug abuse. The same wrecking ball technique that he had utilized against a plethora of governmental agencies, he was now ready to deploy against the towering heights of political power within the federal government.

Mike Johnson has spent his 19 months as speaker forging a close relationship with President Donald Trump — in part to avoid the social-media bombshells that derailed so many Republican priorities during Trump’s first term. Now he has to deal with another, perhaps even more unpredictable online bomb-thrower. Elon Musk’s decision to launch a sudden scorched-earth campaign against the GOP’s domestic-policy megabill has forced Johnson into a sudden scramble to save the centerpiece of the Republican legislative agenda. Starting in the moments Tuesday after Musk first called the bill a “disgusting abomination” through the tech mogul’s open breach Thursday with Trump, the speaker has mounted a multi-front rebuttal to the criticism — aiming to keep the backlash from spinning out of control. POLITICO: Mike Johnson scrambles to stop Elon Musk from torching the megabill

Although Musk embarked on his new DOGE project with a lot of gusto, it seems that his objective was not rooted in the idealistic challenge of reducing the overall federal deficit for the benefit of the nation. It’s possible that his intent was downright corrupt. Since there were rumours that before commencing his work at DOGE, Musk and his companies were under investigation by some of the agencies he destroyed.

And finally, and most importantly, Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (with the same acronym as the Subcommittee, i.e. DOGE, and the same name as a crypto coin Musk has boosted) is now investigating the same federal agencies whose Inspectors General were investigating Musk’s companies until they were sacked by the Trump administration last month. Yesterday, during the DOGE Subcommittee’s first hearing, Congressman Greg Casar (D-TX) revealed that the Inspectors General of five federal agencies that were investigating Musk’s companies had been fired by the Trump administration last month. Casar said that the Inspector General of the Department of Labor had 17 open investigations into Tesla and SpaceX, where Musk is the CEO of both and a major shareholder. Casar also called out that the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation was investigating Tesla when he was fired by the Trump administration. According to Casar, the Department of Defense’s Inspector General was looking into SpaceX when he was fired. The investigation was potentially a result of the Wall Street Journal’s reporting on Musk’s use of illegal drugs and secret conversations with Putin, both of which would be highly problematic for a defense contractor with security clearance. Also, according to Casar, the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Agriculture was investigating Neuralink, another Musk company (experimenting with computer brain implants) when he was fired; and the Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was repeatedly “taking on” Tesla, when he was fired. WALL STREET ON PARADE: Elon Musk’s Companies Were Under Investigation by Five Inspectors General When The Trump Administration Fired Them And Made Musk The Investigator, by Russ and Pam Martens.

Obviously, Musk believes he should be exempt from the operations of the law and that he should not be held accountable when his companies screw up. Therefore, the money he spent to strengthen the Trump Presidential campaign now seems to be an act of self-preservation. Of course, such a world view in and of itself is simply insane. The United States of America is a constitutional democracy. Not a banana republic where the rich and powerful are beyond the tentacles of justice and the law. Even if only twenty-five percent of the above allegations are true, then Musk’s calculated destruction of the above agencies would be tantamount to a criminal obstruction of justice.

It’s now apparent to all and sundry that it’s well nigh impossible for Elon Musk to simply stay out of trouble. While acting as Trump’s right-hand man, Musk got into the crosshairs of several cabinet members. Probably because the operations of DOGE were poorly planned and haphazardly executed. For a man who is, by many measures, an outstanding genius. He is undoubtedly guilty of many actions of brazen stupidity and downright folly.

Tensions between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and some of U.S. President Donald Trump’s key cabinet members have reached a boiling point, with a recent incident in the West Wing culminating in a loud, profanity-filled argument that echoed through the halls of the Oval Office, as per reports. The heated argument included Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who yelled “F*** you!” at Musk several times, Bessent shouted loudly enough for Trump to hear from within the Oval Office, as per The Atlantic. The confrontation started when Musk tried to select Gary Shapley to head the IRS, without first consulting Bessent, as per the report. Shapley, an ex-IRS agent who had caused a stir by leaking information on Hunter Biden’s tax affairs, was a controversial choice, according to The Independent. Musk’s action seemed to bypass Bessent’s role, and the treasury secretary responded with outrage. THE ECONOMIC TIMES: The Inside Story Of Musk’s Fallout With Trump’s Key Cabinet Members, by Global Desk, May 22, 2025.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk is leaving his government role as a top adviser to President Donald Trump after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy. His departure, announced Wednesday evening, marks the end of a turbulent chapter that included thousands of layoffs, the evisceration of government agencies and reams of litigation. Despite the upheaval, the billionaire entrepreneur struggled in the unfamiliar environment of Washington, and he accomplished far less than he hoped. He dramatically reduced his target for cutting spending — from $2 trillion to $1 trillion to $150 billion — and increasingly expressed frustration about resistance to his goals. Sometimes he clashed with other top members of Trump’s administration, who chafed at the newcomer’s efforts to reshape their departments, and he faced fierce political blowback for his efforts. ASSOCIATED PRESS: Elon Musk Is Leaving The Trump Administration After Leading Effort To Slash The Federal Government by Chris Megarian, May 29, 2025.

When one examines everything that Musk attempted and actually accomplished in Washington, one realizes that his efforts are a playbook of exactly how things should never be done. His actions are a recipe for mayhem and chaos. Only a maniac would have done what he did. The blowback that resulted from his conduct is justifiable. But it wasn’t only in America that demonstrations and violence erupted against Musk and his business empire. There were demonstrations throughout Europe due to his unsolicited interference in local politics. Mr. Elon Musk certainly has a great deal of energy, but his many ill-advised actions have caused him a great deal of sorrow. So, at least he has feelings and is not the absolute monster that he has unwittingly portrayed himself to be. At one point in time, he was seen on video appealing to Americans with some pathos and tear-filled eyes, while many Teslas went up in flames, “To stop being psycho.” Which incidentally is a perfect description of exactly how he had been behaving.

Has Musk learnt anything from his many forays into the political arena? “He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own
Is like one who takes a dog by the ears…Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.
As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.” Proverbs 26:17, 20-21. (NKJV) Mr. Musk has made frequent references to the rapture. Such references, though, seem to be merely passing flights of his roving fancy. One of the things people who yearn to go to heaven must master is the ability to co-exist peacefully with others. After moving out of the White House, Musk opined that “He felt that he had given enough to political parties, and that he would only do so in the future if he thought that it was necessary.”

(TO BE CONTINUED)