Straight paths through crooked roads

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do for America?

What foudations are destroyed? Who are the righteous?  What needs to be done?  How can this be accomplished?  How do we measure success?  How does this apply to me?  Why would it matter for the whole of America? 

The foundations of America are based upon what we as a people believe to be our "rights".  What is a right?  It is the valid claim of one person on the duty of another.  Rights  must have an origin in order to be valid.  Therefore, they are based either upon the will of God the Creator or it is based upon the will of humans. 

Some might say that the concept of valid claims of one person on the duty of another is based upon the laws given by God in the scripture, such as "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."  And, Christ had said that this was the second great commandment that was like the greatest. The greatest cmmandment was that "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart...."  Thus, belief in God is the basis for understanding the nature of rights.

Thomas Jefferson is not known to be a devout Christian but history reveals that he believed firmly that religion was essential for a moral government.  He wrote the words in the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain, unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happpiness."

That document, the Declaration of Independence, is vital as a foundation for America because it is the document that established, along with the sacrifices of patriots during the Revolutionary War, the very sovereignty of the United States of America.  Without sovereignty, there is no government supremely able to direct a nation and to create laws that define what rights are and how they are to be used.

Today, the foundations of what people believe their rights to be are greatly distorted.  Children in school are taught that Thomas Jefferson believed that religion should be separated from government and yet he wrote those great words in the Declaration of Independence.  Children are taught that the founders of our country were greatly influenced by the French "enlightenment" which was a way of thinking based upon agnostic, godless attitudes.  The French philosopher Rousseau wrote that Christianity was a belief that made people the willing servants of tyranny. 

And yet, the American colonies were populated with self proclaimed Christians that quoted Psalm 35 in which ancient David tells the giant Goliath that he confronts him in the name of the Lord.  Most of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were devout Christians.  They signed that document knowing that it was a letter to the King of England who would command the world's greatest military force to kill them. 

In fact, the Great Awakening was a much greater influence.  The Great Awakening was a fervant Christian revival of faith among the colonists beginning in the mid 1700's decades before the Revolution. It spread among the general population of the colonies and upon the leaders who forged the Revolution and the government that would follow and become the America we love today.

The beginning of the American understanding of rights was that God was their origin.  That is the foundation being assaulted in the laws and courts, in the institutions of learning and governance of our land.  What can the righteous do about this?

Who are the righteous?  Those in right relationship to God.  For the purpose of this writing, let us simply say that the righteous are those who rightly understand and act upon the concept that God is the source of rights.  There is much more to say on this subject of righteousness and relationship to God.  Those have been addressed in previous posts to which you, dear reader, are referred.

The righteous who understand that God is the source of rights must find God as their resource to stand for what is right.  They can and must be salt and light in this confused American society. 

What exactly needs to be done?  How can this be accomplished?  How do we measure success?  How does this apply to me?  Why would it matter for the whole of America? 

These specifics must be applied in future posts.  For this day, take these thoughts above and see if they do not find validity in your own experience and thinking and faith.  If you agree with this writing, take comfort that you and I are not alone in our concerns.  I welcome your comments.

President Obama: leader or figurehead?

Barak Obama the candidate for President was very much a leader of a political crusade, which he won with political distinction.  But, to govern is not so easy. Having overcome the political royal house of Clinton, he has had to rely upon an alliance of lesser Democratic barons.  As a young Senator he could never have much leverage in the Senate.  The elder Senators would marginalize him.  Now, he cannot be ignored as President, but he requires the support of those Senators and Congress Representatives among whom he was never a leader.  Those other political strongholds may be less than that of the Clintons, but President Obama must have their support.

Witness the strong candidate become the figurehead with the same personal charisma but without political leverage except in the name of his office.  He did not create the economic "stimulus" legislation and send it to Congress, the Congressional leadership fashioned their own and sent it to him.  President Obama did not even have any serious input into its composition.  It was dictated to him.  Now, he goes out to the streets to advertise a political package in behalf of those upon whom he is now a dependant.

Witness the strong candidate become the figurehead in the appointments he made to his Cabinet.  President Obama was dependent not upon his own new group of managers but upon the usual Washington crowd that he had promised to chastize and reform. 

Witness the appointment of Senator Hillary Clinton to Secretary of State to remove her from domestic policy and to allow his alliance of lesser political nobles to assert their power. 

Nevertheless, witness President Obama assert his leadership of the Democratic left, ultra liberals with his executive policies replacing those of President Bush.  He is emphasizing the ultra liberal agenda in vigorous form.  He is exercising all of the direct power of the President to do this.

Witness in the future a continued effort of President Obama going to the people for support for various programs so as to exert his own charisma to build his own political power base that will create new Congressional strongholds beholden to him.

Witness a process of President Obama going from figurehead to powerful leader over the next few years.  If he is successful in building allegiance in the Congress, in judges he will appoint, then the social fabric of this nation, based upon Christian values, will continue to deteriorate at an increasing rate.

What can the Christian faithful do?  First, dig a deeper personal well in the living water of the Scripture, prayer, and standing in a clear witness for Christ to others.  Secondly, join political efforts in political parties that will oppose the anti-Christian agenda. 

The USA, oil, and Armageddon: Revelation 16: 13-16

"And I saw...out of the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits like frogs, for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty....and they gathered them together in the place which in Hebrew is called "Har-Magedon." 

What could bring together nations against Israel which have no direct interest in its rise or fall?  Oil and the wealth it creates for investment in the economies of nations are largely in the hands of a subset of OPEC:  the Arab nation states within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.  These Arab states are also members of the Arab League.  The Arab League's purpose is to support the re-establishment of Arab control of the city of Jerusalem, especially the land of the Al-Aksa Mosque which is also the site called the "Temple Mount" by Jews and is called Zion by both Jews and Christians.  These Arab states also belong to the United Nations.  The UN is where the Arab oil exporting countries can influence other countries who are also UN members to join them in actions against Israel.  The Russians, the Chinese, countries in the European Union and many, many more. 

The gathering of these and many more nations has already occurred in the General Assembly of the United Nations and in its Security Council.  The USA has stood up to such pressures, for the most part, against Israel.  However, in the last 15 years or so the United States has become more of an impartial umpire and less of a direct supporter of Israel.

The aim of the USA right now is to help create a Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state of Israel.  However, genuine compromise that will allow this to become a reality is not possible.  The Jews of Israel and the Moslems can not agree on the site where Zion is located, they  cannot agree on who has the ultimate right to any land promised by God to Israel, or, in the view of Moslems, the same land promised by Allah to the descendents of Abraham's other son, Ishmael.

The United States must hold to support of Israel at all costs.  Otherwise, we will suffer the loss of God's last reason to bless the USA.

Politics has a reason for being: care for the people served.

In the 23rd chapter of Matthew, the 23rd verse, Jesus Christ chastises the Pharisees for not considering the more important aspects of the law:  wisdom, compassion, and faithfulness (or, judgement, mercy, and faith).  Politics should represent wisdom.  However, the reason for the wisdom is to take care of the needs of people. 

Can we discern a different tone in our politics today?  Duh! How shall we press politicians to actually care about more than just being elected to another term?  The answer lies in organization. 

When we simply moan and groan about politicians and politics, we are like a tiny bit of water sprayed from a plastic bottle.  We have no force.  We have little direction.  So, we have little effect.

However, when we unite with others who have similar convictions, we join our little bit of water with other bits of water to become a forceful stream capable of putting out fires, or of watering plants so they can grow. 

Christians:  get up off of the couch.  Go to phone or to the internet.  Make contact with a group you are interested in.  Make friends.  Make an effort.  Make a difference. 

After all, all the wisdom and all the compassion will fall short of doing much good unless we add the faithfulness of persistent effort.  Now, let's get to work.

FREEDOM TO BE ABLE vs. FREEDOM FROM INTERFERENCE

     America is all about the concept of "freedom".  If you want a song to sell, an article to write, a picture to publish, make it relate to "freedom."  Freedom, however, is one of those words that has a broad meaning. 

     Usually, we apply the word freedom to freedom from some kind of interference in what we wish to do.  We have so thoroughly used this concept in our society that people are equally free from interference when they do either positive or self destructive things.

     What we forget is the other kind of freedom:  the freedom to be able.  This is a very different kind of freedom.  This is the freedom to be able to do something once we have learned a skill or an idea.  This freedom involves effort, discipline, sacrifice of other things we could have been doing instead.

     Someone might say, "You're just talking about being productive" or "I do the same thing every day but call it 'accomplishment'", etc.  You can look at it that way.  However, here we are looking at the relationship between the overuse of the freedom from interference and the underuse of the freedom to be able in our own society.

     Freedom from interference might be used to say, "Leave me alone, it's my life.  If I want to screw it up, it's my business."  Freedom to be able might respond, "Yes, it is your life.  But you could choose to trade in your bad habits in order to have the freedom to be able to be an independent person, able to take care of yourself and maybe even take care of others."

     What we are compelled to understand is the fact that these two freedoms are two sides of the same teeter - totter, so to speak.  The more you have of one side, the less you have of the other.  Total emphasis on one will eliminate opportunity on the other.  What our society needs is to relocate the balance between the two.

Anti-Patriot

ANTI-PATRIOT

By Dale A. Knepper

Fresno

,

California

July 21, 2007

Overview

     Anti-patriot (a new term for the market place of ideas) is a person who feels affection for their country but lacks a commitment of sacrifice for it.  He or she will relish the benefits of freedoms but deny responsibility for self-sacrifice or even legal accountability to the nation that provides these. Any government fault is portrayed as a character defect of the nation and national repentance is called for.  Thus, the anti-patriot appears to be a super patriot.  The anti-patriot clothes himself or herself in the flag of patriotism while working and speaking against the interests of the

United States

.  The term anti-patriot is a derivation of the term coward. 

Essay

     Anti-patriot is a new term, I believe, for the market place of ideas.  The anti-patriot is the antithesis of a person who is reflected in the famous quote by President John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

      

By contrast, we understand that a genuine patriot is one who feels that they belong to their country and that their country belongs to them such that they are willing to sacrifice what is precious to them in their country’s behalf.  They do not wish to die for their nation but they are willing to put their lives in harm’s way by volunteering for military service.  A genuine patriot assumes, even chooses to assume, the best about their country unless proven wrong by undeniable fact.  Then, they choose not to defame their country but to solve the problem and go forward to better things.  The genuine patriot truly asks and then answers with both words and deeds what they can do for their country.

     The anti-patriot is one who feels at best that they have affection for their country. However, they have no commitment in their heart to sacrifice anything they could not get back with interest. They have no desire to leave it because their country offers genuine benefits for them.  But, they minimize the costs of being an American.  Thus, if they are faced with a war engaged to insure the security of their country, they invent false but plausible reasons to avoid duty in harms way. If there is a possible fault that the government has committed, the anti-patriot paints it as a defect in the character of his or her nation.  They call their country to repent of this “defect”.  Thus, by contrast the anti-patriot will seem to be a super patriot.  This is pure hypocrisy.

     The anti-patriot clothes himself or herself in the flag of patriotism while working and speaking against the interests of the

United States

.  The benefits they portray in the name of rights are not valid claims on the duty of others toward them at all.  They are parasites on the genuine patriots who defend interests of

America

and even the privilege of anti-patriots to speak their half truths and intentional false impressions.

     The anti-patriot embodies the opposite of John F. Kennedy’s call to honor as a patriot.  The anti-patriot espouses values that benefit them while costing them little.  But these values are false because they do not represent the actual principles that work whether valued or not.  The anti-patriot accuses with names such as “fascist” the people of good will who hold themselves accountable to principle.  The anti-patriot refuses the concept of principle and will only go so far as to espouse values which are optional, self contradictory, superficial, and exchangeable.

     America

suffers from leagues of anti-patriots.  America suffers much less from the threat of terror than it does from the parasitic undermining efforts of anti-patriots so expert at making lies look like truth and the truth appear to be false.

     I call for Americans to look to themselves first to see if they are an anti-patriot.  Please remember John F. Kennedy’s call, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”