Remembering Okinawa: Dealing with suicide bombers 60 years ago

This is an incredible article by Victor Davis Hanson published in the Jewish World Review: definitely a must read, it is an inspiring retrospective on the battle of Okinawa in light of our current situation in the war on terror.

Hanson's concluding remarks:
"Perhaps we wonder now whether a presently divided American people can still overcome fascism, suicide bombers and beheaders to foster freedom in an autocratic landscape. In answer, we should look back 60 years ago to what we went through in Okinawa and the subsequent humane society and decent democracy that followed in Japan and sigh, 'Yes, we can and will again.'"

Blue State Mentality

Here is an icon of the so-called "blue state" mentality, appearing under the headline "Weekly Picture Worth a Thousand Words:"

Jesus Is a Libertarian

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JESUS IS A LIBERTARIAN

by Mike Hurley

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Part I, Introduction: Christians are Libertarian

"Whoever will introduce into public affairs the
principles of Christianity will change the face of
the world." (Benjamin Franklin)

Jesus is a libertarian. (Is that the sound of eyebrows arching?) Certainly when Jesus walked the earth as a man, he utterly rejected the initiation of force to achieve his mission. His ministry was to individuals, and he taught his disciples to achieve and share spiritual salvation apart from the religious and political systems of his day. Our founding fathers understood this. In their writings they attributed their concept of self-government to the Bible and to Christianity. However, many people today, far from seeing Christian principles as the well-spring of individual liberty, fear Christianity as a source of oppression and social fascism. How do we square this with the following statement from George Washington?

"Do not let any one claim to be a true American if they ever attempt to remove religion from politics."

Let Patrick Henry, a powerful opponent of the establishment of religion illuminate that sentiment. He said, "It can not be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!"

To me there are two contrary views of Christianity: one as the fount of human freedom, and the other as just another vehicle for oppression and control -- another brick in the wall, so to speak. Henry seems to be saying the key to sorting out these two views is the distinction between a religionist and a follower of Christ.

Let's use an example from my experience to contrast religiosity with Christianity. In Kansas City a municipal "health" levy was placed on the ballot. Fashionable suburban churches offered flyers for the tax increase saying, "We have the opportunity to express our faith by voting ... " Express faith in what, I asked, transfer payments to the government health care establishment?

Jesus calls us to minister to the sick, not tax some to benefit others. The title of the flyer was "Love Thy Neighbor." Voting to tax the poor and elderly to feed the City's health care bureaucracy does not satisfy that Biblical charge (or any other). The sentiment expressed by the flyer seems to be: Express your faith by sending tax money downtown so you won't have to deal with the un-lovely and unfashionable. Levying taxes is not the ministry to which Jesus calls us. When Matthew the tax collector became a disciple of Jesus, he left that profession forever.

Contrast the words of Jesus recorded in Luke 11:46. "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them." (NIV)

I must here point out that pseudo-Christian religiosity (the worldly church) is not the dominant religiosity of our day. Anti-Christian secular "philosophy" dominates the institutions of our society today. A good example of a modern religionist is Madelyn O'Hare, the atheist. Her son the Christian (the one who exports Bibles and salvation to the former Soviet republics) decidedly is not a religionist.

How can I say this? Matthew 7:16 "By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" (NIV)

The rule is: Christians are self-governors who relate to individuals as such. Religionists are others-governors who relate to individuals as parts of a collective. Therefore, the best way to understand the Christian-right vs. Godless-left conflict, is as a battle between religionist factions. Or, to borrow from Ayn Rand, a battle between two factions of witch doctors.

Ms. Rand correctly identified religion as an institution for controlling peoples hearts so their bodies could be dominated by government. The institutions and "worldly" systems built by religionists, comprise what the Bible refers to as "powers and principalities." Ours is not a battle of flesh and blood, but a spiritual one. It is a battle for hearts and minds.

Today, libertarians know we are locked in a struggle with collectivism. Clearly, moral principles are our chief weapons in the struggle against the slavery and oppression of collectivism. Historically, the most powerfully liberating moral principle is Christianity.

Christian libertarians feel the affinity between Christian (spiritual) principles and libertarian (political) principals. Yet until we learn to verbalize this affinity, we are neglecting our most powerful weapons.

Also, until non-Christian libertarians understand this affinity, many in the libertarian movement will continue to overlook its largest and most important block of natural constituents.

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• Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 2
  


• Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 3
  


• Jesus Is a Libertarian: Part 4
  

In Him We Live and Move and have our being

Here is the full citation for the title scripture:

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Act 17:22-31

Greetings Beloved

Jewish roots of Christianity, the culture wars, the Judeo-Christian origin of western civilization: specifically the western concept of the individual and political liberty (libertarianism). These are the kinds of topics I want to explore here.

Your comments are welcome, along with new pointers and discussion of current events in light of a Biblical worldview.