AP’s Sunday Rant: World Affairs, Fake Faith, and the Fight for Truth

The situation between Russia and Ukraine has gotten murky — and the United States is caught in the middle. Putin seems to be stringing Trump along as he takes cheap shots at Ukraine. Trump is starting to appear weak to Putin, and now Putin is grabbing for more than he deserves. If Trump wants to regain control of the situation, he needs to shock the system — threaten Putin by saying the U.S. will stop playing favorites and instead become an arms dealer to Ukraine, allowing them to strike in Moscow if they wish. It would be shocking, but Trump needs to find a way to regain strength over the situation.

When President Biden was exiting office, his administration ensured that Ukraine would remain heavily funded — a strategy many critics, myself included, argue was intended to leave Trump with a geopolitical nightmare. Now, with peace talks growing stale and Russia gaining ground, Trump faces a no-win situation: support Ukraine and anger his base while seemingly failing to uphold his word of ending the war (and be damned by the media), or stay pulled back from Ukraine and let Putin pummel them further while taking the fall for appearing weak (and still be damned by the media).

Right now, it’s making Trump look foolish for ever thinking he could stop the war easily. He had his chance, but he gave Putin too much leg room, and it's starting to make Trump appear weak on the world stage. In my opinion, he has to get tougher before he completely loses the ball.

From the start, I never agreed with sending money to Ukraine. There’s strong evidence that American intelligence agencies have long viewed Russia as an adversary needing destabilization. Destabilization has always been the top strategy to ensure a country or region never gains full strength — or, if applied aggressively, forces a country into civil war. We are being destabilized right now from several fronts, with the greatest harm coming from globalists like George Soros. The USSR’s destabilization started because General Patton warned after World War II that Russia would become a future problem. As it stands, I believe the CIA has worked behind the scenes for decades to weaken Russia — the enemy we helped create. And as the opportunity presented itself in modern times, Ukraine became a willing pawn in that bigger chess game.

On the Home Front

Today, inflation shows signs of easing, and the job market is recovering, but Americans are still hurting from high prices. Trump’s broader economic agenda, like imposing tariffs, may help long-term, but short-term pain is inevitable. Meanwhile, the Democrats and the mainstream media are doing everything possible to paint Trump as incompetent — not necessarily because it's true, but because they know fear and division sway voters, especially independents.

I believe Trump’s agenda could work, but because he only has four years, I think other developed countries will try to hold out as long as they can, forming pacts to support each other while hoping the average American — and even some of Trump’s base — will feel the pain and turn against him. These are my educated speculations, of course, but you can see the concerted effort with all the same old globalist groups, the U.S. media as the mouthpiece, pushing out fear like it’s going out of style — and it’s working. The cracks are forming, and they will widen if Trump can’t figure a way to pump up the economy in the meantime. There are many forces against him as you've seen with judges, media, Hollywood, and the radical left. I believe more pressure needs to be put on Congress to help push his agenda.

As of now, even some of Trump's wealthy backers are getting restless. They’ve lost money, and fear is growing. But real leadership requires endurance through tough times, not just quick fixes for popularity’s sake. Six months from now, we could see a much stronger economy... or an even bigger mess. Time will tell.

Faith Under Attack: Charlie Kirk vs. Bill Maher

I recently listened to the Charlie Kirk and Bill Maher interview. I think Charlie did well in parts, but when it came to defending Christianity, he missed a major opportunity. With someone like Bill Maher — who made the anti-religion documentary Religulous — the conversation isn't really about discovering truth. Maher has already decided Christianity is false. Engaging him as if it’s an honest debate is a mistake.

Charlie should have simply said: "I think this is a topic we can't really get into for the sake of debate. You've already rejected the Bible and Christianity. Since your mind is made up, there’s no reason to argue. As the Bible says, ‘Do not cast your pearls before swine.’ If you truly wanted to know why I have faith, that would be one thing. But convincing someone who’s already decided Christ isn’t real is simply not worth wasting my breath."

Bill says he's read the Bible, but faith isn't just academic. It's relational. Reading the Bible to tear it apart — or reading it like you would a magazine — isn't the same as reading it to know God. When the depths of your heart genuinely seek God's wisdom and thoughts, only then will you truly gain from it. The keys to the kingdom are handed over only then, I believe.

Jordan Peterson and the Trap of Intellectual Faith

Similarly, Jordan Peterson often speaks eloquently about Biblical concepts but waters them down into mere philosophical frameworks — another mistake. He treats Jesus more like a symbol than the living Son of God. It’s a tragedy when brilliant minds get close to the truth but refuse to fully submit to it. Instead of accepting the beautiful simplicity of God's Word, they muddy it with overcomplicated intellectualism. And the second tragedy is this: they are harming the good of God by diverting or confusing would-be believers with their false intellectualism.

Bill Maher, Jordan Peterson, and others like them seem unable to grasp why any of this exists — why God would care to play this all out. It's simple: God created us with free will because love — true love — must be chosen.

AI is the future. Someday soon, robots will be tasked with forming relationships with lonely humans. But no matter how convincing it seems, it will always be fake. Because it will always be programmed. Like God, because we were made by Him, we will always yearn for organic, non-forced love. Humans must be free to choose God. Yes, God was lonely. The emotions and ambitions you feel — God feels too. How do I know this? Because He made us. Everything we experience, He knows. Everything under and over the sun, He understands. The difference is that, because He is all-knowing, He knows the other side too — how to control His emotions and make the right decisions at every level. If something happens, trust that it was the best move in the grand design.

That’s why we were given the power to govern ourselves. And naturally, we've made a mess of things. Wars, starvation, suffering — most of it stems from human choices, not God. But in order to have a truly autonomous being, you have to allow the freedom to fail.

Tragedy Can Still Bloom: Lessons from John Walsh

Because God is in us, there’s faith that many will do the right thing naturally. And the world itself is full of lessons — nature is loaded with clues on how to live correctly. That's why, when actions are chosen correctly, even tragedy can produce light. Take John Walsh, who lost his son Adam to a horrific crime. Rather than sinking into hatred, he turned grief into action and caught hundreds of criminals through America’s Most Wanted. That is Christianity in action — finding hope even in the darkest of times and helping countless souls. Walsh’s story is not uncommon. Many have endured tremendous heartbreak but have allowed God to work through them, turning tragedy into something that blooms with heavenly purpose.

I know I went on a tangent here, but beware: many today are practicing a false interpretation of Christianity. Maybe they haven’t figured it out yet. Maybe they're being used by dark forces. I don't know exactly. Remember this verse: "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." — Matthew 24:5.

Now, I know many of you will think this is only referring to someone literally claiming to be Christ. But I think we can go a bit deeper. If someone is peddling Christ but not the Christ of the Bible, you could say they are spreading false teaching. And I believe the first part of this verse is really happening right now. Just something for you to think about. So just make sure you’re not falling for the wrong messages. Do your research. Trust me — you’ll be better for it.

Final Thoughts: A Message for Your Week Ahead

There are seasons when everything seems perfect — a new job, a growing family, happiness everywhere. And then, out of nowhere, all hell breaks loose. Maybe it’s not death, but a broken car, a lost job, an unexpected blow. Depending on where you are in life, even small tragedies can feel devastating.

It's easy to ask, "Why me?" But hardship happens to everyone — because if it’s not you, it will be someone else. The real question is:

• Will you let bitterness consume you?

• Will you try to solve it all yourself, even if success feels unlikely?

• Or will you turn to God and trust Him to bring you through?

The last path is the hardest because it requires faith. It requires you to keep your hands on the steering wheel but let God take the map.

Think about the past. How many times has something gone wrong — and yet, later, you ended up in a better place? Trials refine us. They make us stronger. And maybe, just maybe, they steer us toward the life we were meant to live.

If you’re struggling today, pray. Ask God for strength and wisdom. Open your Bible. It doesn’t matter where you start — just start. Invite God into your situation. Trust Him. He'll answer.

And when life gets good again — because it will — don’t forget Him.

History, both personal and biblical, teaches us this: when people prosper, they often forget the One who blessed them. Stay humble. Stay close to God.

Amen.

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