Hmmmm, isn't marriage a Christian union? Those damn pagans of old just keep popping back up and ruining the story!
Also, on June 25th, 1933, thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses gathered in Berlin to draft the "Declaration of Facts," a formal document attempting to appease the new Nazi regime by stating they were strictly non-political. The Gestapo immediately rejected this and began arresting them and closing their offices.
Also, on June 25th, 1933, thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses gathered in Berlin to draft the "Declaration of Facts," a formal document attempting to appease the new Nazi regime by stating they were strictly non-political. The Gestapo immediately rejected this and began arresting them and closing their offices.
That's scary.
And on this June 25th, 2026, President Donald J. Trump opens the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C. The multi-week event—part of the nationwide 250th birthday celebration—features pavilions and exhibits from all 56 U.S. states and territories. Why is this exoteric? Answer: June 25th serves as a focal point in academic analysis of autocratic rule, particularly the 18th-century "enlightened despotism" era when monarchs—such as Frederick the Great of Prussia and Catherine the Great of Russia—attempted to incorporate Enlightenment principles to consolidate and expand absolute state power.
And on this June 25th, 2026, President Donald J. Trump opens the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C. The multi-week event—part of the nationwide 250th birthday celebration—features pavilions and exhibits from all 56 U.S. states and territories. Why is this exoteric? Answer: June 25th serves as a focal point in academic analysis of autocratic rule, particularly the 18th-century "enlightened despotism" era when monarchs—such as Frederick the Great of Prussia and Catherine the Great of Russia—attempted to incorporate Enlightenment principles to consolidate and expand absolute state power.
That's right, the founder of "Enlightened Despotism," Frederick the Great, explained it as: "My principal occupation is to combat ignorance and prejudice ... to enlighten minds, cultivate morality, and to make people as happy as it suits human nature, and as the means at my disposal permit."
Frederick wrote an essay on "Benevolent Despotism" defending this system of government in which he abolished torture, streamlined the judicial system, and established a unified code of law to ensure faster, fairer trials for citizens. Frederick practiced broad religious freedom, famously stating that "in my kingdom, everyone can go to heaven in their own way." He even allowed a Catholic cathedral and a synagogue to be built alongside Protestant churches in Berlin. He introduced state-sponsored, mandatory primary education and boosted the economy by draining swamps, diverting rivers (like the Oder) to create farmland, and popularizing crops like the potato.
Frederick was an intellectual who patronized arts and sciences, hosting prominent Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire at his palace. While he philosophically opposed Machiavellian rule in his early writings, he was a relentless military commander who expanded Prussia's borders through aggressive wars (like the Seven Years' War). His reforms were designed to strengthen the state and increase tax revenue for the military, rather than to grant democratic freedoms or decentralize his absolute power.
Yes, something to think about this June 25 when we begin our 250th year celebration as a... Democracy(?)
~~ Eso Terry
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