Living in the World
Science and Creation
Wooly Mammoth DNA has been harvested. Should we then try and create a Wooly Mammoth? One of the changes that will occur in the new Presidential administration will be in regard to stem cell research. The extent and type of stem cell research will stir controversy, especially with Petri dish embryos. The real issue here is how we treat creation.
Science today believes it can conquer nature. In fact, modern science pursues all knowledge and power as its mandate. It has come a long way from a set of procedures and experimental methods. Science has become the cultural motor. That is even more so with the explosion of technology and applied science. Michael Polayni as a scientist was one who came to understand the faulty vision of the new science with respect to knowledge. But, he is the exception. Science and scientists believe they are the fount and finder of all true knowledge.
When Leon Kass became the Chairman of the president’s Council of Bioethics he had the council members read Hawthorne’s story “The Birthmark” which demonstrated how it was fatal to seek perfection and total control. C.S. Lewis wrote in The Abolition of Man:
For the wise man of old the cardinal problem had been how to conform the soul to reality and the solution had been knowledge, self-discipline and virtue.
Modern science seeks all knowledge un-tethered from self-discipline and virtue. It has a mission to frame reality, not conform to it. Pursuing nature to find knowledge is the only virtue.
For Christians, this is a misinterpretation of creation. In Scripture, Adam is given dominion over the creation of God. His dominion is linked to his faithfulness to the Creator. Modern science tries to subdue creation apart from any concept of a Creator let alone faithfulness to Him. Thus, nature can be conquered and mastered without any reference to anything but the need to know. This is the secularization of science.
When creation is solely for manipulation to bring nature in compliance with the desires of men, we have lost engagement with the Creator. Nature and reality become the sole domain of science when the Creator is separated from inquiry. This leaves Christianity as a spiritualized practice, fully private. Why? Christian belief and practice have nothing to do with reality, the real world, but is an internalized “what works for you” system. But, true Christianity is closely connected to creation. We serve God in creation, an ordered creation, ordered by a Creator. This is incompatible with a secularized science disconnected from a Creator with responsibility to Him. The modern scientific view of molding creation with science and technology sees nothing beyond science. Such a practice removes the Creator from the lives of most folks. This leads to several results.
Man becomes the new master, eliminating the real Master. There is no check to what man does in nature except man, or more correctly, the man with the most power. We are left with, at best, a Deist God who may be a Creator but does not much care about that creation. He has fallen asleep, taken a hike or is incapable of intervening into His Creation. We have a scary randomness because there is not an ordering and providential Creator. And, there is no natural revelation from which to know God, for He is unknowable in creation. Nature is only the raw material for an advancing, scientifically driven society desiring to subdue all of nature to its own desires and ends.
This is why the resurrection of Christ in anathema to secular science. The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, tells the believer that their faith is futile and pointless, they are still in their sins and trespasses, if the resurrection did not occur. And, this is not some internalized ideal of a Christ rising in your heart. No, Paul says people are liars [that is non truth tellers] if Jesus in not alive. Paul’s point: the resurrection occurred in space and time and conforms to reality, it is true. The resurrection points back to creation. It was a supernatural event in the natural world, an event impossible by science. Science can neither prove nor disprove the resurrection, but if it is really true, science in no longer the shaper of reality and the Creator must always be accounted for in science.
Should we produce a wooly mammoth just because we can? Modern secular science responds with an unequivocal yes. But, does it comport with the Creator’s concept of creation? Does it assist mankind in conforming to the Creator’s reality? Or, is it merely an attempt to be a creator just like God or to show man is god? For the Christian, technology and applied science is not a means to conform and subdue nature. Rather, it is a means to better understanding creation, the Creator and our role and relation to it and Him. Only then will science be turned away from secularization, and the will of man, and returned to a relationship with the Creator, and the will of God.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Living in the World
Dream or Opportunity
The recent mortgage crisis that has lead to the credit problems in the world economy has been based on achieving “the American Dream.” The theory is that everyone in America is entitled to be a home owner. From 2002 to early this year, homes have been sold to many people in many ways. Unprecedented home ownership has lead to unprecedented financial problems.
Smart people bundled questionable loans, made them into securities and sold them all over the world. By keeping the prime rate low, the Federal Reserve made money cheap to obtain. Together [cheap money and securitizing bad loans] the so called “housing bubble” was created. The bubble burst and the entire world has been splashed with red ink. The stock markets have tanked, millions of investors have lost the lion’s share of their retirement investments, job losses are rapidly increasing, the government is madly printing money and increasing national debt to try and stem the tide. To date, it has had very little impact. The “American Dream” has become the “American Nightmare”.
It seems like an appropriate time to revisit this idea of home ownership as “the American Dream”. A dream is, after all, something that is not real. It may be a subconscious idea of what the dreamer wants to be real. Yet, is does not usually comport with the way it is. And, when you think about it, that is the housing crisis. Who would actually believe that non qualified individuals could actually be homeowners? No docs, no down payments, no income, variable low rates, interest only…all these ideas could only seemingly work in an artificial environment. That environment was the concept that the housing bubble would never bust. Sure you can’t own a home. But, we can get you in a home with unrealistic terms. And, when the good terms expire, you can refinance using the increased equity value that your home will gain during the time you hold the original loan.
The only problem was that values of homes plummeted. When the “good deals” expired, instead of a higher value, you had less equity than you were obligated to pay. The dream died, as dreams always do when you wake up. But, unlike dreams in your head, real life consequences ensued. And, the consequences were visited on us all. The “American Dream” lead to a “Worldwide Nightmare”.
The United States used to be called the land of opportunity, not dreams. Opportunities are based on substance—education and employment, for instance. Obtain a good education, get a job, earn money and save for a down payment, then you can buy the home of your “dreams”. The dream is achieved by taking advantage of the opportunities. Home ownership was always looked upon as a tangible achievement by industrious, hardworking folk who made a dream tangible.
In the past half dozen years, homeownership became an entitlement. Congresscreatures seeking votes, unscrupulous lenders seeking wealth, and greedy, envious people who wanted a home they could not afford, combined to concoct schemes that really were dreams.
Opportunity provides access to knowledge, self discipline and virtue that can be translated into rewards, financial and otherwise. The attempt to hand out rewards without effort equals a dream turned nightmare. It just does not work. Consider welfare payments, individual and corporate. What have they accomplished over the years? Dis-incentive and stagnation result. Recipients of the government largess rarely move on to personal responsibility and accomplishment without the need of government help.
How do we escape this mess? It all starts with the government. As a social institution, the government should promote opportunity so people can achieve their dreams. It is true; some will not take advantage of the opportunity. But, that is the individual’s failure to cultivate the opportunity. Fulfilling dreams through magical schemes that seem impossible is impossible. Trying to have dreams substitute for opportunity and hard work is a dead end process. Let us make the US the land of opportunity again. Please Uncle Sam, no more trillion dollar nightmares that our grandchildren will be paying. Give us opportunity not unrealized dreams.
Dream or Opportunity
The recent mortgage crisis that has lead to the credit problems in the world economy has been based on achieving “the American Dream.” The theory is that everyone in America is entitled to be a home owner. From 2002 to early this year, homes have been sold to many people in many ways. Unprecedented home ownership has lead to unprecedented financial problems.
Smart people bundled questionable loans, made them into securities and sold them all over the world. By keeping the prime rate low, the Federal Reserve made money cheap to obtain. Together [cheap money and securitizing bad loans] the so called “housing bubble” was created. The bubble burst and the entire world has been splashed with red ink. The stock markets have tanked, millions of investors have lost the lion’s share of their retirement investments, job losses are rapidly increasing, the government is madly printing money and increasing national debt to try and stem the tide. To date, it has had very little impact. The “American Dream” has become the “American Nightmare”.
It seems like an appropriate time to revisit this idea of home ownership as “the American Dream”. A dream is, after all, something that is not real. It may be a subconscious idea of what the dreamer wants to be real. Yet, is does not usually comport with the way it is. And, when you think about it, that is the housing crisis. Who would actually believe that non qualified individuals could actually be homeowners? No docs, no down payments, no income, variable low rates, interest only…all these ideas could only seemingly work in an artificial environment. That environment was the concept that the housing bubble would never bust. Sure you can’t own a home. But, we can get you in a home with unrealistic terms. And, when the good terms expire, you can refinance using the increased equity value that your home will gain during the time you hold the original loan.
The only problem was that values of homes plummeted. When the “good deals” expired, instead of a higher value, you had less equity than you were obligated to pay. The dream died, as dreams always do when you wake up. But, unlike dreams in your head, real life consequences ensued. And, the consequences were visited on us all. The “American Dream” lead to a “Worldwide Nightmare”.
The United States used to be called the land of opportunity, not dreams. Opportunities are based on substance—education and employment, for instance. Obtain a good education, get a job, earn money and save for a down payment, then you can buy the home of your “dreams”. The dream is achieved by taking advantage of the opportunities. Home ownership was always looked upon as a tangible achievement by industrious, hardworking folk who made a dream tangible.
In the past half dozen years, homeownership became an entitlement. Congresscreatures seeking votes, unscrupulous lenders seeking wealth, and greedy, envious people who wanted a home they could not afford, combined to concoct schemes that really were dreams.
Opportunity provides access to knowledge, self discipline and virtue that can be translated into rewards, financial and otherwise. The attempt to hand out rewards without effort equals a dream turned nightmare. It just does not work. Consider welfare payments, individual and corporate. What have they accomplished over the years? Dis-incentive and stagnation result. Recipients of the government largess rarely move on to personal responsibility and accomplishment without the need of government help.
How do we escape this mess? It all starts with the government. As a social institution, the government should promote opportunity so people can achieve their dreams. It is true; some will not take advantage of the opportunity. But, that is the individual’s failure to cultivate the opportunity. Fulfilling dreams through magical schemes that seem impossible is impossible. Trying to have dreams substitute for opportunity and hard work is a dead end process. Let us make the US the land of opportunity again. Please Uncle Sam, no more trillion dollar nightmares that our grandchildren will be paying. Give us opportunity not unrealized dreams.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Living in the World
Indian Summer 2008
Last week we had some horrendous winter weather…snow, wind and cold. I was stuck on US 322 Wednesday, October 29, because the snowy conditions lead to a traffic accident that turned the highway into a parking lot. The snow melted and the weather has been quite nice since. Since a week ago, the high temperatures have been creeping up and up. The last two days have seen middle sixties. We are experiencing a magnificent Indian Summer. Last week was Squaw Winter which must occur before Indian Summer.
Recently, I mentioned this Squaw Winter/Indian Summer relation and a person to whom I was speaking never heard such a thing. Like most concepts in a post-modern world, Indian Summer is whatever and whenever you want it to be. Well, guess what? That ain’t so. The meaning of Indian Summer is a concrete and absolute here in the Eastern Continental Divide. To understand the objective, true meaning of Indian Summer unsullied by contemporary mushy, subjective views of this world, read the following:
I have a little something that I would like to pass on to you about weather. Call it a bit of weather wisdom. I know you have heard of a period of weather in the Fall of the year called “Indian Summer”. Now some weather men refer to it as if they may hve invented it. They refer to any period of warm days in the Fall as Indian Summer. Now, let me give you the truth about Indian Summer. Native American Indians and old timers for many years know there is no timetable for Indian Summer. There’s no month or any specific time period for it. It is a time in the Fall that the weather is warm and hazy. But first, there must be a winter episode where snow falls and accumulates on the surface of the ground. The first snow that lies on the ground is called “Squaw Winter”. When the snow melts, the first day or period of days after that the weather is warm and hazy, that’s Indian Summer. You may have it or you may not, but warm days without having Squaw Winter is not Indian Summer.
Clarence C. Kriner, Grandpa: His Life at the Old Home and Beyond, [Clearfield, PA: SGM Press, 2006], p. 31.
Around these parts we are enjoying “real” Indian Summer because we have had Squaw Winter. I hope you too are enjoying Indian Summer, or you have it to look forward to if you have yet to experience Squaw Winter. If you do not have Squaw Winter, or winter of any kind, too bad, you will never experience Indian Summer. The weather forecast indicates a return to normal fall weather this weekend. So, the temperate weather will come to an end, but it has been a thoroughly enjoyable Indian Summer of 2008.
Indian Summer 2008
Last week we had some horrendous winter weather…snow, wind and cold. I was stuck on US 322 Wednesday, October 29, because the snowy conditions lead to a traffic accident that turned the highway into a parking lot. The snow melted and the weather has been quite nice since. Since a week ago, the high temperatures have been creeping up and up. The last two days have seen middle sixties. We are experiencing a magnificent Indian Summer. Last week was Squaw Winter which must occur before Indian Summer.
Recently, I mentioned this Squaw Winter/Indian Summer relation and a person to whom I was speaking never heard such a thing. Like most concepts in a post-modern world, Indian Summer is whatever and whenever you want it to be. Well, guess what? That ain’t so. The meaning of Indian Summer is a concrete and absolute here in the Eastern Continental Divide. To understand the objective, true meaning of Indian Summer unsullied by contemporary mushy, subjective views of this world, read the following:
I have a little something that I would like to pass on to you about weather. Call it a bit of weather wisdom. I know you have heard of a period of weather in the Fall of the year called “Indian Summer”. Now some weather men refer to it as if they may hve invented it. They refer to any period of warm days in the Fall as Indian Summer. Now, let me give you the truth about Indian Summer. Native American Indians and old timers for many years know there is no timetable for Indian Summer. There’s no month or any specific time period for it. It is a time in the Fall that the weather is warm and hazy. But first, there must be a winter episode where snow falls and accumulates on the surface of the ground. The first snow that lies on the ground is called “Squaw Winter”. When the snow melts, the first day or period of days after that the weather is warm and hazy, that’s Indian Summer. You may have it or you may not, but warm days without having Squaw Winter is not Indian Summer.
Clarence C. Kriner, Grandpa: His Life at the Old Home and Beyond, [Clearfield, PA: SGM Press, 2006], p. 31.
Around these parts we are enjoying “real” Indian Summer because we have had Squaw Winter. I hope you too are enjoying Indian Summer, or you have it to look forward to if you have yet to experience Squaw Winter. If you do not have Squaw Winter, or winter of any kind, too bad, you will never experience Indian Summer. The weather forecast indicates a return to normal fall weather this weekend. So, the temperate weather will come to an end, but it has been a thoroughly enjoyable Indian Summer of 2008.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Election 2008
The Day After
Some initial musings on Election 2008 on the day after:
1] It truly is historic that America elected a black man as POTUS. I am long enough in the tooth to remember the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s. From the assassinations of 1968 to forty years later, a black President…truly amazing and a statement of how the Republic works. I am sure the gushing and fawning will be over the top, especially from a media that so desperately wanted to see BO win, yet it is a milestone in our history.
2] I am always impressed by split party voting. Most American voters make decisions on respective candidates, not their parties, and that is a very good thing.
3] BO was as liberal a state and federal senator as they come. And, he has had no stomach for standing up to his party. I hear post-election pundits say he will govern from the center. But, there is no evidence to believe that. Will he resist the left leaning policies of his party that he so openly embraced now that he is POTUS? He certainly ran his election as if he was now a centrist. We all must watch carefully what happens for that will indicate who BI really is…what we could not discern during the election campaign.
4] As we ponder the historicity of the moment, some big questions remain. Will the race card forever be jettisoned since a black man has won the big enchilada? Or, will all objection to the new President’s policies and positions, warranted and unwarranted, be met with a racism charge? Will BO be subject to the same withering vitriolic and mean spirited attacks Bush had to endure? Or, will BO be insulted from that because he is the first black President? Will the skin tone of the President be used to silence all opposition to the liberal agenda if in fact the real BO is the far left senator he has been known to be not the centrist he held himself out to be during the campaign? The debate permitted over coming governmental initiatives will tell the tale.
5] Finally, BO will be my President, and Scripture directs that we pray for him as the civil magistrate who leads this country. That, all Christians must do whether you agree with him or not.
It will be an interesting four years.
The Day After
Some initial musings on Election 2008 on the day after:
1] It truly is historic that America elected a black man as POTUS. I am long enough in the tooth to remember the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s. From the assassinations of 1968 to forty years later, a black President…truly amazing and a statement of how the Republic works. I am sure the gushing and fawning will be over the top, especially from a media that so desperately wanted to see BO win, yet it is a milestone in our history.
2] I am always impressed by split party voting. Most American voters make decisions on respective candidates, not their parties, and that is a very good thing.
3] BO was as liberal a state and federal senator as they come. And, he has had no stomach for standing up to his party. I hear post-election pundits say he will govern from the center. But, there is no evidence to believe that. Will he resist the left leaning policies of his party that he so openly embraced now that he is POTUS? He certainly ran his election as if he was now a centrist. We all must watch carefully what happens for that will indicate who BI really is…what we could not discern during the election campaign.
4] As we ponder the historicity of the moment, some big questions remain. Will the race card forever be jettisoned since a black man has won the big enchilada? Or, will all objection to the new President’s policies and positions, warranted and unwarranted, be met with a racism charge? Will BO be subject to the same withering vitriolic and mean spirited attacks Bush had to endure? Or, will BO be insulted from that because he is the first black President? Will the skin tone of the President be used to silence all opposition to the liberal agenda if in fact the real BO is the far left senator he has been known to be not the centrist he held himself out to be during the campaign? The debate permitted over coming governmental initiatives will tell the tale.
5] Finally, BO will be my President, and Scripture directs that we pray for him as the civil magistrate who leads this country. That, all Christians must do whether you agree with him or not.
It will be an interesting four years.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election 2008
Election Day
It is finally here…3 cheers! Go to the polls and exercise your franchise…your vote. In the history of the world few have had the opportunity to choose their leaders on the local, regional and national level. Do not take that right for granted, it has been paid for in blood. But, also remember you are voting for mere fallible men or women. They hold no key to your ultimate destiny or wellbeing. Every politician is a sinner, some saved by grace, others not. Their plans and ideas are temporal, perishable and incapable of eternal or permanent change. For Christians, our trust is not in McCain or Obama or the hundreds of others running for public office today.
It cannot be said better than Psalm 146:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob;
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!
So, vote for the candidates; put your trust in the Sovereign of not only the US but all the earth!
Election Day
It is finally here…3 cheers! Go to the polls and exercise your franchise…your vote. In the history of the world few have had the opportunity to choose their leaders on the local, regional and national level. Do not take that right for granted, it has been paid for in blood. But, also remember you are voting for mere fallible men or women. They hold no key to your ultimate destiny or wellbeing. Every politician is a sinner, some saved by grace, others not. Their plans and ideas are temporal, perishable and incapable of eternal or permanent change. For Christians, our trust is not in McCain or Obama or the hundreds of others running for public office today.
It cannot be said better than Psalm 146:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob;
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!
So, vote for the candidates; put your trust in the Sovereign of not only the US but all the earth!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Economics 101
The New Economics?
As we all know by now, there is a credit crisis. Who is at fault will be a political football for months to come. Congress gave treasury $700B to solve the problem. After changing course several times, Treasury opted for the European way as a first step. That is, capital was injected into the 9 largest banks in the country. There are conflicting reports about the willingness of the banks to go along, but it is a done deal. Thus, the American banking system is now partially nationalized and the first checks go out today.
There is much hooha about this being an attempt to save capitalism, not take over capitalism. Now, it is true that the London Interbank Offered Rate [Libor], the rate banks charge each other to borrow money has been trading way above three month Treasury bill rates. And, when this is the case, no one lends. It creates anxiety because no one knows if they are lending to the next Lehman Brothers. So, money floods the safe haven of treasuries. Until the rate spread [the TED] narrows money will not come out of treasuries and to borrowers. It is too risky. So, by injecting capital, the Treasury hopes to create lending in spite of the TED.
Is this a good idea? Well, consider this. The palookas in Congress who got us into the credit mess by changing the requirements for mortgages will now have some say in our largest banks. Can they resist the type of meddling that Congressional types like to engage in? When things get better will the government want to get out? Wells Fargo announced they are looking for capital to repay the government pronto because they want no part of government ownership.
In Saturday’s Wall Street Journal there was a report of Democrat Senators such as Schumer wanting more controls over this money going to banks to make sure they make loans. What type of loans? Hopefully not the risky ones pushed by Congress that are now under water. And, was not the dividend to be paid on the preferred stock issued in exchange for the loans what the government was to receive? We were assured they were not getting into the banking business.
All of this new socialism in banking may just be a precursor to more socialism in general. Joe the Plumber has been made into a media star by the GOP and a villain by the Dems. But, he did extract a real issue…….redistribution of wealth which is a tenet of socialism as an economic system. The Speaker has already signaled a new stimulus package of $300 M is on the way. Pile that onto Bear Sterns, AIG, TARP, $ to auto makers and everything else in the pipeline and you have enormous government intervention into the marketplace. What will it be like when Dems control Congress and the Executive? The invisible hand of Adam Smith will be replaced by the visible hand of the government.
Remember when the Paulson/Bernanke/President/Democrat Congress warned us that if the stimulus package was not passed there would be Armageddon? Since its passage the Dow has dropped another 2000 points. The mortgages in trouble have yet to see TARP relief. The stock market may not yet have fully absorbed the full brunt of the recession. Stocks are wonderful bargains today, but investors are skittish because of not knowing the government’s next step. All things economic are in turmoil. Welcome to the Twilight Zone of the New Economics!
The New Economics?
As we all know by now, there is a credit crisis. Who is at fault will be a political football for months to come. Congress gave treasury $700B to solve the problem. After changing course several times, Treasury opted for the European way as a first step. That is, capital was injected into the 9 largest banks in the country. There are conflicting reports about the willingness of the banks to go along, but it is a done deal. Thus, the American banking system is now partially nationalized and the first checks go out today.
There is much hooha about this being an attempt to save capitalism, not take over capitalism. Now, it is true that the London Interbank Offered Rate [Libor], the rate banks charge each other to borrow money has been trading way above three month Treasury bill rates. And, when this is the case, no one lends. It creates anxiety because no one knows if they are lending to the next Lehman Brothers. So, money floods the safe haven of treasuries. Until the rate spread [the TED] narrows money will not come out of treasuries and to borrowers. It is too risky. So, by injecting capital, the Treasury hopes to create lending in spite of the TED.
Is this a good idea? Well, consider this. The palookas in Congress who got us into the credit mess by changing the requirements for mortgages will now have some say in our largest banks. Can they resist the type of meddling that Congressional types like to engage in? When things get better will the government want to get out? Wells Fargo announced they are looking for capital to repay the government pronto because they want no part of government ownership.
In Saturday’s Wall Street Journal there was a report of Democrat Senators such as Schumer wanting more controls over this money going to banks to make sure they make loans. What type of loans? Hopefully not the risky ones pushed by Congress that are now under water. And, was not the dividend to be paid on the preferred stock issued in exchange for the loans what the government was to receive? We were assured they were not getting into the banking business.
All of this new socialism in banking may just be a precursor to more socialism in general. Joe the Plumber has been made into a media star by the GOP and a villain by the Dems. But, he did extract a real issue…….redistribution of wealth which is a tenet of socialism as an economic system. The Speaker has already signaled a new stimulus package of $300 M is on the way. Pile that onto Bear Sterns, AIG, TARP, $ to auto makers and everything else in the pipeline and you have enormous government intervention into the marketplace. What will it be like when Dems control Congress and the Executive? The invisible hand of Adam Smith will be replaced by the visible hand of the government.
Remember when the Paulson/Bernanke/President/Democrat Congress warned us that if the stimulus package was not passed there would be Armageddon? Since its passage the Dow has dropped another 2000 points. The mortgages in trouble have yet to see TARP relief. The stock market may not yet have fully absorbed the full brunt of the recession. Stocks are wonderful bargains today, but investors are skittish because of not knowing the government’s next step. All things economic are in turmoil. Welcome to the Twilight Zone of the New Economics!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Election 2008
Debate Season Over….Finally
I don’t know about you but I am glad the debate season is over. They were yawners by and large. BO was the Teflon man…deflecting everything with his mantra that we “can’t afford 8 more years of failed Bush policies.” McCain was choppy in his answers and never went for the throat when given the opportunity. I heard some wag during this whole process say the both acted like senators, not presidential candidates. Neither inspire as leaders. BO is just trying not to lose; McCain is just trying…..
It seems pretty clear that barring a catastrophic event…BO will be the next POTUS. I have repeated many times to many people, whomever is elected with be a one termer. The problems are so large and systemic that the next POTUS will have grave difficulty in forging solutions. Look at the credit crisis. How much more can the government do? The Fed can cut rates again, but it will take a great deal of time to melt the lending ice jam. And, the economic crisis is still coming with a recession of who knows what magnitude upon us. The next POTUS can undoubtedly make things worse will ill advised policies, but I have a hard time seeing how he can make things better.
There will be some unfortunate outcomes of BO as POTUS. Here are a few:
1] There will be much gushing about how we have so progressed in this country by electing our first African American POTUS. I cannot remember a POTUS election cycle where the media, electronic and print, have so wanted on candidate to win. While I believe a lot of it is hatred of Geo. W. Bush and identifying McCain with him, there is a fair amount of rooting for a history making election. Why? So all the journalists can say I was there when it happened and write books about this new chapter in American history. Moderator of the VP debate anyone? In many ways this sociological factor outweighs who would be a better governor of the country.
2] With the Democrats in charge of the Executive and Legislative the investigation of the credit mess will lay the blame squarely on Wall Street ignoring the Dodd/Schumer/Frank Trinity who forced the risky lending principles on the banks and the public. These guys were big on the $700B bailout because they hope these funds can be used to cover their dirty laundry. CEOs will be correctly castigated and some many even make a visit to the Big House. But, it will be difficult to get the full picture and expose all the Congressional shenanigans in hearings controlled by Democrats and with an administration of Democrats.
3] The SCOTUS will not be changing its composition. With BO as POTUS we will have expansionist interpreters of the Constitution replaced by like minded folk. So, the 5-4 decisions will continue and there will be continual chipping away on strict construction. And, heaven forbid if one of the strict constructionists dies and has to be replaced while BO is President. Then, there will be change….and maybe that is what BO means with his change talk.
4] Another outcome of Democratic control of Executive and Legislative will be the increase of tax and spend policies. That is a tandem that goes together in policies of Democrats. And, BO’s tax breaks to 95% of the population…those earning <$250k…is actually the biggest move to income redistribution in decades. Between 35 and 40 % of Americans do not pay taxes today. So, their tax break would be to receive money from the government as a tax credit is not a break to one who does not pay taxes. And, where does that money come from? Taxpayers…which is why McCain [awkwardly] tried to make the “Joe the Plumber” connections in last night’s debate. This is what BO meant in his comment to Joe that BO wants “to spread the wealth around”.
5] The Acorn voter fraud story will be buried. As it now stands, BO looks to win decisively and if he does, there will not be any further inquiry into what happened in registering voters in what were to be key battleground states. Like the shenanigans in Congress with Fannie/Freddie and housing for all, what really happened probably will not come to light. And, the Acorn operatives will be at it again in the 2012 election instead of putting it to a stop now.
It will be interesting to see what happens over the next 19 days. No one wants any more untoward events, the kind that could swing the election, but they are always possible. With BO ahead, the economy and credit markets in the tank, and the unpopularity of the present POTUS, BO is as close as there can be to a shoe in 3 weeks before an election. Circumstances not controlled by McCain have swamped McCain. The same could be the fate of BO the next four years as POTUS.
Debate Season Over….Finally
I don’t know about you but I am glad the debate season is over. They were yawners by and large. BO was the Teflon man…deflecting everything with his mantra that we “can’t afford 8 more years of failed Bush policies.” McCain was choppy in his answers and never went for the throat when given the opportunity. I heard some wag during this whole process say the both acted like senators, not presidential candidates. Neither inspire as leaders. BO is just trying not to lose; McCain is just trying…..
It seems pretty clear that barring a catastrophic event…BO will be the next POTUS. I have repeated many times to many people, whomever is elected with be a one termer. The problems are so large and systemic that the next POTUS will have grave difficulty in forging solutions. Look at the credit crisis. How much more can the government do? The Fed can cut rates again, but it will take a great deal of time to melt the lending ice jam. And, the economic crisis is still coming with a recession of who knows what magnitude upon us. The next POTUS can undoubtedly make things worse will ill advised policies, but I have a hard time seeing how he can make things better.
There will be some unfortunate outcomes of BO as POTUS. Here are a few:
1] There will be much gushing about how we have so progressed in this country by electing our first African American POTUS. I cannot remember a POTUS election cycle where the media, electronic and print, have so wanted on candidate to win. While I believe a lot of it is hatred of Geo. W. Bush and identifying McCain with him, there is a fair amount of rooting for a history making election. Why? So all the journalists can say I was there when it happened and write books about this new chapter in American history. Moderator of the VP debate anyone? In many ways this sociological factor outweighs who would be a better governor of the country.
2] With the Democrats in charge of the Executive and Legislative the investigation of the credit mess will lay the blame squarely on Wall Street ignoring the Dodd/Schumer/Frank Trinity who forced the risky lending principles on the banks and the public. These guys were big on the $700B bailout because they hope these funds can be used to cover their dirty laundry. CEOs will be correctly castigated and some many even make a visit to the Big House. But, it will be difficult to get the full picture and expose all the Congressional shenanigans in hearings controlled by Democrats and with an administration of Democrats.
3] The SCOTUS will not be changing its composition. With BO as POTUS we will have expansionist interpreters of the Constitution replaced by like minded folk. So, the 5-4 decisions will continue and there will be continual chipping away on strict construction. And, heaven forbid if one of the strict constructionists dies and has to be replaced while BO is President. Then, there will be change….and maybe that is what BO means with his change talk.
4] Another outcome of Democratic control of Executive and Legislative will be the increase of tax and spend policies. That is a tandem that goes together in policies of Democrats. And, BO’s tax breaks to 95% of the population…those earning <$250k…is actually the biggest move to income redistribution in decades. Between 35 and 40 % of Americans do not pay taxes today. So, their tax break would be to receive money from the government as a tax credit is not a break to one who does not pay taxes. And, where does that money come from? Taxpayers…which is why McCain [awkwardly] tried to make the “Joe the Plumber” connections in last night’s debate. This is what BO meant in his comment to Joe that BO wants “to spread the wealth around”.
5] The Acorn voter fraud story will be buried. As it now stands, BO looks to win decisively and if he does, there will not be any further inquiry into what happened in registering voters in what were to be key battleground states. Like the shenanigans in Congress with Fannie/Freddie and housing for all, what really happened probably will not come to light. And, the Acorn operatives will be at it again in the 2012 election instead of putting it to a stop now.
It will be interesting to see what happens over the next 19 days. No one wants any more untoward events, the kind that could swing the election, but they are always possible. With BO ahead, the economy and credit markets in the tank, and the unpopularity of the present POTUS, BO is as close as there can be to a shoe in 3 weeks before an election. Circumstances not controlled by McCain have swamped McCain. The same could be the fate of BO the next four years as POTUS.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Economics 101
Credit is also Debt
Credit has been way too easy to obtain is this country. Who does not get dozens of credit card applications in the mail each year? Mortgagees have mortgages they cannot pay. Mortgagors have granted loans they have no business giving. Consumers have credit card debt so huge they can’t pay the interest! Lenders have been leveraged 20-30-40 to 1. Credit has been abused.
Now credit has dried up. Banks will not even lend to other banks because no one understands the extent of the risk involved. Credit has a significant place in our economy. Companies borrow money daily to make payments banking on the receipts they will be obtaining. Now, no one wants to take the risk that their borrower can pay. Grandpa Kriner always said do not buy something you cannot pay for in cash. Darn good advice for the consumer because it keeps you out of debt.
For some reason, many believed there would never be a deflationary impulse in housing in spite of the overbuilding that was evident all over the country. But, now houses in many places are worth less that they were last year…even last week. But, the big mortgages taken against those houses still have to be paid. Another thing Grandpa said: “When you have a mortgage the bank owns your house.” The situation with the current crisis: lots of debt; decreasing equity; no place to turn to refinance or pay the debt.
We have been witnesses to the circus in Washington trying to solve the credit problem encouraged by the same clowns who made this possible. That is not excusing greedy lenders who tried to come up with fancy new ways to make mortgages that were of questionable value into securities. Yet, without the attempt to make home ownership an entitlement, the sub-prime mortgage mess would never have occurred. But, the real question is what this all means to you?
Get out of debt when you can…as soon as you can. If the government does enter the banking market as appears to be the case, expect more mucking about. Why? What free enterprise action does the government do better than the market? You get the idea. Your share of the bailouts of Bear Sterns, Freddy & Fanny, AIG and whatever is next will be sufficient debt for you. Remember whatever all these governmental actions are called, it is now attempting to unfreeze the credit markets. Credit must flow for the economy to work. But, also remember, credit is also debt. You will be saddled with more of it by your government; so avoid it on your own.
Credit is also Debt
Credit has been way too easy to obtain is this country. Who does not get dozens of credit card applications in the mail each year? Mortgagees have mortgages they cannot pay. Mortgagors have granted loans they have no business giving. Consumers have credit card debt so huge they can’t pay the interest! Lenders have been leveraged 20-30-40 to 1. Credit has been abused.
Now credit has dried up. Banks will not even lend to other banks because no one understands the extent of the risk involved. Credit has a significant place in our economy. Companies borrow money daily to make payments banking on the receipts they will be obtaining. Now, no one wants to take the risk that their borrower can pay. Grandpa Kriner always said do not buy something you cannot pay for in cash. Darn good advice for the consumer because it keeps you out of debt.
For some reason, many believed there would never be a deflationary impulse in housing in spite of the overbuilding that was evident all over the country. But, now houses in many places are worth less that they were last year…even last week. But, the big mortgages taken against those houses still have to be paid. Another thing Grandpa said: “When you have a mortgage the bank owns your house.” The situation with the current crisis: lots of debt; decreasing equity; no place to turn to refinance or pay the debt.
We have been witnesses to the circus in Washington trying to solve the credit problem encouraged by the same clowns who made this possible. That is not excusing greedy lenders who tried to come up with fancy new ways to make mortgages that were of questionable value into securities. Yet, without the attempt to make home ownership an entitlement, the sub-prime mortgage mess would never have occurred. But, the real question is what this all means to you?
Get out of debt when you can…as soon as you can. If the government does enter the banking market as appears to be the case, expect more mucking about. Why? What free enterprise action does the government do better than the market? You get the idea. Your share of the bailouts of Bear Sterns, Freddy & Fanny, AIG and whatever is next will be sufficient debt for you. Remember whatever all these governmental actions are called, it is now attempting to unfreeze the credit markets. Credit must flow for the economy to work. But, also remember, credit is also debt. You will be saddled with more of it by your government; so avoid it on your own.
Escape From Reason
Changed Thinking
The mass of people have received the new way of thinking through the media without analyzing it…It is not merely that they think different things. They think differently. Their thinking has changed in such a way that when you say Christianity is true the sentence does not mean to them what it means to you.
Francis A. Schaeffer, Escape From Reason
Changed Thinking
The mass of people have received the new way of thinking through the media without analyzing it…It is not merely that they think different things. They think differently. Their thinking has changed in such a way that when you say Christianity is true the sentence does not mean to them what it means to you.
Francis A. Schaeffer, Escape From Reason
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Conservatives…
and Ideologies
Conservatives are often referred to in the media as being “ideological conservatives”. That is a misnomer, a contradiction in terms. Ideologues are the antithesis of conservatives because they exalt time over place. For the ideologue, time is unfolding a better and better society. What has gone before has no import to the ideologue. Ideology is about what is “not” instead of reality; about what could be instead of what exists. Ideologues fit nicely with scientific materialists who believe that we live in a closed system of random origin without outside influence or ideals and we alone are responsible for “getting it right” and that requires time.
On the other hand we have the conservative. Russell Kirk said being a conservative is a:
…cast of intellect or a type of character, and inclination to cherish the permanent things in human existence…to join in resistance to the destruction or the old patterns of life [and] damage to the footings of civil social order…
Note two things in particular that sets the conservative apart from the ideologue. The first is “permanent things”. That is non-negotiable virtues without which a society cannot exist and operate. Ideologues are about changing social order because nothing is permanent. Why? Because, for the ideologue, there is the unfolding enlightenment of man that allows him to move to higher and higher plains of goodness. There is not a good, an ideal, to be cherished because we are making things better and better.
Second, the conservative is “against destruction” of the old social order. This is why conservatives resist ideologues and their ideologies. Conservatives know that ideologues leave in their wake of change dismantled foundations and non-functioning institutions that had served the society before the “change for the better”. On striking example, but by no means the only, is the “better way” of sexual liberation leaving in its wake the broken and destroyed family as it had functioned for thousands of years in the world.
At their core, ideologues are about the rejection of reality and destruction of what is. In place of reality ideologues what to build a “possibility” that has never existed and is not possible. The ideologue represents a smug, self-righteous attitude that by subverting and dismantling the “way it is” there can be a “better way”. This attitude is rejected by the conservative. This is not a rejection of change, for change is inevitable. It is a rejection of the radical change that dismantles what we know for what is imagined. Conservatives desire to maintain the permanent virtues and patterns of life that have been the basis of society since there have been societies and promote change within.
The hubris of ideology ignores the fallibility of man. The ideologue wants to dismiss the accrued wisdom of men through the ages for the enlightened view of modern man. The traditional virtues, tested through time and experience, are found wanting by the 21st century ideologue. They are viewed as oppressive and not in step with what is now happening. For improving the world, wholesale change is needed. Bringing the world in line with the desires of modern man is the way to a better world. This is why there are no “permanent things” or “footings of society” for the ideologue. The desires of man are always changing, so change is inevitable. Tying society to the desire of man means a constantly moving target unmoored to anything permanent.
Virtuous terms do not disappear; just the meaning of them. Take for instance the modified definition of honor. At one time honor meant standing on principles believed regardless of the consequences or impact on the person of honor. But, today we do not see honor as a permanent virtue that is manifested in an individual as part of his character. Honor in a “changed” society is now defined as status, or respect for personal accomplishment. It is an “I did it my way” view of things. Honor is no longer attached to virtue or a part of a person’s character. We honor those judged to be successful at fulfilling his or her personal desires. Honor is now recognition of the individual rather than the individual representing service, sacrifice, or even death for a cause that is virtuous.
A brief examination of the world we now live inn exposes the foolishness of ideologies. Do we really see in the unfolding of time a continuing revelation of a higher and better humanity? Do we see in our world societies finally “getting it right” after centuries of misplace emphases on permanent things? Globalism, multi-culturalism and neo-conservatism are ideologies that are moving us away from the “old ways” to “new ways” that promise an elevated humanity. Is that what we see? One a grand scale we see a movement to a one world economic order doing away with nation-states and on a micro scale it is personal autonomy shedding the shackles of oppressive communities. I am sure you can come up with many other examples.
The dream of ideologues is progress driven by the engine of technology. Ideologues love progress for it is indicative of the better. Surely the new is always better than the old? Progress is defined by the ideologue as moving ahead. We are the most advanced folks because technology has made our lives easy, comfortable and pleasurable. So, we surely must also be the most advanced in ideas and consequent behavior. We march into the future armed with technology and believing that we can ignore the past and create a new social order. To T.S. Eliot’s famous statement:
We are what we are because they were what they were,
the ideologue answers yes…but we must be different because we now know better.
The late Gerhart Niemeyer asserted that ideologies fail because of two reasons. One, they are frauds. They substitute the philosophical questions about what is given for a set of assertions about what is not given. As a willful assertion of unreality or willful denial of reality, ideology is an intellectual perversion. Second, because and ideologue does not embrace reality and act within it to achieve real possibilities they are destroyers of societies not builders.
Two examples of 20th century history…National Socialism and Communism…prove Niemeyer’s point. Going forward in the 21st century we must be vigilant in identifying the unreality and destruction of ideologies. They can come from anywhere. No group or party has a monopoly on ideology. This is where the conservative must play an assertive role in society. Ideologies must be called ideologies. And, the conservative must continue to stand for permanent things and keep the foundations of society from being destroyed. Conservatives look to the past to seek the accumulated wisdom of those who have gone before and the time worn verities that maintain a society. This is not a romantic return to “Ozzie and Harriet. He does not live in the past but is guided by the old order built on permanent virtues that have stood the test of time. Change will come but as a modification of the old not the substitution of a new order built on human progress driven by technology and human desires of modern man.
and Ideologies
Conservatives are often referred to in the media as being “ideological conservatives”. That is a misnomer, a contradiction in terms. Ideologues are the antithesis of conservatives because they exalt time over place. For the ideologue, time is unfolding a better and better society. What has gone before has no import to the ideologue. Ideology is about what is “not” instead of reality; about what could be instead of what exists. Ideologues fit nicely with scientific materialists who believe that we live in a closed system of random origin without outside influence or ideals and we alone are responsible for “getting it right” and that requires time.
On the other hand we have the conservative. Russell Kirk said being a conservative is a:
…cast of intellect or a type of character, and inclination to cherish the permanent things in human existence…to join in resistance to the destruction or the old patterns of life [and] damage to the footings of civil social order…
Note two things in particular that sets the conservative apart from the ideologue. The first is “permanent things”. That is non-negotiable virtues without which a society cannot exist and operate. Ideologues are about changing social order because nothing is permanent. Why? Because, for the ideologue, there is the unfolding enlightenment of man that allows him to move to higher and higher plains of goodness. There is not a good, an ideal, to be cherished because we are making things better and better.
Second, the conservative is “against destruction” of the old social order. This is why conservatives resist ideologues and their ideologies. Conservatives know that ideologues leave in their wake of change dismantled foundations and non-functioning institutions that had served the society before the “change for the better”. On striking example, but by no means the only, is the “better way” of sexual liberation leaving in its wake the broken and destroyed family as it had functioned for thousands of years in the world.
At their core, ideologues are about the rejection of reality and destruction of what is. In place of reality ideologues what to build a “possibility” that has never existed and is not possible. The ideologue represents a smug, self-righteous attitude that by subverting and dismantling the “way it is” there can be a “better way”. This attitude is rejected by the conservative. This is not a rejection of change, for change is inevitable. It is a rejection of the radical change that dismantles what we know for what is imagined. Conservatives desire to maintain the permanent virtues and patterns of life that have been the basis of society since there have been societies and promote change within.
The hubris of ideology ignores the fallibility of man. The ideologue wants to dismiss the accrued wisdom of men through the ages for the enlightened view of modern man. The traditional virtues, tested through time and experience, are found wanting by the 21st century ideologue. They are viewed as oppressive and not in step with what is now happening. For improving the world, wholesale change is needed. Bringing the world in line with the desires of modern man is the way to a better world. This is why there are no “permanent things” or “footings of society” for the ideologue. The desires of man are always changing, so change is inevitable. Tying society to the desire of man means a constantly moving target unmoored to anything permanent.
Virtuous terms do not disappear; just the meaning of them. Take for instance the modified definition of honor. At one time honor meant standing on principles believed regardless of the consequences or impact on the person of honor. But, today we do not see honor as a permanent virtue that is manifested in an individual as part of his character. Honor in a “changed” society is now defined as status, or respect for personal accomplishment. It is an “I did it my way” view of things. Honor is no longer attached to virtue or a part of a person’s character. We honor those judged to be successful at fulfilling his or her personal desires. Honor is now recognition of the individual rather than the individual representing service, sacrifice, or even death for a cause that is virtuous.
A brief examination of the world we now live inn exposes the foolishness of ideologies. Do we really see in the unfolding of time a continuing revelation of a higher and better humanity? Do we see in our world societies finally “getting it right” after centuries of misplace emphases on permanent things? Globalism, multi-culturalism and neo-conservatism are ideologies that are moving us away from the “old ways” to “new ways” that promise an elevated humanity. Is that what we see? One a grand scale we see a movement to a one world economic order doing away with nation-states and on a micro scale it is personal autonomy shedding the shackles of oppressive communities. I am sure you can come up with many other examples.
The dream of ideologues is progress driven by the engine of technology. Ideologues love progress for it is indicative of the better. Surely the new is always better than the old? Progress is defined by the ideologue as moving ahead. We are the most advanced folks because technology has made our lives easy, comfortable and pleasurable. So, we surely must also be the most advanced in ideas and consequent behavior. We march into the future armed with technology and believing that we can ignore the past and create a new social order. To T.S. Eliot’s famous statement:
We are what we are because they were what they were,
the ideologue answers yes…but we must be different because we now know better.
The late Gerhart Niemeyer asserted that ideologies fail because of two reasons. One, they are frauds. They substitute the philosophical questions about what is given for a set of assertions about what is not given. As a willful assertion of unreality or willful denial of reality, ideology is an intellectual perversion. Second, because and ideologue does not embrace reality and act within it to achieve real possibilities they are destroyers of societies not builders.
Two examples of 20th century history…National Socialism and Communism…prove Niemeyer’s point. Going forward in the 21st century we must be vigilant in identifying the unreality and destruction of ideologies. They can come from anywhere. No group or party has a monopoly on ideology. This is where the conservative must play an assertive role in society. Ideologies must be called ideologies. And, the conservative must continue to stand for permanent things and keep the foundations of society from being destroyed. Conservatives look to the past to seek the accumulated wisdom of those who have gone before and the time worn verities that maintain a society. This is not a romantic return to “Ozzie and Harriet. He does not live in the past but is guided by the old order built on permanent virtues that have stood the test of time. Change will come but as a modification of the old not the substitution of a new order built on human progress driven by technology and human desires of modern man.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Not Forgetting 9/11
This was a day that ranks with Pearl Harbor and the assassination of JFK in the memories of Americans living today. A bright, sunny day in the east turned dark and foreboding as airliners were turned into missiles and thousands of non-combatants died in a war we did not even know we were fighting. Some call it a War on Terror, others call it a resumption of the war between Islam and Christianity. Whatever the case, we can never forget that day. Say a prayer for the families of the victims of that day who can never scrub this day from their minds. Say a pray for the leaders of our country as they attempt to keep the citizens safe in an increasingly hostile world where the technology for those who want to harm us is increasingly available.
This was a day that ranks with Pearl Harbor and the assassination of JFK in the memories of Americans living today. A bright, sunny day in the east turned dark and foreboding as airliners were turned into missiles and thousands of non-combatants died in a war we did not even know we were fighting. Some call it a War on Terror, others call it a resumption of the war between Islam and Christianity. Whatever the case, we can never forget that day. Say a prayer for the families of the victims of that day who can never scrub this day from their minds. Say a pray for the leaders of our country as they attempt to keep the citizens safe in an increasingly hostile world where the technology for those who want to harm us is increasingly available.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Living in the World
The Providence of God
Nothing happens by happenstance, serendipity, if you will. There is a purpose and plan for all that happens in the universe. What the purpose and plan is we sometimes cannot know at the time an event happens. There are times when we just rejoice. This is one such time. When I think of the lifetime memory for the Ledford girls I just smile and chuckle for a cherished moment in their lives. A moment unplanned by man; designed by God!
http://danledford.blogspot.com/
The Providence of God
Nothing happens by happenstance, serendipity, if you will. There is a purpose and plan for all that happens in the universe. What the purpose and plan is we sometimes cannot know at the time an event happens. There are times when we just rejoice. This is one such time. When I think of the lifetime memory for the Ledford girls I just smile and chuckle for a cherished moment in their lives. A moment unplanned by man; designed by God!
http://danledford.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Escape From Reason
The Crisis of the Middle Class
This middle class group is, in many ways, a product of the Reformation; it is something to be thankful for as a source of stability. By now, people in this group often do not understand the basis of its stability. They do not understand why they think in the old way; they are continuing to act out of habit and memory after they have forgotten why the old form was valid. Often they still think in the right way—to them truth is truth, right is right—but they no longer know why. So how can they understand their 20th century children who think in the new way, who no longer think that truth is truth nor that right is right?
Francis A. Schaeffer, Escape From Reason
The Crisis of the Middle Class
This middle class group is, in many ways, a product of the Reformation; it is something to be thankful for as a source of stability. By now, people in this group often do not understand the basis of its stability. They do not understand why they think in the old way; they are continuing to act out of habit and memory after they have forgotten why the old form was valid. Often they still think in the right way—to them truth is truth, right is right—but they no longer know why. So how can they understand their 20th century children who think in the new way, who no longer think that truth is truth nor that right is right?
Francis A. Schaeffer, Escape From Reason
Monday, September 8, 2008
Conservatives…
and Education
It is appalling how little attention is paid to reading and history today. They go had in hand. Television, the internet and cellular phones tell us little about our history. They are technological “now” instruments. You have to put them down to read. And, we do not want to do that. We might miss something!
Education has generally moved from the liberal arts [including history] to technical and specialized learning. And, what is left of the liberal arts is riddled with political correctness. In the academy of today, race, gender and class, with increasing doses of sexual preference, dictate the study of the social sciences. Western civics has become the story of the failure of rich white men, who were probably homophobic, to produce an egalitarian society where every idea has equal validity and importance. You are far more likely to gain admittance to a doctoral program in a US university wanting to study about homosexual black women on southern plantations than the study of any heretofore significant male figure from the 17th to 20th century.
Jude Daugherty, former Chairman of the Philosophy Department at Catholic University maintains that being an educated conservative requires a literary [reading] tradition that puts people in touch with the wisdom of the past. Of, course that flies in the face of those who debunk the past [history] as the story of the oppressive winners who suppressed every dissident voice and view. Even for those who have not bought into the PC view of education, the past and its wisdom still lacks importance. They look at the past as worthless and hopelessly outdated for modern man. The virtues of the past; the rule of law from the past; ideas of society and family from the past; concepts of science and religion believed in the past; none of it has relevance to now and the future. So, why read history?
For conservatives, the past is important and it is imperative that we understand the past. The conservative understands that Western Culture is the foundation of our society. The Greek and Roman classics; Holy Scripture; the early and medieval church fathers; European works on philosophy and science; these all play an important role in the structuring of what we now identify as the west. The conservative cannot understand why someone would espouse the construction of a new order of things ignoring the collective efforts of the past. Preservation of those collective memories of the past is necessary according to Edmund Burke:
…it is with infinite caution that any man ought to venture upon pulling down an edifice which has answered in any tolerable degree for ages the common purposes of society or on building it up again without having models of approved utility before his eyes.
We are 180 degrees from Burke. We reject notions of the past as out of step with the now. We are attempting to build a society without a known foundation. How long can such an edifice stand?
Specifically, this country, the USA, was built by men schooled in foundational works of the past. Conservatives know that, and real conservative educational concepts would propose returning to the classics. Walter Lippmann addressed this matter on the University of Pennsylvania campus in 1940. His topic was, interestingly enough, entitled “Education v. Western Civilization”. He said:
The men who wrote the American Constitution and the Bill of Rights were educated in schools and colleges in which the classic works of this culture were the substance of the curriculum. In these schools, the transmission of this culture was held to be the end and aim of education. Modern education, however, is based on a denial that it is necessary or useful or desirable for schools and colleges to continue to transmit from generation to generation the religious and classical culture of the western world.
Thus there is an enormous vacuum where until a few decades ago there was the substance of education. And that vacuum is filled with the elective, the specialized, the accidental and incidental improvisions and spontaneous curiosity of teachers and students. There is no common faith, no common body of principle ,no common body of knowledge, no common moral and intellectual discipline. Yet the graduates of modern schools are expected to form a civilized community.
Breathtaking! Spoken 68 years ago and unheeded. Where there is no common educational process there is no common anything. Just about sums up where we are today.
Conservatives are not against vocational education. But, for us to have a citizenry that has common principles, knowledge, morals and intellectual discipline, there must be a pursuit by all citizens of the foundation of our cultural formation. Our civilization is becoming increasingly uncivilized, as Lippmann predicted. The education promoted by the true conservative is based on understanding the basis of our western culture and transmitting those principles and virtues to all our citizens. Recapturing such a vision of education is needed yesterday and any other educational philosophy cannot be called conservative.
and Education
It is appalling how little attention is paid to reading and history today. They go had in hand. Television, the internet and cellular phones tell us little about our history. They are technological “now” instruments. You have to put them down to read. And, we do not want to do that. We might miss something!
Education has generally moved from the liberal arts [including history] to technical and specialized learning. And, what is left of the liberal arts is riddled with political correctness. In the academy of today, race, gender and class, with increasing doses of sexual preference, dictate the study of the social sciences. Western civics has become the story of the failure of rich white men, who were probably homophobic, to produce an egalitarian society where every idea has equal validity and importance. You are far more likely to gain admittance to a doctoral program in a US university wanting to study about homosexual black women on southern plantations than the study of any heretofore significant male figure from the 17th to 20th century.
Jude Daugherty, former Chairman of the Philosophy Department at Catholic University maintains that being an educated conservative requires a literary [reading] tradition that puts people in touch with the wisdom of the past. Of, course that flies in the face of those who debunk the past [history] as the story of the oppressive winners who suppressed every dissident voice and view. Even for those who have not bought into the PC view of education, the past and its wisdom still lacks importance. They look at the past as worthless and hopelessly outdated for modern man. The virtues of the past; the rule of law from the past; ideas of society and family from the past; concepts of science and religion believed in the past; none of it has relevance to now and the future. So, why read history?
For conservatives, the past is important and it is imperative that we understand the past. The conservative understands that Western Culture is the foundation of our society. The Greek and Roman classics; Holy Scripture; the early and medieval church fathers; European works on philosophy and science; these all play an important role in the structuring of what we now identify as the west. The conservative cannot understand why someone would espouse the construction of a new order of things ignoring the collective efforts of the past. Preservation of those collective memories of the past is necessary according to Edmund Burke:
…it is with infinite caution that any man ought to venture upon pulling down an edifice which has answered in any tolerable degree for ages the common purposes of society or on building it up again without having models of approved utility before his eyes.
We are 180 degrees from Burke. We reject notions of the past as out of step with the now. We are attempting to build a society without a known foundation. How long can such an edifice stand?
Specifically, this country, the USA, was built by men schooled in foundational works of the past. Conservatives know that, and real conservative educational concepts would propose returning to the classics. Walter Lippmann addressed this matter on the University of Pennsylvania campus in 1940. His topic was, interestingly enough, entitled “Education v. Western Civilization”. He said:
The men who wrote the American Constitution and the Bill of Rights were educated in schools and colleges in which the classic works of this culture were the substance of the curriculum. In these schools, the transmission of this culture was held to be the end and aim of education. Modern education, however, is based on a denial that it is necessary or useful or desirable for schools and colleges to continue to transmit from generation to generation the religious and classical culture of the western world.
Thus there is an enormous vacuum where until a few decades ago there was the substance of education. And that vacuum is filled with the elective, the specialized, the accidental and incidental improvisions and spontaneous curiosity of teachers and students. There is no common faith, no common body of principle ,no common body of knowledge, no common moral and intellectual discipline. Yet the graduates of modern schools are expected to form a civilized community.
Breathtaking! Spoken 68 years ago and unheeded. Where there is no common educational process there is no common anything. Just about sums up where we are today.
Conservatives are not against vocational education. But, for us to have a citizenry that has common principles, knowledge, morals and intellectual discipline, there must be a pursuit by all citizens of the foundation of our cultural formation. Our civilization is becoming increasingly uncivilized, as Lippmann predicted. The education promoted by the true conservative is based on understanding the basis of our western culture and transmitting those principles and virtues to all our citizens. Recapturing such a vision of education is needed yesterday and any other educational philosophy cannot be called conservative.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Conservatives…
and the State
Back on 02 March 2008, I posted on “Who are the Conservatives?” in light of the criticism of John McCain as not being conservative. I opined that being a conservative is not about conserving what or where we are now, but rather about reclaiming permanent things with “redeemed imagination”. The principle is that modernism, and now post- modernism, has corrupted the western culture’s view of what is important and those permanent things need to recaptured. But, that in itself is pretty unsatisfactory. How is this applied in looking at the world? We will try to answer that over the next few weeks with reference to certain specific topics.
We start with the state, not Pennsylvania, Ohio, etc. but the governing authorities whomever they may be. Geo. W. Bush is portrayed by the media and his political adversaries as a conservative. But, is he really when it comes to the state? On his watch, the federal government underwent unbelievable growth. He liked all kinds of spending bills and that extended the power of the state. So, too did the expansion of bureaucracy. TSA alone added thousands of individuals to the government payroll, and the increased emphasis on security has spread the tentacles of the state further into the lives of the citizen.
Most government spending is to enhance the state’s position in the lives of those living in the state. And, state authority and power is not the goal of the truly conservative. Read what Robert Nisbit says about state power:
The contemporary state with all its apparatus of bureaucracy, has become more powerful, more cohesive and is ordained with more power than at any time in history…the whole tendency of modern political development has been to enhance the role of the political state as a direct relationship among individuals, and to bring both its powers and its services even more intimately into the lives of individuals.
That was written in 1953! How much more appropriate today. The massive leviathan state of today with all its intrusions and influence in individual lives would make Nisbit wince.
Conservatives oppose the growth of state power. Why? Because it shifts allegiances away from home and community, local influences, to regional, state and federal influences. The power over individual lives becomes vested in the state, and in the US, especially the federal government. The live of the individual is more and more affected by power centers removed from him when state power grows. And, the larger the state grows; citizens take on more of an impersonal, numerical identity. You are more likely to be on a first name basis with your mayor or township supervisor than your governor, state or federal representatives or anyone in the Executive Branch of the federal government. At least you local leaders have a better chance of knowing who you are…that you have a name! The state rarely knows you so there is no personal touch or compassion in you relationship to the state as there are with family, neighborhood and community of place.
If you have ever had to deal with the bureaucracy of the state or federal government, you understand. Your issue better be one that has stock solutions. Square pegs find no answers in a bureaucracy of round holes. The state is not in the business of addressing your particular problem and it cannot tailor a specific solution not allowed by the operations manual of the bureaucrat. The idea that “I am from the government and I am here to help you” is indeed a joke. The state is not about individual problems; it is about government solutions.
That is to be expected when the seat of power and authority is far removed from where you live your daily life. The bureaucrat in Harrisburg or Washington is not concerned with you as a person and how your problem affects you. His mission is to field your question, open his little box of pat answers approved by the state and see if you fit the profile for “help” he is permitted to dispense. If you do not fit the profile, then you are passed off to another bureaucrat. The mass of red tape and paper work needed to address the simplest question is often mind boggling.
For the conservative, the role of the state is to maintain order so its people can live in peace and safety and punish wrongdoers while promoting good. A friend of mine used to say: The role of government is to deliver the mail, protect the borders and keep the highways open…and they do a lousy job at all of them!” With that many can concur. At what are they good? Taxing and spending comes to mind. Redistributing income so that incumbent politicians can hand out our money to those who are best suited to see that they are re-elected. The expansion of the power of the state permits the state to control more of our lives and keeps those who exercise that power to remain the entrenched political elite. We do not have a King George, we have KINGS George!
The expansion of state power is not a tenant of conservatism. Conservatives place a premium on the individual, his family, his local community and local associations as being most important in forming life and character and permitting an individual to flourish. What Burke called “the little platoons.” For the conservative, the power of the state is to be limited for a healthy society. There is little doubt that the power of the state over the lives of the people dramatically increased under Geo W. Bush’s stewardship of the USA.
As we approach the November election, it is pretty clear that neither major candidate is a “limiting state power” kind of guy. Neither is likely to capture the vision of my friend as to the role of government. The real question may be: Can the present political climate ever produce a conservative candidate who wants to recapture the idea of limited state power for the good of the country? That is, one who values family, community and place as the power centers of life over and above the influence of the state.
and the State
Back on 02 March 2008, I posted on “Who are the Conservatives?” in light of the criticism of John McCain as not being conservative. I opined that being a conservative is not about conserving what or where we are now, but rather about reclaiming permanent things with “redeemed imagination”. The principle is that modernism, and now post- modernism, has corrupted the western culture’s view of what is important and those permanent things need to recaptured. But, that in itself is pretty unsatisfactory. How is this applied in looking at the world? We will try to answer that over the next few weeks with reference to certain specific topics.
We start with the state, not Pennsylvania, Ohio, etc. but the governing authorities whomever they may be. Geo. W. Bush is portrayed by the media and his political adversaries as a conservative. But, is he really when it comes to the state? On his watch, the federal government underwent unbelievable growth. He liked all kinds of spending bills and that extended the power of the state. So, too did the expansion of bureaucracy. TSA alone added thousands of individuals to the government payroll, and the increased emphasis on security has spread the tentacles of the state further into the lives of the citizen.
Most government spending is to enhance the state’s position in the lives of those living in the state. And, state authority and power is not the goal of the truly conservative. Read what Robert Nisbit says about state power:
The contemporary state with all its apparatus of bureaucracy, has become more powerful, more cohesive and is ordained with more power than at any time in history…the whole tendency of modern political development has been to enhance the role of the political state as a direct relationship among individuals, and to bring both its powers and its services even more intimately into the lives of individuals.
That was written in 1953! How much more appropriate today. The massive leviathan state of today with all its intrusions and influence in individual lives would make Nisbit wince.
Conservatives oppose the growth of state power. Why? Because it shifts allegiances away from home and community, local influences, to regional, state and federal influences. The power over individual lives becomes vested in the state, and in the US, especially the federal government. The live of the individual is more and more affected by power centers removed from him when state power grows. And, the larger the state grows; citizens take on more of an impersonal, numerical identity. You are more likely to be on a first name basis with your mayor or township supervisor than your governor, state or federal representatives or anyone in the Executive Branch of the federal government. At least you local leaders have a better chance of knowing who you are…that you have a name! The state rarely knows you so there is no personal touch or compassion in you relationship to the state as there are with family, neighborhood and community of place.
If you have ever had to deal with the bureaucracy of the state or federal government, you understand. Your issue better be one that has stock solutions. Square pegs find no answers in a bureaucracy of round holes. The state is not in the business of addressing your particular problem and it cannot tailor a specific solution not allowed by the operations manual of the bureaucrat. The idea that “I am from the government and I am here to help you” is indeed a joke. The state is not about individual problems; it is about government solutions.
That is to be expected when the seat of power and authority is far removed from where you live your daily life. The bureaucrat in Harrisburg or Washington is not concerned with you as a person and how your problem affects you. His mission is to field your question, open his little box of pat answers approved by the state and see if you fit the profile for “help” he is permitted to dispense. If you do not fit the profile, then you are passed off to another bureaucrat. The mass of red tape and paper work needed to address the simplest question is often mind boggling.
For the conservative, the role of the state is to maintain order so its people can live in peace and safety and punish wrongdoers while promoting good. A friend of mine used to say: The role of government is to deliver the mail, protect the borders and keep the highways open…and they do a lousy job at all of them!” With that many can concur. At what are they good? Taxing and spending comes to mind. Redistributing income so that incumbent politicians can hand out our money to those who are best suited to see that they are re-elected. The expansion of the power of the state permits the state to control more of our lives and keeps those who exercise that power to remain the entrenched political elite. We do not have a King George, we have KINGS George!
The expansion of state power is not a tenant of conservatism. Conservatives place a premium on the individual, his family, his local community and local associations as being most important in forming life and character and permitting an individual to flourish. What Burke called “the little platoons.” For the conservative, the power of the state is to be limited for a healthy society. There is little doubt that the power of the state over the lives of the people dramatically increased under Geo W. Bush’s stewardship of the USA.
As we approach the November election, it is pretty clear that neither major candidate is a “limiting state power” kind of guy. Neither is likely to capture the vision of my friend as to the role of government. The real question may be: Can the present political climate ever produce a conservative candidate who wants to recapture the idea of limited state power for the good of the country? That is, one who values family, community and place as the power centers of life over and above the influence of the state.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Living in the World/Tales from the ECD
China, Clearfield County and Rights
[As the Summer Olympics wind through the second week in China, I wanted to share an article I wrote that first appeared in SGM Magazine. It has a reference point when Chinese were in Clearfield County to examine how open pit mining was conducted in the US. It also involves a discussion of the changing attitude toward “economic rights” in China and the US. That is not to say one should prefer the PRC over the USA. It is obvious to all who have watched the run up to the Games that there is much wanting and a distance unmeasureable to go in the matter of “human rights” in China. Yet, we see the “times are a changing”’ with respect to “economic rights” both in China and the US.]
In November and December of 1978, Deng Xiaoping eased Communist party and State controls into his hands. Quite a feat for one who was twice exiled by Mao.Deng was an economic reformer. He believed that communism did not mean poverty. One of his greatest reforms was the Special Economic Zone [SEZ]. Much of the growth of China today is based on the SEZ and the partnership forged between free enterprise and the Communist Party. In 1984, Deng described the SEZ as:
a medium for introducing technology, management and knowledge…a window for our foreign policy…and to import foreign technology, obtain knowledge and learn management.
The success of Chinese economic reform can be seen by all in the big box stores in the USA. Many of the goods sold are marked “Made in China” which was unheard of ten year ago.
But, before the onslaught of Chinese consumer goods into the USA, Clearfield County came face to face with the economic reforms of the People’s Republic of China [PRC]. In the early 1980s, the PRC sent a delegation of mining engineers to the US to investigate mining technology.
Their first stop was Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, for good reason. According to Geologist C.H. Chance, as reported in The History of Clearfield County by Lewis Cass Aldrich published in 1887,Clearfield County is divided into three great coal basins separated by two anticlinal axes. The county sits on one of the largest deposits of bituminous coal in the Commonwealth. And, in the 1980s large amounts of coal were being mined by the surface mining method. The Chinese delegation wanted to investigate the types of machinery used in removing coal by the surface mining method.
During the one and one-half days they were in central Pennsylvania they crawled all over the bull dozers, rock trucks and loaders typical of surface mining. They took plenty of notes and pictures. The group consisted of 30 men…18 engineers, 4 interpreters and 8 “pilots”. The later were actually agents of the PRC accompanying the others to ensure the others returned to China at the completion of the three week visit.
At a banquet honoring the Chinese visit to Clearfield County, I sat with six of the visitors. When the conversation turned to what I did, I responded that I was a lawyer. The six looked at each other and after a long silence, one of the “pilots” responded. He spoke directly to me and said: “We do not need lawyers in our country. The government takes care of us.” Another period of silence ensued. I finally responded, “I see.” The conversation resumed without any reference to “rights talk”.
My how times have changed. Because of China’s burgeoning economy and international commerce, the PRC has developed a commercial legal system. This does not included a legal system protecting personal, property, civil or political rights of individuals. After all, it was the economic reformed Deng who turned the troops loose on the students in Tiananmen Square in 1989. But, even that is changing. A new brand of legal activists, trained in Chinese law schools, is pushing the envelope on public interest and human rights issues. In Chinese courts they have raised issues involving illegal land grabs, freedom of press and illegal taxation. Such actions, like Chinese goods in Walmart, were unheard of ten years ago.
The Communist Party is not yielding ground easily, however. Trudy Rubin reporting from Beijing, tells of Chen Guangcheng, a blind peasant lawyer, who tried to bring a class action suit challenging forced abortion and sterilization in Linyi. He was seized by the PRC and is being held in an undisclosed location. The Chinese media is forbidden to mention his case. Nevertheless, the New China with its presence on the world stage and the coming 2008 Summer Olympics, is clearly emboldening lawyers to push for peaceful internal political change through the courts.
Wang Xixin, associate dean of Peking University Law School has even created the China Center for Public Participation and Support. One of their key projects is to help farmers assert their legal rights to comment on draft legislation affecting them and challenge expropriation of their land by the government. All in all, strides are being made in a communist ruled country to free folks from the tyranny of the state involving the property rights of the people.
At the time of these encouraging changes, the USA seems to be moving in the other direction. While most conservatives were roiling about the two Ten Commandment cases in the last term of the US Supreme Court [USSC], Kelo v. City of New Haven, flew under their radar. In Kelo, the USSC approved an eminent domain taking by the City of New Haven, CN, not based on:
blight in the Fort Trumball area, but their determination that the area was sufficiently distressed to justify a program of economic rejuvenation..
The city used a state statute authorizing “eminent domain to promote economic development.”
Kelo argued that economic development does not qualify as a “public use” under the explicit language of the 5th Amendment of the US Constitution. The USSC agreed with taking statute:
There is, moreover, no principled way of distinguishing economic development from other public purposes that we have recognized…Clearly, there is no basis for exempting economic development from our traditionally broad understanding of public purpose.
It appears that the PRC and USA are moving in two different directions. While we are a nation of laws not men, the US Constitution is being molded like a wax nose. As Justice Thomas points out in his dissent, the Constitution is being stretched to the breaking point in justifying economic development as “public use”:
Public utility, public interest, common benefit, general advantage or convenience…we are afloat without any certain principle to guide us.
The USSC has opened the door to any government action based on “general public economic good” to condemn private property. Isn’t that what the public interest lawyers in China are trying to curtail? Practices by a totalitarian regime are being adopted by the USSC. We are witnessing quite a role reversal. If you live in an economically depressed area, watch your perfectly fine home or your neighbor’s home may be condemned so a Wal-Mart can be erected to sell Chinese goods. After all, it will bring commerce and jobs to the area. Economic development is a constitutional public use.
God bless those brave Chinese who want to obtain and keep personal, political, property and human rights. God help us here in the USA and the Eastern Continental Divide as our courts continue to limit our rights as a constitutional principle. If you live in a state where a Kelo result is possible, call you state legislator. And if you live in a state where it is not, keep it that way!
China, Clearfield County and Rights
[As the Summer Olympics wind through the second week in China, I wanted to share an article I wrote that first appeared in SGM Magazine. It has a reference point when Chinese were in Clearfield County to examine how open pit mining was conducted in the US. It also involves a discussion of the changing attitude toward “economic rights” in China and the US. That is not to say one should prefer the PRC over the USA. It is obvious to all who have watched the run up to the Games that there is much wanting and a distance unmeasureable to go in the matter of “human rights” in China. Yet, we see the “times are a changing”’ with respect to “economic rights” both in China and the US.]
In November and December of 1978, Deng Xiaoping eased Communist party and State controls into his hands. Quite a feat for one who was twice exiled by Mao.Deng was an economic reformer. He believed that communism did not mean poverty. One of his greatest reforms was the Special Economic Zone [SEZ]. Much of the growth of China today is based on the SEZ and the partnership forged between free enterprise and the Communist Party. In 1984, Deng described the SEZ as:
a medium for introducing technology, management and knowledge…a window for our foreign policy…and to import foreign technology, obtain knowledge and learn management.
The success of Chinese economic reform can be seen by all in the big box stores in the USA. Many of the goods sold are marked “Made in China” which was unheard of ten year ago.
But, before the onslaught of Chinese consumer goods into the USA, Clearfield County came face to face with the economic reforms of the People’s Republic of China [PRC]. In the early 1980s, the PRC sent a delegation of mining engineers to the US to investigate mining technology.
Their first stop was Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, for good reason. According to Geologist C.H. Chance, as reported in The History of Clearfield County by Lewis Cass Aldrich published in 1887,Clearfield County is divided into three great coal basins separated by two anticlinal axes. The county sits on one of the largest deposits of bituminous coal in the Commonwealth. And, in the 1980s large amounts of coal were being mined by the surface mining method. The Chinese delegation wanted to investigate the types of machinery used in removing coal by the surface mining method.
During the one and one-half days they were in central Pennsylvania they crawled all over the bull dozers, rock trucks and loaders typical of surface mining. They took plenty of notes and pictures. The group consisted of 30 men…18 engineers, 4 interpreters and 8 “pilots”. The later were actually agents of the PRC accompanying the others to ensure the others returned to China at the completion of the three week visit.
At a banquet honoring the Chinese visit to Clearfield County, I sat with six of the visitors. When the conversation turned to what I did, I responded that I was a lawyer. The six looked at each other and after a long silence, one of the “pilots” responded. He spoke directly to me and said: “We do not need lawyers in our country. The government takes care of us.” Another period of silence ensued. I finally responded, “I see.” The conversation resumed without any reference to “rights talk”.
My how times have changed. Because of China’s burgeoning economy and international commerce, the PRC has developed a commercial legal system. This does not included a legal system protecting personal, property, civil or political rights of individuals. After all, it was the economic reformed Deng who turned the troops loose on the students in Tiananmen Square in 1989. But, even that is changing. A new brand of legal activists, trained in Chinese law schools, is pushing the envelope on public interest and human rights issues. In Chinese courts they have raised issues involving illegal land grabs, freedom of press and illegal taxation. Such actions, like Chinese goods in Walmart, were unheard of ten years ago.
The Communist Party is not yielding ground easily, however. Trudy Rubin reporting from Beijing, tells of Chen Guangcheng, a blind peasant lawyer, who tried to bring a class action suit challenging forced abortion and sterilization in Linyi. He was seized by the PRC and is being held in an undisclosed location. The Chinese media is forbidden to mention his case. Nevertheless, the New China with its presence on the world stage and the coming 2008 Summer Olympics, is clearly emboldening lawyers to push for peaceful internal political change through the courts.
Wang Xixin, associate dean of Peking University Law School has even created the China Center for Public Participation and Support. One of their key projects is to help farmers assert their legal rights to comment on draft legislation affecting them and challenge expropriation of their land by the government. All in all, strides are being made in a communist ruled country to free folks from the tyranny of the state involving the property rights of the people.
At the time of these encouraging changes, the USA seems to be moving in the other direction. While most conservatives were roiling about the two Ten Commandment cases in the last term of the US Supreme Court [USSC], Kelo v. City of New Haven, flew under their radar. In Kelo, the USSC approved an eminent domain taking by the City of New Haven, CN, not based on:
blight in the Fort Trumball area, but their determination that the area was sufficiently distressed to justify a program of economic rejuvenation..
The city used a state statute authorizing “eminent domain to promote economic development.”
Kelo argued that economic development does not qualify as a “public use” under the explicit language of the 5th Amendment of the US Constitution. The USSC agreed with taking statute:
There is, moreover, no principled way of distinguishing economic development from other public purposes that we have recognized…Clearly, there is no basis for exempting economic development from our traditionally broad understanding of public purpose.
It appears that the PRC and USA are moving in two different directions. While we are a nation of laws not men, the US Constitution is being molded like a wax nose. As Justice Thomas points out in his dissent, the Constitution is being stretched to the breaking point in justifying economic development as “public use”:
Public utility, public interest, common benefit, general advantage or convenience…we are afloat without any certain principle to guide us.
The USSC has opened the door to any government action based on “general public economic good” to condemn private property. Isn’t that what the public interest lawyers in China are trying to curtail? Practices by a totalitarian regime are being adopted by the USSC. We are witnessing quite a role reversal. If you live in an economically depressed area, watch your perfectly fine home or your neighbor’s home may be condemned so a Wal-Mart can be erected to sell Chinese goods. After all, it will bring commerce and jobs to the area. Economic development is a constitutional public use.
God bless those brave Chinese who want to obtain and keep personal, political, property and human rights. God help us here in the USA and the Eastern Continental Divide as our courts continue to limit our rights as a constitutional principle. If you live in a state where a Kelo result is possible, call you state legislator. And if you live in a state where it is not, keep it that way!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Living in the World
Technology Famine
It is truly amazing how we see Olympic events from Beijing and other venues in China live. As we have commented many times, however, technology is not a zero sum game. It has taken a toll on individuals and cultures. Technopoly by the late Neil Postman is a great read from that standpoint. As you watch the Olympics and text you friends about the amazing competition, keep in mind this quote from Albert Borgmann from Power Failure: Christianity in the Culture of Technology:
Telephone and television are the technological devices that have weakened literacy and impoverished the culture of the word. Electronic machines have disburdened us of the demands of reading and writing. Once we had to impact our worlds through the work of writing or telling, and we had to gather our worlds laboriously from the promptings of writing and our fund of experiences and recollections. Now information is handed to us as readily available sights and sounds. Engagement with the world has been yielding to the consumption of news and entertainment commodities.
So, take a break from the events and write to your aunt [not e-mail, a hand written note] and read a good book. The written word written and read word will nourish you in an image sated world of entertainment.
Technology Famine
It is truly amazing how we see Olympic events from Beijing and other venues in China live. As we have commented many times, however, technology is not a zero sum game. It has taken a toll on individuals and cultures. Technopoly by the late Neil Postman is a great read from that standpoint. As you watch the Olympics and text you friends about the amazing competition, keep in mind this quote from Albert Borgmann from Power Failure: Christianity in the Culture of Technology:
Telephone and television are the technological devices that have weakened literacy and impoverished the culture of the word. Electronic machines have disburdened us of the demands of reading and writing. Once we had to impact our worlds through the work of writing or telling, and we had to gather our worlds laboriously from the promptings of writing and our fund of experiences and recollections. Now information is handed to us as readily available sights and sounds. Engagement with the world has been yielding to the consumption of news and entertainment commodities.
So, take a break from the events and write to your aunt [not e-mail, a hand written note] and read a good book. The written word written and read word will nourish you in an image sated world of entertainment.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Election 2008
Is Politics an Idol?
In Joshua 24: 14, 15, Joshua exhorts the Israelites to put away the idols their fathers served before they arrived in the promised land. He then utters that famous verse about whom to serve and he makes clear he will serve the Lord. The context is important. In verses 2 through 13 he recites the history of God’s covenant faithfulness to the Israelites. Therefore, it begs the question: Why would you not serve this God with the sincerity and faithfulness He has shown to you?
We all know the history of the Israelites. They were constantly unfaithful and they turned to idols for their worship. They did not always see the problem. After all, wasn’t the golden calf just a representation of our God? And, sometimes a compromise is warranted because of the people who live in and around you. A little synthesizing helps keep the peace. And isn’t keeping peace and harmony the goal?
In this Presidential election year, Joshua’s reminder should be taken seriously. If you are your house are serious about serving the Lord, it is time to cast off the idols and the gods they represent. They are sometimes hard to recognize because of the syntheses we all live with. We are, after all, modern folks and we have acquiesced to the way of life established by our forefathers. What are other gods that are substituted for or compromised with Jehovah in our day? How about the god of the Democrats…or Republicans? How about the god of civil religion? The god who recognizes all religions as true? The god of personal peace, the pursuit of happiness or personal prosperity? I am sure you can come up with many more…you own personal idols.
This is what makes the idol of politics so dangerous. We want our own little gods to be promoted through politics. We agree with the candidate(s) who will push our personal agenda(s). Maybe that is why professing Christians work so hard in the political process. But, you can work hard in preparing for disaster. Remember the words of our Lord in Matt 24:24-27? Both the wise and foolish man worked hard. In fact the foolish man could have worked two, three, you name the multiple, times harder than the wise man. The results were still the same. When you make bad choices hard work does not make them good choices. When the storms come, the good investment survives; the bad does not. The key is the foundation of the work…rock or sand.
Choose this day whom you will serve. And, in doing so put away the false idols and gods they represent. By all means vote, and campaign for the candidate of your choice if you are so desire. Some of you may be running for office. There is nothing wrong with that. It is whether you are building your future on the political process. Oh no you say. Examine yourself carefully…we all must…for the gods of this world are everywhere. Look closely at Jesus’ words again. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them…” is the premise of His rock building statement. The wise man listens to the Word. Are you?
Is Politics an Idol?
In Joshua 24: 14, 15, Joshua exhorts the Israelites to put away the idols their fathers served before they arrived in the promised land. He then utters that famous verse about whom to serve and he makes clear he will serve the Lord. The context is important. In verses 2 through 13 he recites the history of God’s covenant faithfulness to the Israelites. Therefore, it begs the question: Why would you not serve this God with the sincerity and faithfulness He has shown to you?
We all know the history of the Israelites. They were constantly unfaithful and they turned to idols for their worship. They did not always see the problem. After all, wasn’t the golden calf just a representation of our God? And, sometimes a compromise is warranted because of the people who live in and around you. A little synthesizing helps keep the peace. And isn’t keeping peace and harmony the goal?
In this Presidential election year, Joshua’s reminder should be taken seriously. If you are your house are serious about serving the Lord, it is time to cast off the idols and the gods they represent. They are sometimes hard to recognize because of the syntheses we all live with. We are, after all, modern folks and we have acquiesced to the way of life established by our forefathers. What are other gods that are substituted for or compromised with Jehovah in our day? How about the god of the Democrats…or Republicans? How about the god of civil religion? The god who recognizes all religions as true? The god of personal peace, the pursuit of happiness or personal prosperity? I am sure you can come up with many more…you own personal idols.
This is what makes the idol of politics so dangerous. We want our own little gods to be promoted through politics. We agree with the candidate(s) who will push our personal agenda(s). Maybe that is why professing Christians work so hard in the political process. But, you can work hard in preparing for disaster. Remember the words of our Lord in Matt 24:24-27? Both the wise and foolish man worked hard. In fact the foolish man could have worked two, three, you name the multiple, times harder than the wise man. The results were still the same. When you make bad choices hard work does not make them good choices. When the storms come, the good investment survives; the bad does not. The key is the foundation of the work…rock or sand.
Choose this day whom you will serve. And, in doing so put away the false idols and gods they represent. By all means vote, and campaign for the candidate of your choice if you are so desire. Some of you may be running for office. There is nothing wrong with that. It is whether you are building your future on the political process. Oh no you say. Examine yourself carefully…we all must…for the gods of this world are everywhere. Look closely at Jesus’ words again. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them…” is the premise of His rock building statement. The wise man listens to the Word. Are you?
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Living in the World
Edwards on Sin
No, not that Edwards…John Edwards former NC Senator and professional candidate. He says he made a “mistake.” Nothing is indicative of the “spirit of the age” like redefining behavior. Edwards admits sexual dalliance as a mistake, but what about the lying about it. What was that? Another mistake or what everyone does in a circumstance where they have been caught? It appears that his trip to the west coast to meet his paramour was to keep his behavior private. Certainly not the actions of one who wants to come clean in repentance to obtain forgiveness. And, how about a revelation of his “mistake” on a Friday night of the beginning of the Olympics, was that an attempt to bury the news? He says he has asked forgiveness from his wife and God. John Edwards professes to be a Christian. None of us has the right to question another Christian’s repentance. But, we can question how actions are characterized and the sincerity of the revelation of behavior. For me, I intend to continue to look to the other Edwards for interpretations of sin and repentance.
Edwards on Sin
No, not that Edwards…John Edwards former NC Senator and professional candidate. He says he made a “mistake.” Nothing is indicative of the “spirit of the age” like redefining behavior. Edwards admits sexual dalliance as a mistake, but what about the lying about it. What was that? Another mistake or what everyone does in a circumstance where they have been caught? It appears that his trip to the west coast to meet his paramour was to keep his behavior private. Certainly not the actions of one who wants to come clean in repentance to obtain forgiveness. And, how about a revelation of his “mistake” on a Friday night of the beginning of the Olympics, was that an attempt to bury the news? He says he has asked forgiveness from his wife and God. John Edwards professes to be a Christian. None of us has the right to question another Christian’s repentance. But, we can question how actions are characterized and the sincerity of the revelation of behavior. For me, I intend to continue to look to the other Edwards for interpretations of sin and repentance.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Election 2008
The Political Christian
Christians are strangers in a strange land. Not, however, in the world of politics. We see Jim Dobson on television telling the world why he can or cannot vote for a particular candidate. The Evangelical vote is commented on, courted and analyzed by political pundits virtually every day. Liberal Christians [whatever that is?] are also a part of the current campaign probably because of Obama’s tie to the UCC. The press can only be concerned about these things because Christians have made politics a concern to themselves. Would it not be nice if Christians were known for the practice of their faith in word and deed that for their political involvement?
May involvement in politics be the Slough of Despond of the modern day believer on the way to the Celestial City? Is political activity distracting us from our real mission and making us more comfortable here in the world than we should be? Is this too other worldly? Yes, we are to reform the culture but is that to be through the political process? Should not our efforts be more firmly entrenched in making the church reflect the Biblical mandates of the church? The reformation of the culture comes through the reformation of lives which is the work of the Gospel. The church is the expression of Christ in this world until He returns. It is where the “already” is expressed. It is the supernatural institution created by Him for His worship and His work. Like Jesus, we change the world one life at a time.
Is it just coincidence that the church has seemingly deteriorated as the Christian has taken on a greater role in politics? As we have taken more interest in who is our President than who are the bishops, we find bishops who are not in line with Biblical standards. Look around carefully. See how much worship has changed; how less people read Scripture and Scripture is exposited in a corporate worship service; the renewed attacks on justification by faith; the boldness of the new atheists; the general worldliness of churches in how they operate; and the lack of holiness and virtuous living among church attenders; all since politics became important to Christians.
The politicization of what passes as evangelical Christianity today is not the sole cause of the church’s malaise today. But, one must acknowledge that the zeal for things political by believers has diverted their time, energy and treasure from the work of Christ’s Church. Every Christian knows Christ said “seek ye first the Kingdom of God”. Yet, we seem to look “first” to things of this world for the solution to what we believe are the world’s ills. We know better…sin is the ill of the world. And, for sin there is only one solution. And, that solution is not found in the state house or the White House.
Ask your Christian friends who are headlong into politics how their hard work to have someone elected their civil magistrate fits with St. Peter’s identification of Christians as aliens and sojourners in this world. Cultures that are Christian are not founded upon politics but upon the preaching, teaching and living out of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ through His embassy in this foreign country…the Church. This is not our home and we should be working more diligently for the homeland than for a land that belongs not to us and is passing away.
The Political Christian
Christians are strangers in a strange land. Not, however, in the world of politics. We see Jim Dobson on television telling the world why he can or cannot vote for a particular candidate. The Evangelical vote is commented on, courted and analyzed by political pundits virtually every day. Liberal Christians [whatever that is?] are also a part of the current campaign probably because of Obama’s tie to the UCC. The press can only be concerned about these things because Christians have made politics a concern to themselves. Would it not be nice if Christians were known for the practice of their faith in word and deed that for their political involvement?
May involvement in politics be the Slough of Despond of the modern day believer on the way to the Celestial City? Is political activity distracting us from our real mission and making us more comfortable here in the world than we should be? Is this too other worldly? Yes, we are to reform the culture but is that to be through the political process? Should not our efforts be more firmly entrenched in making the church reflect the Biblical mandates of the church? The reformation of the culture comes through the reformation of lives which is the work of the Gospel. The church is the expression of Christ in this world until He returns. It is where the “already” is expressed. It is the supernatural institution created by Him for His worship and His work. Like Jesus, we change the world one life at a time.
Is it just coincidence that the church has seemingly deteriorated as the Christian has taken on a greater role in politics? As we have taken more interest in who is our President than who are the bishops, we find bishops who are not in line with Biblical standards. Look around carefully. See how much worship has changed; how less people read Scripture and Scripture is exposited in a corporate worship service; the renewed attacks on justification by faith; the boldness of the new atheists; the general worldliness of churches in how they operate; and the lack of holiness and virtuous living among church attenders; all since politics became important to Christians.
The politicization of what passes as evangelical Christianity today is not the sole cause of the church’s malaise today. But, one must acknowledge that the zeal for things political by believers has diverted their time, energy and treasure from the work of Christ’s Church. Every Christian knows Christ said “seek ye first the Kingdom of God”. Yet, we seem to look “first” to things of this world for the solution to what we believe are the world’s ills. We know better…sin is the ill of the world. And, for sin there is only one solution. And, that solution is not found in the state house or the White House.
Ask your Christian friends who are headlong into politics how their hard work to have someone elected their civil magistrate fits with St. Peter’s identification of Christians as aliens and sojourners in this world. Cultures that are Christian are not founded upon politics but upon the preaching, teaching and living out of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ through His embassy in this foreign country…the Church. This is not our home and we should be working more diligently for the homeland than for a land that belongs not to us and is passing away.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Election 2008
Christian as an Adjective
Both Presidential candidates profess to be Christians. This points out the problem with the adjective “Christian.” What exactly does it mean in the realm of politics? Can a politician be a Christian politician if he wants to raise taxes to a confiscatory level? Or, how about one who believes global warming requires drastic action that empowers international tribunals to regulate energy consumption in the US? How about one who is against the death penalty, or turn it around and say one who is for the death penalty?
For “conservative” [another questionable adjective!] we easily draw the line on abortion, homosexual marriage, the usual shooting fish in a barrel subjects. But, in the real world of political action it is much harder to draw lines. Is a judge who enforces no-fault divorce a Christian? Can a politician who wants a high or low minimum wage a Christian? Does a Christian politician promote more off shore drilling for oil?
These social issues do not easily translate into a test of Christian belief. Why? Because except for moral behavior based on Biblical warrant, these types of decisions are based on individual conscience informed by Christian principles. If the Bible teaches on a matter with sufficiency and clarity it alone binds the conscience of the believer. If not, then the Christian has liberty to decide what is the right course of action. And, the clarity thing is, well, not clear within the church. My RP friends believe in exclusive psalmody in worship; my Baptist friends believe in believer baptism; my dispensational friends believe in pre-tribulation, pre-millennial rapture of the saints. Are they not Christian friends?
There are two forces at work here that complicate matters. The first is our extreme egalitarian democratization that allows us to believe we have a better idea than anyone else. We believe each and every one of us is able and entitled to discern the good, the true and the beautiful just because we breathe and live in the USA. The other is the failure of the visible church to display unity over what Biblical belief binds the consciences of the followers of Christ. The church in its fractured state knows not what it believes and, trying to accommodate to the world, is making up what it believes as it goes. If we cannot understand Biblical Christianity in the church how can Christian be applied as an adjective to those operating in the world…especially our politicians who represent Caesar not the church?
Christian as an Adjective
Both Presidential candidates profess to be Christians. This points out the problem with the adjective “Christian.” What exactly does it mean in the realm of politics? Can a politician be a Christian politician if he wants to raise taxes to a confiscatory level? Or, how about one who believes global warming requires drastic action that empowers international tribunals to regulate energy consumption in the US? How about one who is against the death penalty, or turn it around and say one who is for the death penalty?
For “conservative” [another questionable adjective!] we easily draw the line on abortion, homosexual marriage, the usual shooting fish in a barrel subjects. But, in the real world of political action it is much harder to draw lines. Is a judge who enforces no-fault divorce a Christian? Can a politician who wants a high or low minimum wage a Christian? Does a Christian politician promote more off shore drilling for oil?
These social issues do not easily translate into a test of Christian belief. Why? Because except for moral behavior based on Biblical warrant, these types of decisions are based on individual conscience informed by Christian principles. If the Bible teaches on a matter with sufficiency and clarity it alone binds the conscience of the believer. If not, then the Christian has liberty to decide what is the right course of action. And, the clarity thing is, well, not clear within the church. My RP friends believe in exclusive psalmody in worship; my Baptist friends believe in believer baptism; my dispensational friends believe in pre-tribulation, pre-millennial rapture of the saints. Are they not Christian friends?
There are two forces at work here that complicate matters. The first is our extreme egalitarian democratization that allows us to believe we have a better idea than anyone else. We believe each and every one of us is able and entitled to discern the good, the true and the beautiful just because we breathe and live in the USA. The other is the failure of the visible church to display unity over what Biblical belief binds the consciences of the followers of Christ. The church in its fractured state knows not what it believes and, trying to accommodate to the world, is making up what it believes as it goes. If we cannot understand Biblical Christianity in the church how can Christian be applied as an adjective to those operating in the world…especially our politicians who represent Caesar not the church?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Summer 2008
The Era of Irresponsibility
To quote Gomer Pyle, “Golllllie!” it’s been over two months since I posted. A busy travel schedule combined with a busier work schedule has kept me out of cyberspace. And, a lot has happened since 27 May 2008. BO has the nomination; the SCOTUS has determined that folks in Washington, DC, as well as all of us who want to can keep and bear long and short firearms; several banks have failed; the Buccos are on their way to another losing season tying a Major League record; Stiller camp has opened; and the Olympics are still on for China without boycott…so far.
I mention the last item because of the air quality in Beijing. When we were in Beijing in 2001, it was apparent that something would have to be done there to allow world class athletes perform at high levels. It was like being in a newsreel of Viet Nam. Everything was grey and hazy, the air burned you eyes and stuck in your throat and it smelled like bacon grease. This was before the games were awarded to China for 2008. Everyone was complaining about the human rights violations in the PRC as a factor for not awarding such a prestigious event to the Chinese. But, no one was talking about the air quality and we could not understand that.
Well, we see the Chinese solution now. Shut down all the factories and limit automobile traffic for several weeks before the games in the hope the air will clear. Typical of the PRC…present unreality as reality. Like the Three Peace Church…the state run church in China. It is an attempt to create the impression that there is the freedom of religion in China. But, it is not the reality of the situation. 52 weeks of every year…except this one…the Chinese people are subject to chocking pollution because there is no planning [factories and power plants are placed in the middle of residential areas] or pollution controls. This is one reason that the “global warming” cult is not going to harness man made pollution without the co-operation of China as well as India.
So, the world will appear in China and have a we-are-the-world love festival of athletic competition. Reporters from around the world will be there and shown the government approved and sponsored “highlights of China” . The protesters will be kept at bay, reporting of negative stuff will be monitored and prohibited and generally we will see on TV the Disney China. When the world leaves the human rights violations will continue, the pollution will be turned on and Bible based Christianity will continue to be persecuted. Everyone who visits, and doesn’t get snoopy, will have had a good time. The Chinese will not be responsible for what they are really doing.
But, hey, that’s where we are. Did you notice the US government is bailing out some folks from the sub-prime mortgage mess? What? Every week I see publication of foreclosures on mortgages in the Clearfield County Legal Journal. What about those folks? For as long as I have been practicing law, lenders and borrowers always bore responsibility for bad loans or bad decisions in obtaining a loan respectively. Times have changed. Now banks that should not have loaned and borrowers who should not have borrowed are being rescued by Uncle Sam…that is you and me by the way. These Ninja loans [no income no job application] were ill conceived and a predictable disaster. Who would make such a loan? Who would take such a loan? How did either party expect them to be paid?
The government is rewarding bad behavior. Oh, but the financial markets are in turmoil over this “crisis” and we must do something. More banks will fail and more folks will lose their homes. So, we are all collectively responsible for the bad decisions of a few. What a terrible precedent. Which bad decision will next be rewarded by a government rescue? This is the Era of Irresponsibility. We can’t allow anything bad happen to anybody even if it is the result of a foolish choice they made. No one is responsible for their behavior any longer…be it the PRC or the sub-prime lenders and borrowers. Let’s reward all behavior for it shows our concern, compassion and tolerance for all people. I guess I’ll call Judge Ammerman and tell him to take the rest of the week off.
The Era of Irresponsibility
To quote Gomer Pyle, “Golllllie!” it’s been over two months since I posted. A busy travel schedule combined with a busier work schedule has kept me out of cyberspace. And, a lot has happened since 27 May 2008. BO has the nomination; the SCOTUS has determined that folks in Washington, DC, as well as all of us who want to can keep and bear long and short firearms; several banks have failed; the Buccos are on their way to another losing season tying a Major League record; Stiller camp has opened; and the Olympics are still on for China without boycott…so far.
I mention the last item because of the air quality in Beijing. When we were in Beijing in 2001, it was apparent that something would have to be done there to allow world class athletes perform at high levels. It was like being in a newsreel of Viet Nam. Everything was grey and hazy, the air burned you eyes and stuck in your throat and it smelled like bacon grease. This was before the games were awarded to China for 2008. Everyone was complaining about the human rights violations in the PRC as a factor for not awarding such a prestigious event to the Chinese. But, no one was talking about the air quality and we could not understand that.
Well, we see the Chinese solution now. Shut down all the factories and limit automobile traffic for several weeks before the games in the hope the air will clear. Typical of the PRC…present unreality as reality. Like the Three Peace Church…the state run church in China. It is an attempt to create the impression that there is the freedom of religion in China. But, it is not the reality of the situation. 52 weeks of every year…except this one…the Chinese people are subject to chocking pollution because there is no planning [factories and power plants are placed in the middle of residential areas] or pollution controls. This is one reason that the “global warming” cult is not going to harness man made pollution without the co-operation of China as well as India.
So, the world will appear in China and have a we-are-the-world love festival of athletic competition. Reporters from around the world will be there and shown the government approved and sponsored “highlights of China” . The protesters will be kept at bay, reporting of negative stuff will be monitored and prohibited and generally we will see on TV the Disney China. When the world leaves the human rights violations will continue, the pollution will be turned on and Bible based Christianity will continue to be persecuted. Everyone who visits, and doesn’t get snoopy, will have had a good time. The Chinese will not be responsible for what they are really doing.
But, hey, that’s where we are. Did you notice the US government is bailing out some folks from the sub-prime mortgage mess? What? Every week I see publication of foreclosures on mortgages in the Clearfield County Legal Journal. What about those folks? For as long as I have been practicing law, lenders and borrowers always bore responsibility for bad loans or bad decisions in obtaining a loan respectively. Times have changed. Now banks that should not have loaned and borrowers who should not have borrowed are being rescued by Uncle Sam…that is you and me by the way. These Ninja loans [no income no job application] were ill conceived and a predictable disaster. Who would make such a loan? Who would take such a loan? How did either party expect them to be paid?
The government is rewarding bad behavior. Oh, but the financial markets are in turmoil over this “crisis” and we must do something. More banks will fail and more folks will lose their homes. So, we are all collectively responsible for the bad decisions of a few. What a terrible precedent. Which bad decision will next be rewarded by a government rescue? This is the Era of Irresponsibility. We can’t allow anything bad happen to anybody even if it is the result of a foolish choice they made. No one is responsible for their behavior any longer…be it the PRC or the sub-prime lenders and borrowers. Let’s reward all behavior for it shows our concern, compassion and tolerance for all people. I guess I’ll call Judge Ammerman and tell him to take the rest of the week off.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The Problems of America
Kosovo
Kosovo is not really a problem…it may very well be in the future…but it is indicative of a big problem—what I call the Kosovo Principle. Kosovo is part of Serbia. On 17 February 2008, Kosovo’s Parliament declared independence from Serbia. For some time the US has been pushing for Kosovo independence and of the very next day recognized Kosovo’s sovereignty. Why? Because it has as a majority that is Muslim. They are mostly ethnic Albanians who have a murderous and drug cartel pedigree. Yet, it seems that they must be independent. Never mind that Kosovo is the heartland of the Serbian Medieval state or that it contains many of the artifacts and architecture of Christianity that define Serbia’s contribution to the common heritage of Europe. That is no longer important. And, therein lays the problem.
The cultural elite and those puzzled about the world of Islam are joined together to do two things. One is to do away with the ancestry, heritage and history of western Europe. The “new” Europe rejects all that is specific and distinctive about its common heritage both on a country to country basis and as European in general. Like Eva Peron’s “new Argentina” the “new” Europe is just that…new and without connection or remembrance of the old. Second is to curry favor with what are deemed to be “moderate Muslims who have no common cause with the “old” Europe. This premise is, like most based on western loathing, is extremely questionable. The Kosovo Liberation Army [KLA] of ethnic Albanians have trained at al-Qaeda camps and al-Qaeda operatives have fought along side the KLA in their terrorist campaigns against Serb targets. Hardly are these the Muslims of the “moderate” stripe.
Hatred of Serbia is driven, in part, by the recent Balkan wars. But, it goes deeper than that. Recently, I was in Cyprus. There, the Turks have occupied northern Cyprus since 1974. They even call the occupied zone the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Why has there not been a solution found? It is a religious standoff…Eastern Orthodoxy versus Islam. There is night and day difference between the two areas. The northern sea areas, only 50 miles from Turkey, have been settled by Turks building new homes overlooking the water. But, the rest of the north is sub-standard compared to the south. When the Turks moved in whole villages were abandoned and remain vacant even today.
Can Greek and Turkish Cypriots live side by side? They had for many years. But, a solution is hard to forge when the religious question intrudes. Greek Cypriots driven out of the north lost home and hearth and until recently could not even return to visit. The leaders of the west have no affinity any longer for the traditional Judeo-Christian cultures that lead to the development of Europe and the US. So, in places like Serbia and Cyprus, the “old” ways are willingly sacrificed because the cultural elite say those ways are passé and the Casper Milquetoast world leaders want to find a way to get along with Muslims to avoid future terrorist attacks.
Here is the principle. Cause enough problems as an ethnic group distinct from the heretofore dominant cultural group through intimidation and violence and you will be rewarded. The fact that you want to split up a county to do so is o.k. because we have to recognize that we live in a “new” world and the “old ways” have to go. No heretofore sovereign state is immune. So, ethnic Albanians in Serbia should have their own republic. Black North African Muslims should have their own states in France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. And, in the US, we struggle with the illegal Mexican immigrant problem. Why not give southern California, Arizona and New Mexico to them? Farfetched? When we fail to understand that the US is more than a “proposition about freedom” but is a culture of shared virtue, language, history, beliefs and law, such an outcome is as possible as the Republic of Kosovo. That’s the Kosovo Principle.
Kosovo
Kosovo is not really a problem…it may very well be in the future…but it is indicative of a big problem—what I call the Kosovo Principle. Kosovo is part of Serbia. On 17 February 2008, Kosovo’s Parliament declared independence from Serbia. For some time the US has been pushing for Kosovo independence and of the very next day recognized Kosovo’s sovereignty. Why? Because it has as a majority that is Muslim. They are mostly ethnic Albanians who have a murderous and drug cartel pedigree. Yet, it seems that they must be independent. Never mind that Kosovo is the heartland of the Serbian Medieval state or that it contains many of the artifacts and architecture of Christianity that define Serbia’s contribution to the common heritage of Europe. That is no longer important. And, therein lays the problem.
The cultural elite and those puzzled about the world of Islam are joined together to do two things. One is to do away with the ancestry, heritage and history of western Europe. The “new” Europe rejects all that is specific and distinctive about its common heritage both on a country to country basis and as European in general. Like Eva Peron’s “new Argentina” the “new” Europe is just that…new and without connection or remembrance of the old. Second is to curry favor with what are deemed to be “moderate Muslims who have no common cause with the “old” Europe. This premise is, like most based on western loathing, is extremely questionable. The Kosovo Liberation Army [KLA] of ethnic Albanians have trained at al-Qaeda camps and al-Qaeda operatives have fought along side the KLA in their terrorist campaigns against Serb targets. Hardly are these the Muslims of the “moderate” stripe.
Hatred of Serbia is driven, in part, by the recent Balkan wars. But, it goes deeper than that. Recently, I was in Cyprus. There, the Turks have occupied northern Cyprus since 1974. They even call the occupied zone the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Why has there not been a solution found? It is a religious standoff…Eastern Orthodoxy versus Islam. There is night and day difference between the two areas. The northern sea areas, only 50 miles from Turkey, have been settled by Turks building new homes overlooking the water. But, the rest of the north is sub-standard compared to the south. When the Turks moved in whole villages were abandoned and remain vacant even today.
Can Greek and Turkish Cypriots live side by side? They had for many years. But, a solution is hard to forge when the religious question intrudes. Greek Cypriots driven out of the north lost home and hearth and until recently could not even return to visit. The leaders of the west have no affinity any longer for the traditional Judeo-Christian cultures that lead to the development of Europe and the US. So, in places like Serbia and Cyprus, the “old” ways are willingly sacrificed because the cultural elite say those ways are passé and the Casper Milquetoast world leaders want to find a way to get along with Muslims to avoid future terrorist attacks.
Here is the principle. Cause enough problems as an ethnic group distinct from the heretofore dominant cultural group through intimidation and violence and you will be rewarded. The fact that you want to split up a county to do so is o.k. because we have to recognize that we live in a “new” world and the “old ways” have to go. No heretofore sovereign state is immune. So, ethnic Albanians in Serbia should have their own republic. Black North African Muslims should have their own states in France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. And, in the US, we struggle with the illegal Mexican immigrant problem. Why not give southern California, Arizona and New Mexico to them? Farfetched? When we fail to understand that the US is more than a “proposition about freedom” but is a culture of shared virtue, language, history, beliefs and law, such an outcome is as possible as the Republic of Kosovo. That’s the Kosovo Principle.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The Church
The ExChange
Luther called 2 Cor. 5:21 the Glorious Exchange. This is the verse where we are basing the downtown DuBois ministry of Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church. The following is our announcement of the ministry:
The ExChange
The ExChange is a ministry built upon the Words of Scripture,
especially 2 Corinthians 5:21 which teaches as follows:
For our sake He made Him to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
The ExChange stands for changed lives that can only come about through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ whereby He takes away our sin and grants to us a new life by faith in Him alone.
The ExChange is about proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is the message of life over death, light over darkness, freedom over slavery and eternal life over eternal death.
If you are interested in a new life to live that changes everything for you contact us as follows:
521exchange@gmail.com
814-661-2033
149 West Long Avenue
DuBois, PA 15801
We begin at the building this weekend. Our goal is to let these folks who know not the Savior that we are here in the community…their community at the corner of Jared and Long. We want them to know we love them and want to see their lives changed the only way possible…through faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. But, we want to be able to help them deal with the practical things too. We want them to understand that a Christian is the most responsible of citizens…they work, support their families and meet their obligations. Faith in Christ is not the end of your problems, but the beginning of dealing with them.
Take the first ReStart session. Charles and Bob delivered the Gospel and I spoke to them of the responsibilities of a Christian man or women and walking in the path of righteousness which will keep them out of prison. One of the inmates said: “I know what you say is right. I want to have my life changed. I don’t want to come back here again. But, I am going home in thirty days to a dad who is a user and a family of offenders who know no other way.” This is where we…that is all who claim the Name of Christ…come in. We must point this man to the Savior AND THEN help him to understand what it means to LIVE the LIFE in a world that despises the Lord of his salvation. Some of the circumstances people emerging from prison face are foreign to us, but it is the way it is for many. What does one do when his own family is the source of his continuing sin? Salvation belongs to the Lord alone. Our obligation is to deliver the Good News and come along side ALL His children to nurture, discipline and assist them in all things, including the practical matters of life, as they attempt to walk in the new life He gives them.
Pray for The ExChange as we attempt to do just that in DuBois…and by God’s grace we will.
The ExChange
Luther called 2 Cor. 5:21 the Glorious Exchange. This is the verse where we are basing the downtown DuBois ministry of Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church. The following is our announcement of the ministry:
The ExChange
The ExChange is a ministry built upon the Words of Scripture,
especially 2 Corinthians 5:21 which teaches as follows:
For our sake He made Him to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
The ExChange stands for changed lives that can only come about through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ whereby He takes away our sin and grants to us a new life by faith in Him alone.
The ExChange is about proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is the message of life over death, light over darkness, freedom over slavery and eternal life over eternal death.
If you are interested in a new life to live that changes everything for you contact us as follows:
521exchange@gmail.com
814-661-2033
149 West Long Avenue
DuBois, PA 15801
We begin at the building this weekend. Our goal is to let these folks who know not the Savior that we are here in the community…their community at the corner of Jared and Long. We want them to know we love them and want to see their lives changed the only way possible…through faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. But, we want to be able to help them deal with the practical things too. We want them to understand that a Christian is the most responsible of citizens…they work, support their families and meet their obligations. Faith in Christ is not the end of your problems, but the beginning of dealing with them.
Take the first ReStart session. Charles and Bob delivered the Gospel and I spoke to them of the responsibilities of a Christian man or women and walking in the path of righteousness which will keep them out of prison. One of the inmates said: “I know what you say is right. I want to have my life changed. I don’t want to come back here again. But, I am going home in thirty days to a dad who is a user and a family of offenders who know no other way.” This is where we…that is all who claim the Name of Christ…come in. We must point this man to the Savior AND THEN help him to understand what it means to LIVE the LIFE in a world that despises the Lord of his salvation. Some of the circumstances people emerging from prison face are foreign to us, but it is the way it is for many. What does one do when his own family is the source of his continuing sin? Salvation belongs to the Lord alone. Our obligation is to deliver the Good News and come along side ALL His children to nurture, discipline and assist them in all things, including the practical matters of life, as they attempt to walk in the new life He gives them.
Pray for The ExChange as we attempt to do just that in DuBois…and by God’s grace we will.
Monday, May 19, 2008
The Church
Mission Outreach
Back in January, two pastors and I met with the President Judge of the 46th Judicial District about a ministry to the drug culture in DuBois, PA. There is an unbelievably high drug use in DuBois; it has one of the highest percentage per capita uses of heroin in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Judge convinced us to go at the problem from two ways…one, meeting with inmates in the county jail who were going to be released back into the general population, and two, by meeting these folks where they are in the community. He had attempted to implement the first idea a couple years ago and received little and no response from the churches in Clearfield County. He was thrilled that Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church was willing to take on this mission.
It is interesting to me how many folks talk about reaching out, but not to those that do not look, think, dress, act or smell like we do. That is why it is always easier to listen to missionaries who come to your church and talk about missions, give benevolences to them to carry on and go back to your own comfortable life. The church in the USA has become quite insular. This work in DuBois is a God sized work. When I met with the chief of police in DuBois, he thought we wanted these people to go to church. They are coming to church until they first come to Christ. Then they will be part of His Church and desire to worship Him!
This Wednesday, we begin the county jail portion of the ministry. We call it ReStart. Being released from jail provides an opportunity for a new start; one that avoids the old ways. The following is the announcement provided to those inmates who will be released within 30 days of our visit:
Announcing: ReStart
ReStart is a faith based ministry outreach to residents of the Clearfield County Jail about to be released at the conclusion of their sentence to the county jail. It is designed to accomplish three goals:
1. Explain to the soon to be released residents of the jail that upon re-entry into the general population they need not return to the life they lived before entering jail. Their lives can be ReStarted as new lives by and through an active faith in the living Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. ReStart is an outreach that aims to see lives changed through the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. Discuss some practical measures that have to be addressed by every resident as they are released. To help those about to re-enter the general population understand that they must take personal responsibility for the obligations required to pursue a life different from the one that led them to jail. To distribute a resource guide that will assist them in becoming responsible members of society and discharging their particular duties and obligations.
3. Provide information about The ExChange. The ExChange is an outreach to those who want to live a new life apart from the slavery to sin and addictions that plague a life without Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The ExChange is based on 2 Corinthians 5:21, whereby the Bible promises that those who surrender their lives to Jesus Christ will exchange their sin for the righteousness of Christ… ExChange a broken old life for new life in Christ.
ReStart will meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. beginning on Wednesday the 21st of May, 2008. All who will be released from the jail within the next thirty [30] days of each scheduled meeting are welcome to attend. The only requirement is to be cleared by the jail administration to attend and the signing of a registry of attendance for ReStart.
ReStart and ExChange are both ministry outreaches of Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church of DuBois, a church of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
The other part of the ministry will begin this weekend. More about that in a future post. All the secular folk we have met with are excited about this because they know programs do not work. Money and methadone will not solve addiction…only a changed life will do that. And, right now, no one wants to come alongside those who do not look, think, dress, act and smell like them, but by God’s Grace that is about to change in DuBois. Soli Deo gloria.
Mission Outreach
Back in January, two pastors and I met with the President Judge of the 46th Judicial District about a ministry to the drug culture in DuBois, PA. There is an unbelievably high drug use in DuBois; it has one of the highest percentage per capita uses of heroin in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Judge convinced us to go at the problem from two ways…one, meeting with inmates in the county jail who were going to be released back into the general population, and two, by meeting these folks where they are in the community. He had attempted to implement the first idea a couple years ago and received little and no response from the churches in Clearfield County. He was thrilled that Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church was willing to take on this mission.
It is interesting to me how many folks talk about reaching out, but not to those that do not look, think, dress, act or smell like we do. That is why it is always easier to listen to missionaries who come to your church and talk about missions, give benevolences to them to carry on and go back to your own comfortable life. The church in the USA has become quite insular. This work in DuBois is a God sized work. When I met with the chief of police in DuBois, he thought we wanted these people to go to church. They are coming to church until they first come to Christ. Then they will be part of His Church and desire to worship Him!
This Wednesday, we begin the county jail portion of the ministry. We call it ReStart. Being released from jail provides an opportunity for a new start; one that avoids the old ways. The following is the announcement provided to those inmates who will be released within 30 days of our visit:
Announcing: ReStart
ReStart is a faith based ministry outreach to residents of the Clearfield County Jail about to be released at the conclusion of their sentence to the county jail. It is designed to accomplish three goals:
1. Explain to the soon to be released residents of the jail that upon re-entry into the general population they need not return to the life they lived before entering jail. Their lives can be ReStarted as new lives by and through an active faith in the living Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. ReStart is an outreach that aims to see lives changed through the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. Discuss some practical measures that have to be addressed by every resident as they are released. To help those about to re-enter the general population understand that they must take personal responsibility for the obligations required to pursue a life different from the one that led them to jail. To distribute a resource guide that will assist them in becoming responsible members of society and discharging their particular duties and obligations.
3. Provide information about The ExChange. The ExChange is an outreach to those who want to live a new life apart from the slavery to sin and addictions that plague a life without Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The ExChange is based on 2 Corinthians 5:21, whereby the Bible promises that those who surrender their lives to Jesus Christ will exchange their sin for the righteousness of Christ… ExChange a broken old life for new life in Christ.
ReStart will meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. beginning on Wednesday the 21st of May, 2008. All who will be released from the jail within the next thirty [30] days of each scheduled meeting are welcome to attend. The only requirement is to be cleared by the jail administration to attend and the signing of a registry of attendance for ReStart.
ReStart and ExChange are both ministry outreaches of Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church of DuBois, a church of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
The other part of the ministry will begin this weekend. More about that in a future post. All the secular folk we have met with are excited about this because they know programs do not work. Money and methadone will not solve addiction…only a changed life will do that. And, right now, no one wants to come alongside those who do not look, think, dress, act and smell like them, but by God’s Grace that is about to change in DuBois. Soli Deo gloria.
Friday, May 16, 2008
The Problems of America
The PetroEuro
For the last several months, the media pundits have centered on the sub-prime lending crisis in this country. Congress is now debating a bill to bail out lenders and borrowers who engaged in questionable mortgage loans. But, the real crisis does not concern the debt of individual Americans but the debt of their country.
Treasury bonds held by foreign investors carry the debt of the USA. It is a low cost way for the country to carry its debt. But, that only works as long as there is such an animal as petrodollars [oil is traded in dollars] and foreign investors are willing to hold our debt. As we all know the dollar continues to lose value in comparison with the Euro. If and when oil starts to be traded in petroeuros, look out.
The outlook for oil continues to be dire. Today, 16 May 2008, the Saudis refused President Bush’s plea to increase oil production. The price per barrel hit an all time high near $128. And, Goldman Sachs has revised their prediction of prices saying it will rise to $141 per barrel. The dollar continues on its nosedive making an alternative pricing method more and more likely. Again, beware of the petroeuro for it will result in consequences for the USA.
There will no longer be a reason to hold dollars and the US debt. The government will no longer be able to finance their debt cheaply with Treasury Notes. The result will be the interest rates rocketing up. Remember the 17% Carter year rates? It could be worse. The inflation that is now creeping upward will zoom. Asians have held dollars so that we can buy the things they produce. But, with oil being pegged to the Euro instead of the dollar, the dollar would decline even more and the US as a market for goods would not outweigh holding increasingly worthless US debt.
There are many who pooh pooh this scenario. The Arabs, it is said, cannot afford to see their US dollars and debt take such a hit, so pricing oil in anything besides the dollar is not likely. But, will not the Euro continue to look better as the days wear on? The EU does not have a large deficit nor is it indebted to the world for its excesses. It imports more Arab oil than the US. The Arabs can buy their luxury yachts, condos, Lear jets and yellow Ferrari’s with Euros as easily as dollars. A potential painful short run, but not a big deal over the long haul.
The Fed cut rates by 25 basis points recently. And, they signaled that may be the end of cuts. They have apparently come to the realization that more liquidity is no solution for a crisis spawned by excess liquidity coming from easy credit to questionable risks. Oil prices keep climbing and the dollar keeps weakening. The time is coming when we will have to stop printing dollars because no one will want them…Arabs, Asians, borrowers. When the world decides to shift emphasis from the dollar to the Euro, we will be at their mercy. We put ourselves there by selling cheap debt to those who wanted us to keep consuming their goods. We are walking on the edge of catastrophe. We are no longer immune from our creditors. An ugly day is coming, probably sooner than later.
The PetroEuro
For the last several months, the media pundits have centered on the sub-prime lending crisis in this country. Congress is now debating a bill to bail out lenders and borrowers who engaged in questionable mortgage loans. But, the real crisis does not concern the debt of individual Americans but the debt of their country.
Treasury bonds held by foreign investors carry the debt of the USA. It is a low cost way for the country to carry its debt. But, that only works as long as there is such an animal as petrodollars [oil is traded in dollars] and foreign investors are willing to hold our debt. As we all know the dollar continues to lose value in comparison with the Euro. If and when oil starts to be traded in petroeuros, look out.
The outlook for oil continues to be dire. Today, 16 May 2008, the Saudis refused President Bush’s plea to increase oil production. The price per barrel hit an all time high near $128. And, Goldman Sachs has revised their prediction of prices saying it will rise to $141 per barrel. The dollar continues on its nosedive making an alternative pricing method more and more likely. Again, beware of the petroeuro for it will result in consequences for the USA.
There will no longer be a reason to hold dollars and the US debt. The government will no longer be able to finance their debt cheaply with Treasury Notes. The result will be the interest rates rocketing up. Remember the 17% Carter year rates? It could be worse. The inflation that is now creeping upward will zoom. Asians have held dollars so that we can buy the things they produce. But, with oil being pegged to the Euro instead of the dollar, the dollar would decline even more and the US as a market for goods would not outweigh holding increasingly worthless US debt.
There are many who pooh pooh this scenario. The Arabs, it is said, cannot afford to see their US dollars and debt take such a hit, so pricing oil in anything besides the dollar is not likely. But, will not the Euro continue to look better as the days wear on? The EU does not have a large deficit nor is it indebted to the world for its excesses. It imports more Arab oil than the US. The Arabs can buy their luxury yachts, condos, Lear jets and yellow Ferrari’s with Euros as easily as dollars. A potential painful short run, but not a big deal over the long haul.
The Fed cut rates by 25 basis points recently. And, they signaled that may be the end of cuts. They have apparently come to the realization that more liquidity is no solution for a crisis spawned by excess liquidity coming from easy credit to questionable risks. Oil prices keep climbing and the dollar keeps weakening. The time is coming when we will have to stop printing dollars because no one will want them…Arabs, Asians, borrowers. When the world decides to shift emphasis from the dollar to the Euro, we will be at their mercy. We put ourselves there by selling cheap debt to those who wanted us to keep consuming their goods. We are walking on the edge of catastrophe. We are no longer immune from our creditors. An ugly day is coming, probably sooner than later.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Election 2008
A Christian Manifesto
A Christian Manifesto and a companion study guide are available at the internet site designed for its release on 07 May 1008, to wit, www.chrisitanmanifesto.com Os Guiness is one of the prime drafters and seems to be the spokesman during this early period after release. In a short interview reproduced at Justin Taylor’s http://theologica.blogspot.com Guiness the emphasis of the document is to promote understanding of who evangelicals are and to improve their performance in the public square, mainly by abandoning the demonizing of opponents.
This appears to be an odd time to release it. A Presidential election cycle year is one in which demonizing opponents in the public square ascends [or is that descends?] new heights. Although Guiness denies that the manifesto is a political statement, it does seem to be a not too veiled attempt to separate evangelicals, as defined by the drafters, from partisan political wrangling. Kind and charitable evangelicals should not ever be associated with politics.
Now, it is true that because of decades of trying to influence public policy through the political process, many non faith based persons identify evangelical as a political term. The manifesto does a good job of defining theological parameters of what an evangelical is. But, does that really have an affect on those who know no evangelicals to convince them that being an evangelical is about a Triune Creator, Redeemer and King? To the regular Joe Doaks, Pagan, theological beliefs are akin to belief in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. It is not a real, meaningful and purposeful pursuit. Nice but not very practical.
Yes, we must be more like Christ in the public arena. That will lead to our being ignored in the political process. Maybe that is the point of the manifesto drafters. But, there are times and issues that require squeaky wheels to get the media grease. Maybe that is the point of the drafters. We evangelicals cannot be single issue folk but look beyond homosexual marriage and abortion as hills upon which to die. Does that mean joining in with the trendy cultural and political issues of the day with secular folk?
Jesus did not come to overthrow the political order but neither did he come to address Israel’s hot button issues of the day. The manifesto correctly states that evangelicals should be “defined theologically and not politically, socially or culturally” [p.4]. But, that does not mean Christians should not be politically, socially or culturally active. To do so in the rough and tumble political arena means exposing unbiblical positions with boldness and forcefulness.
One other comment to make at this time. The manifesto promotes a “civil” public square in opposition to a “sacred” or “naked” public square. Does that not place the civil authorities over the faith authorities? Everyone, regardless of their faith or faithlessness has the right to speak out in the public square. Fair enough. But, who maintains the public square? Who says when the Muslim, Hindu or Christian goes too far? And, since the secular folk who now referee the discourse so not see themselves as biased, who watches the watchers? If an evangelical is truly a theological person, then he/she must always stand for the distinctiveness of Christian belief and practice everywhere at all times…in or out or the public square.
Read the manifesto yourself. There will be much more commentary in the weeks to come. Will this change the way the public in general looks at evangelicals? Probably not. Will is change the way evangelicals approach their involvement in society? Probably not. But, it does provide a vehicle in which to reassess who evangelicals are and what they must be doing in proclaiming the “good news” after which they claim their identity. And, that is a good thing…we must always be reforming.
A Christian Manifesto
A Christian Manifesto and a companion study guide are available at the internet site designed for its release on 07 May 1008, to wit, www.chrisitanmanifesto.com Os Guiness is one of the prime drafters and seems to be the spokesman during this early period after release. In a short interview reproduced at Justin Taylor’s http://theologica.blogspot.com Guiness the emphasis of the document is to promote understanding of who evangelicals are and to improve their performance in the public square, mainly by abandoning the demonizing of opponents.
This appears to be an odd time to release it. A Presidential election cycle year is one in which demonizing opponents in the public square ascends [or is that descends?] new heights. Although Guiness denies that the manifesto is a political statement, it does seem to be a not too veiled attempt to separate evangelicals, as defined by the drafters, from partisan political wrangling. Kind and charitable evangelicals should not ever be associated with politics.
Now, it is true that because of decades of trying to influence public policy through the political process, many non faith based persons identify evangelical as a political term. The manifesto does a good job of defining theological parameters of what an evangelical is. But, does that really have an affect on those who know no evangelicals to convince them that being an evangelical is about a Triune Creator, Redeemer and King? To the regular Joe Doaks, Pagan, theological beliefs are akin to belief in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. It is not a real, meaningful and purposeful pursuit. Nice but not very practical.
Yes, we must be more like Christ in the public arena. That will lead to our being ignored in the political process. Maybe that is the point of the manifesto drafters. But, there are times and issues that require squeaky wheels to get the media grease. Maybe that is the point of the drafters. We evangelicals cannot be single issue folk but look beyond homosexual marriage and abortion as hills upon which to die. Does that mean joining in with the trendy cultural and political issues of the day with secular folk?
Jesus did not come to overthrow the political order but neither did he come to address Israel’s hot button issues of the day. The manifesto correctly states that evangelicals should be “defined theologically and not politically, socially or culturally” [p.4]. But, that does not mean Christians should not be politically, socially or culturally active. To do so in the rough and tumble political arena means exposing unbiblical positions with boldness and forcefulness.
One other comment to make at this time. The manifesto promotes a “civil” public square in opposition to a “sacred” or “naked” public square. Does that not place the civil authorities over the faith authorities? Everyone, regardless of their faith or faithlessness has the right to speak out in the public square. Fair enough. But, who maintains the public square? Who says when the Muslim, Hindu or Christian goes too far? And, since the secular folk who now referee the discourse so not see themselves as biased, who watches the watchers? If an evangelical is truly a theological person, then he/she must always stand for the distinctiveness of Christian belief and practice everywhere at all times…in or out or the public square.
Read the manifesto yourself. There will be much more commentary in the weeks to come. Will this change the way the public in general looks at evangelicals? Probably not. Will is change the way evangelicals approach their involvement in society? Probably not. But, it does provide a vehicle in which to reassess who evangelicals are and what they must be doing in proclaiming the “good news” after which they claim their identity. And, that is a good thing…we must always be reforming.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
The Problems of America
Can there be real Populism?
Christopher Lasch called for a revitalization of politics in the 1980s. He believed the “left” was finished as a viable option and the “right” was warned over liberalism. This seems to be the chord Barack Obama [BO] is trying to strike with his call for “change”. I have previously posted about the issue of “change”. As the primary season winds down, I would like to examine the “new populism” that seems to have emerged.
Populism has always been a viable force in American politics. Jefferson was a populist as opposed to the federalists. He favored the exercise of power by the farmers and laborers of the countryside with their regional interests. Obviously, he lost that debate to the centralizers, whose position was solidified during the Civil War. The 10th Amendment of the amendments required by the Virginians for their Constitutional support reserved to the states all powers not specifically granted to the federal government. This was to be a check against centralized power. It did not work! So, there has been populist appeals over the years to counteract Big Brother.
This populist impulse is always rumbling just below the surface of political America. During the Gilded Age, the economic condition of all was improving, nevertheless, the rich became very rich and the regular populace felt threatened by collusion between business and government. We have a similar situation today. The first 3 months of 2008 have seen a “correction” in the stock market, the credit crisis and the highest gasoline prices in history. The conjunction of these things has created great angst among the populace.
In little cities and towns around America, “Ma and PA” businesses are disappearing. They have been Walmarted! And, up until recently, folk have been satisfied as long as they are comfortable. Now they are feeling uncomfortable, so a desire for change. They see their conventional institutions and structures disintegrating…schools that cannot keep order let alone teach; local government dependant on the federal government for dollars to provide services; service clubs [Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions] losing membership; churches more interested in therapy than God. It takes all a man’s efforts to keep up with the economic demands of our society.
This brings us to another of Lasch’s problems…….progress for progress sake. For the new world wide economy to work, all men must be sold out to produce wealth and prosperity for the whole world. A sort of new “We are the World”. And, that takes a toll on kin, place and community all of which takes intentional, directed effort to maintain. My mother, not a cultural pundit, used to say many things are done for the “almighty dollar.” Joseph Schumpeter believed that capitalism leads to “creative destruction”. That is, the social institutions that fostered it are devoured by it. To stay ahead of the Joneses means our relationship with the Joneses suffers.
In the political culture of today, nanny statists and free enterprisers are both in favor of an economy that continues to pump out goods and services that promote our comfort. For Bill Gates and welfare programs to be successful, the world wide economy has to continue to grow. We are all progressiveists…we have to be. Real populism would reject continued superhighways, foreign entanglements, global economics, mass media and unfettered technological development. That is not going to happen.
So, the American public seems to be captivated by BO as the “new populist” alternative. It is hard to believe that a Harvard educated lawyer is a populist leader. He is a privileged person; he is “the man”. But, strangely, he has a populist appeal. As an African-American, he stands as outside the “dead white man” structural control. He is an orator of no small talent. He can energize a crowd and he has involved the under 30s like no other in recent memory. He is not anti-modern, however. He may want to redistribute income, but he still favors a system that produces income to redistribute. And, if he does not embrace progressive, world wide capitalism, as some on Wall Street fear, he will be a failure to those who backed this “new populist”.
These are strange times in America. We want change and our prosperity too. Whatever one thinks of the War on Terror, it is clear no one wants to sacrifice to win it. We want “peace at any cost”…or rather at NO cost. We have lost Eliot’s “permanent things” that were once our shared beliefs. The “little platoons” of Burke are no longer the active protectors and promoters of virtuous living that holds a society together. What we have is our “stuff”, very little of which is produced in the USA. China and India are sucking up the excess oil in the world because they want to keep making and selling us “stuff”. And, we are willing participants. Real populism necessitates the taking back of our culture and economy. Real populism requires sacrifice that halts the unbridled consumption that marks our dependency on unfettered international economic growth and technological progress. Is BO such a populist? Can BO deliver such populism? That would require a real change…a return to Jeffersonian populism that was long since buried by conspicuous consumption, globalization and self-absorption. What are the chances of that happening, regardless of the President? Slim and none.
Can there be real Populism?
Christopher Lasch called for a revitalization of politics in the 1980s. He believed the “left” was finished as a viable option and the “right” was warned over liberalism. This seems to be the chord Barack Obama [BO] is trying to strike with his call for “change”. I have previously posted about the issue of “change”. As the primary season winds down, I would like to examine the “new populism” that seems to have emerged.
Populism has always been a viable force in American politics. Jefferson was a populist as opposed to the federalists. He favored the exercise of power by the farmers and laborers of the countryside with their regional interests. Obviously, he lost that debate to the centralizers, whose position was solidified during the Civil War. The 10th Amendment of the amendments required by the Virginians for their Constitutional support reserved to the states all powers not specifically granted to the federal government. This was to be a check against centralized power. It did not work! So, there has been populist appeals over the years to counteract Big Brother.
This populist impulse is always rumbling just below the surface of political America. During the Gilded Age, the economic condition of all was improving, nevertheless, the rich became very rich and the regular populace felt threatened by collusion between business and government. We have a similar situation today. The first 3 months of 2008 have seen a “correction” in the stock market, the credit crisis and the highest gasoline prices in history. The conjunction of these things has created great angst among the populace.
In little cities and towns around America, “Ma and PA” businesses are disappearing. They have been Walmarted! And, up until recently, folk have been satisfied as long as they are comfortable. Now they are feeling uncomfortable, so a desire for change. They see their conventional institutions and structures disintegrating…schools that cannot keep order let alone teach; local government dependant on the federal government for dollars to provide services; service clubs [Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions] losing membership; churches more interested in therapy than God. It takes all a man’s efforts to keep up with the economic demands of our society.
This brings us to another of Lasch’s problems…….progress for progress sake. For the new world wide economy to work, all men must be sold out to produce wealth and prosperity for the whole world. A sort of new “We are the World”. And, that takes a toll on kin, place and community all of which takes intentional, directed effort to maintain. My mother, not a cultural pundit, used to say many things are done for the “almighty dollar.” Joseph Schumpeter believed that capitalism leads to “creative destruction”. That is, the social institutions that fostered it are devoured by it. To stay ahead of the Joneses means our relationship with the Joneses suffers.
In the political culture of today, nanny statists and free enterprisers are both in favor of an economy that continues to pump out goods and services that promote our comfort. For Bill Gates and welfare programs to be successful, the world wide economy has to continue to grow. We are all progressiveists…we have to be. Real populism would reject continued superhighways, foreign entanglements, global economics, mass media and unfettered technological development. That is not going to happen.
So, the American public seems to be captivated by BO as the “new populist” alternative. It is hard to believe that a Harvard educated lawyer is a populist leader. He is a privileged person; he is “the man”. But, strangely, he has a populist appeal. As an African-American, he stands as outside the “dead white man” structural control. He is an orator of no small talent. He can energize a crowd and he has involved the under 30s like no other in recent memory. He is not anti-modern, however. He may want to redistribute income, but he still favors a system that produces income to redistribute. And, if he does not embrace progressive, world wide capitalism, as some on Wall Street fear, he will be a failure to those who backed this “new populist”.
These are strange times in America. We want change and our prosperity too. Whatever one thinks of the War on Terror, it is clear no one wants to sacrifice to win it. We want “peace at any cost”…or rather at NO cost. We have lost Eliot’s “permanent things” that were once our shared beliefs. The “little platoons” of Burke are no longer the active protectors and promoters of virtuous living that holds a society together. What we have is our “stuff”, very little of which is produced in the USA. China and India are sucking up the excess oil in the world because they want to keep making and selling us “stuff”. And, we are willing participants. Real populism necessitates the taking back of our culture and economy. Real populism requires sacrifice that halts the unbridled consumption that marks our dependency on unfettered international economic growth and technological progress. Is BO such a populist? Can BO deliver such populism? That would require a real change…a return to Jeffersonian populism that was long since buried by conspicuous consumption, globalization and self-absorption. What are the chances of that happening, regardless of the President? Slim and none.
Monday, May 5, 2008
The Problems of America
Loss of Identity
It is said that Cinco de Mayo is a more popular holiday in Los Angeles than the 4th of July. Could just be a rumor or a way of exhibiting an animus toward our Mexican neighbors. Whatever the case with respect to celebrating the 5th of May, Roger McGrath, in the March issue of Chronicles [Vol 32 NO 3] reports some eyeopening statistics about his native California. Here they are:
Last year [2007], 263,000 citizens left the once Goldrn State—and a similar out-migration has been going on, with a few anomalous blips, for the last 15 years.
Nearly 30 percent of California residents are now foreign born; as stunning five million of them were born in Mexico.
For most grammar school students in the city of Los Angeles, English is a second language. For some, It is a third language behind one of several Indian tongues of Mexico and Spanish. Hispanics now make up 75 percent of the students; whites, a mere 7 percent.
Twenty-six of the city’s high schools are now 80-percent or more Hispanic. Eighteen of those have student bodies that are 90-percent or more Hispanic, and seven are 98-or 99-percent.
This is a startling trend. McGrath calls it “ethnic cleansing” or a “foreign invasion”. No one knows how many are legal or illegal. But, we know for sure that it is changing the face of California. It does not stop there. Midwest states like Nebraska and even PA have seen a significant influx of Hispanics in the last decade.
Why do they come? Looking for a better life, but unlike other immigration waves there are two problems. One, the Hispanics do not seem anxious to become part of our American culture. That is why English is a second language. Second, the fragile economic situation in the USA is less able to absorb this invasion. Much has been made of NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement] in this primary election cycle. Who was for it and who was against it.
Opponents argue that is has devastated USA businesses. But, what of it’s effects in Mexico? Mexico’s agriculture has disappeared. They now import agricultural goods from the USA as part of NAFTA. So, Mexican farmers now at a competitive disadvantage to the massive agricultural machine in the USA can move to Mexico City or the USA. What would you do? Recently I was in New York City for the first time in twenty [20] years. I noticed two things: one, increased safety in Manhattan, and two, the number of Hispanics in the service industry. Twenty years ago you took you life in your hands at night in NYC. And, most of the service workers were whites, many from Eastern European countries.
The need for the Hispanics, legal or otherwise, is promoted and argued for on the basis that for no one else will do what they do. But, with respect to the illegals, the taxpayer is picking up their medicals, educating their kids and paying welfare benefits. It may be cheap for employers, but we make up the difference. It is hard to see how this benefits the taxpayers of the USA.
What to do with the 12-20 million illegals is indeed a thorny problem for which there are no easy answers They are even an issue in Hazelton, PA, the heart of “coal cracker” country for heavens sake. We must deal with this Hispanic invasion…our very identity as a nation of common language, place, history, memory and belief is at stake. Here is a question each citizen must ask: Does our identity as a people really matter anymore or has the USA been reduced to a concept or idea?
Loss of Identity
It is said that Cinco de Mayo is a more popular holiday in Los Angeles than the 4th of July. Could just be a rumor or a way of exhibiting an animus toward our Mexican neighbors. Whatever the case with respect to celebrating the 5th of May, Roger McGrath, in the March issue of Chronicles [Vol 32 NO 3] reports some eyeopening statistics about his native California. Here they are:
Last year [2007], 263,000 citizens left the once Goldrn State—and a similar out-migration has been going on, with a few anomalous blips, for the last 15 years.
Nearly 30 percent of California residents are now foreign born; as stunning five million of them were born in Mexico.
For most grammar school students in the city of Los Angeles, English is a second language. For some, It is a third language behind one of several Indian tongues of Mexico and Spanish. Hispanics now make up 75 percent of the students; whites, a mere 7 percent.
Twenty-six of the city’s high schools are now 80-percent or more Hispanic. Eighteen of those have student bodies that are 90-percent or more Hispanic, and seven are 98-or 99-percent.
This is a startling trend. McGrath calls it “ethnic cleansing” or a “foreign invasion”. No one knows how many are legal or illegal. But, we know for sure that it is changing the face of California. It does not stop there. Midwest states like Nebraska and even PA have seen a significant influx of Hispanics in the last decade.
Why do they come? Looking for a better life, but unlike other immigration waves there are two problems. One, the Hispanics do not seem anxious to become part of our American culture. That is why English is a second language. Second, the fragile economic situation in the USA is less able to absorb this invasion. Much has been made of NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement] in this primary election cycle. Who was for it and who was against it.
Opponents argue that is has devastated USA businesses. But, what of it’s effects in Mexico? Mexico’s agriculture has disappeared. They now import agricultural goods from the USA as part of NAFTA. So, Mexican farmers now at a competitive disadvantage to the massive agricultural machine in the USA can move to Mexico City or the USA. What would you do? Recently I was in New York City for the first time in twenty [20] years. I noticed two things: one, increased safety in Manhattan, and two, the number of Hispanics in the service industry. Twenty years ago you took you life in your hands at night in NYC. And, most of the service workers were whites, many from Eastern European countries.
The need for the Hispanics, legal or otherwise, is promoted and argued for on the basis that for no one else will do what they do. But, with respect to the illegals, the taxpayer is picking up their medicals, educating their kids and paying welfare benefits. It may be cheap for employers, but we make up the difference. It is hard to see how this benefits the taxpayers of the USA.
What to do with the 12-20 million illegals is indeed a thorny problem for which there are no easy answers They are even an issue in Hazelton, PA, the heart of “coal cracker” country for heavens sake. We must deal with this Hispanic invasion…our very identity as a nation of common language, place, history, memory and belief is at stake. Here is a question each citizen must ask: Does our identity as a people really matter anymore or has the USA been reduced to a concept or idea?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)