Deconstructing Netflix’ “The Family” – a convenient deflection for who is really running the show.

Warning: contains spoilers.

Netflix’ so-called documentary “The Family” is a masterful work of the vilification of sincere good hearted Christians and exposing the truth of some men using the name of Jesus as a manipulation tool to do their own will and agenda in the U.S. government. The documentary is divided into five episodes: “Submersion”, “Chosen,” “New World Order”, “Dictators, Murderers & Thieves”, and “Wolf King.” Jess Moss and Jeff Sharlet postulate in this film that a private and shadowy “Christian” ring runs the United States and exhorts powerful influence in over 100 countries.

To the unthinking and ignorant Democratic, Libertarian, or Conservative Trump-hater voter, this supposed documentary feeds one’s worst nightmare: our democratic freedom is being stripped away not only by the Elites, but those very Elites and Establishment are actually authoritarian gnostic religious Nazi loving zealots! I knew it along! To top off all great Patriotic fears, Moss and Sharlet were sure to include and infer ties of the evil “Christian” cabal being the real reason for the “Russian collusion”. A stroke of genius.

I really hope Americans who watch this think film analyze carefully all points being said, not to mention who the makers of the film are.

“The Family” gives a paradox of men who call themselves Christian in government. Some men in the film genuinely seem to be followers of the basic theology of Jesus Christ. However, it deviates when it begins to say that others in the Family value brotherhood and power in “The Fellowship” more important than the actual teachings of Jesus – clearly portraying them as a cult. It furthers this with Sharlet’s allegation that there is a gnostic belief that only those in the “inner circle” can truly know or understand all of it. It repeats this theme throughout the episodes and yet gives no actual evidence of any of it.

In one masterfully creepy scene, an actor who is suppose to play a Mentor to these Initiate young men [the documentary states that it is dramatized and some things that are said are not directly quoted from actual people of “The Family”] is introduced with, “So, you are here to learn to rule the world….Let’s say I hear one of you sitting here raped three little girls. What do you think I would think of you?”

A young Family Initiate actor replies, “uh…that I’m a terrible person?”

The Family Mentor actor shakes his head no and says, “That’s not why I’m here. I’m not here to judge you. I’m here for one thing. What is that?”

“Jesus?” replies the Initiate, and the Mentor smiles and nods his head.

From watching this, one can speculate a vaporous and shadowy web that every Public Official or Celebrity who has gotten off with a crime has done so or is supported by The Family who is equated to as the Mafia or Nazis in the film. This of course is a bit over dramatic and interesting considering the authors’ ethnic background. Yet, for this supposed “Jesus + nothing” belief that Sharlet and Moss say The Family has, it shows contradictory evidence and in some instances shed positive light of the do gooding of the Family members.

They interview and talk about two Family “members” who had affairs and how the Family tried to get them to repent and do what is right in Christianity’s point of view. In both examples, the Family fail but it is clear they did their part as well as they could except in the case of one. They allegedly support anti-LGBTQ+ legislation abroad (Romania and Uganda) and helped release the two Libyan terrorists to receive their due trial and punishment in the United Kingdom. I am confused and unsure how Congressmen making influence abroad on various issues should be shocking. Sharlet tries to give a scary picture of one Congressman giving influence on anti-LGBTQ+ issues, but anyone who knows Congress knows Liberals have done the same with abortion laws or financial support for abortion in African countries. Yet how they misconstrue the Family of being evil for having ties with dictators is humorous.

The two examples they give is one awful Dictator in Nigeria and Gaddafi in Libya. Sharlet infers it is an unthinkable thing to do, to reach out and try to change an evil person or use them to further any “Christian good act.” Yet one must pause when it comes to the instance of The Family’s almost meeting with Gaddafi. They end up succeeding to get justice for the victims and families of the Lockerbie Bombing by influencing Gaddafi to release the terrorists to Scotland. They succeeded where no official government agent could. So although Moss and Sharlet try to paint The Family as an Elite organization that has no scruples and power hungry, their actual evidence is extremely poor in the film. However, some viewers might believe it through their use of imagery and grandiose storytelling.

Sharlet very clearly links Conservative and Christian support of President Trump’s election to the Family’s influence and the alleged Family’s belief that people are “Chosen” by God to be in Office. If one is in Office, then it’s the Family’s duty to serve and help them. This does bring forth some imperative points that American Christians must address now and before the next election in 2020.

It is truly insane that many Conservatives or Christians support President Trump almost blindly. It is one thing to respect the Office, it is another to justify bad words or deeds. The film brings out some great footage that pointly reveals that President Trump is not someone who follows Jesus Christ, or he is an absolute carnal newbie to the faith. Yes, he might be a good or even great wordly businessman or Politician – but that does not make one a Christian.

Sharlet inferes – and perhaps twists – the Family and Christians belief that no one is perfect, and therefore since man is weak his sinful actions are justifiable and forgivable. Yes in Christianity you can be forgiven and you are justified by the blood of Jesus, but it never excuses sin and says to continue to live in it. It says quite the opposite in the Bible, and it seems Sharlet knows this, and is alarmed that some in the Family do not walk in it.

You will know them by their fruit.

Moss and Sharlet also point out in the film the idea that some Christian leaders think President Trump is “God’s man” or is divinely “Chosen” for the role.

God can use anyone, including a donkey; but it does not mean it is God’s best or His will. God used the donkey because of the stubbornness and greed of Balaam, but it does not mean it was His perfect will. Thus Sharlet’s footage and alleged ideas of The Family’s view of Jesus’ unconditional love with little judgement or accountability does fit well with how Christians have licked the heels of a “Wolf King” – President Trump.

For Conservatives and Christians of both Parties this poses a grave threat. How can one support the idea that President Trump is a Christian or God’s best with how he speaks to others or is easily angered? According to Christian Scripture one is suppose to stay away from such people. It is understandable that people did not have much of a choice between him and Hillary Clinton in the last election, but the upcoming one? What is the excuse? Are there not better Conservative candidates to support in the next election?

The timing of Netflix’ release of such a film by Jewish authors is interesting. Although it portrays a secretive group of Christians to be the ones with the greatest influence in Washington, as one Blogger said,

” If this Christian ‘cabal’ is so powerful, why can’t they get a Christian cross erected on the White House lawn at Christmas, but your fellow Jews have no problem getting their monstrous menorrah put up every year?  Why does every elected politician have to attend the annual AIPAC meeting or risk losing their funding?  Why is President Trump supporting legislation to make criticism of Jews and Israel illegal, but no such legislation against criticizing those powerful Christians who control him?”

It is a sound point. If they are so powerful, why can’t they? Or make “all things Christian” and stop non-Christian Congress members like Rashida and Ilhan getting elected? Or how Hollywood and the Media have increasingly gotten away with such violent, immoral, and hostile language towards Christian beliefs or Christians themselves?

Towards the end of the final episode a fascinating and somewhat humorous scene happens. The Director Jesse Moss is allowed to attend a Prayer Breakfast in a western State, but only if he participates in it. During the meeting an old White man asks him somewhat aggressively, “How come you don’t have any Black men on your team?” [Half of that Prayer Breakfast includes Black men and one particular Breakfast seems to be run by a strong Black Christian] Moss stammers about how the industry has not been good about diversity and how they are trying to work on that. It would be in an interesting documentary to compare the so called “secretive” Family and the Media to see who is really power hungry, influential, and working for the Elite.

The conclusion is this. This documentary brings vital issues for Christians and Conservatives to address before the next election if they are going to have credibility domestically or internationally with political candidates. Christians must follow Scripture instead of watering down their beliefs, otherwise there is no difference between them and the “non-believer.” They also need to look into creating greater accountability within Christendom. Other than that, this film is just one more of the many Hollywood Elite productions that have been created to irk, bring strife, and divide emotional and mindless Americans against one another.

Why all we hope for won’t work.

Within the last decade Ted Diamandis spoke about the wonderful possibilities of an abundant future because more brilliant people would be collaborating together online to build a marvelous world. It was probably one of the most inspiring and thought provoking Talks I had heard that year.

I hope he’s right.

On Twitter, Facebook, and even here on WordPress, I see a calamity of frustration, hate, and snarky opinions of people who are almost physically fighting for their beliefs on the Web. It’s a war of words. Many roots of these Tweets, Posts or Longreads seem to stem from a good heart: equality, love of humanity, repentance, responsibility of the environment, liberty, freedom, and justice for all. Yes of course, many more are probably in it for fame and fortune which is the Pharmakeia of our present evils and social ills. But no matter what their political ideology or cultural social stances are, it all will come to nothing unless they wake up and take action.

And no, I am not talking about violence.

The American people have blinded themselves to useless and dead political parties that are nothing but a hollow puppet shell. Screaming Tweets about how the Democrats are killing the country to foul mouthed uncensored and illogical people about Republicans being ignorant, stupid, and white supremacists (as if Republicans are only white). All of it is vanity.

Why?

It has been detailed with government documents that select people in the US government and its many agencies have been involved in using illegal activities to make money as well as to facilitate inadvertently or knowingly harmful activities against our communities. And it is this that the average Democrat or Republican citizen do not seem to understand or want to admit. It does not matter whether it is a Democrat or Republican in office; these subversive decisions will continue to take place with bipartisan leadership in Congress until we all come together and stand as American citizens against such policies like FASAB 56. These decisions have happened against us with both Democrat and Republican Presidents and Congress in office. It has been a bipartisan effort.

You want to #BuildtheWall because you think somehow it will stop or limit illegal immigration, drug, gun, or human trafficking? You are wrong. Any person who has good friends in any department of Law Enforcement or Homeland Security will tell you that there is a long history of illegal activity or “corruption” of those who work in Border Patrol. Now of course, Catherine Austin Fitts will tell you it is not corruption or incompetency: it is a system. Are you understanding this? A wall will not stop such things, it will just be a $20+ billion mechanism to control the flow of money and illegal activities they have established to procreate funds for unknown purposes around the world.

You think that having a Democrat POTUS or in Congress will be America’s saving grace by passing #guncontrol legislation to stop the crazies from getting their hands on a weapon and going on a shooting spree? You are wrong. They will still get their hands on weapons. Why? Because weapons are money, and money is needed in order to fund whatever it is they do not want us to know in the passing of FASAB 56.

This FASAB 56 ruling is unconstitutional and gives them the right to make decisions with U.S. taxpayers money and illegal revenue as they please. This means no oversight of what money, how much, and where and how it is being used. Even if I was not an American citizen I would be concerned about this. Annual of unreported billions or trillions of dollars can fund small armies around the world. Our shameful and intrusive foreign policy is a fact and causes many problems for our global U.S. citizens and businesses. From Super Powers to the small islands I would be shaking in my boots at the idea of the U.S. government having trillions to fund whatever covert operations as they please. For those who would like to scream and say, “See! We told you Trump is a fascist dictator!” This has been happening way before President Trump and President Obama and is well documented. I suppose some conspiracy theorist out there would say the wheel has been turning since President Kennedy was assassinated. This is beyond any U.S. President.

Think about it. How is it that Jeffrey Epstein – and all those in power with him – have gotten away with illegal sex crimes with minors or possibly even sex slaves up until now IN THE UNITED STATES? This is not Pakistan, Thailand, China, or some dictator African run country. How is it that we can find any form of slavery in our “land of the brave and and free” ? It’s a $20 billion dollar industry. That is why. It is a form of income. Interestingly enough, California is the highest U.S. State with this horrendous activity and human deprivation of dignity. One would think that the State of the Almighty Democrats would do something about it especially since a third of all human trafficking victims are minority children. Cry over that Alyssa Milano. Sad to say, every year the statistics have been getting worse not better. IF, and this is a big IF, it really deeply concerns some Hollywood stars and celebrities and Democrat and Republican Pundits, then they must fight the real problem and not made up political ghost stories and social vapors. Except for a few like Ashton Kutcher, I think we will only continue to hear their Tweet wailing with no positive action because perhaps some of them too make money from dark activities; even if that only means stirring up the unthinking emotional social pot of Americans.

The same goes with child pornography. It is one of the fastest rising heinous trades in our country. Explain to me how with our mass surveillance systems, large law enforcement, and supposed caring politicians this morbid atrocity could be flourishing? The only conclusion is it is allowed until we demand it is not.

American Patriots of all kinds – it does not matter what political party, creed, race, or religion you are from, Activists, NGO workers, and real American Patriot Public Servants must come together to destroy the System that is annihilating our country. Tucker Carlson was right about one thing, the root of our issues it is about economics – money – not race. It reaches far beyond immigration issues and whether or not we make cars or tech in America anymore. All of that does not matter if there is another System that facilitates criminal activity, makes backroom deals with global corporations, passes unconstitutional laws, and orchestrates or allows destructive activity upon our communities all for the sake of money.

$21 TRILLION missing U.S. government dollars.

And this was covered over a decade ago in respected newspapers and not just Congressional whistleblowers like Catherine Austin Fitts or Mike Lofgren. Think about what has been accumulating and done since then. Democrats talk about how important a healthcare system is that helps everyone. GREAT. Why not take some of the billions of the annual unreported money and put that into it? Why did they not do this – other than the legal and moral issues it poses?? Government officials talk about wanting to improve our educational system, job training, and the list goes on, and they pretend – and I do mean pretend – to fight about how they cannot pass a budget for the running of our country, and yet there are trillions of USD that is being passed around and used for something that has nothing to do with US citizens. Republicans, do not think somehow you are exempt from this either. The Republicans in Congress worked in a bipartisan effort to pass FASAB 56.

Is there any good news in all of this? Yes. There is strong talk that there are still many excellent Public Servants who want to abolish this System as much as the informed and thinking American Democrat, Republican, Independent, and Libertarian Patriots. But they are scared. I suppose rightly so after what we have seen with Gary Webb, Jeffrey Epstein and the like. The only way to clean our country of this is not to fight over political ideology, root causes of social ills or jobs, but to stand as one with them and fearlessly topple the System.

Let us start by working together to abolish the FASAB 56 ruling, and hold every person involved in what is left of the Jeffrey Epstein case accountable.

The hand that holds those who fall

Some families pass on jewelry heirlooms, property, money, or tightly kept revered cooking recipes. My family passes on stories. Maybe it was because we were not one of the so called “white privileged” people that the Media says makes up the majority of the United States. Whether or not they embellish and lie about that is another thing to discuss for another time, but what I can truly say is we barely had a television in my pre-teen years.

When we did watch something on that small screen it was almost in black and white and had to be educational. We usually passed the time in the evening playing games, reading out loud, drawing, annoying one another, or listening to my dad’s fantastical stories of his youth.

My father would enrapture us in our small living room near the stone fireplace with dim lights after the pheasants went to sleep and only the katydids could be heard outside the open windows. Most of us sat on the floor because there was not enough room on the one couch we had. He would tell us about how he rung the bell of the Tower of Pisa when it said in three different languages not to do so, how he saved a bunch of escargot snails from being eaten and threw them off the ship in the Mediterranean, or how Grandma – mi abuelita – caught him with a bag of pistachios he bought with Monopoly money from a Turk (“It’s good American money. Really! Good American money!”). We would laugh, imagine, and make him tell us again and again. It never got old.

My favorite stories though were the ones about him and his harebrained hiking escapades with his friends or my uncles. One in particular captured my heart.

He was barely twelve years old when he led part of his scout troop off to explore the terrain in the mountains they were camping on. His leader told them not to go past a certain point and warned them severely of the dire consequences of the surrounding region. My father thinking he was the wise and more knowledgeable one of course convinced the younger ones that it would be exciting, and they were more than capable of such surveys.

In their hike back they came to a point where they needed to get down a sloped side to walk more suitably down the mountain before dark. The other boys, particularly the younger ones, did not feel so confident with their skills especially since if they did not do it right, they could end rolling off into a canyon; so my father decided he would show them away.

As he tried to gingerly walk down, his feet slipped and he found himself sliding off the mountain side and over the edge. His friends were yelling and calling out to him, yet above the clamor he clearly heard one soft voice say to him, “Stick your feet out.” My father obeyed and straightened his legs out while he was falling, and his feet caught a small ledge that held his body as the rest of the pebbles and rocks slip passed him into the canyon in which he surely would have died.

Mt. Lassen Peak Trail
Image taken by NPS https://www.nps.gov/lavo/nr10_august_14_15_fee_free.htm

Years later when I was not much older than my father was then, I hiked the Mount Lassen Peak Trail with my youth group. We had already gone to the Peak and decided to go off trail to another part. All was fine until we were coming back. The whole area is covered in loose shale rock, and we were holding onto one of the sides of the sloped mountain head. My friend Doug had gone ahead of me about five to seven feet away and held out his hand as I made my way around a group of large rocks that seemed attached to the mountain. There was a slivered crack in the formation to my left and a steep drop to my right. As my hand touched that grouping I heard “The rocks are going to fall on you.” I shook it off as a wild imagination and fear and proceeded forward.

However, it was not.

The whole formation of rocks from about four feet up and down came upon me. I cannot tell you what happened after that because I do not know. All I recall is being moving suddenly five to seven feet in front of me next to my friend Douglas with pieces of rock shale imbedded in my right hand and knee, and I watched the rocks tumble down the side of Mount Lassen’s Peak.

My youth group leader stared at me with his mouth gaping open and said, “What happened? And how did you get there??” At the time I tried to pretend to be the cool teenager and gave some mundane reply and then, “Let’s go.” Although I had a very strong sense of the supernatural act that had just happened, I shook it off as an everyday occurrence.

Five minutes later he told me, “You know, I should be telling your parents that your body is buried beneath a pile of rocks on Mt. Lassen right now. You realize that, don’t you?” He and I for the remainder of our way down in the afternoon sun spoke about God’s divine protection and how God once saved my father too when he was kid.

This would be one of many times that God was with us.

Today, I am not so foolish to take for granted what has happened in my family. I see and cannot deny the tragedies and heartaches around the world that have hurt people to shake their fist at God and ask why He wasn’t there for them or their loved ones. I have no explanations and can only empathize with their pain and anger. All I can tell you is for whatever reason, God upheld both my father and I from falling off a mountainside.

The Beginning of Adventures

It began before video games became a way of life, before riding a bicycle, climbing a tree, or telling stories around a campfire almost died. It was the ’80s, and to some of us, arguably one of the best decades in the last 100 years. It was the time that made boys real men and girls colorfully feminine. There was no confusion of who were or what you wanted to do.  You were either in or out.  It was that simple.

It was also the time when the outdoors was best friends with children and teenagers. The outdoors is quite special and truly there is nothing like it in all the world. It has a habit of cultivating adventure,  inquisitive thinking, confidence, and humble leadership in everyone it touches.  It whispers to you in the quiet of morning to wake up and makes the sunshine seem happier if you are out in it.  Even in the dark of night or winter storms it playfully gives you thrills, tingles, and pulls you out into the rain to put the shouts, giggles and joy into you.  Nobody can escape its touch if you grew up outside of the city. It’s just the way it is. And so it was with me.

Today it must find itself lonely and sad that many are deaf to its voice. Sometimes I think it must has immigrated outside of the U.S. and can only be found in South America, Africa, Asia, Australia or the islands.

I remember when it first called my name. It was right before I was ten years old. I responded to the luring sound past the Douglas Fir and Redwood trees to watch the bobcats, wild quail, domesticated goats and sheep in the pastures by myself about a quarter of a mile from our house.  I would bring a notebook and pencil and record all the activities of my “friends” and “enemies.”

I called it “research.”

I would sit for minutes which I thought were probably hours detailing all their movements, what they ate, and would even find myself talking and naming the ones I was fond of. I wonder if that is how Adam did it when he was created.

It was also there that I found courage against the antagonistic coyotes or wild dogs of the Californian mountains.  Back then parents were not the weak confused people they are today.  Parents of children had convictions and they stood by them – good or bad, and they raised their children to be strong and independent. It did not matter what sex they were. Today parents are dogmatic and stubborn in their thinking. They usually lack discipline, guidelines, logic, and common sense, and unfortunately they mistake this as conviction and strength.

One early morning, way before sunrise when it was still dark and barely a moon, I recall my father waking me up and telling me that I needed to go and flip on the electric switch down in the pasture, and check on the sheep from some predator. I thought he was joking.  When I realized he wasn’t, I begged him to reconsider as I did not want to go out into the cold night by myself to check on what I considered to be some monster in the field. He insisted, gave me a big stick, and pushed me out of the house to walk a quarter of a mile away with my younger brother to check on their bleating and to flip the switch in the electrical box.   

My father is a very caring man and never lifted his hand against us in all my years, so there was no question of his love and protection over us – and yet when I look back on this – I do not know how he made this decision.  Today if a parent did this the neighbors a mile away would probably call CPS [Child Protection Services].

That night had a foreboding chill and it wrapped us in it, and no heavy sweatshirt we wore could shake it. As we walked past the gate towards the pasture with the tall pine trees bordering the area, I felt like there were unseen eyes quietly watching us and dark bodies hiding in the bushes.  Ah yes, the great imagination of a ten year old. No one ever needs to see a horror movie in order to invent such feelings or images. They come on their own and create their own life in the minds of children.

When we got there, if there was a coyote, it was long gone.  The sheep seemed comforted and we restarted the generator.  My brother and I more confident after making it there alive and untouched by the Boogie Spirits or coyotes, laughed and then swiftly ran and walked back to the house.

The next morning I woke up with a strange taste in my mouth: excitement. I had gone in the dark of night “by myself” (okay so my brother was with me) and lived. Although I had not fought a physical animal or demon, I had struck a formidable foe that I would struggle and fight against my whole life: the spirit of fear.  And it was a culmination of nights and days like that in which a spirit of adventure was born within me.  

For the future generations…

in hope that there will be others who will explore, do good, and never regret being honest and holding the plumb-line of integrity

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.

— GOD Jeremiah 9:23-24

This is the first post on my new blog. Many friends have told me that I should write about my real life adventures, fictional stories, or otherwise. This is my attempt to do so. I hope to inspire, humor, and make people think critically about events. I understand that my pondering and perspective may not be the end all to all matters, so keep this in mind as you listen and flip through the pages. It is my hope to document and share them for those interested, and perhaps through that we can all grow together.

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