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This is a meaty but understandable column on our government and the Fed,the central bank. These cookies are placed down low....
The FED’s Unsound Theories
by Michael S. Rozeff
...Bernanke has a peculiar blindness to causation that is difficult to understand. His thinking about the Great Depression starts in the 1930s. He does not seek its roots in the FED’s actions in the 1920s and in the boom that the FED promoted that eventually came to grief. Similarly, in 2008, Bernanke has not gotten to the roots of the current depression. He acts as if depressions suddenly spring full-blown upon us and we need only deal with them at that point or before – with more inflation.
Bernanke’s answer to depression prevention and control is incredibly simple and naïve: "Thus we believe that policymakers should continue to maintain an inflation buffer and to act preemptively against emerging deflationary risks."
The simple fact is that policymakers maintained inflation at high rates for decades on end. There has been a very large inflation buffer! They have acted preemptively against deflation for decades! Bernanke has to be wrong, because after all of that, the deflation in prices has occurred anyway. The inevitable depression has arrived....
Saturday, February 28, 2009
How much is being spent....?
It is very hard to keep in perspective the amount of money being thrown around right now by our government....
From Lew Rockwell
It Would Be Cheaper to Fight World War II Again
by Robert Higgs
What is the right word to describe the U.S. government’s current and proposed fiscal condition: fantastic, unbelievable, surreal? The Obama administration now expects a budget deficit in fiscal year 2009 of $1,750 billion, or more than 12 percent of GDP. Total federal spending this year is expected to be $3,940 billion, or 27 percent of GDP. President Barack Obama promises that the deficit will be brought down to $1,170 billion in fiscal year 2010. Don’t bank on it.
Did anyone, even two or three years ago, expect this situation to develop? We need to go back only ten years, to fiscal year 1999, to reach a time when the government’s total outlays were smaller than this year’s deficit. Ay, mamacita, what’s going on here?
To get some perspective on how totally crazy the government has gone in its almost incredible overreaction to the financial and economic developments of the past year, consider that during World War II, which was paid for mainly by borrowing, the government ran deficits during the fiscal years 1941–46 that added about $191 billion to the national debt by the end of this period...
From Lew Rockwell
It Would Be Cheaper to Fight World War II Again
by Robert Higgs
What is the right word to describe the U.S. government’s current and proposed fiscal condition: fantastic, unbelievable, surreal? The Obama administration now expects a budget deficit in fiscal year 2009 of $1,750 billion, or more than 12 percent of GDP. Total federal spending this year is expected to be $3,940 billion, or 27 percent of GDP. President Barack Obama promises that the deficit will be brought down to $1,170 billion in fiscal year 2010. Don’t bank on it.
Did anyone, even two or three years ago, expect this situation to develop? We need to go back only ten years, to fiscal year 1999, to reach a time when the government’s total outlays were smaller than this year’s deficit. Ay, mamacita, what’s going on here?
To get some perspective on how totally crazy the government has gone in its almost incredible overreaction to the financial and economic developments of the past year, consider that during World War II, which was paid for mainly by borrowing, the government ran deficits during the fiscal years 1941–46 that added about $191 billion to the national debt by the end of this period...
More from inside "The Shack"
Another review of "The shack" From Chalcedon.
A Review of The Shack
Reviewed by Susan Eby
It’s troubling that anyone who actually reads and loves the Bible would find reason to be even remotely interested in pursing an introduction to New Age philosophy, but apparently it’s currently sweeping evangelical Christianity with an insidious vengeance....
In retrospect, actually the “first red alert” ought to have been the emasculated manner in which males, all through the book, were depicted, starting with the main character’s own father. Early on, the main character Mack (who throughout the story deferred to his wife as the wiser, stronger, more “together” of the two) seemed justified in his anger toward his father, a “Christian” of course, who routinely came home from church and beat his family members. By portraying Mack’s father as an extreme perversion of what a father ought to be, the writer seemed justified in elevating women to those roles characteristically filled by men, including, most notably, God the “Father”, thereby blurring the lines between male and female. Women, it seems, can fill literally any roles that males can fill, but even better....
There are so many other objectionable and/or offensive theological deviations in the book (including the suggestion that the purpose of judgment is for man to judge God as stated on page 160, or the preeminence of man’s will over God’s in the discussion on page 149), that dealing with all of them would necessitate writing a book in itself.
Suffice it to say that when a Theo-centric, truly God-centered Theology finds itself erroneously replaced by an anthropocentric belief system, and everything else, including God Himself, is re-defined with MAN at the center (which is the very heart and soul of post-modernism), it produces all kinds of mischief and deception...
A Review of The Shack
Reviewed by Susan Eby
It’s troubling that anyone who actually reads and loves the Bible would find reason to be even remotely interested in pursing an introduction to New Age philosophy, but apparently it’s currently sweeping evangelical Christianity with an insidious vengeance....
In retrospect, actually the “first red alert” ought to have been the emasculated manner in which males, all through the book, were depicted, starting with the main character’s own father. Early on, the main character Mack (who throughout the story deferred to his wife as the wiser, stronger, more “together” of the two) seemed justified in his anger toward his father, a “Christian” of course, who routinely came home from church and beat his family members. By portraying Mack’s father as an extreme perversion of what a father ought to be, the writer seemed justified in elevating women to those roles characteristically filled by men, including, most notably, God the “Father”, thereby blurring the lines between male and female. Women, it seems, can fill literally any roles that males can fill, but even better....
There are so many other objectionable and/or offensive theological deviations in the book (including the suggestion that the purpose of judgment is for man to judge God as stated on page 160, or the preeminence of man’s will over God’s in the discussion on page 149), that dealing with all of them would necessitate writing a book in itself.
Suffice it to say that when a Theo-centric, truly God-centered Theology finds itself erroneously replaced by an anthropocentric belief system, and everything else, including God Himself, is re-defined with MAN at the center (which is the very heart and soul of post-modernism), it produces all kinds of mischief and deception...
Describing the crisis in leadership at the top
Doug Wilson has such a great way with words....
Liberal Arts Education in a Recession
...we have a dearth of people in cultural leadership who know how to think. What kind of education did the people who have made this mess receive? What was the principle value in that education, and why do we still think we need to keep training our young people that way? The principle value of modern education was and is "technical mastery," with little or no attention paid to theology, meaning, history, virtue, or the simple ability to follow a thought out to the logical conclusion. We have just had a crisis caused by finanicial irresponsibility and we are going to fix it by multiplying that irresponsiblity in order to get into the trillions column. We got hammered last night and are going to fix it with a whiskey and soda for breakfast. We just lost our shirt at the Vegas casino and we want to go double or nothing. We got laid off our job at the steel mill and bought a new car and plasma television on the way home to stimulate the household economy and cheer up the wife. Do you really want your children to be educated by people who can't see the problems in this? And who laugh at the people who do see it?....
Liberal Arts Education in a Recession
...we have a dearth of people in cultural leadership who know how to think. What kind of education did the people who have made this mess receive? What was the principle value in that education, and why do we still think we need to keep training our young people that way? The principle value of modern education was and is "technical mastery," with little or no attention paid to theology, meaning, history, virtue, or the simple ability to follow a thought out to the logical conclusion. We have just had a crisis caused by finanicial irresponsibility and we are going to fix it by multiplying that irresponsiblity in order to get into the trillions column. We got hammered last night and are going to fix it with a whiskey and soda for breakfast. We just lost our shirt at the Vegas casino and we want to go double or nothing. We got laid off our job at the steel mill and bought a new car and plasma television on the way home to stimulate the household economy and cheer up the wife. Do you really want your children to be educated by people who can't see the problems in this? And who laugh at the people who do see it?....
...For you alone, o Lord...
I have been in earnest prayer for many of the different health reports we have heard of. For Gregs transition to Africa and the potential generational impact God can do through his family. for you alone, o Lord.... Just so many different families and areas of life and for each it comes down to....for you alone, o Lord....
Psalm 4:8 I will both lie down in peace and sleep: for you alone, o Lord make me dwell in safety.
I still struggle with so many aspects of the sovereignty of God. But the word is clear, there is no other sovereign, there is no other God. I yield to the Word. I don’t have to "get it" all. We got lots of idols all over the place, pretending to be gods. But only one God, for you alone, o Lord....
We know we do not deserve the mercy we get from the father. We call it grace already. Boldly we ask for more, in the name of his son Jesus. for you alone, o Lord.... For our families, our little ones, our fellowships... for you alone, o Lord.
I’m telling you, this has been a comforting verse.
Psalm 4:8 I will both lie down in peace and sleep: for you alone, o Lord make me dwell in safety.
I still struggle with so many aspects of the sovereignty of God. But the word is clear, there is no other sovereign, there is no other God. I yield to the Word. I don’t have to "get it" all. We got lots of idols all over the place, pretending to be gods. But only one God, for you alone, o Lord....
We know we do not deserve the mercy we get from the father. We call it grace already. Boldly we ask for more, in the name of his son Jesus. for you alone, o Lord.... For our families, our little ones, our fellowships... for you alone, o Lord.
I’m telling you, this has been a comforting verse.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Reading material for the road trip to Babylon
Realizing that I cannot make it rain. I have thought of, and meditated on this passage a lot lately and on one night in particular I needed it so bad. Psalm 4:8 I will both lie down in peace and sleep: for you alone, o lord make me dwell in safety. Neither gold, riches, armies etc can make us dwell in safety. We might think its safe, but unless the Lord....
From 1994,the journal of Christian reconstruction. Vol XIII "Symposium on the decline and fall of the west and the return of Christendom" This issue has been meaty, lots of stuff from Otto Scott and "doony." They were laying out, why we are seeing, what is happening around us in the culture, banking and government today. Its kinda weird in a way. Like reading one of the prophets on the way to Babylon.
Why read this old stuff? Because I can see that the biblical solutions to our issues are the exact same today as they were then.It is hard to find people today, saying it as clearly as they did then.
I am talking about believers. Praise God for Vision Forum, Swanson, Sprouls, Wilson, Botkin etc. The first three talks on the DVD series from the 2007 “From script to cinema” work it well. Thats good material to help see straight when we read, listen or watch something. AAA+++But what a wilderness it was in 1994. Just nibble on this paragraph it is so true.
pg143...The grim fact is that today the political theories of the humanists are public confessions set forth in political platforms, whereas Christians have no such public confession. The idea of a confessional Christian now simply means one who subscribes to certain creeds, not one who applies them to every sphere of life. Every society, however is an expression of faith, whether good or bad. ".....
It was on parade tonight on national television. The Liberals will loudly today confess their faith and do not hesitate to impose their morality on everyone else through new blasphemy laws etc. They wouldn’t like it being called a religious faith but it sure is. We Christians have been trained to see it as just politics.
So we don’t call them on it.Who has a stronger faith? Too many Christians see ours, as pertaining to the personal areas of life. Their faith leads them to offer a solution to anything, nothing is outside of the reach of their humanistic belief. There's is a big enough faith to say "give your kids to us, we know what’s most important to learn about life" We have the book of life but too many think big chunks are now "non-operative" so we don’t see an alternative to what the pagans offer, other than, what used to be. Not realizing that what used to be, conservative values etc, will take you to where we are today, because it had already been separated from the faith that birthed it, a long time ago. We need to embrace the whole book again, like the Reformers did, it’s the only way.
We dont see it. Is it because they never play dulcimer cymbals, harps and horns and tell us to bow down at a certain time? So long as we only have to breathe it in and out twenty four/seven, like it is so much Muzak constantly around us in the background. This has been a case of the frog in the pot. But I think its because they are in the pot with us and let us add a little more water now and then....
Reformation. Because if the Salt looses its savor....
Yes I am a broken record. I keep working it, saying it, writing it in hopes that with Gods mercy and grace, our generation may really use the sword given us, as our Lord intended. I confess my ineptness first, my scribbling is for me. Rats! I cut myself again....
From 1994,the journal of Christian reconstruction. Vol XIII "Symposium on the decline and fall of the west and the return of Christendom" This issue has been meaty, lots of stuff from Otto Scott and "doony." They were laying out, why we are seeing, what is happening around us in the culture, banking and government today. Its kinda weird in a way. Like reading one of the prophets on the way to Babylon.
Why read this old stuff? Because I can see that the biblical solutions to our issues are the exact same today as they were then.It is hard to find people today, saying it as clearly as they did then.
I am talking about believers. Praise God for Vision Forum, Swanson, Sprouls, Wilson, Botkin etc. The first three talks on the DVD series from the 2007 “From script to cinema” work it well. Thats good material to help see straight when we read, listen or watch something. AAA+++But what a wilderness it was in 1994. Just nibble on this paragraph it is so true.
pg143...The grim fact is that today the political theories of the humanists are public confessions set forth in political platforms, whereas Christians have no such public confession. The idea of a confessional Christian now simply means one who subscribes to certain creeds, not one who applies them to every sphere of life. Every society, however is an expression of faith, whether good or bad. ".....
It was on parade tonight on national television. The Liberals will loudly today confess their faith and do not hesitate to impose their morality on everyone else through new blasphemy laws etc. They wouldn’t like it being called a religious faith but it sure is. We Christians have been trained to see it as just politics.
So we don’t call them on it.Who has a stronger faith? Too many Christians see ours, as pertaining to the personal areas of life. Their faith leads them to offer a solution to anything, nothing is outside of the reach of their humanistic belief. There's is a big enough faith to say "give your kids to us, we know what’s most important to learn about life" We have the book of life but too many think big chunks are now "non-operative" so we don’t see an alternative to what the pagans offer, other than, what used to be. Not realizing that what used to be, conservative values etc, will take you to where we are today, because it had already been separated from the faith that birthed it, a long time ago. We need to embrace the whole book again, like the Reformers did, it’s the only way.
We dont see it. Is it because they never play dulcimer cymbals, harps and horns and tell us to bow down at a certain time? So long as we only have to breathe it in and out twenty four/seven, like it is so much Muzak constantly around us in the background. This has been a case of the frog in the pot. But I think its because they are in the pot with us and let us add a little more water now and then....
Reformation. Because if the Salt looses its savor....
Yes I am a broken record. I keep working it, saying it, writing it in hopes that with Gods mercy and grace, our generation may really use the sword given us, as our Lord intended. I confess my ineptness first, my scribbling is for me. Rats! I cut myself again....
Friday, February 20, 2009
The cats head is sticking up out of the bag...
HT to Gary North. A major news player finally prints what was only seen and spoken of by those crazies of the internet.
Synchronized Boom, Synchronized Bust
Bad U.S. monetary policy had global consequences.
By MARC FABER
The world has gone from the greatest synchronized global economic boom in history to the first synchronized global bust since the Great Depression. How we got here is not a cautionary tale of free markets gone wild. Rather, it's the story of what can happen when governments ignore market signals and central bankers believe in endless booms...
Synchronized Boom, Synchronized Bust
Bad U.S. monetary policy had global consequences.
By MARC FABER
The world has gone from the greatest synchronized global economic boom in history to the first synchronized global bust since the Great Depression. How we got here is not a cautionary tale of free markets gone wild. Rather, it's the story of what can happen when governments ignore market signals and central bankers believe in endless booms...
Speaking From First Hand Experience...JohnTaylor Gatto
Here is a link to an interview of JohnTaylor Gatto from Chalcedon. Its the first time I have heard him speak but have heard and read of his work for a long time. They would love to shut him up. Bookmark this link and if you start to waiver about homeschooling just watch it again.
If You Can, Get Your Freedom.....
Jason encouraged and made me think with an observation about....living as a free man in Christ. I had never thought of it that way. Doug Wilson said years ago that we are a nation of slaves with Winebagos. I recently responded to an inquiry about my work status by saying I was unemployed. My wife had to correct me, your not unemployed, your self employed! One step at a time...
A couple of things economic wise. Gary north has been dead on, in not reading tea leaves, but seeing where foolish economic policy will lead too.
He has this column up today concerning keeping a pantry, He has it on his free side....This article is open to the public. I hope it gets wide circulation. I hope Web surfers find it. We need additional realistic people who will be in a position to help rather than in need of help...
http://www.garynorth.com/public/4628.cfm
Prior to losing my job I had already talked with my car and house insurance companies and lowered my expenditures significantly. The companies are getting lots of calls like mine and were ready with alternatives. They want to keep your business.
Since being home I have closer scrutinized my electric rates and switched. Noon to 7pm. We will be very careful during that mid day window. Its your peak usage during that time that counts. If I didn’t change any usage it should’ve saved me $300 this year. I have greatly changed our usage.
I found that home Depot has those 60watt florescent energy bulbs, 4 for $1.88 . Only 14watts vs my old 60watts regular fan bulbs. These same bulbs used to be almost 9 bucks. They said APS is subsidizing to get people to change. Worked for me.
We have set up a clothes line and the drier has been quiet. I live in AZ, why was I paying to dry my clothes? It helps with two daughters, yes.
My last email I spoke with confidence that I should enjoy where I am at and not be robbed of my joy while things get going. I hope that didn’t come across as presumptuous. As I have no letter From God saying “don’t worry this will work.” As Paton the missionary to the Hebredies said when he saw a massive line of screaming warriors streaming over a hilltop towards his little mission house...now I am a staunch Calvenist, but I am no fatalist....We grabbed our papers and ran....
What I am doing seems logical and obvious in front of me, It is something that I have been trying to get the pieces in place to do at some point. But kind of thought, forget it, when the economy really tanked. I Believe God thought different. I don’t think he wanted me to go back to Schumacher European either.
But for all I know I could be selling lemonade along cave creek road in the future. Only with his blessing will this venture happen and I am keenly aware of it. I am not trying to grab the American dream but rather as St Paul said....if you can, get your freedom.....
A couple of things economic wise. Gary north has been dead on, in not reading tea leaves, but seeing where foolish economic policy will lead too.
He has this column up today concerning keeping a pantry, He has it on his free side....This article is open to the public. I hope it gets wide circulation. I hope Web surfers find it. We need additional realistic people who will be in a position to help rather than in need of help...
http://www.garynorth.com/public/4628.cfm
Prior to losing my job I had already talked with my car and house insurance companies and lowered my expenditures significantly. The companies are getting lots of calls like mine and were ready with alternatives. They want to keep your business.
Since being home I have closer scrutinized my electric rates and switched. Noon to 7pm. We will be very careful during that mid day window. Its your peak usage during that time that counts. If I didn’t change any usage it should’ve saved me $300 this year. I have greatly changed our usage.
I found that home Depot has those 60watt florescent energy bulbs, 4 for $1.88 . Only 14watts vs my old 60watts regular fan bulbs. These same bulbs used to be almost 9 bucks. They said APS is subsidizing to get people to change. Worked for me.
We have set up a clothes line and the drier has been quiet. I live in AZ, why was I paying to dry my clothes? It helps with two daughters, yes.
My last email I spoke with confidence that I should enjoy where I am at and not be robbed of my joy while things get going. I hope that didn’t come across as presumptuous. As I have no letter From God saying “don’t worry this will work.” As Paton the missionary to the Hebredies said when he saw a massive line of screaming warriors streaming over a hilltop towards his little mission house...now I am a staunch Calvenist, but I am no fatalist....We grabbed our papers and ran....
What I am doing seems logical and obvious in front of me, It is something that I have been trying to get the pieces in place to do at some point. But kind of thought, forget it, when the economy really tanked. I Believe God thought different. I don’t think he wanted me to go back to Schumacher European either.
But for all I know I could be selling lemonade along cave creek road in the future. Only with his blessing will this venture happen and I am keenly aware of it. I am not trying to grab the American dream but rather as St Paul said....if you can, get your freedom.....
from the disciple who was called the beloved.
2Jn 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
Doesn’t sound very loving.
But it comes from the disciple who was called the beloved.
How do we apply this? I do think it is tied in a little with something that Doug Wilson was talking about. Should we not invite the JW’s into our house to witness to them? Should I not say God bless you to the Mormon?
Is it something else that needs to be untangled from Oprah Americana?
2Jn 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
Doesn’t sound very loving.
But it comes from the disciple who was called the beloved.
How do we apply this? I do think it is tied in a little with something that Doug Wilson was talking about. Should we not invite the JW’s into our house to witness to them? Should I not say God bless you to the Mormon?
Is it something else that needs to be untangled from Oprah Americana?
John basically continues to repeat what Jesus said to do...
I was excited at I john where he emphasizes 3 times about loving God and keeping his commandments. He doesn’t give any disclaimers. “Don’t worry, I am not being legalistic” In other words he doesn’t see what he his saying as having anything to with legalism or leading to it. (Why do we???)
To put even more butter on the cracker, when you read 2nd john, that old legalist is at it again! John the beloved...The one closest to Jesus...He comes right back to the commandments and attaches it to loving God again! Doesn’t he know how dangerous and legalistic this might be taken?
I don’t think he worried about it at all. I do think our modernity has poisoned what should be a rich well for us.
So John basically continues to repeat what Jesus said to do... if you love me, keep my commandments.
This admonition comes as he is warning them of deceivers coming into their midst.....
2Jn 1:4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
2Jn 1:5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
2Jn 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
To put even more butter on the cracker, when you read 2nd john, that old legalist is at it again! John the beloved...The one closest to Jesus...He comes right back to the commandments and attaches it to loving God again! Doesn’t he know how dangerous and legalistic this might be taken?
I don’t think he worried about it at all. I do think our modernity has poisoned what should be a rich well for us.
So John basically continues to repeat what Jesus said to do... if you love me, keep my commandments.
This admonition comes as he is warning them of deceivers coming into their midst.....
2Jn 1:4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
2Jn 1:5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
2Jn 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for your prayers. I continue on “Mr. Toads Wild Ride.” I should be ecstatic about being home with my family. Kid you not every day I feel like I should be somewhere working. It is so weird. I have been conditioned to be a worker bee. I am desperate to not let fear and anxiety rob me of enjoying being home. For two weeks now, it seems like I have been going 90mph, but getting very little done. But I have enough in place, that I am soliciting work and a few jobs have come in. Thank you Lord.
Fortunately we had been trimming our expenses for more than a year and have reduced our “burn rate” quite a bit.
Was able to take Beth out for lunch and window shop with her on her birthday today! But I wasn’t able to relax and really enjoy it. I am going to the next Bible symposium in Avondale. I have the day off.I want to enjoy it.
When I go to bed I thank the Lord that he has pushed me out the door to get this going. I need His peace. I want to enjoy right where I am at, and not a year from now realize I was being robbed as I started to get things rolling. I go from being scared to death, to excited at what is to be.
Lord help me.
I juxtapose my situation with Gregs newsletter and Africa and things seem surreal. America needs trillions of dollars and they need fifty bucks. Crazy.
Fortunately we had been trimming our expenses for more than a year and have reduced our “burn rate” quite a bit.
Was able to take Beth out for lunch and window shop with her on her birthday today! But I wasn’t able to relax and really enjoy it. I am going to the next Bible symposium in Avondale. I have the day off.I want to enjoy it.
When I go to bed I thank the Lord that he has pushed me out the door to get this going. I need His peace. I want to enjoy right where I am at, and not a year from now realize I was being robbed as I started to get things rolling. I go from being scared to death, to excited at what is to be.
Lord help me.
I juxtapose my situation with Gregs newsletter and Africa and things seem surreal. America needs trillions of dollars and they need fifty bucks. Crazy.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
... "Most parents are irresponsible and must not be trusted"...
This is from Gary North. He and others like Otto Scott have been warning that we are being tyrannized by beurocrats. They are nameless and faceless so we cannot really fixate on them and say "stop them". They are not elected by us , so we cannot vote them out. Elected officials can stand around and say "its not us." But there are millions of these little tyrants and they do get their power from the elected ones. It is a fourth branch of government that exists apart from the contitution. Today Gary had a column that explained the problem well.....this is from the members side.
Children's Books Published Before 1985 Were Put in Thrift Store Dumpsters on February 10, 2009. It Is the Law.Gary North
...On February 10, workers in America's thrift stores tossed out every children's book that was printed prior to 1985. That is the law.....
Congress has spoken. Well, not quite. The bureaucrats who use Congress as their hand puppet, agency by agency, have spoken....
They invent a presumed threat and then terrorize Congress into passing a 500-page bill that no Congressman has read. Then the bureaucrats add more regulations in the name of this 500-page law.
This has gone on since 1913, and it will continue to go on until the system finally breaks down. This is the logic of the system....
Congress passed the enabling legislation law last year:...It has 239 sections...skim it: "Most parents are irresponsible and must not be trusted". ...
This seems insane, but it is the relentless logic of the State: "Nothing is permitted unless authorized by the State."
The Federal government has authorized abortion on demand. But, once a parent allows a child to be born, that parent is not be allowed to buy the child a pre-1985 book. Such books are too dangerous for children....
...Americans have surrendered their liberties to Washington, one by one. The process is relentless. No insanity is too great for the bureaucrats. Yet the public is oblivious.
It stems from a simple assumption: "My neighbors are irresponsible. They must not be allowed to make voluntary exchanges, no matter how harmless." This belief leads to a principle of law: Nothing is allowed unless authorized by the State....
Children's Books Published Before 1985 Were Put in Thrift Store Dumpsters on February 10, 2009. It Is the Law.Gary North
...On February 10, workers in America's thrift stores tossed out every children's book that was printed prior to 1985. That is the law.....
Congress has spoken. Well, not quite. The bureaucrats who use Congress as their hand puppet, agency by agency, have spoken....
They invent a presumed threat and then terrorize Congress into passing a 500-page bill that no Congressman has read. Then the bureaucrats add more regulations in the name of this 500-page law.
This has gone on since 1913, and it will continue to go on until the system finally breaks down. This is the logic of the system....
Congress passed the enabling legislation law last year:...It has 239 sections...skim it: "Most parents are irresponsible and must not be trusted". ...
This seems insane, but it is the relentless logic of the State: "Nothing is permitted unless authorized by the State."
The Federal government has authorized abortion on demand. But, once a parent allows a child to be born, that parent is not be allowed to buy the child a pre-1985 book. Such books are too dangerous for children....
...Americans have surrendered their liberties to Washington, one by one. The process is relentless. No insanity is too great for the bureaucrats. Yet the public is oblivious.
It stems from a simple assumption: "My neighbors are irresponsible. They must not be allowed to make voluntary exchanges, no matter how harmless." This belief leads to a principle of law: Nothing is allowed unless authorized by the State....
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Self defense,being guided by the Word
Doug Wilson wrote this out at his Blog and Mablog. He talks of making categorical mistakes which I think is still a struggle of mine all over the place. The Churches I grew up in tended to flatten everything out as he would say. (too much focus on inward piety and misunderstanding of our relationship to the world around us?) It touches nicely with the biblical self defense theme that we must understand correctly. Also his distinction with the attitude for our journey as compared to what we expect when we arrive, is desperately needed today. Take the link and read the whole thing, good stuff. A lot of his material has helped me to see how heavy the tint is on my glasses. I finish an article like this and I must ask the Lord, "what else is kitty whompus?"
How Pacifism Protects War Doug Wilson
…..At the heart of the full biblical ethic is this fundamental attitude:
"Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:20-21).
But there is an easy mistake to make here, and it is the result of switching terms halfway through the discussion. "Do not return evil for evil" is not a nonviolent ethic, but rather a righteous ethic. If violence and evil were synonyms, then to return violence for evil would be disobedience. But some violence is righteous, as when God does it, or when men deputized by Him use it. And if nonviolence were synonymous with righteousness, then perhaps we could reason our way to the position that violence is excluded by the command not to return evil for evil. But it isn't -- there are many situations in which a refusal to use violence would be unrighteous.
The peaceful nature of the destination does not determine the ethic for the journey. The law of God determines the ethic for the journey. Until we get there, we are to do as we are told. We are not to do as we think we will be doing when we get there. There will be no sex as we know it in the resurrection -- that does not make sexual love in marriage now "anti-Trinitarian." The destination is one thing, and the journey another. The old spiritual puts it well, "Gonna lay down my sword and shield, down by the riverside." The fact that every believing heart longs for the day when we will lay down sword and shield is actually grounds for holding more tightly to both of them now.
But of course, there is a clinging to the weapons of war that is idolatrous and unbelieving. So what else is new? Unbelief does that with all sorts of things. Sex, wine, comfort, food, or guns -- the idolatrous use of a created thing does not outlaw the obedient use of that same thing.
If an intruder came into my home, and I fought him off, it would be beside the point to say something like, "You know, the Bible says not to return evil for evil." I would reply, "That's right. That's why I didn't return evil for evil. With regard to the intruder, I returned unrighteous violence with righteous violence. Had I done nothing, that would have been evil. I would have been returning all the good my wife has done for me with the evil of cowardice. Returning evil for evil would have been bad. But I am sure you would agree that returning evil for good would have been worse."……
How Pacifism Protects War Doug Wilson
…..At the heart of the full biblical ethic is this fundamental attitude:
"Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:20-21).
But there is an easy mistake to make here, and it is the result of switching terms halfway through the discussion. "Do not return evil for evil" is not a nonviolent ethic, but rather a righteous ethic. If violence and evil were synonyms, then to return violence for evil would be disobedience. But some violence is righteous, as when God does it, or when men deputized by Him use it. And if nonviolence were synonymous with righteousness, then perhaps we could reason our way to the position that violence is excluded by the command not to return evil for evil. But it isn't -- there are many situations in which a refusal to use violence would be unrighteous.
The peaceful nature of the destination does not determine the ethic for the journey. The law of God determines the ethic for the journey. Until we get there, we are to do as we are told. We are not to do as we think we will be doing when we get there. There will be no sex as we know it in the resurrection -- that does not make sexual love in marriage now "anti-Trinitarian." The destination is one thing, and the journey another. The old spiritual puts it well, "Gonna lay down my sword and shield, down by the riverside." The fact that every believing heart longs for the day when we will lay down sword and shield is actually grounds for holding more tightly to both of them now.
But of course, there is a clinging to the weapons of war that is idolatrous and unbelieving. So what else is new? Unbelief does that with all sorts of things. Sex, wine, comfort, food, or guns -- the idolatrous use of a created thing does not outlaw the obedient use of that same thing.
If an intruder came into my home, and I fought him off, it would be beside the point to say something like, "You know, the Bible says not to return evil for evil." I would reply, "That's right. That's why I didn't return evil for evil. With regard to the intruder, I returned unrighteous violence with righteous violence. Had I done nothing, that would have been evil. I would have been returning all the good my wife has done for me with the evil of cowardice. Returning evil for evil would have been bad. But I am sure you would agree that returning evil for good would have been worse."……
We mean well....
Doug Wilson showing how good intentions can miss the mark. This is classic. So long as we can say a word about Jesus we will give away the faith.
The Cow With Some Evangelistic Liturature
From blog and Mablog
...you cannot present the gospel in a biblical fashion without confronting idolatry, and the whipped up concerns over global warming reveal the idolatries of modern man in quite a striking fashion. A galloping stampede is no time for one cow to mention casually to another cow that Jesus can provide a deep and lasting rationale for our continued panic....
Christian worldview thinking is not that which urges Christians to be leaders in the stampede.
The State is not our Savior, and the fact that western man is now en masse demanding that the State step in to save us is not an argument for Christians to go along with it in the vain hope of being given an opportunity to say a few words about Jesus later...
The State, the false god of our times, and a preeminent and notable liar, tells me that the ice caps are melting,...They tell me this when all the evidence that is available to my senses directly goes clean contrary to what they are saying,....We have gotten to the sorry pass of the State demanding that I walk by faith, and not by sight.....
Christians have bought into the myth of neutrality, and this means that they think that non-believers do not really have a public and idolatrous system of worship and culture. We think, when we present the gospel to non-believers, that we are only showing them the way out of their private sins. That is part of the whole picture, certainly, but it reverses the order that we find in the Bible. In Scripture, we are to challenge the center of their worship first, and after individuals have been baptized and have submitted to Christ, who has replaced the idol -- then we teach them how to walk with Him in a manner that subdues their private lusts. But modern evangelism wants new Christians to conquer their private lusts while considering it their continued duty to visit the temples of Aphrodite. And Christians who won't pay homage there anymore are clearly trouble-makers and a bad witness.
The Cow With Some Evangelistic Liturature
From blog and Mablog
...you cannot present the gospel in a biblical fashion without confronting idolatry, and the whipped up concerns over global warming reveal the idolatries of modern man in quite a striking fashion. A galloping stampede is no time for one cow to mention casually to another cow that Jesus can provide a deep and lasting rationale for our continued panic....
Christian worldview thinking is not that which urges Christians to be leaders in the stampede.
The State is not our Savior, and the fact that western man is now en masse demanding that the State step in to save us is not an argument for Christians to go along with it in the vain hope of being given an opportunity to say a few words about Jesus later...
The State, the false god of our times, and a preeminent and notable liar, tells me that the ice caps are melting,...They tell me this when all the evidence that is available to my senses directly goes clean contrary to what they are saying,....We have gotten to the sorry pass of the State demanding that I walk by faith, and not by sight.....
Christians have bought into the myth of neutrality, and this means that they think that non-believers do not really have a public and idolatrous system of worship and culture. We think, when we present the gospel to non-believers, that we are only showing them the way out of their private sins. That is part of the whole picture, certainly, but it reverses the order that we find in the Bible. In Scripture, we are to challenge the center of their worship first, and after individuals have been baptized and have submitted to Christ, who has replaced the idol -- then we teach them how to walk with Him in a manner that subdues their private lusts. But modern evangelism wants new Christians to conquer their private lusts while considering it their continued duty to visit the temples of Aphrodite. And Christians who won't pay homage there anymore are clearly trouble-makers and a bad witness.
Does $65.5 trillion terrify anyone yet?
From World Net Daily. To watch the lawmaker's spend and spend..... You wonder what are they thinking? Or do they just react, use any crisis to further the faith,to push the liberal agenda. May God protect his church.
Federal obligations exceed world GDP
By Jerome R. Corsi© 2009 WorldNetDaily
As the Obama administration pushes through Congress its $800 billion deficit-spending economic stimulus plan, the American public is largely unaware that the true deficit of the federal government already is measured in trillions of dollars, and in fact its $65.5 trillion in total obligations exceeds the gross domestic product of the world....
The difference between the $455 billion "official" budget deficit numbers and the $5.1 trillion budget deficit cited by "2008 Financial Report of the United States Government" is that the official budget deficit is calculated on a cash basis, where all tax receipts, including Social Security tax receipts, are used to pay government liabilities as they occur. ....
Federal obligations exceed world GDP
By Jerome R. Corsi© 2009 WorldNetDaily
As the Obama administration pushes through Congress its $800 billion deficit-spending economic stimulus plan, the American public is largely unaware that the true deficit of the federal government already is measured in trillions of dollars, and in fact its $65.5 trillion in total obligations exceeds the gross domestic product of the world....
The difference between the $455 billion "official" budget deficit numbers and the $5.1 trillion budget deficit cited by "2008 Financial Report of the United States Government" is that the official budget deficit is calculated on a cash basis, where all tax receipts, including Social Security tax receipts, are used to pay government liabilities as they occur. ....
New Directions, job
Having lost my job I have been putting pieces together to work from my house. My hands are full to say nothing of my brain. The website is up and have started running an ad on craigslist. So it begins. May God bless it and might it be Glorifying to him.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Orthodox VII
Coming back to the Bereans as mentioned by Rob. No we do not send the Berean’s to Vision Forum or to read Rushdoony or anyone else to see if it was so. They are not the standard either.
But what did the Bereans check out? To see if what was so? Whatever was being taught.
If they did check out Doony, American Vision, Generations, Knox, etc, and then checked to see if it was so. They might wonder....how come we don’t talk about all these other things in Church?
We are very used to thinking, that it is just a narrow range of life, that should be checked against the word to see if it is so.
So, should we use our reason instead, to check out the rest? I hope that last sentence makes us nervous. But if it wasn’t the word what have we used? Just from sheer silence on what my pastors did and didn’t teach about, showed me what to expect about my faith.
I was in Big Lots on date night, with my lovely wife on Tuesday, and in the game section here was some "religious" puzzles. Jesus holding little children, Jesus looking at Zacheus in a tree. Of course! Jesus with children, Jesus and Zacheus! Side note: I have never seen a puzzle of Jesus clearing out the temple.
Can you imagine Jesus sitting in the cockpit of an F18 fighter with full after burner puzzle? How about Jesus testifying in front of Congress on the wickedness of the central bank turning our silver into dross in violation of his commandment puzzle.? “You brood of vipers!” Didn’t think so. But what if its Jesus sitting on the wing of the F18 with little children all around him? Maybe? How about Jesus giving a drink of cold water to a tired Fed chairman and wiping his brow after he has tried to save the economy all day puzzle?…… Inscription would read “Lo I am with you always…..” A little easier? Why? Because we have been conditioned to see our faith as touching only certain areas and in certain ways? Are these the areas we are comfortable seeing Jesus at?
Another question: what other areas of life would we align ourselves, with the Pagans and heathen! In thinking….”no, no, Jesus isn’t concerned about this area of life, he doesn’t want to be Lord over this.”
I have seen the consummation of all perfection. But your commandment is exceedingly broad. Psalms 119:96
The word broad is 7342 from the Hebrew “Rachab” …roomy in any (or every) direction , literally or figuratively: broad, large, at liberty , proud, wide.
Whoa! No wonder the next verse starts with….”Oh how I love your Law!...”
How big is our Jesus and his word ? And just as important. How do our kids see him and his word. May we glorify him, make him larger, so they see him roomy in any, or every, direction , large, wide, exceedingly broad!
But what did the Bereans check out? To see if what was so? Whatever was being taught.
If they did check out Doony, American Vision, Generations, Knox, etc, and then checked to see if it was so. They might wonder....how come we don’t talk about all these other things in Church?
We are very used to thinking, that it is just a narrow range of life, that should be checked against the word to see if it is so.
So, should we use our reason instead, to check out the rest? I hope that last sentence makes us nervous. But if it wasn’t the word what have we used? Just from sheer silence on what my pastors did and didn’t teach about, showed me what to expect about my faith.
I was in Big Lots on date night, with my lovely wife on Tuesday, and in the game section here was some "religious" puzzles. Jesus holding little children, Jesus looking at Zacheus in a tree. Of course! Jesus with children, Jesus and Zacheus! Side note: I have never seen a puzzle of Jesus clearing out the temple.
Can you imagine Jesus sitting in the cockpit of an F18 fighter with full after burner puzzle? How about Jesus testifying in front of Congress on the wickedness of the central bank turning our silver into dross in violation of his commandment puzzle.? “You brood of vipers!” Didn’t think so. But what if its Jesus sitting on the wing of the F18 with little children all around him? Maybe? How about Jesus giving a drink of cold water to a tired Fed chairman and wiping his brow after he has tried to save the economy all day puzzle?…… Inscription would read “Lo I am with you always…..” A little easier? Why? Because we have been conditioned to see our faith as touching only certain areas and in certain ways? Are these the areas we are comfortable seeing Jesus at?
Another question: what other areas of life would we align ourselves, with the Pagans and heathen! In thinking….”no, no, Jesus isn’t concerned about this area of life, he doesn’t want to be Lord over this.”
I have seen the consummation of all perfection. But your commandment is exceedingly broad. Psalms 119:96
The word broad is 7342 from the Hebrew “Rachab” …roomy in any (or every) direction , literally or figuratively: broad, large, at liberty , proud, wide.
Whoa! No wonder the next verse starts with….”Oh how I love your Law!...”
How big is our Jesus and his word ? And just as important. How do our kids see him and his word. May we glorify him, make him larger, so they see him roomy in any, or every, direction , large, wide, exceedingly broad!
Orthodox VI
I take some heat for this for my last post, and respond.....Its good to think it through.
DAVID,
YOU WOULD HAVE US READ THE CREEDS FIRST, TO INTERPRET SCRIPTURE!!!! WHAT CREEDS SHALL I READ???? HOW WILL I KNOW IF I AM MEMORIZING THE WRONG CATECHISM??? AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
The meat of your email was great… (individualism… compartmentalism) amen & amen…. Then you had to put that last line in there… you just had to do it… Your exegetical cart is before your horse!
How should we have come up with a multigenerational approach (from your example)? It is NOT HIDDEN IN THE TEXT! It has been there for all to see. The creeds, and memorial stones should affirm what we see in Scripture, not the other way around… Scripture affirming what we see in the memorial stones. We better not read something in Scripture and then go to a creed to see if it is correct!
I am calming down now. *in through the nose… out through the mouth…* Everything is subordinated to the primacy of Scripture. I know you agree with this. So it must be that I am doing a Nathan…. Sssssssss. Since I must be cluelessly missing your point, I will leave it alone from here on out. My premise… start with Scripture. Creeds and stones should affirm what we have handled of the Word. If they do not… listen to the argument, reject or repent, and grow.
No Lunesta for me tonight… I shall lie down & meditate on Scripture…
My responce:
Was it something I said?
Let me try and draw this together. Your right Rob, I am as Sola scripture as the day is long. Most of modern Christianity would agree to it to. But most would be unable to see from scripture what used to be clearly understood.
We come from the Word. But what God has done historically, will be a play out, from that word. Historical context. The creeds and confessions are a part of that witness to us when they harmonize with the word. Like Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me…
Martin Luther beat Eck, in his debates, because he knew church history.
I know Knox and other Reformers read the early church fathers, Origen, Augustine, etc they wanted to read what they wrote, not what the church said they meant. Historical understanding,context.
Jesus started with 12 who had the basic context for him, they were Jews. God then sovereignly chose Paul who had even a larger contextual picture to give us most of the New Testament.
The thinking of modern Christianity changed. (in the 1200’s I think.)A monk named Abelard started it with his ….A doctrine is not to be believed because God has said it, but because we are convinced by reason that it is so…..( Another confession, I gussied it up and thought I was being led by the spirit when I read the word. But this is at heart what I used to do. I can see it now.)
Which when this thinking is fully mature.... ( Aquinas, Descartes, Hume, Kant etc).... this became modern pragmatic thinking, this is Americana. Humanism, man is the measure. Exactly as Rob shared with the church about a month ago. About CS Lewis…. how man now sits in the judges seat and God and his word are in the dock.
…The medieval criterion had commonly been, “what say the church fathers?” or “what says the Holy father?” For the Reformation, it was, “what say the scriptures?” The modern world….responds with “ well I think” or “ in my opinion” or “as far as I am concerned “ and other like egocentric statements, especially since the romantic era of the modern age ”I feel” has been definitive for many….. ( from the “symposium on the fall of the west and the return of Christendom)
In the late 1800’s with Evangelicalism, us moderns, lost the context. We just needed to love one another and read our Bibles. But we did not exchange the old context for a new, neutral, way of looking at the Word.
When we say we are gonna “just use the Bible”, but we then bring the modern pragmatic world view that we were trained to use, that was inculcated into me, when we wake up, when we lie down…. they are as frontlets for our eyes and we have used them to interpret what we read.
We don’t know we are doing it.
We have all seen this, hopefully not recently. Let’s go around the room and ask everyone….“ what does that verse mean to you?”
Our minds want things to be predictable in content and scope, we can squish the Word into a shape, to fit our presuppositions.
I might have gone my whole life and not figured out from the word, that it is all, about His glory.
God’s word is the standard!
Someone needs to rub a little oral gel on Robs gums.
DAVID,
YOU WOULD HAVE US READ THE CREEDS FIRST, TO INTERPRET SCRIPTURE!!!! WHAT CREEDS SHALL I READ???? HOW WILL I KNOW IF I AM MEMORIZING THE WRONG CATECHISM??? AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
The meat of your email was great… (individualism… compartmentalism) amen & amen…. Then you had to put that last line in there… you just had to do it… Your exegetical cart is before your horse!
How should we have come up with a multigenerational approach (from your example)? It is NOT HIDDEN IN THE TEXT! It has been there for all to see. The creeds, and memorial stones should affirm what we see in Scripture, not the other way around… Scripture affirming what we see in the memorial stones. We better not read something in Scripture and then go to a creed to see if it is correct!
I am calming down now. *in through the nose… out through the mouth…* Everything is subordinated to the primacy of Scripture. I know you agree with this. So it must be that I am doing a Nathan…. Sssssssss. Since I must be cluelessly missing your point, I will leave it alone from here on out. My premise… start with Scripture. Creeds and stones should affirm what we have handled of the Word. If they do not… listen to the argument, reject or repent, and grow.
No Lunesta for me tonight… I shall lie down & meditate on Scripture…
My responce:
Was it something I said?
Let me try and draw this together. Your right Rob, I am as Sola scripture as the day is long. Most of modern Christianity would agree to it to. But most would be unable to see from scripture what used to be clearly understood.
We come from the Word. But what God has done historically, will be a play out, from that word. Historical context. The creeds and confessions are a part of that witness to us when they harmonize with the word. Like Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me…
Martin Luther beat Eck, in his debates, because he knew church history.
I know Knox and other Reformers read the early church fathers, Origen, Augustine, etc they wanted to read what they wrote, not what the church said they meant. Historical understanding,context.
Jesus started with 12 who had the basic context for him, they were Jews. God then sovereignly chose Paul who had even a larger contextual picture to give us most of the New Testament.
The thinking of modern Christianity changed. (in the 1200’s I think.)A monk named Abelard started it with his ….A doctrine is not to be believed because God has said it, but because we are convinced by reason that it is so…..( Another confession, I gussied it up and thought I was being led by the spirit when I read the word. But this is at heart what I used to do. I can see it now.)
Which when this thinking is fully mature.... ( Aquinas, Descartes, Hume, Kant etc).... this became modern pragmatic thinking, this is Americana. Humanism, man is the measure. Exactly as Rob shared with the church about a month ago. About CS Lewis…. how man now sits in the judges seat and God and his word are in the dock.
…The medieval criterion had commonly been, “what say the church fathers?” or “what says the Holy father?” For the Reformation, it was, “what say the scriptures?” The modern world….responds with “ well I think” or “ in my opinion” or “as far as I am concerned “ and other like egocentric statements, especially since the romantic era of the modern age ”I feel” has been definitive for many….. ( from the “symposium on the fall of the west and the return of Christendom)
In the late 1800’s with Evangelicalism, us moderns, lost the context. We just needed to love one another and read our Bibles. But we did not exchange the old context for a new, neutral, way of looking at the Word.
When we say we are gonna “just use the Bible”, but we then bring the modern pragmatic world view that we were trained to use, that was inculcated into me, when we wake up, when we lie down…. they are as frontlets for our eyes and we have used them to interpret what we read.
We don’t know we are doing it.
We have all seen this, hopefully not recently. Let’s go around the room and ask everyone….“ what does that verse mean to you?”
Our minds want things to be predictable in content and scope, we can squish the Word into a shape, to fit our presuppositions.
I might have gone my whole life and not figured out from the word, that it is all, about His glory.
God’s word is the standard!
Someone needs to rub a little oral gel on Robs gums.
Orthodox V
This is a lot of ground covered here and I am probably over reaching, some of this is stuff is pretty fresh in my head so it might be doughy in the middle. But see if you can catch the drift J
Continuing: The need for creeds, confessions, for historical context and not "just the Bible"
I want to talk about cannibals. This is not about the men’s interaction with the Sunday message at Legacy either. And any resemblance to Rob is purely coincidental. See how I look out for my pastor. (oops, I might have hit a school yard with that one)
Did the cannibals, the man eaters, in the New Hebrides’ ( S Pacific Islands) and in India during the 1800's have a world view more compatible with the Bible than us men of modernity?
Individualistic:
Example from the movie..." Over the next Mountain" Good movie, one missionary makes it in to these maneaters in India and winds up leaving a gospel of John with them. They develop a Christian tradition over the years. ( this missionary doesn’t find out till decades later that an impact was made) they have a multigenerational view of the family right out of the box. It didn’t have to be taught to them. I couldn’t believe it when I first saw it. It was not a point of the movie at all, but it jumped out at me. They were doing, what we are still trying to see clearly! They were doing it as Pagans! They had families, not families of individuals.
Their view of the family was already integrated before the gospel was brought to them.
Like the jailor in Acts. Does it ever occurred to us, that while witnessing to some father to make the statement that Paul made...."believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household." His household? We would never say that. From before the time of Christ to until the last few hundred years that was the normal understanding. A given.
So that Bradford when speaking of the pilgrims (1600's).... that they saw themselves as stepping stones for future generations...
(this man has read his bible) RC Sproul Sr's confession on how it was his son, sharing with him, (discipling) that opened up a truer and deeper understanding of the passages about the family. Listen to RC Sr, he doesn’t speak like he now understands a little better on the family but rather he is chagrined at how much he never saw and is exuberant to say “listen to my son..... “
We see families as individuals, not as covenant bodies as God created them.
We take this understanding into the church where it is then reinforced as we apply this concept to the very body of Christ. The church itself becomes just a larger facilitator for the individual.
Score: one to nothing, cannibals.
Fragmented, compartmentalized:
While reading about John G Paton and his missionary life in the S Pacific. Paton made a comment that harmonized with Otto Scotts observations when comparing paganism to Christianity, about what Christianity replaced. How there was no facet of Love between the pagans and their Gods. Only fear. Paton wrote……".their whole worship was one of slavish fear and, so far as I could learn, they had no idea of a God of mercy or grace"... pg72 "John G Paton Missionary to the s Pacific"
When he describes the natives, how their idols were everywhere and everything. There is no mistaking that their faith encompassed everything. They didn’t see life compartmentalized, or have a religious/secular part of their life as most modern Christians would see it.
If someone got sick, it was because someone put the mojo on them. And off to war they would go. They resisted Christianity because they knew the customs and traditions would be changed. Pg74
Paton declared to them… they would need to throw away their idols, and avow to be worshippers of the true Jehovah….That slowly progressively they unlearned their heathenism…
Someone gets saved today… they think they are adding something. The very best flavor. Like a ultimate gym membership. The Christian community as a whole has not unlearned our heathenism. We see life as fragmented and compartmentalized with a narrow range of life that God cares about.
Score: two to nothing, Cannibals
Modern humanism is fragmented, compartmentalized, individualized. It has always been normal for us. No one exhorted me to forsake my pagan ways of thinking . To give up my heathen way of looking at life. (ok, Rushdoony did, its easy to see why that man didn’t get invited to a lot of parties)
God made life, integrated. We look at his word and see topics. If we had held onto the creeds, confessions and the history, we could’ve given the cannibals a run for their money.
Continuing: The need for creeds, confessions, for historical context and not "just the Bible"
I want to talk about cannibals. This is not about the men’s interaction with the Sunday message at Legacy either. And any resemblance to Rob is purely coincidental. See how I look out for my pastor. (oops, I might have hit a school yard with that one)
Did the cannibals, the man eaters, in the New Hebrides’ ( S Pacific Islands) and in India during the 1800's have a world view more compatible with the Bible than us men of modernity?
Individualistic:
Example from the movie..." Over the next Mountain" Good movie, one missionary makes it in to these maneaters in India and winds up leaving a gospel of John with them. They develop a Christian tradition over the years. ( this missionary doesn’t find out till decades later that an impact was made) they have a multigenerational view of the family right out of the box. It didn’t have to be taught to them. I couldn’t believe it when I first saw it. It was not a point of the movie at all, but it jumped out at me. They were doing, what we are still trying to see clearly! They were doing it as Pagans! They had families, not families of individuals.
Their view of the family was already integrated before the gospel was brought to them.
Like the jailor in Acts. Does it ever occurred to us, that while witnessing to some father to make the statement that Paul made...."believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household." His household? We would never say that. From before the time of Christ to until the last few hundred years that was the normal understanding. A given.
So that Bradford when speaking of the pilgrims (1600's).... that they saw themselves as stepping stones for future generations...
(this man has read his bible) RC Sproul Sr's confession on how it was his son, sharing with him, (discipling) that opened up a truer and deeper understanding of the passages about the family. Listen to RC Sr, he doesn’t speak like he now understands a little better on the family but rather he is chagrined at how much he never saw and is exuberant to say “listen to my son..... “
We see families as individuals, not as covenant bodies as God created them.
We take this understanding into the church where it is then reinforced as we apply this concept to the very body of Christ. The church itself becomes just a larger facilitator for the individual.
Score: one to nothing, cannibals.
Fragmented, compartmentalized:
While reading about John G Paton and his missionary life in the S Pacific. Paton made a comment that harmonized with Otto Scotts observations when comparing paganism to Christianity, about what Christianity replaced. How there was no facet of Love between the pagans and their Gods. Only fear. Paton wrote……".their whole worship was one of slavish fear and, so far as I could learn, they had no idea of a God of mercy or grace"... pg72 "John G Paton Missionary to the s Pacific"
When he describes the natives, how their idols were everywhere and everything. There is no mistaking that their faith encompassed everything. They didn’t see life compartmentalized, or have a religious/secular part of their life as most modern Christians would see it.
If someone got sick, it was because someone put the mojo on them. And off to war they would go. They resisted Christianity because they knew the customs and traditions would be changed. Pg74
Paton declared to them… they would need to throw away their idols, and avow to be worshippers of the true Jehovah….That slowly progressively they unlearned their heathenism…
Someone gets saved today… they think they are adding something. The very best flavor. Like a ultimate gym membership. The Christian community as a whole has not unlearned our heathenism. We see life as fragmented and compartmentalized with a narrow range of life that God cares about.
Score: two to nothing, Cannibals
Modern humanism is fragmented, compartmentalized, individualized. It has always been normal for us. No one exhorted me to forsake my pagan ways of thinking . To give up my heathen way of looking at life. (ok, Rushdoony did, its easy to see why that man didn’t get invited to a lot of parties)
God made life, integrated. We look at his word and see topics. If we had held onto the creeds, confessions and the history, we could’ve given the cannibals a run for their money.
Orthodox IV
Continuing to respond to Robs last email…..
Psa 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
I think we will get a lot of mileage on this topic. Its forcing me to think it through. I have scribbled tons of notes the last couple of days but it’s another thing to get it presentable. We also must keep in mind just what this conversation is revolving around.
We both know that most of the modern church doesn’t know what has been the orthodox Christian mindset. (What has been normal Christian thinking or understanding.)
I have already said in my email responding to Rob … You know I agree with you about the Word.
I think the most profitable way is to make multiple bombing runs at this…..Lets start the first run from out of the sun. Now Rob don’t come swooping in your FAC* saying I didn’t do a thorough job. I have already said this is gonna get multiple runs, but by all means feel free to point out if you think Im hitting some school by mistake.
Lets start with us, since we all can relate to that easily enough. Take these loosely but to see a point.
Why is it that after decades of reading the word, I never understood, that it is for the glory of God, that everything exists? No cracks about me riding the short bus. I was reading my Bible. You were reading your's werent you?
If we went through the modern church and polled people to give us the first 3 reasons that they have seen from the word on why God created the universe and everything in it …. How many would hit the answer that Voddie Bacchum’s son has already memorized at 3 yrs old? Now I am referring to Christians who have read the word their whole life, but have never read any of the confessions.
Why is it that we have worked in Church’s, some of us for decades, and we can now see that so much of what was done, with the very best of intentions, and in the name of Jesus was not what God had written in his word for us to be doing?
I can pose questions like this for a long time. My point would be that we don’t have the current situation because no one has been reading their Bibles. We have been reading them. We have also been ascribing meaning to them, that is not there. But convinced that we are standing on the word.
Now you have a new orthodoxy which clashes horribly with the old . But since no one knows what used to be orthodox…..
So why the disconnect between what his word says, and what our mind see's ?
First we have not followed the biblical model, which is that we are called to make disciples of all nations, not get people saved.
And there are these admonishments….
Jer 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
Isa 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
The modern Christian can read his word all day long and not see what is in these verse’s.
The biblical pattern of making monuments to remind future generations of what God has done, which will include the where and the why. The creeds and confessions give the Christian the orientation that has been understood as orthodox.
The current model is rather, we all get sent to dig into the word with whatever worldview it is, that we have had, when we were saved. (what worldview? its neutral isn’t it?) I believe that a new Christian needs to be discipled with the word, with historical back ground, and the confessions ( faith of our fathers) This is the context I never had.
As far as the cracks about Rushdoony, don’t be silly. I would point new believers to Jerome, Augustine, maybe Knox, Luther. Just because I wandered into the dessert buffet by mistake doesn’t mean I would take everyone else there and drive the prices up.
*FAC, would be the forward air controller, giving target information to the attacking units and doing some bomb damage assessments.
Psa 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
I think we will get a lot of mileage on this topic. Its forcing me to think it through. I have scribbled tons of notes the last couple of days but it’s another thing to get it presentable. We also must keep in mind just what this conversation is revolving around.
We both know that most of the modern church doesn’t know what has been the orthodox Christian mindset. (What has been normal Christian thinking or understanding.)
I have already said in my email responding to Rob … You know I agree with you about the Word.
I think the most profitable way is to make multiple bombing runs at this…..Lets start the first run from out of the sun. Now Rob don’t come swooping in your FAC* saying I didn’t do a thorough job. I have already said this is gonna get multiple runs, but by all means feel free to point out if you think Im hitting some school by mistake.
Lets start with us, since we all can relate to that easily enough. Take these loosely but to see a point.
Why is it that after decades of reading the word, I never understood, that it is for the glory of God, that everything exists? No cracks about me riding the short bus. I was reading my Bible. You were reading your's werent you?
If we went through the modern church and polled people to give us the first 3 reasons that they have seen from the word on why God created the universe and everything in it …. How many would hit the answer that Voddie Bacchum’s son has already memorized at 3 yrs old? Now I am referring to Christians who have read the word their whole life, but have never read any of the confessions.
Why is it that we have worked in Church’s, some of us for decades, and we can now see that so much of what was done, with the very best of intentions, and in the name of Jesus was not what God had written in his word for us to be doing?
I can pose questions like this for a long time. My point would be that we don’t have the current situation because no one has been reading their Bibles. We have been reading them. We have also been ascribing meaning to them, that is not there. But convinced that we are standing on the word.
Now you have a new orthodoxy which clashes horribly with the old . But since no one knows what used to be orthodox…..
So why the disconnect between what his word says, and what our mind see's ?
First we have not followed the biblical model, which is that we are called to make disciples of all nations, not get people saved.
And there are these admonishments….
Jer 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
Isa 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
The modern Christian can read his word all day long and not see what is in these verse’s.
The biblical pattern of making monuments to remind future generations of what God has done, which will include the where and the why. The creeds and confessions give the Christian the orientation that has been understood as orthodox.
The current model is rather, we all get sent to dig into the word with whatever worldview it is, that we have had, when we were saved. (what worldview? its neutral isn’t it?) I believe that a new Christian needs to be discipled with the word, with historical back ground, and the confessions ( faith of our fathers) This is the context I never had.
As far as the cracks about Rushdoony, don’t be silly. I would point new believers to Jerome, Augustine, maybe Knox, Luther. Just because I wandered into the dessert buffet by mistake doesn’t mean I would take everyone else there and drive the prices up.
*FAC, would be the forward air controller, giving target information to the attacking units and doing some bomb damage assessments.
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