DNA found after Caroline Anagnostopoulos nee Crouch fought for her life

 It has been reported that Caroline Anagnostopoulos, who was brutally tortured and murdered last Tuesday morning, netted DNA from an assailant.  The hunt is on and the Greek Police will be able to identify him.

It is now believed that the gangsters are known to the detectives investigating this case. 

 Even hardened assassins draw the line at harming babies and their mothers. ( I think about the code of the hitman in Leon.)  The reward for finding the gang of three attackers is far in excess of the value of their haul. They committed such monstrous, malicious mayhem for a relatively small amount of cash and jewellery. And they hanged the dog. ( I keep thinking about John Wick.)

To be prepared to carry out such a callous crime for about £30k is truly horrendous. It is hard to believe that they perpetrated sustained harm and fatal suffering, without mercy for the young 20 year old woman, and no compassion for her baby girl left crying for her murdered mother.

They should be brought face to face with the victim's family, to see the child Lydia, and be shamed before their own families and community. They are probably without remorse or regret. You need to be a rare type of person to be able to perpetrate such sadistic savagery.

May justice prevail. May these murderous thugs be caught soon, so that they will never do anything like this in the future. In prison they will be hated and perhaps harmed by criminals who detest this type of crime against women and children. 

The torture and murder of Mrs Caroline Anagnostopoulos is truly horrific, callously evil

Evil hearted murderers, a hooded gang of three vile villains, have tortured and brutally murdered a young mother of 20 years of age with a baby. The life of the baby was threatened repeatedly in order to extract cash and jewellery. These amoral thugs have the blood of an innocent mother on their souls, stains that will go deep into their devilish hearts.  A child will grow up without her mother and the father will never get over this dreadful crime.

It was all for £13k in cash and about £13k in jewellery. A little bit of money. So much suffering, pain and bloodshed for about a junior executive's annual salary. Lives ruined for such a relatively small sum. They will not be able to enjoy the fruits of their evil enterprise because they will be hunted down relentlessly by international police and others. There will be no peace for these wicked men. Their evil deeds will not go unpunished. 

Red Letter Christianity at the Baptist Assembly 2021

 I note that the keynote speaker at this year's Baptist Assembly will be Shane Claiborne. Some may remember his early "circus theology" and his teaching on New Monasticism. Lately he has been strongly identified with Red Letter Christianity, and considered one of its main exponents alongside Tony Campolo and Jim Wallis plus other good ol' boys in the band.

Red Letter Christians (RLC) are keen on social action, environmental issues and ethical questions raised by 21st century Christians. They are particularly focused on the very words of Jesus in the Gospel, which are printed in red letters in some editions of the New Testament. 

There are serious concerns about the theology that has been taught by the RLC and in the books by Shane Claiborne. It has been argued that one of the significant dangers is in the way RLC seem to detach Jesus from his Jewish (Hebrew/Aramaic speaking) context. Some of the RLC arguments from silence on certain ethical issues, such as homosexuality, are seen as questionable and even misleading. 

Shane Claiborne strongly contends for Christian pacifism. He is against the death penalty, which is often carried out in the Bible belt states. It is used in many southern states, in Dixie where Shane hails from. Although he has worked for many years in South Philly, he has retained his southern accent and charm.

His Christian pacifism, although ardent, seems muddled and unrealistic in some of its devices, desires and designs. It raises many questions about the police, national defence, homeland security and counter terrorism, which are dealt with in a low resolution way. RLC make some important points on war and peace, but they seem to fail to provide solutions, policies, anti-terrorist protocols and adequate civil protection measures in an violent and dangerous world where malign military forces are at work.

I expect Shane to be challenging and engaging in his Baptist Assembly sermons and message. I wonder if Shane will be delivering some great googlies later this week. 

This year the Baptist Assembly (BUGB) will take place online from Thursday 13 May until Lord's Day 16 May 2021.  

Paivi Rasanen, the Finnish MP, has been persecuted and prosecuted for posting a tweet showing Romans 1:24-27

 It is sad, shameful and stupid to prosecute and persecute Paivi Rasanen for her tweet.  (This is reminiscent of the Israel Folau affair.) Paivi has refused to compromise and deny her Christian beliefs, holding to the historic mainstream position on homosexuality and understanding of Romans 1:24-27.

Woke and LGBTQ+ folk have opposed and objected to her views. They are entitled to do that, but some of them have tried to prevent her sharing her views and are, in fact, trying to stop her freedom of speech. They wish to persecute her and prosecute her for derogatory and discriminatory statements. They are claiming that Paivi is guilty of hate speech.

Paivi is ready to defend her rights and freedom of speech, and she wishes to stand by her deeply held Christian convictions. She is a Lutheran. Here she stands. She can do no other! Remember Luther's famous declaration.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe unlawfully detained in Iran

 The imprisonment, treatment and extended custodial sentencing should be condemned by the international community and all who believe in justice. The judicial system in the Islamic Republic of Iran is a disgrace. Human rights are clearly violated in a number of cases.  Let us be grateful for those who are working for justice, freedom and human rights in such a repressive country. The case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is an example of heartless oppression and cruelty. Her extended sentence and detention in Iran is a disgrace.

Revising my views on Trinity church, previously known as Peniel

Well, I thought it was bad at Peniel and during the dark days of Michael Reid Ministries, but I honestly believed that things had improved under the leadership of the Linnecars. Reading the report in detail by John Langlois and his team, and looking at the evidence afresh, I am shocked and saddened.  

I knew that there was suffering among the flock, but the extent of it beggars belief. Deep psychological damage and emotional scars that time will not heal completely, the loss of trust and faith touches me. It says in God's Word that we should weep with those who weep. Peniel should have been renamed Bochim or Bokim, the place of tears and weeping. And there have been many tears over the abuse, the shame and the shunning, the bullying, the manipulation, the exploitation, the harm and the hurt, the trials, troubles and tribulations, the strain and the stress. The unedifying evidence is there in the report, which in the face of sure and certain facts is undeniable. Sadly some of the perpetrators are in denial. They acted like hirelings and had the spirit of Gehazi rather than shepherds of God.

One day we shall give account of every idle word. We are all going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or evil. Even though we may be saved and spared eternal separation from the presence of God, the Day of judgment will test by fire what sort of work each one has done.  See 1 Corinthians 3:13-15. If anyone's work is burned they will suffer loss, though they will be saved but only through fire. Our God is a consuming fire. Those of us who are in leadership will be judged more harshly. Are we good stewards of the grace and gifts that have been generously given to us?

Russian Mission Impossible Force (MIF) active in October 2014

 Yes, secret agents in Russia's MIF were active in Czechoslavia back in 2014. The task force dynamic duo of Boshirov (Chepiga) and Petrov (Mishkin) behind the Salisbury poisonings have been linked with sabotage in 2014 at a weapons facility.

As always in the case of Mission Impossible Force  the Kremlin will disavow any knowledge of such actions.  

Chepiga and Mishkin are loyal agents of Mother Russia, where they are heroes, and they operate in the dark world of espionage, spies and lies. 

Thanks to Bellingcat we know the identities of these men who have received the Hero of Russia award.