Monthly Archives: November 2017

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Culture War Part 02: What Do The Two Sides Believe?

The great cultural civil war, with its polarisation of society groups and poisoning of the public square, continues. As we learned last month, this ‘war’ is nothing new – it is at least half a century old. Yet, the flare-ups that we witnessed during and after the 2016 US presidential campaign, shows us the need to understand what’s going on. After all, when you understand a problem, you are halfway towards a solution (Proverbs 4:7).
Remember, this is similar to the ‘Cold War,’ where there is not so much an exchange of bullets and weapons fire. What we have instead is an acrimonious public discourse, an abundance of legislation and regulations, the tyranny of political correctness, and a divided public.
The two sides of the culture-war are:
1.       On the Left: Secular Progressives (often called ‘Liberals,’ but best to stick to SP), influenced by cultural Marxism and old-fashioned socialism;
2.       On the Right: Traditional Values Conservatives;
Ultimately, this war is about western civilisation – the one that gave us democracy, individual freedom, economic opportunity. Will it survive as is or is fundamentally transformed, or even destroyed. In order to discern what this war is about, let’s learn what the two sides stand for.
In this article, we will look at the first group, the left-leaning Secular Progressives.
SECULAR-PROGRESSIVISM (SP)
In order to have a better society there needs to be ‘justice,’ and ‘equality.’ Be careful – these terms do not mean what you think. The proposed route to such a utopian society is by large government – and the bigger, the better. This government will provide cradle-to-the-grave entitlements and, if possible, will even be responsible for people’s prosperity and happiness. Because of its benevolent intentions, SP demands complete conformity and anyone who resists their ‘moral’ agenda will be dealt with.  After all, ‘big government knows best.’
Equality: SP believe in equality of outcomes, meaning that everyone one will receive the same, despite differences in work and contribution or condition.
Justice: This is thought mostly on economic terms. Wealth re-distribution is a key plank. As a former US President put it, ‘We want to spread the wealth around.’
SP can vary in degree and intensity, for example, views on private property or personal assets (extreme view deems the people’s property really belongs the state’s, which is classic Communism). Not all left-wing people are SP and not all supporters of the mainstream left-wing political parties would approve of the complete SP agenda. It is estimated that 15-20% of the population is hard left.
Worldview: SP political philosophy is limited to material and monetary matters. Morality as described in the Bible is replaced with a ‘new morality’ which is made up as they go along. Since postmodern style relativism has made a splash, one-sized moral code does not fit all. Though many SP embrace the ‘sexual revolution’ and the ‘new morality,’ SP see their cause as ‘morally superior’ and despise conservatives who oppose them as being ‘immoral’ and ‘evil.’
While people love the notion of entitlements, minimising risk, and having someone ‘look after them,’ rarely do they consider the implications of larger government:
•    It means more taxes, to help fund the entitlements;
•    It means more regulations, since society needs to be channelled into just path;
•    It means more state and national debt, because government spending for ‘economic justice’ outstrips income by taxation;
•    It means more intrusion into personal lives, since big government wants to ‘take care of you.’
•    It means more corruption.
In history, the greatest wars and highest death tolls have not come ‘religious institutions,’ as is often stated. They came from huge, totalitarian, secular governments, like Hitler’s Germany, Mao’s China, Pol Pot’s Cambodia, and Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union. The 10s of millions of people who perished through their policies are the end result.
Progressivism is the predominant worldview of the mainstream media, academia, entertainment industry, some in the judiciary, unions, and, yes, even big business. Nearly a century ago Vladimir Lenin, founder of the Soviet Union, was quoted as saying big business is selling us the rope by which we will hang them. The United Nations and European Union are strongly progressivist, and even the current pontiff has been known to issue ‘progressive-pleasing’ statements. And the Nobel Peace prize committee? When was the last time a conservative won this prize?
Secular progressives have a strong hold on culture. It is so extensive that even if conservative parties hold majorities in the executive and legislative branches of government, they can do nothing to stop the SP agenda. In part, this is also because we, the general population, are seduced by the notion of getting something for nothing, having someone else take care of us, and reducing personal risk?
Paul Kelly in The Weekend Australian, August 27-28 2017 (page 16), made these comments:

‘The paradox is that while the public hates politicians, it re-embraces the old Australian default stance of looking to government to solve nearly all its problems – economic, social, emotional, and family. It is a recipe for dysfunction and long-run grief.’ TO BE CONTINUED
Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

What Should We Think About America’s Mass Shootings?

It was heart-breaking news: on Sunday 5 November 2017, the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, was hit with a mass shooting. Devin Kelley, age 26, with a history of violence and mental health issues, stormed into the church. Clad in black, carrying a military-style rifle, and wearing a ballistic vest on his chest, Kelley fired at the congregation indiscriminately and at close range. By the time he was done, 26 people were dead, with ages ranging from 5 to 72. Among the dead was the 14 year old daughter of the pastor. Kelley later committed suicide after being attacked by a gun owner.
It is the grimmest of role calls. Kelley’s shooting spree comes on the heals of the Las Vegas attack on 1 October 2017, where 64 year old Stephen Paddock killed 64 people during a concert. Omar Mateen, age 29, murdered 49 people in a gay night club in Orlando, Florida on 12 June 2016. There was the attack on Virginia Tech by a Korean migrant named Cho Seung Hui, age 23, on 16 April 2007; Cho managed to kill 32 students/teachers before he died.
Though not the highest death toll, the Newtown Connecticut massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School of 14 December 2012 was the particularly disturbing. Twenty year old Adam Lanza, after killing his own mother, went about shooting teachers and pupils alike. The final toll was 27 dead, mostly children. This event, just before Christmas, greatly shook America. The school was later torn down and rebuilt.
The United States has the distinction of having the highest rate of gun ownership in the world: 88 guns per 100 people, or around 270 million guns in circulation. Of interest, Switzerland (45+ per 100), Finland (45+ per 100), and Sweden (20+ per 100) are among the top ten nations with the highest gun ownership.
Unfortunately, the USA also has the highest rate of mass shootings and it appears to be increasing. Of the top 30 worse shootings since 1949, 18 of them have been in the last 10 years. For our purposes, a ‘mass shooting’ involves the following:
1.       Four or more people are killed;
2.       The people are randomly chosen in the same place and time;
3.       Shooting is done in public: a place of employment, school, or a church
By that definition, from 1 January to 5 November 2017, there has been 307 mass shootings in the United States or virtually 1 shooting per day. In 70% of the incidents, the shooter dies, either by suicide or felled by others.
Predictably, after every high profile, high-casualty mass shooting, there are calls for ‘more gun control.’ Before we even touch that topic, here are some other things to consider. Anders Behring Brevik, 32, on 22 July 2011 shot and killed 77 people in Norway. Martin Bryant, age 28, murdered by gunshot 35 people at Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia on 28-29 April 1996. And one of the most horrifying mass murders in recent days did not involve a gun at all: Lahouajej Bouhlel Mohammad Salmene, age 31, mowed down 86 people in a lorry, with 458 injured, in a Bastille Day rampage at Nice, France in 2016.
So mass murder by gunshot is not only an American phenomena, of which it constitutes less than 1/2 of 1 percent of all annual gun deaths. Half of US gun deaths are suicide.
Why does America have this problem?
This author does not claim to have the definitive answer to this important question; however, here is some food for thought.
1.       Violence in the media: Whether its television, the cinema, or cyberspace, there is little question that violence in media feeds a culture of violence.
2.       Culture war: Technically speaking, the culture war is more of a ‘cold war’ of words and actions, rather than a ‘hot war’ of bullets and guns. Yet, this on-going polarisation of western society, which has flared up in recent years, can potentially lead to violence (e.g. the shooting of Congressman Scalise by a Bernie Sander’s supporter in 2017).
3.       Narcissism: An unhealthy, unrealistic, and distorted image of one’s self, the narcissist likes to draw attention to themselves. A mass shooting is a lethal way to do it.
4.       Spiritual dimension: Let’s face it: we are in a fallen, spiritual world. The US has been a Christian leader, though there has been some serious erosion of Biblical, Spirit-filled Christianity over the decades of postmodernism and culture war. Spiritual forces of darkness would dearly love to derail and destroy America and the West.
What is the gun-control debate – Please consider
This situation will not be solved immediately and it is not as ‘black and white’ as it seems. Gun-control advocates are calling for everything from ‘banning assault weapons’ and ‘machine guns,’ to an ‘honest debate.’ Normally, but not exclusively, such advocates are on the secular-left-progressive side. The NY Times in 2015 had an editorial advocating the confiscation of guns, and one of its ‘conservative’ columnists called for a repeal of the second amendment (which is not a traditional conservative position). In the aftermath of the church shooting, some on the left blamed the victims – saying their ‘prayers’ were not good enough to save them or inhibit gun-control!
Gun-rights advocates do have a case. For example, the US Constitution Second Amendment, known as the ‘Bill of Rights,’ clearly states:
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Even the progressivist-leaning US Supreme Court a decade ago reaffirmed the clear constitutional right of individual Americans to own guns. Three-quarters of Americans do not want the banning of private gun ownership. So, any attempt to ban private gun ownership, which is what happened in Australia in 1996 after the Port Arthur massacre, can be legally and politically resisted in America. Even left-wing Democrats are reticent to touch gun-ownership, since gun-rights supporters are more electorally active than gun-controls advocates.
Regarding gun-control laws, background checks, machine gun bans – these apparently already exist. Gun-rights advocates say that the enforcement of present laws, not the creation of additional laws, is what is needed. People convicted of domestic violence are banned from own firearms. The BBC reports that over half of the 156 mass shootings from 2009 to 2016 involved partners or former partners of the shooters, while an alarming 50 women plus a month are killed by former partners, according to Every Town for Gun Safety. .Laws can vary from state to state, and loopholes and lack of enforcement can result in the tragedies we have just witnessed.
Devin Kelley was imprisoned for domestic violence and banned from buying or owning a gun. However, his conviction was not entered into the National Criminal Information Centre database. Had it been, perhaps the Sutherland Springs shooting would not have taken place when it did.

Without being trite, ultimately, this problem, like everything else the West faces, requires a spiritual revival. When God’s people diligently seek His face and turn from their wicked ways, God promises to heal their land (II Chronicles 7:14).