Deep thoughts (and some not-so-deep)

I recently started reading Gary DeMar's series on America's Christian heritage called "God and Government." Here are some thoughts on the first chapter. Comments are always appreciated. :)

Chapter 1: Self Government and Family Government

In this chapter Mr. DeMar presents the basis for the unraveling of America. The series is designed to examine the Christian basis of our nation, and this chapter deals with how the transfer of all governmental rights to the state has affected us over the centuries. More and more, “special interest” groups try to reverse biblical forms of government—our nation is on its way towards the ruinous state described by Isaiah, when he said, “I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them...The child will be insolent toward the elder, and the base toward the honorable...Women [shall] rule over them.” Men have little if any self-government—women choose a corporate career over staying at home. Families disintegrate when the father abandons his responsibility to provide, leaving that to his wife, who then cannot train the children, who are sent off to government schools to be brainwashed with evolution and unbiblical concepts, training them to grow up and live exactly like their parents, if not worse. Mr. DeMar emphasizes the underlying importance of self government—until people can control themselves, families will continue to fall apart, and the state will continue to claim more authority than Scripture gives it.

It’s very interesting how Noah Webster’s 1828 definition of government differs from modern explanations.

He defined the word “government” as 1.) Direction; regulation. 2.) Control; restraint. 3.) The exercise of authority; direction and restraint exercised over the actions of men in communities, societies, or states; the administration of public affairs, according to the established constitution, laws and uses, or by arbitrary edict. 4.) The exercise of authority by a parent or householder.

Today, “government” is thought to only mean the “state,” with no reference to self or family government. The state, in fact, has tried to take over the government of the individual and the family—not by adhering to Biblical standards, but by expanding the boundaries to legalize behavior and family structure far exceeding the limits established by Scripture. John Adams wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” No wonder politicians try to manipulate and change the Constitution today. Our country is no longer “moral and religious,” thus our ruling document must be ‘adapted’ to the needs of a new society. Abortion is somehow legal under the 4th Amendment, which applies specifically to unwarranted searches and does not extend the ‘right to privacy’ to the point where a woman may have her unborn child killed. The whole mindset of relativism and the subversion of the founder’s original intent has provided the loophole through which the state institutes some of its vilest edicts.

With the onslaught on the traditional, Biblical family, Christians must not conform or be afraid of ridicule and oppression. The only way to change the government is to change the people; the only way to change the people is to change their hearts; the only way to affect a nationwide change of heart is to spread the gospel. Providing a good example of self government, and family soundness is a good way to start.

And, as I promised, here are a few select journal entries from last year--some less serious than others.

January 18, 2005

I’ve never known caffeine to noticeably affect one’s ability to perform a task, but it seems that this is a distinct possibility. After 3 cups of the stuff, viz. tea, in the course of a few hours I feel like a wet mop that is having a time of it dragging its sorry corpse across a morass of sticky linoleum. Sitting with a cup of tea at my computer reading Wodehouse just about sums up my afternoon. But maybe I’ll muster the courage and strength to get something done…

March 31, 2005

Terri Shiavo died this morning, after a long drawn-out right-to-life debate. I think it’s terrible that anyone could support the purposeful killing of another human being. Hopefully, Christian leaders will take the opportunity to promote the sanctity of life and many other important issues which have arisen during this controversy. What is our country coming to?

June 27, 2005

A conversation between me and Jeremy—guess who’s who.

Do you want to learn to play banjo?
Yeah.
Do you want to learn to play as good as me?
Yeah.
Tonight?
Yeah.
Do you want to learn to read tab?
Dat is weird, tab.

September 26, 2005

Last night I was considering issues about art and music and all that. I had listened to most of a message by S. M. Davis called “Are you a giver or a taker?” and I realized that when Christians create art, they are not to use it as a means of venting their emotions, but rather of giving praise to God. Likewise, they must make the message they are trying to communicate clear; if it is something only the artist can decipher, he is not giving any edification to his audience, he is only taking all the credit for himself. Christians must always redirect praise to God. Additionally, someone can’t just thank God for their gift of music, and then go and play in a rock band. We must praise God through our gifts, not aside from them. It is hypocrisy to thank God for a gift and then go misuse it on something that does not glorify His name.

After reading a short article in God’s World magazine, I became aware of one of the great paradoxes in our culture. Pro-death, abortion supporters mourned over the thousands of deaths caused by terrorists on 9/11, and then turn around and coldly condemn millions of unborn American children to death under the excuse of ‘mother’s choice.’ It makes me sick to think that they are now going even further, claiming that the mother’s emotional status is equally as important as the physical. Therefore, if she doesn’t want to have the baby, it would damage her emotionally if she did—thus an excuse to kill one of God’s most precious creations. All the while, our leaders stand by and do nothing. They focus on the war in Iraq; we must protect those people from terror and death. What about our own nation! Before we protect Iraqis from Sadam, we should protect our own unborn babies from the abortion clinics! It is no surprise that God is judging our nation today.

Sorry about the length. I spared you my really long entry on last year's mission trip to the Colville Indian Reservation--if you saw it, you'd thank me. One more thing, I need some help figuring out the formatting on my blog, ie. links, pics... Oh, and feel free to link to me if you think it's worth it.