Patrick Girard

Darkness rejoiced as though heaven had lost,
But then Jesus arose with our freedom in hand

[Patrick Girard @Pgirard71]

I guess Tyreke Hill can run 23mph. If you think that's fast, just remember Michael Scott was clocked at 31...

[Steve Deace @SteveDeaceShow]

MY REVIEW OF DISCLOSURE DAY -- A DIRECT ASSAULT ON CHRISTIANITY (AND SPIELBERG'S WORST MOVIE)

Because of how intentional I believe this film is in attempting to deconstruct Christianity, and because I want to warn people about not seeing it, this will be a very spoiler-filled review. You have been warned before proceeding further.

This review will be done in two acts: 1) the worldview of the film, 2) the quality of the film. Neither will be positive.

Disclosure Day's Worldview
This is a rather blatant attempt to evangelize into a new religion. In many respects, the transition Steven Spielberg makes from his 1970s classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind, to now Disclosure Day, is very similar to what you see from a lot of the prominent UFO/alien obsession proxies like Dr. Steven Greer. At first they start off in wonderment about what else is really out there in the cosmos and whether we're alone in the universe (or Close Encounters), but they always eventually end up at the aliens are really our saviors to show fallible human beings the way to salvation (or Disclosure Day).

If you only see people like Greer or Luis Elizondo on cable news networks, you'd think they're just scientifically inquisitive and want "the truth to be told." But if you watch their documentaries, as I have, it becomes increasingly obvious they are really selling a religion. Greer is basically just a wannabe prophet of the non-human intelligence phenomena as deliverers at this point, and Elizondo is on his way there by angrily dismissing the possibility this is all just a demonic spiritual deception (as he did in last year's The Age of Disclosure documentary).

Here are some examples of how this film head-on intends to deconstruct Christianity (in chronological scene order):
--The main character's love interest, who is now his admitted fornication partner, is a former nun. She specifically tells him early in the film she left the convent behind because "I lost my belief that God is divine." Hold on to that language later, because it's going to put everything else I point out next in its proper context.
--When the shadowy agency conducting the decades-long coverup attempts to use alien technology to subvert the former nun's consciousness and turn her into a traitor, she grabs her crucifix and tries to invoke its power to resist the alien tech -- to the point she essentially stigmatas herself. However, the crucifix is rendered powerless in the face of the superior alien technology and thus she is given over to it.
--The entire story is unfolding under the backdrop of pending nuclear war and planetary annihilation (between the US and Russia, of course, because apparently it's still 1985). In other words, we are in the end of days and lost as a species unable to save ourselves. We need a salvation we cannot acquire on our own.
--We learn the aliens specifically chose a male and a female to be the "vessels" at the vanguard of this next step of our evolution. Which the aliens are here to guide for us, of course. It is eventually revealed the male is given mathematic revelation (or logic) and the female empathy (or nurturing) -- with the female's gift depicted as superior in its intensity. Or a divine feminine.
--The climax of the disclosure broadcast occurs when the largest of the aliens is brought in by several humans in what is basically a gestatorial chair, which he emerges from to pronounce blessings upon the new Adam and Eve with a priestly whisper in his native tongue of clicks and tones (I guess Latin would've been too on the nose). The whisper is translated for all of humanity into the final line of the film: "Listen." Some might say sort of like, "Let those with ears to hear let them hear."
--Though the film makes it clear the climactic day of disclosure is being felt globally, the only religion wrestling with it is Christianity. At the convent we see several of the nuns desperately clinging to their Rosaries looking for guidance, while the Mother Superior lets out a wry smile in approval of the coming syncretism. No other religion is even depicted, let alone shown to have to grasp with the significance of all this. Why is that? All the potential answers to this question are bad. Though I'd love that to be the case, Christianity is not the only global religion on this planet. Furthermore, the only Christianity depicted in the movie is Catholicism.
--Now, back to the smiling Mother Superior at the end of the movie, and the former nun saying she lost her belief that God is divine in its opening act. The movie says this at the same time it makes it clear humanity needs saving, and the former nun also makes the case that even though she doesn't believe in God anymore the world needs that belief to maintain any form of order. Enter the aliens, who check all the boxes of what is required. They are sinless, while we are not. They have knowledge kept secret, that we do not. They are the only ones who can share such revelation with us, we can't acquire it ourselves. And by embracing this singular truth mankind can be saved, because we can't save ourselves.

If all that's not a religion, I don't know what is. If all that's not a direct attempt to redirect Christianity, I don't know what is. Marcion, Arius, and Pelagius were more subtle.

Quality of Disclosure Day Itself
Thankfully, this movie is also not very good. Had it been executed better, we might really be in trouble as a people here. It's the worst movie Spielberg has ever done.

The film doesn't really have a plot, but is just one long chase scene of not believable things. Like we are supposed to believe a nerd who admits he was never in the field before this, is now able to suddenly drive cars at high speed through houses and evade the world's most effective private security firm that has successfully protected this secret for over 75 years. We are supposed to believe if you hide behind rocks just five feet from that same organization's operatives they won't look for you there, or hear you running away in the woods as you step on branches. In another scene the "good guys" use the alien's invisibility technology to escape, but for whatever reasons turn on the sirens of the firetruck they're in so now "the bad guys" know they're there. Finally, we are supposed to believe that same shadowy organization ejects and just angrily gives up at the end without a fight to permit disclosure day to happen, even though they could've just pulled out their guns and shot everybody there before the cameras went live.

You make these kinds of continuity and believability errors when you're more about the message than the movie. I recognize it, because it's why Christian movies were so bad for so long. More concerned with checking ideological boxes and shoehorning in favored tropes over telling the best possible story. Spielberg made mistakes with this film he would've never made before as possibly the greatest director ever. And we see a lot of left-wing Hollywood making this mistake nowadays. The industry has lost patience with subverting us with good stories over time, and it's now just knocking on doors and putting their pitch right in your face like the evangelists they are.

Consider it a blessing that America's greatest director cast his pearls unto swine by shrouding all this deconstruction and deception within a hot mess of a film -- otherwise we might've had a real birth of a dangerous cult on our hands. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

[Pete Thamel @PeteThamel]

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark to ESPN on Brendan Sorsby ruling:
“The ramifications of today’s ruling are significant and could have broad impacts across college athletics, creating great concern amongst our membership. I’ve been consulting with our key stakeholders and have scheduled meetings with our Conference ADs and Executive Board this week. We are also in touch with Charlie Baker and anticipate the NCAA to appeal the order in the next 24-48 hours. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation.”

[Spaceballs The X Account @Grunt2A]

Now that Artemis II has launched we have 10 days to get everyone on Earth a Planet of the Apes costume so we can do something hilarious when the astronauts return 😁

[Pete Thamel @PeteThamel]

Sources: Utah State and Northern Iowa coach Ben Jaconson are finalizing a five-year deal to make him the school’s next coach, per me and @jeffborzello. Jacobson won 397 games over 20 seasons at Northern Iowa, including five NCAA appearances.

[Iowa State Men’s Basketball @CycloneMBB]

Welcome to the Hall of Fame, Georges! 🐐

#Cyclones | #C5C

[Drake Basketball @DrakeBulldogsMB]

𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐃𝐎𝐆𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐍

Quinn l 31 pts, 4 ast, 3 reb
Larson l 25 pts, 8 ast, 8 reb
Thomas l 13 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast
Shetlar l 12 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast

#DSMHometownTeam

[Clay Travis @ClayTravis]

First gold medal in 46 years for the US on the anniversary of the 1980 win. This is badass. The sudden death winner.

[Kurt Benkert @KurtBenkert]

Terrible timeout usage.
Terrible second half gameplan.
Blown 21-3 lead.
Taking the ball out of Love’s hands all 3rd quarter.

Get him out of here.

[Peter Bukowski @Peter_Bukowski]

Up 21-3 and you lose.

I think Matt LaFleur is a really good coach, but at a certain point all of the self-owning this team does is a reflection fo the HC.

[IKE Packers Podcast @IKE_Packers]

Enough.

[Green Bay Packers @packers]

Perfect timing for Matthew Golden

📺: Prime Video

[Cyclone Fanatic @cyclonefanatic]

One of the best coordinators in program history is retiring.

One heck of a career for Jon Heacock.

[Iowa State Football @CycloneFB]

.@CycloneEQUIP got in their bags🫡🎒

[The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee]

Satan: 'I've Made A Huge Mistake' https://t.co/udi3x9MfPr

[Patrick Girard @Pgirard71]

@Peter_Bukowski This is one of those games that GB deserves a loss. Season is very young, but a plane ride home for everyone to ponder about this performance might do some good. Would still prefer they win obviously, but this is bad

[Fox News @FoxNews]

WATCH: 'Amazing Grace' echoes on the bagpipes as Charlie Kirk’s memorial begins.

[Turning Point USA @TPUSA]

The Turning Point Board has unanimously elected Erika Kirk as the new CEO and Chair of the Board.

In prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his death.

[1/4 Black Garrett @QTRBlackGarrett]

“I wish it need not happen in my time”

“So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil.”

[Tim Pool @Timcast]

They will have to invent a new word for the anger that I feel today

[Charlie Kirk @charliekirk11]

Jesus defeated death so you can live.