Russia, China and the 2016 Election

Hillary Clinton and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi

Musings as we approach the renewal of Springtime:

1) Who do Russia and China favor in the upcoming presidential election? Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? 

The Russians probably favor Trump, assuming that he wins the Republican nomination, while the Chinese likely favor Hillary Clinton, assuming she isn't indicted over the ongoing email scandal swirling around her. And it's unlikely she'll be charged with anything under the current administration. They protect their own, and she's one of their own. Why would the Russians favor Trump? Because he's pledged to work with them in fighting terrorism, and he's promised to help them economically, whatever that would entail. Relations between the U.S. and Russia have deteriorated badly under Barack Obama; so badly that we're in a new cold war. And that's not good because unlike the days of the old cold war, the Russians now possess a vastly improved military; better military hardware and more powerful strategic nuclear weapons. Though we'd still probably prevail in a military encounter with Russia, the Russians could inflict very heavy damage upon us. 

As for China, they'd favor Hillary Clinton because Donald Trump has promised to end the lopsided trade advantage that China has gained over the U.S., and he's pledged to punish the Chinese for manipulating their currency that's hurt U.S. manufacturing and contributed to the enormous trade imbalance between the two nations. The Chinese have grown fat and prosperous under the current trade agreement between the two nations, and they don't want that to change. And Hillary Clinton, who's a puppet of Wall Street and the American Chamber of Commerce wouldn't change a thing.

2) Why has Christianity's image suffered so badly in the western world over the past 60 years?

Simply because the Christian church has done an absolutely marvelous job of making itself irrelevant in the world. The church has a responsibility to "contend for the faith" (Jude 1:3), and it hasn't done that for a long time. We're involved in a spiritual war with the forces of evil, something that the apostle Paul wrote about in his epistle to the Ephesian church. (Ephesians 6) 

This is a war fought not with conventional weapons, but with spiritual weapons. Paul wrote this: "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

But those weapons are useless if you choose to fight your battles at the ballot box instead of by the power of God's Holy Spirit.

3) What is the oldest religious cult in the world?

That would be the Roman Catholic Church, followed by Islam. The Catholic Church has all the classic features of a cult; a charismatic leader (Pope) who's considered infallible and is worshiped as a religious icon; an unbiblical gospel that contradicts and denies the biblical gospel; charms, fetishes and enchanted objects that supposedly bring good luck and protection (rosaries, scapulars, medals etc.), and idolatry in the form of Mariolatry and the worship of saints. There's nothing Christian about the Catholic Church at all. And yet many Protestant and Evangelical leaders promote the Catholic Church as mainstream Christianity. It isn't and it's never been.

4) Is Islam destined to take over the world?

No, Islam is eventually going to disappear. But how? Consider three major world nations that are rising. They are China, Russia and India. What do they all have in common? They loathe Islam and want to get rid of that religion. Why? Because unlike the western world that's become poisoned by politically-correct multi-culturalism, the rising eastern powers understand that Islam is an extremely intolerant religion that can't coexist peacefully with anyone. It never has, and it never will.

Also keep in mind that these three nations don't offer "freedom of religion" as it's offered in the U.S. For example, if the Russians decided to outlaw Islam, they could simply pass a law without changing their constitution. And as Russia grows politically and militarily stronger, she's going to begin exerting her influence across eastern Europe and then into western Europe. As Russia's influence spreads, Islam will eventually be driven completely out of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. And the Chinese will drive Islam out of Asia and the southern hemisphere. Where will Islam's final stand come? Probably in North America before it's eradicated there as well.