Back in the U.K., the arrest of Linehan for his tweets was another shocking escalation of the culture war. To those unfamiliar with his work, he was the writer of Father Ted, a cleverly absurd Irish comedy that brought the tradition of dark Gaelic humor, exemplified in works such as Flann O’Brien’s The Third Policeman, to the small screen. He then went on to write The IT Crowd, another hit series. But in recent years, he has become notorious for doing what satirists always used to do: critiquing the smug pieties of the ruling class, in his case the sacred cow of that most absurd rebellion against reality, transgenderism. In this he has stood nearly alone, with so many of his earlier friends and collaborators now exposed not so much as anti-establishment as anti-that-old-establishment-to-which-they-did-not-belong.
Linehan was arrested by five armed police officers at Heathrow. While U.K. police do not typically carry firearms, they do so at airports. But why five of them, and why in a very public space where they would be armed? Linehan was not on the run or in hiding or brandishing a weapon. Perhaps they feared that Linehan would tell a joke and innocent bystanders would die laughing? More likely they were indulging in the level of theatrical drama they deemed necessary to send a signal to anyone else tempted to behave likewise. The chief of the Metropolitan police might whine about lack of clarity in the law, but the response of his officers was unambiguous: Tweets we don’t like, even from months ago, will be met with overwhelming armed force. Read More»
Carl Trueman | “Silencing Dissent, Affirming Delusion” | September 11, 2025
RESOURCES
- Subscribe To The Heidelblog!
- Download the HeidelApp on Apple App Store or Google Play
- The Heidelblog Resource Page
- Heidelmedia Resources
- The Ecumenical Creeds
- The Reformed Confessions
- The Heidelberg Catechism
- The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, & Pastoral Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2025)
- Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008)
- Why I Am A Christian
- What Must A Christian Believe?
- Heidelblog Contributors
- Carl Trueman On Preaching On Sexual Ethics
- Office Hours: Carl Trueman Explains Why The World Seems So Upside Down
- Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to
Heidelberg Reformation Association
1637 E. Valley Parkway #391
Escondido CA 92027
USA
The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Heidelblog
The Heidelblog has been in publication since 2007. It is devoted to recovering the Reformed confession and to helping others discover Reformed theology, piety, and practice.
More by Heidelblog ›