Faith In The Civil Government

Quoting Gary North:

Modern man believes in government-funded safety nets. He thinks that other taxpayers can and should be taxed to bail out those taxpayers who make bad economic decisions, so long as those taxpayers being bailed out are people like themselves. They don’t want bailouts for bankers, and they don’t want bailouts for people who got into no-money-down mortgages to buy in neighborhoods “above their station.”

Politicians feed this faith in government safety nets. They promise to bail out the poor man who fell into trouble through no fault of his own. Then they bail out bankers and the financial industry. Those are the people who screen who gets nominated. They have controlled American politics from behind the scenes since 1914. Franklin Roosevelt targeted them in his first inaugural address, but that was purely for public consumption. He was one of them in terms of his family origins, and he had worked for them selling corporate bonds from his defeat as Vice President in 1920 until his victory as governor of New York in 1928. This is covered in detail by Antony Sutton’s long-neglected masterpiece of a monograph, “Wall Street and FDR.”

This faith in safety nets has sustained men’s faith in the expansion of central governments all over the world. Voters have called for guaranteed retirement and guaranteed medical care for the aged. Now this is about to be extended in America to the poor through a system of national health insurance. The voters are supportive.

For two thousand years, Western man had faith in God, in private charities, in local churches, and above all the family to provide safety nets. But he has steadily surrendered his faith in all of these in favor of the state. The state is seen as a healer. It is seen as the provider of reliable safety nets. The state uses coercion to construct these nets. It consumes capital.

These nets are now stretched thin. Why? Because the largest banks needed the money. They got use of the safety nets while there was still capital to confiscate in the name of the People. Meanwhile, actual voters overwhelmingly opposed the big bank bailouts. They were ignored by the politicians.

Betrayed by civil government. Again.

Broadus On Error In The Scriptures

John A. Broadus

Quoting John A. Broadus:

Those who concede errors In the Scriptures as to matter of fact, in order to remove conflict with some scientific opinions of our time, may tell us that they have great satisfaction in being at peace with science. But there are two drawbacks upon such a peace. It is the peace of sheer submission… And it is only a partial and temporary peace. Other scientific men at once make still further demands, tending ever toward the complete abandonment of the supernatural. If we assume that the inspiration of the Bible as only partial where are we to stop? Every man must then select ad libitum what portions of the Bible’s teachings he will accept as true.

Ayn Rand On Government

“We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force.”

Serve The Lord

From: The Pen of Edward Griffin

It was God that made you what you are, and put you into a world which he had richly furnished for your use. Have you nothing to do with him or he with you? You are absolutely his property, and he is your Lord and Master, and has a right to you and to the use of all your talents. What was the precise end for which he sent you into the world? I wish to draw your attention to this single point: for I am persuaded that if this one consideration could be fastened on your mind, you would be convinced that you have neglected the great end of your being. Do you imagine that he created you and raised you so much above the brutes, and put you into a world on which he had expended so much labor, that you might wander from him into the regions of darkness? That you might seek your happiness out of him, and live in rebellion against him? that you might spend your life only in preparing to live in this transitory state? Or that you might live only to eat and drink? The latter the brutes are fitted to do; but can you imagine that you have no higher end than they? Indulge no such fatal mistake. As God is true, he sent you into his world for the same end that a master sends a servant into his vineyard,—to labor for him. The sole reason that you are in this world rather than not here, is that you may have an opportunity to serve and enjoy God. He has sent you into the field abundantly furnished with powers and means to serve him, and has strictly commanded you to use these talents in his service. Say not that he is too far above you to be apprehended.

He has brought himself down and spread himself out before you in his works and word, and it is only to unbelief that he is invisible. As your Proprietor and Master, he has a right to expect that all your time and talents, all your wealth and influence, should be consecrated to his service; that your affections should all be engaged for him; that every motive and aim should be ‘holiness to the Lord;’ that ‘whether you eat or drink’ or whatsoever you do, you should do all to his glory; that this should be the general scope of every action and the leading care of every hour.

Having sent you into his vineyard, he looks after you to see whether you are faithful or not. Has he nothing to do with you? His eyes are upon you every moment,—upon the very bottom of your heart. They follow you wherever you go, and mark you out and contemplate all you do, as though you were the only object of his attention in the universe. The fixed design for which they follow you is, to observe whether you perform or neglect the great business for which he sent you into the world. Dream not that he is too distant to concern himself with you; he is ‘not far from everyone of us.’ He is by your side and on the very seat with you this moment. Has he nothing to do with you? In him you ‘live and move and have [your] being.’ For so many years he has sustained you out of hell, and suffered you to live on his earth and breathe his air. And why is all this? I beseech you to consider the end for which he has done all this for you. . . .

Did your Creator turn you loose into the world, to run wild in pursuit of your own imaginations, without law or restraint, intending to look no further after you, but to throw you out from his care? Woe to you if he had done this; though this, I fear, you have often wished. But he did no such thing. His intention was still to follow you with his cares, as beloved creatures whom his own bands had formed,—to exercise government over you,—to establish eternal communion with you,—to lead your desires up to him,—to fill you with his own sublime happiness, and to make you a part of an harmonious, blessed, and glorious kingdom. . . .

Most of you would be agonized at the thought of defrauding one of your fellow men. But will you be scrupulous to ‘render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s,’ and feel no concern to ‘render unto God the things that are God’s?’ O that this sentiment might vibrate in your ears and be deposited at the bottom of your hearts, ‘Render unto God the things that are God’s.’ Let every thing sincere in you be stirred up at the names of Father and Redeemer, and arouse you to ‘render unto God the things that are God’s.’ Then will he no longer frown, but smile upon you as dear children, and our joy on your account will be full. Amen.