April 1, 2025
Parallel Polis Publishing
By Shawn & Beth Dougherty, Plain Values
The corn in the garden is already more than knee-high, and the first planting of green beans has been gracing the supper table for more than a week, so summer must really be here. And even with temperatures in the high eighties making heat wrinkles over the county road, we’re happy to see the seasons advance. Pretty soon there will be okra to fry and tomatoes in our salads. The land is generous in July.
I recently took my family on a trip to the Zoo and felt an overwhelming sense of shock at the state of the people around me there. The atmosphere seemed reminiscent of a scene from “The Walking Dead,” with a clear sense of emptiness in everyone’s eyes. Witnessing this lack of meaning and despair on people’s faces saddened me profoundly, but I am not without hope.
Modern life is meaningless. Our young people believe they have no other purpose on this earth other than to seek pleasure and entertain away their boredom. Tens of millions in our country live this way. Is it any wonder that we have never been more anxious, depressed, and suicidal?
Like many in the Millennial Generation, I went to college and enjoyed four years of few responsibilities and seemingly endless opportunities for fun with friends. Your first taste of life as an adult is pleasure island. You are young with unlimited free time and can do whatever you want. Even if you are a Christian and you avoid the bacchanal of drunkenness, drugs, and fornication, you still become accustomed to a slightly more wholesome dissipate lifestyle. You assume this is what adult life is. For many in my generation, you leave college and continue to chase that same high. You find a job—if you are lucky—and have less free time. You are separated from most of your college friends. But you become desperate to relive those glory days, even if only Friday night through Sunday.
By Rory Feek, Plain Values
I once made a trip north to Amish country in Ohio to visit and spend time with Marlin and his team at the Plain Values home office. In the few days that I was there, I returned home with some unexpected personal insights that I thought I might share in the next column or two. The first one has to do with automobiles, or actually maybe the lack of automobiles in the world of the Amish, and also recently in mine.
By Marlin Miller, Publisher of Plain Values
Have you ever tried to do something nice for someone only to make a mistake that messes up everything you had planned?
by Joel Webbon
My book, “Fight By Flight: Why Leaving Godless Places Is Loving Godless Places,” recently sparked quite the controversy online. Many have asked, “Why an entire book dedicated to the topic of whether or not Christians should leave blue states? Why devote so much time to this particular topic, especially a niche topic that’s likely to be polarizing?”
My answer is simple: Because I spent several years of my life compelling Christians to stay in California (where I previously lived and pastored), it seems only right to devote some time and energy to righting the ship. This is not some kind of gospel-less penance. Rather, the Scripture teaches that each of us should strive to do good works in keeping with our repentance (Matthew 3:8). That said, I recognize that I must be careful not to make the same mistake, only this time, in the other direction. Therefore, my desire is for Christians to seriously consider whether or not their choice to remain in hostile contexts will inhibit them from full obedience to all of Christ’s commands. I want these Christians to know that it is permissible, and in some cases even commendable, to leave. At the same time, I want Christians to know there are exceptions to the rule. In some cases it is permissible, and even right, to stay.
To this end, my little book is intended to serve as merely the kindling for the fire of serious thought, prayer, and discussion. Ultimately, the decision is up to you, your conscience, and the Lord.
The concept of building a parallel economy and nurturing a new Christendom offers an inspiring vision for those seeking alternative frameworks to secular society’s crumbling infrastructure. This is something we’ve been working towards here at Gab for several years now and I’m excited to share some more of that vision and highlight a few of the great people laying the foundation of a new Christendom with their work.
Our third child was born about five weeks ago and we felt it was time to get out of the house and do something fun with the kids before summer passed us by. So we got in the car and headed to Lancaster, PA or as many call it “Amish Country.” Growing up Lancaster was a spot we visited often as kids. I have great memories myself from those visits and wanted to give my kids those same memories this summer. It was also a refreshing and inspiring look at what is possible with a homogenous traditional Christian culture and society.
Our purchasing decisions have massive implications beyond simply satisfying our immediate needs or desires. When we buy a product or support a business we inadvertently contribute to the values and principles these businesses uphold. This in turn influences the culture which then influences political action in our society.
By: Jerry D, Plain Values
What does restoration look like in your community?
Answered by: Jerry D Miller, a minister in his local Amish church
The existing infrastructure and cultural norms in the West are increasingly hostile or incompatible with Christian values. In response to this reality many of us are turning towards the idea of building our own parallel infrastructure and communities, not unlike the pilgrims who were seeking new land and religious freedom during the early days of America. Unfortunately there is nowhere left to run to. Every country on earth is subjected to the globalist regime in one form or another and so we can’t just physically pack up our things, move to new lands, and form our own nation–at least not yet.
Thankfully with the power of technology we might not have to.
by Shawn & Beth Dougherty, Plain Values
A Child comes in the back door with a full milk can; the screen door slaps shut behind him. There is the sound of a bucket being set on the bench, the clang of a bail handle against the side of the milk can. In the kitchen someone is frying bacon; the smell reaches into the basement, where at a simple counter and sink we process raw milk twice daily.
Sometimes we wonder how we got here! When we first thought we might keep a dairy cow, we worried that the chores would be too much work and that we would not be able to maintain a rigid schedule. Not only were we taking on twice-daily milking, but we would be moving our intensively grazed dairy cows onto fresh grass each time we milked. With all the other farm chores and homeschooling our eight children, were we going to have time for the added work? But while milking a cow does require commitment, it turned out to be not nearly as much work as we expected.
