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Jim 5804 11253 Holiday	THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN 9/9/2013 12:43:57 AM
	Fair argument can be made today can it not? THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/christians-make-great-libertarians/#.Ui0YVcYm3B8 WHY CHRISTIANS MAKE GREAT LIBERTARIANS Posted by Austin Petersen on 08 Sep 2013 / 11Comments BIG GOVERNMENT A DANGER TO ALL MEN PART 1 OF 3 BY IAN HUYETT In 1932, the Christian apologistG.K. Chesterton expressed concern that many people were according the government with a trust and reverence that ought to be reserved only for God. Chesterton’s admonition was not only prophetic, but rooted in the deepest mainspring of Christianity’s past; he was echoing words spoken by the prophet Samuel nearly two thousand years ago. 1 Samuel 8 tells how the Israelites, having grown weary of deferring to their local judges, decided to centralize power and crown a king. The great judgeSamuel, upset by the nation’s desire for an earthly ruler, prayed to God for guidance. God replied by telling Samuel that, by demanding a human king, the Israelites “have rejected me from being king over them.” This equation of statism with idolatry is alive and well in modern Christendom. In particular, Christians in the United States have – since before Bush left office – been moving away from federal advocacy and towards political decentralization. Whenever someone suggests that Christians cannot be a viable force for liberty, I know that person has been long out of touch with America’s Christian culture. The believers I speak with increasingly feel put upon by the earthly state and simply wish to be allowed to live as they see fit in their own communities. These libertarian Christians stand on solid ground. A well-established body of Christian scripture and tradition rejects the rule of limited human beings in favor of God’s majesty. In the words of F.A. Hayek, “Individualism, in contrast to socialism and all other forms of totalitarianism, is based on the respect of Christianity for the individual man.” Christians are, for the reasons I’ll explore here, especially predisposed to becoming passionate libertarians – and libertarians would do well do bear this in mind in their outreach. THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN The NSA’s surveillance of the entire US population offers a prime example of the conflation that Chesterton warned against. If only one group in American history has imagined that the government is God, it is surely those who argue that “if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.” This assertion assumes that the environment of government will create an immutable benevolence in our rulers. Conversely, Christians have warned mankind about its innate limitations for millennia. Any Christian with even a cursory understanding of original sin could have told you that granting the NSA unchecked power was a horrible idea. Verses like Ephesians 2:3 – which says that we are “by nature children of wrath” – remind Christians that governments are made up of fallen human beings who will inevitably abuse whatever power they are given. Sure enough, the Senate Intelligence committee recently discovered that NSA employees have used the agency’s vast resources to spy on their lovers. Chesterton, perhaps hyperbolically, called original sin the “the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved.” It is also the part of Christian theology which most squarely defeats political authoritarianism. It leaves us with no reason to expect that governments will be virtuous, nor to expect that they will tend towards increasingly moral choices as they grow to include more human beings. John Adams said that he distrusted rulers because he perceived “danger from all men.” We should be glad that Adams had this cynical temperament; otherwise, we might be even less free than we are today.
	May Wisdom and the knowledge you gained go with you, Jim Allen III Skype: JAllen3D Everything You Need For Online Success
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Jim 5804 11253 Holiday	RE: THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN 1/1/2014 1:45:22 PM
	“Rejecting Earthly Authority” – Why Christians make great libertarians: Pt. 2 of 3 FAITH & FREEDOM Posted by Austin Petersen on 10 Sep 2013 (This is part two of a series by columnist Ian Huyett* who is writing these pieces for our Faith and Freedom readers. We hope you enjoy.)* A Doctrine of Liberty In addition to annulling the case for big government, Christianity offers a positive case for political liberty, perhaps best embodied in the Parable of the Trees of Judges 9:8-15. In this moving metaphor, the Earth’s trees decide to anoint a king to rule over them. The olive tree, fig tree and vine are each offered the job. Each declines, preferring instead to keep their own unique role. In the words of the vine, “Should I leave my new wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?” Finally, the trees turn to the bramble, which eagerly accepts rulership. As the bramble assumes its throne, it threatens to destroy with fire those who do not submit to its shade. In other words, Lord Acton was not quite right when he warned that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Rather, absolute power attracts the absolutely corrupt. Christians not only believe that human beings cannot be trusted with power, but that those who accept power should be especially suspect. Such people will always emerge and be attracted to whatever power is offered. For this reason, many Christian thinkers have held that we ought to offer as little as possible. Liberty in the Early Church It’s unfortunately true that some Christians, apparently not having read the verses mentioned above, believe there is a scriptural case to be made for government force. They most commonly cite Acts 4:32-35, in which the apostles form a community and share their possessions. That socialists make use of this verse is ironic for two reasons. The first is that the community in Acts was a voluntary one. When one member, Ananias, is caught lying about his contribution to the community, the apostle Peter asks him “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal?” The second is that the whole of Acts 4 is directly libertarian. The chapter begins with Peter and John being arrested by the government. The pair is ordered “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus,” but instead defies the authorities to their faces, saying “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him?” When Peter and John are released, all the apostles pray together, saying “The kings of the earth rise up / and the rulers band together / against the Lord.” They add “Now, Lord, consider their [the government’s] threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” The apostles then form the community of Acts 4:52-35 as they spread the word of Jesus, despite having just been ordered not to do this. If the apostles thought like modern Christian socialists, they’d have been lobbying the Romans to raise taxes and impose material equality at the point of a sword. Instead they rejected government authority – not only in the whole of Acts 4, by in the very verse so often cited by those Christians who manage to be pro-government. Read more at TLR: "Rejecting Earthly Authority" - Why Christians make great libertarians: Pt. 2 of 3 \| The Libertarian Republic http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/christians-make-great-libertarians-pt-2-3/#ixzz2p9bBNljA Follow us: @LibRepublic on Twitter \| LibertarianRepublic on Facebook Quote: Fair argument can be made today can it not? THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/christians-make-great-libertarians/#.Ui0YVcYm3B8 WHY CHRISTIANS MAKE GREAT LIBERTARIANS Posted by Austin Petersen on 08 Sep 2013 / 11Comments BIG GOVERNMENT A DANGER TO ALL MEN PART 1 OF 3 BY IAN HUYETT In 1932, the Christian apologistG.K. Chesterton expressed concern that many people were according the government with a trust and reverence that ought to be reserved only for God. Chesterton’s admonition was not only prophetic, but rooted in the deepest mainspring of Christianity’s past; he was echoing words spoken by the prophet Samuel nearly two thousand years ago. 1 Samuel 8 tells how the Israelites, having grown weary of deferring to their local judges, decided to centralize power and crown a king. The great judgeSamuel, upset by the nation’s desire for an earthly ruler, prayed to God for guidance. God replied by telling Samuel that, by demanding a human king, the Israelites “have rejected me from being king over them.” This equation of statism with idolatry is alive and well in modern Christendom. In particular, Christians in the United States have – since before Bush left office – been moving away from federal advocacy and towards political decentralization. Whenever someone suggests that Christians cannot be a viable force for liberty, I know that person has been long out of touch with America’s Christian culture. The believers I speak with increasingly feel put upon by the earthly state and simply wish to be allowed to live as they see fit in their own communities. These libertarian Christians stand on solid ground. A well-established body of Christian scripture and tradition rejects the rule of limited human beings in favor of God’s majesty. In the words of F.A. Hayek, “Individualism, in contrast to socialism and all other forms of totalitarianism, is based on the respect of Christianity for the individual man.” Christians are, for the reasons I’ll explore here, especially predisposed to becoming passionate libertarians – and libertarians would do well do bear this in mind in their outreach. THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN The NSA’s surveillance of the entire US population offers a prime example of the conflation that Chesterton warned against. If only one group in American history has imagined that the government is God, it is surely those who argue that “if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.” This assertion assumes that the environment of government will create an immutable benevolence in our rulers. Conversely, Christians have warned mankind about its innate limitations for millennia. Any Christian with even a cursory understanding of original sin could have told you that granting the NSA unchecked power was a horrible idea. Verses like Ephesians 2:3 – which says that we are “by nature children of wrath” – remind Christians that governments are made up of fallen human beings who will inevitably abuse whatever power they are given. Sure enough, the Senate Intelligence committee recently discovered that NSA employees have used the agency’s vast resources to spy on their lovers. Chesterton, perhaps hyperbolically, called original sin the “the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved.” It is also the part of Christian theology which most squarely defeats political authoritarianism. It leaves us with no reason to expect that governments will be virtuous, nor to expect that they will tend towards increasingly moral choices as they grow to include more human beings. John Adams said that he distrusted rulers because he perceived “danger from all men.” We should be glad that Adams had this cynical temperament; otherwise, we might be even less free than we are today.
	May Wisdom and the knowledge you gained go with you, Jim Allen III Skype: JAllen3D Everything You Need For Online Success
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Jim 5804 11253 Holiday	RE: THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN 1/1/2014 1:46:32 PM
	Christians forbidden to correct sinners by force “Why Christians make great libertarians” (Pt. 3 of 3) FAITH & FREEDOM Posted by Austin Petersen on 13 Sep 2013 This is part 3 of 3 columns written about why Christians make great libertarians. The first two parts are linked at the bottom and The Libertarian Republic will soon be debuting the opinions of libertarians from many other faiths, as well as no faith, to elucidate on the heritage of liberty in their doctrines. Libertarian Christianity did not end in Acts. For millennia, leading Christians have been vociferous critics of the state. The third century church father John Chrysostom fervently denounced the authorities of his day – and had no desire to take their place. “Christians above all men are forbidden to correct the stumblings of sinners by force,” he said. “It is necessary to make a man better not by force but by persuasion.” Bartolomé de las Casas prevented the slaughter of Native Americans Moreover, Christendom actively opposed many of the abuses that are now commonly misattributed to it. I once imagined, for instance, that the Spanish conquest of the Americas was motivated by equal parts gold and God. In reality, says law professor Palo Carozza, the Dominican Order were “the foremost critics of Spanish brutality in the Indies.” Their efforts were led by missionary Bartolomé de las Casas, who Carozza has called “the midwife of modern human rights talk.” In 1550, when Casas told the Holy Roman Emperor about the crimes being committed against American Indians, Charles V actually agreed to put the conquest on hold. The historian Lewis Hanke has written “Probably never before, or since, has a mighty emperor… ordered his conquests to cease until it was decided if they were just.” Libertarianism follows necessarily from any coherent reading of scripture or grounding in the Christian tradition. For this reason, those who hold both beliefs are not merely Christian libertarians, but libertarian Christians. They have little faith in government because they have such great faith in God. By way of anticipating one final objection, I often find that, when I talk about libertarian Christians, I am accused of abrogating the separation of church and state. Yet libertarian Christians believe that the church should campaign to reduce the growing role of the state. It’s nonsensical, then, to imply that we want Christians to misuse state authority. We wish for there to be less state authority to be misused by anyone. Click here to read part 1. “Big Government a danger to all men.” Click here for part 2. “Rejecting Earthly authority.” Related Posts: Why Christians Make Great Libertarians “Rejecting Earthly Authority” – Why… Senator McCain: “Muslims Praising Allah No Different… Duck Dynasty star: We had to stop praying to Jesus because… Glenn Beck to Penn Jillette: Should Muslims become… Read more at TLR: Christians forbidden to correct sinners by force “Why Christians make great libertarians” (Pt. 3 of 3) \| The Libertarian Republic http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/christians-make-great-libertarians-pt-3-3/#ixzz2p9bV9cA6 Follow us: @LibRepublic on Twitter \| LibertarianRepublic on Facebook
	May Wisdom and the knowledge you gained go with you, Jim Allen III Skype: JAllen3D Everything You Need For Online Success
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Jim 5804 11253 Holiday	RE: THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN 1/13/2014 8:02:02 PM
	A Serious Discussion over the War on Poverty 13 JAN 2014 POVERTY, SPENDING, WAR ON POVERTY, WELFARE This month marks the 50th anniversary of Lyndon B. Johnson’s declaration of a “War on Poverty.” Over the past five decades the United States has spent $15 trillion fighting poverty, and welfare spending under President Obama has jumped to approximately $1 trillion per year. Has this massive spending commitment led to the desired result of significantly reducing poverty? Not at all. While it’s true that the poverty level dropped from 19 percent in 1964 to 15 percent in 2013, poverty today remains well above the record low of 11.1 percent set in 1973. For the first time since the 1960s, the poverty rate has stood at 15 percent or higher for three consecutive years. These numbers show that throwing more money at the problem is clearly not a realistic solution. Fortunately, good ideas exist for combating poverty without increasing spending. Fortunately, good ideas exist for combating poverty without increasing spending. For example, Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation suggests requiring able-bodied, non-elderly adults to work or show they are preparing to enter the workforce as a condition of receiving federal welfare benefits. He further proposes reducing anti-marriage welfare policies that discourage mothers from marrying working fathers. Moreover,Michael Tanner of the Cato Institute recommends fighting poverty through a free market approach aimed at creating more job and educational opportunities. His approach includes lowering taxes, cutting back on overregulation, and increasing competition among schools. It’s time for a serious debate on how we can empower people to break the poverty cycle. When it comes to fighting poverty, the status quo isn’t working. It’s time for a serious debate on how we can empower people to break the poverty cycle. I’m prepared to bring that debate with me to Congress. Share your thoughts with me in the comments section below and at mia@love4utah.com. http://love4utah.com/2014/01/13/a-serious-discussion-over-the-war-on-poverty/
	May Wisdom and the knowledge you gained go with you, Jim Allen III Skype: JAllen3D Everything You Need For Online Success
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Bryan 0 5 Dugald	RE: THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN 1/16/2014 3:08:09 PM
	It is amazing to consider how government and our relationship to it has changed since the founding of our country some 200 years ago. We were founded on the concept of every man following his own heart and dreams, and by default he would contribute to a better society overall. In the modern world, most people have turned to the government to care for them. People have elevated those in power to a level of almost worship. People have been so willing to hand all responsibility of their lives over to the government, and blame the government, as well, when they don't get what they want. We have gone from a society that takes personal responsibility for our lives, and turned into a society that expects others to provide for our well being and happiness.
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