Thursday, February 25, 2010

The Evils of Socialism

Lets begin by defining the term so we all know what we are talking about.

Socialism is government ownership and control of industry, the economy, and property.

Let’s word that definition another way:
Socialism is one small group of fallible humans telling the rest of us what to make, sell and buy, where to live and work, what we can and can’t do with our hard-earned money and property. Because getting people to go along with this takes a good deal of indoctrination, it also must including telling us what we are and are not allowed to believe including how to educate (indoctrinate) our children, what we are allowed to watch on TV and in the movies, what we are allowed to preach from our pulpits.

In other words, socialism is slavery (slavery can also be called Facisim, communism, Nazism, dictorial monarchy, military dictatorship, and several other things that may look different on the surface but from the point of view of the common man all amount to the same thing.)

I will grant right now that we need government. It was one of the three institutions God created. He specifically gave government the job of protecting the borders and punishing criminals. He did NOT give it the job of raising children, feeding the hungry, housing the poor or 90% of the rest that it does today. Those jobs were assigned to the family and the church. Though He commanded Israel and the early Christian church to care for the poor, He at no time gave the government any power to enforce that command (look it up. There was no penalty for not caring for the poor). Charity was an issue between the individual and God, not government. Christians who want to use the government to take care of the poor are wanting to take the easy way out. It is much easier to pass a law forcing people to give of their hard earned money than it is to convince them to do it willingly. It is much easier to make your neighbor support your pet charity than to sacrifice your own goods to do it (Liberals give way less of their own money while demanding way more of their neighbor’s money for charity than do conservatives. Charitable giving records show that those who value private property willingly give more to those in need.) Socialism is the cheaters way, not God’s way. The giver gets no reward for his “generosity” when it is forced, while the forcer (government) gets to look big and compassionate (while keeping their own property of course).

And from the point of view of the poor, socialism replaces God with government. Hungry? Don’t pray, go to the food stamps office. Homeless? Don’t pray, go to HUD. Unemployed? Don’t pray, go to the Unemployment office. And so on. Government (and by extension, those in office) becomes the new “god.” Rely on Uncle Sam to meet all your needs. Who needs some God who demands righteousness anyway? We all know that all things good come from Washington and they don’t care who (or what) we sleep with.

Socialism gives one group of human beings the power to rob another group of human beings with no consequences.

Socialism not only takes the workingman’s hard earned money to give it to someone who didn’t earn it, but it robs him of the blessings of giving to the needy himself.

Socialism robs the poor of discovering God through their needs.

Socialism is evil.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

More on healthcare reform

This entire “reform” was really about taking total control of this country for the government. That is, those in office telling us how to live our lives. After all, if the goal was really providing healthcare to those who need it, they could have taken a post-it note and written “Anyone who wants Medicaid, come sign up.” We already have the infrastructure and policies in place for the “public option.” This whole deal was about plunging us into full-fledged socialism.


Socialism= dictatorship by committee.


What is in that thousands of pages? I know of some who have actually read it. Here is one example; every parent of a new-born baby will be visited by a social worker to make sure they know what they are doing and taking care of the baby instead of abusing it. How would you like that? A government employee comes into your home without just cause of wrongdoing or a court order, presuming you are guilty of child abuse until you prove you are not. This is a direct violation of our Constitutional Fifth Amendment rights!


Did you know that this all comes back to evolution? If evolution is true, than “right and wrong” are constantly changing, evolving. Society decides what is good and evil. Thus, those in office (being smarter and better educated, of course, or survival of the fittest wouldn’t have allowed them to lead), have the right to tell us what is evil (not buying into insurance, having too many babies, homeschooling, preaching from the Bible, witnessing, going to church, saying anything negative about the president….) and what is good (saving the whales, recycling, abortion, euthanasia, …). The things in the Constitution, and especially in the Bill of Rights, only apply to the 18th century and have nothing to do with us.


However, if Creation is true, there is a God who has told us what good and evil is (Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not be selfish. Thou shalt not lie. Thou shalt not be mean. Thou shalt not commit adultery. See Galatians, Ephesians, and Exodus). He is the only One with the right to make those decisions. These standards are universal. Our founding Fathers searched out these universal truths and codified them in the document we call the Constitution with the addition of the first ten amendments we call the Bill of Rights.


Honestly, do you really want to live in a society where the leaders do not believe in absolute right and wrong? Many citizens say they don’t believe in absolute morals, but I bet they would change their tune quick if the government decided their particular group was bad and needed exterminating.


And what is to keep our government from making such a decision? Without the foundation of Biblical morals, there are no restraints whatsoever. That is what this whole “healthcare reform” is really about. This group of people thinks that, because they are in charge of the most powerful country in the world, they have the right to decide good and evil. Why should they respect private property rights, parental rights or the right to life? There are NO controls; no reason to acknowledge such rights.


Why not kill the handicapped?
Why not steal private property?
Why not lie?
Why not force people to hold the jobs you want them to hold?
Why not force people to marry who you want them to marry?
Why not force them to live where you want them to live?
Why not remove all foods from the market except the kinds you like or think people should be eating?
Why not keep all the technology to yourself?
Why not let elderly people die? (It’s much cheaper than treating them)
Why not force women to have abortions? Or even kill their wanted babies if they are inconvenient?


Why not?


What is to stop them?

Monday, February 15, 2010

Let’s Get Rid Of Social Security

I have done a little comparing of numbers. If we get rid of Social Security, Medicaid, federal funding for schools, welfare, “other discretionary spending,” and all the other un-constitutional categories we spend on, we are left with a budget of $546 billion. That is less than a fifth of the current budget. Reducing the federal budget by that much allows us to once more outlaw income tax, get rid of FDIC and Medi taxes and maybe even severly reduce business taxes.

Now, the truth is, that as big and expensive as SS is, these are payments we have promised our retierees we would make. We are honor-bound to continue them. However, we can begin to allow the younger generation to opt out, and set in place policies that will eventually end this pyramid scheme.

We owe it to our children.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Let me see if I got this right…

According to popular interpretation of prophecy….

A human man will become the ruler of the entire planet. He will be very charismatic.

The Jews will rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and resume the sacrifices commanded in the books of Moses.

The above-mentioned Anti-Christ will sacrifice a pig on the alter in the temple causing the Jews to become enraged and realize that Christ really was the Messiah. They all get saved (some believe by becoming Christians, some by returning to the true practice of Judaism as outlined in the Mosaic Law).

There is a seven-year period of time when true believers are persecuted greater than any other time in history. This may be the church and the newly christianized (or repented) Israel, or the church may be raptured out before or in the middle of this Seven-Year Tribulation.

Christ will return and take charge of the army of Israel to fight the evil army coming from the north in a physical battle. All nations in the world will choose one side or another. Of course, Christ wins, then sets Himself up as ruler of the world for 1000 years.

After the “Millennial Reign” time ends and we all go to heaven or hell.

Do I have it right? I must say, this reminds me an awful lot of the method of Bible interpretation that produced the “Satan is a Fallen Angel” doctrine. Surely I am missing something somewhere.
Best I can tell:

A human man will become the ruler of the entire planet (a revival of the Roman Empire). He will be very charismatic.
Comes from a mixture of the legs and feet of the statue in Daniel 2, the little horn of the fourth beast in Daniel 7, the horn of the goat in Daniel 8, part or all of Daniel 11 and 12, and parts of the book of Revelation. How do we know these are all supposed to go together?

The Jews will rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and resume the sacrifices commanded in the books of Moses.
From various prophecies in Ezekiel and Isaiah (given before and just after the carrying away into Babylon- c.500-600BC. ignores that the temple was rebuilt in the time of Ezra- c.500BC. And the sacrifices were given in the first place as a sign of our need for Jesus. If we now have Jesus, why resume the sacrifices? Isn’t that going backwards? Why would God do that? Doesn’t that destroy the whole point of Calvary?)

The above-mentioned Anti-Christ will sacrifice a pig on the alter in the temple …
From Daniel 11 which does not mention the word anti-Christ. 200 years after Daniel’s prophecy, Antiochus IV sacrificed pigs on the alter in Jerusalem as well as doing all the other things Daniel talked about in this chapter.

…causing the Jews to become enraged…
The Jews in the time of Antiochus IV did become enraged. The Macabees led a rebellion against Antiochus’ Syrian Empire.

… and realize that Christ really was the Messiah.
Many, many Jews DID realize Jesus was the Messiah. The church at Jerusalem alone had a membership of more than 50,000. So Paul’s wish for his countrymen expressed in Romans 11 was, for the most part, fulfilled. Also, he makes it plain in this book that “jews” are not those who are physically descended form Abraham, but those who follow Christ. (“He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly: and circumcision is that of the heart, I the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” Romans 2:28-29)


They all get saved.
From Romans 11 which doesn’t mention an anti-Christ or a sacrifice. It does say that all who accept Christ are Israel and will be saved. Those who do not believe will not be saved, whatever their nationality.

There is a seven-year period of time…
From Daniel 11. This reference never says it is a seven-year tribulation, but the seven last years of Israel’s time of special status with God, and the time for the Prince (Messiah) to complete His work. The preceding verses discus 483 year of Israelite history from the time of the command to rebuild the temple until the Messiah begins His work. This is a timeline given to guide Israel and prepare them for Christ. Cutting this last week off and moving it 2000 year into the future totally destroys the whole purpose of the prophecy. Measuring sticks don’t work well if you cut them into pieces.

… when true believers are persecuted greater than any other time in history.
From Matthew 24 and one verse in Daniel 11 which both say Israel will face the greatest tribulation history will ever see. The time of the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in AD 70 was a horrendous time of fighting, pain, starvation and disease. It was truly the greatest time of suffering the planet has ever seen. This was God’s punishment on Israel for her refusal to accept Jesus. Josephus tells us that all the Christians in Jerusalem heeded Christ’s warning in Matthew 24 and fled the city before the siege began. Rome slaughtered the Jews in the whole country and the nation of Israel ceased to exist.

This may be the church and the newly christianized Israel, or the church may be raptured out before or in the middle of this Seven-Year Tribulation.
Daniel 11 for the seven year number and Matthew 24 for the tribulation. The two aren’t mentioned together. The word “rapture” is not mentioned in the Bible.

Christ will return and take charge of the army of Israel to fight the evil army…
From Ezekiel 38. In fact, that is exactly why the Pharisees didn’t believe Jesus was the Christ; they expected Him to lead a physical army. Christ however, made it plain that His kingdom is NOT a physical one, but a spiritual one. He at no time gave any indication that He would ever set up a physical kingdom on this planet. Quite the opposite. The Kingdom of God came into existence at Calvary with Jesus as the ruling monarch. This Kingdom has grown to include every nation of the world.

…coming from the north in a physical battle.
From Daniel 11. Syria is north of Israel. Antiochus IV and his father both marched on Israel from the north 200 years after this prophecy was given.

All nations in the world will choose one side or another. Of course, Christ wins, then sets Himself up as ruler of the world for 1000 years.
From Revelation 20. All people DO choose sides…in their hearts. Christ is fighting the battle of Armageddon right now in the hearts of human beings. He is ruling from His throne right now.

After the “Millennial Reign” time ends and we all go to heaven or hell.
From Revelation 21-22 and Daniel 12. The word in Revelation translated “thousand” does not mean 1000, but “a large amount of time.” Certainly, Christ has been ruling for nearly 2000 years now; a large amount of time.


Prederist view:
 Most of Isaiah was fulfilled before Christ was born with the rest fulfilled in Him.
 Ezekiel was fulfilled before Christ with the return from the Babylonian captivity.
 Daniel was fulfilled by AD 70 with the majority being fulfilled in Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
 Matthew 24 was talking about AD 70.
 Romans 11 is clearly talking about the Christian church, not the physical Jew. (“He is not a Jew who is one outwardly but who is one inwardly”)
 Revelation was talking about the persecution from Nero and Ad 70, with the modified prederests believing the last two chapters are still ahead of us.
What’s left?
 The final return of Christ and the end of time.
 The things offensive to God being removed from the universe and cast into the lake of fire.
 The melting of the elements and their remolding to remove all traces of the curse.
 PARTY TIME!

Historical view:
 Most of Isaiah either was fulfilled before Christ or was fulfilled in the Middle Ages.
 Ditto Ezekiel.
 The later parts of Daniel’s prophecies refer to the Catholic church during the Middle Ages (the pope being the little horn)
 Matthew 24 is answering three different questions. The first (“When will the temple be torn down?”) was answered and then fulfilled in AD 70. The second (“When is the end of the world?”) was answered and then fulfilled during the Middle ages with the Catholic churches persecution of true believers. And the third (“When will you take the throne?”) has yet to be fulfilled.
 Romans 11 is clearly talking about the Christian church, not the physical Jew.
 Revelation is describing the church age, specifically, the totalitarian rule of the Catholic Church during the middle ages (the pope is the anti-Christ, the church is the beast, the angelician church is the dragon/image of the beast, etc.)
What’s left?
 The final return of Christ and the end of time.
 The things offensive to God being removed from the universe and cast into the lake of fire.
 The melting of the elements and their remolding to remove all traces of the curse.
 PARTY TIME!

Repetitive view
Since history repeats itself, prophecy does too. The things that have happened in the past will continue to happen over and over again until Christ returns to rule (unless that is symbolic and time will simply continue like this forever.) “The Great Tribulation” happened under Antiochus IV, AD 70 and Nero, the Middle Ages, Hitler, and will happen again.

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

History Foretold: Daniel

Yeah! It's finally finished; my commentary on the book of Daniel. I bet you haven't heard it interpreted quite this way before:-)
Available at Lulu and Betty's Books