The last time a scandal of the magnitude of the Epstein files rocked Washington, D.C., it was following the revelation of the break in at the Democratic headquarters in the Watergate Hotel. I was in high school when that happened, and it provided a lot of current events material for us. What I recall about it was the genuine sense of disgust and horror over the implications of having a corrupt President holding to the powers of the executive branch. To me, things seemed to move glacially, with the televised hearings, but there was a sense of urgency and once the investigation got rolling, things actually moved pretty fast.
Much has changed since then, including the length of time between knowledge of the extent of Epstein's crimes being revealed, along with who was directly involved, and the launching of investigations producing the documentation we now call the "Epstein Files." Gone is the sense of urgency to complete an investigation and resolve the issues that surround it. These are people with a lot of money and this is America in the 21st century. The enforcement of laws and the power of investigations can be altered by enough money and influence. These people can pay to make sure justice never happens, and we are seeing that unfold right before our very eyes.
Will any of the perpetrators and conspirators involved in Epstein's highly illegal, despicable, and morally bankrupt enterprise ever be brought to justice? I doubt it. Epstein himself is dead and if there is a hell, I hope he is roasting in it. No one else directly involved seems to be getting what they deserve.
There Are Americans Seeking Justice for the Victims
I'm not sure that the attention this thing is getting is attracting the outrage it deserves. Since we no longer have a free press in this country, it's hard to get accurate information anymore, especially not mixed with sensationalism or partisan tampering. Compared to Watergate, if we were back in the 1970's, we'd already have seen the resignations of a good chunk of the cabinet, particularly Bondi, over the way the Justice Department has botched, and botched again, the handling of the files. Howard Lutnik, who is apparently involved in a compromising manner, would also be gone. The Speaker of the House, because of his attempts to shove everything under the rug, would have been ousted and Republican members of Congress would be pressuring the President to resign and leave the country.
Kash Patel, the FBI director, would also be gone, and the list of associates at both the FBI and in the Justice Department who knowingly abetted the incompetence would already have been given their last check and sent on their way.
The fact that none of this has happened, these people, along with a long list of Epstein's other billionaire friends who happily posed for photos with him and engaged in his "business enterprise," are still walking around free, is a sign of the complete moral decay of the United States. And while there is plenty of outrage, and there are people demanding accountability, there is too much apathy and way too much deliberate ignorance preventing these matters from being brought to justice. Conservative partisanship is causing the rapid erosion of historic American values. And what is happening with the Epstein files is an egregious example of the accuracy of this statement..
The Moment of Reckoning for Conservative Evangelicalism Has Arrived
We have seen the hypocrisy, the chase after worldly wealth and power, and the collapse of any claims to being a faithful, "Bible-believing, gospel preaching" church that has occurred among a good chunk of those who self-identify as conservative Evangelicals. Leaders like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson promoted monumental hypocrisy when they saw the beginning of decline set in to their movement, and so they abandoned their belief in the power of God's Holy Spirit to chase after political power and the power that comes with wealth while trying to disguise that as some kind of Christian "revival."
In order to get what they are after, they have had to embrace a long, long, long list of anti-Christian beliefs and practices and they've had to suck up to political leaders who didn't have a clue about the Christian gospel, or Christian doctrine and practice. They have yet to embrace and support one of their own as a candidate for the Presidency, supporting Reagan, a new age cultist, over Jimmy Carter, a genuine conservative Evangelical and sincere believer and practicer of the gospel preached by Jesus. They embraced George H. W. Bush, a liberal Episcopalian, over Bill Clinton, a card carrying, choir and orchestra member of a Southern Baptist church. And they took Mitt Romney, a Mormon, whose church they believe is a cult, over Barack Obama, a member of a historically black congregation.
And now, they've gone all out for a convicted rapist, misogynyst, morally bankrupt, accused child molester who is the most frequently mentioned name in all aspects of the Epstein files and who has openly rejected conservative Evangelical theology, doctrine and practice. They are apparently going to continue to remain silent in the face of what will slowly be revealed as one of the most despicable, horrifically satanic things that has ever happened in the United States as it swallows up the President and everyone else mentioned as participants in Epstein's abuse, because they can't seem to come to grips with the fact that their endorsement and support was a gigantic mistake.
I've known for a long time that the theology, doctrine and practice that falls under self-described conservative Evangelicalism is false. We've had our attention focused on the long running Catholic scandals of clergy sexual abuse of children while several conservative Evangelical denominations, along with numerous non-denominational megachurches, have been going to great lengths to try and hide massive sexual abuse scandals by their own clergy. Their ranks are riddled by financial scandals, tax cheating and money-grabbing schemes that have reached right inside many of the empires of televangelists and megachurch television stars. And they have kept their silence when it comes to their involvement with right wing politicians who have dubios morals at best.
This one is already having a long term effect. People are walking away from many of these churches and denominations in droves, leaving behind a shrinking base of the deluded and deceived.
I don't want to paint with a broad brush. There are many pastors, ministers and church leaders among the Evangelical churches and denominations in the United States who are calling out the evil that has crept inside. There are those who understand that the Constitution's principles of freedom of conscience and separation of church and state are core American values, and they are joining with the significant majority of mainline "woke, liberal" Protestants, and many Catholics, in resisting and opposing this attack on their values and on their churches.
Defending Epstein and those who went along with him is something that undermines American values and speaks directly to who this country is. Conservative Evangelicals love to criticize mainline Protestants for being woke and liberal, but look at where most of them stand by comparison. They may be woke and liberal, but they are standing up for what is right, and against this President and his MAGA constituency and calling it out for the evil cult that it is. Political conservatives, Republicans mostly, love to tout their "family values" perspective, and criticize their liberal counterparts, mainly Democrats, with slurs like "socialist," and claiming they are not for "law and Order, but it is the liberal Democrats who are standing up for Democracy and who are demanding that everything in the Epstein files be brought to light.
Those liberal, "godless", Europeans are observing what's going on here with a much different perspective than they once did. They were affected by Epstein's scandal too. Look what they're doing about it. When there's evidence of someone's involvement, they're gone. Out. Justice seems to be moving a lot faster over there than it is here, because of their liberal perspective. We're being held back by our conservatives, who are trying to change the definition of law and order, and right and wrong.
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