Category Archives: Philosophy

June 26, 2022 · 10:00

The Right Decision

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5)

Last Friday, June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) overturned the almost 50-year-old ruling on Roe v. Wade.[1] Judges have debated through the years over whether the ruling was constitutional. Even liberal justices like Ruth Bader Ginsburg questioned the validity of the ruling. Justice Ginsburg felt “that Roe was a faulty decision. For Ginsburg, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that affirmed a woman’s right to an abortion was too far-reaching and too sweeping, and it gave anti-abortion rights activists a very tangible target to rally against in the four decades since.”[2] Justice Ginsburg was pro-abortion, but she felt that Roe v. Wade went too far. She said, “A less encompassing Roe, one that merely struck down the extreme Texas law and went no further on that day, I believe and will summarize why, might have served to reduce rather than to fuel controversy.”[3]

Many judges agree that Roe v. Wade is bad law. Nothing in the Constitution grants a woman the “right” to have an abortion. Civics 101 informs us that any law not enumerated in the Constitution is given to the states. (It is interesting that the Constitution only lists three crimes: treason, piracy, and counterfeiting.)[4] So, in overturning Roe v. Wade, SCOTUS rightly returned the responsibility of legislation to the states where it belongs. The decision does not make abortion illegal, unfortunately. Many left-leaning states will allow abortions on demand even to the moment of birth. Many other states will allow for abortion under only the most extreme of cases. I doubt that any state will completely outlaw abortions under any circumstance. That is the way our federal representative system of government is supposed to work.

However, the left does not see it that way, and from the moment the decision was announced, baby killers (sorry, that’s what they are) started their loud protesting with threats of violence. Even before hearing the final decision, the baby killers launched their violent and destructive attacks on crisis pregnancy centers and churches. Sadly, many government leaders encouraged the behavior. In the almost 50 years of Roe v. Wade, pro-life activists have peacefully marched outside of Planned Parenthood clinics and quietly counseled young women going into those places. With a few exceptions by wackos acting on their own, pro-life activists have never caused property damage to Planned Parenthood clinics or attempted to do harm to those who worked there or visited there. The pro-abortionists behave in the opposite manner. They are violent, vicious, vociferous, and vulgar.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade by SCOTUS was the right decision. It would have been better if it had declared abortion illegal. However, that is not the function of SCOTUS. That function belongs to the legislative branch of our government.

Title 18 U.S. Code §1111 makes murder illegal in the United States. It reads in part, “Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought … Whoever is guilty of murder in the first degree shall be punished by death or by imprisonment for life.”[5] Title 18 U.S. Code §1841 makes it illegal to kill an unborn child. It reads in part, “Whoever engages in conduct that violates any of the provisions of law listed in subsection (b) [subsection (b) references §1111 above among others] and thereby causes the death of, or bodily injury (as defined in section 1365) to, a child, who is in utero at the time the conduct takes place, is guilty of a separate offense under this section … (2) (C) If the person engaging in the conduct thereby intentionally kills or attempts to kill the unborn child, that person shall instead of being punished under subparagraph (A), be punished as provided under sections 1111, 1112, and 1113 of this title for intentionally killing or attempting to kill a human being.”[6] (emphasis mine)

I am no lawyer, but it appears to me that there are existing laws against killing an unborn child. These laws are codified federal statutes that supersede state laws. Why are they not being applied in regard to abortions? Well, the persistent argument claims that the child in the womb is not a person until a certain stage of development. The argument stems from the evolutionary concept of development. Although it has been debunked for decades, biology textbooks still show the development of a human embryo the same as any other fish, reptile, or mammal. My college biology textbook claims that “Human development is controlled by the same mechanisms that control the development of other animals (emphasis mine). In fact, our development strongly reflects our evolutionary heritage.”[7] The quote is found in the chapter titled “Animal Development” and the subtitle “How Do Humans Develop?” On Page 280 of the same book, one finds the embryological stages of a lemur, a pig and a human all looking remarkably similar. The message: humans are just another form of animal.

Since that is the case according to evolutionary thought, when does that human embryo become a human person? One study admits that “The fields of biology, medicine, and embryology have described the developmental milestones of humans throughout gestation in great detail. It is less clear as to when humans are recognized as people, persons, or beings with rights that are protected by legislation. The practice of law is irrevocably intertwined with that of ethical conduct; and the time at which a human life is considered a person has implications that extend to health care, legislation on abortion, and autonomy of individuals.”[8] The bottom line is that they do not know based on their understanding of “personhood” and evolution. So, the left continues to push the boundaries. At first it was six weeks, then 12 weeks (3 months), then six months, then up to the moment of birth, and now some suggest a baby may be murdered after it is born upon the mother’s wishes.

God has something to say about that, although the baby killers reject God, much less anything God has to say. (That is the main problem with our society.) First of all, from the very beginning, God gave life to all living things. However, into man, He breathed His breath of life.[9] In this, He made a distinction between mankind and animals. Since God is the one who gives life, only He has the right to take life. Throughout Scripture, God makes it clear that He is the One who blesses parents with children. Some examples are Abraham’s wife Sarah, Isaac’s wife Rebekah, Jacob’s beloved Rachel, the wife of Manoah (Samson’s mother), Hanna the mother of Samuel, and others. In each case, God makes clear that He controls the birthing process. One may argue that these represent special cases while other women were bearing children left and right at the same time. However, the point God makes is that He controls it all.

Very early on in Scripture, God establishes the sanctity of life. Immediately after the Global Flood, God called for capital punishment for taking a human life. “And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis 9:5-6, emphasis mine). Not even animals are exempt from the taking of human life. God makes the reason clear: because man is made in the image of God.

That image is not acquired at some unknown point in the process of gestation. It is there from conception. Hear the Word of the Lord to Jeremiah: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5, emphasis mine). God had a purpose for Jeremiah and He has a purpose for every person He creates. There is personhood even before conception. David, the psalmist, describes the intimacy of God’s involvement in the process of gestation.

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:13-16)

The word “unperfect” in the last verse is not an error, nor does it mean “imperfect” as though there is some flaw. Unperfect means to be “incomplete” – the gestation in the womb is still processing and not yet complete.

So, from God’s perspective, the child in the womb is a person from conception. Thus, abortion at any point in the pregnancy is the taking of a human life and that is murder. We saw that in the federal law above – Title 18 U.S. Code §184. But before our legislators codified that into federal law, God had already called it murder. The Sixth Command says, “Thou Shalt not [murder]” (Exodus 20:13). In the next chapter, the law extends to children in utero. “If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow [i.e., it was accidental]: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow [i.e., the hurt to the woman was intentional], then thou shalt give life for life” (Exodus 21:22-23, emphasis mine). Killing an unborn child carries the death penalty.

Of course, the baby killers claim that it is the woman’s choice what she does with her own body. I agree. She can choose not to have sex with a man that can potentially get her pregnant. (That is the sin of fornication, by the way.) She has the choice to take contraceptive measures to avoid pregnancy. However, once she becomes pregnant, the baby in her womb IS NOT HER BODY and no longer HER CHOICE. She does not have any rights over that body. In fact, the baby in the womb is in control of the pregnancy (by God’s design).[10] And if she chooses to abort the baby, she has chosen to commit murder.

SCOTUS may have made the right decision in overturning Roe v. Wade, but abortion is still allowed (although arguably illegally) in America. It would be better if abortion were banned altogether by applying the written law – Title 18 U.S. Code §1841. Anyone guilty of abortion is guilty of murder.

The mess we see in our country (and the world) right now is a sign that Jesus is coming soon, and His reward is with Him. The signs of His appearing are increasing in intensity and frequency. Are you prepared to meet Him? If you do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

Notes:

[1] January 22, 1973

[2] https://www.law.uchicago.edu/news/justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-offers-critique-roe-v-wade-during-law-school-visit

[3] https://time.com/5354490/ruth-bader-ginsburg-roe-v-wade/

[4] https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/criminal-defense/which-3-crimes-are-in-the-us-constitution/

[5] https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1111

[6] https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1841

[7] Audesirk, Teresa and Gerald, and Bruce E. Byers, Biology: Life on Earth, Sixth Edition, (Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice-Hall, 2002), p. 750.

[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5499222/

[9] Genesis 2:7

[10] “Made In His Image: Human Gestation” – https://www.icr.org/article/made-his-image-human-gestation

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Filed under Apologetics, Christianity, Current Events, Origins, Philosophy, Politics, Pro-life, Science, Theology

Tagged as Abortion, Christianity, God, Pro-life, Religion and Spirituality, theology

June 5, 2022 · 10:00

Sometimes Good Deeds Are Rewarded

Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. (Psalm 37:3)

Karma characterizes the eastern idea of reaping what you sow. If you sow good deeds, you will reap good. If you sow evil deeds, you will reap evil. To be fair, the Bible teaches the same thing in a more realistic way.

“The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward” (Proverbs 11:18).

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7-8).

Of course, the Bible also says that such is not always the case. To us, it sometimes appears as if the wicked receive good for their evil.

“The tabernacles [i.e., “houses”] of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly” (Job 12:6).

“I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches” (Psalm 73:3-12).

The difference between karma and the Bible is that for karma, the axiom is sure and constant. The Bible makes no promises that good will be rewarded or evil will be punished in this world. The Bible offers many examples of good individuals suffering evil consequences: Joseph, Jesus, Paul, and the other apostles. Just rewards are reserved for eternity.

However, the Bible also gives examples of those who were rewarded for their righteous acts. Such was the case with one Ebed-melech. “Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house.”[1] Ebedmelech was probably not his real name. My KJV Bible hyphenates the name emphasizing the compound word, which means “Servant of the King.” He was an Ethiopian; therefore, he did not have a proper Hebrew name. Scripture tells us that he was a eunuch meaning he had been castrated at some point in his life – probably when he entered the king’s service.

“Eunuchs would usually be servants or slaves who had been castrated to make them less threatening servants of a royal court where physical access to the ruler could wield great influence. Seemingly lowly domestic functions—such as making the ruler’s bed, bathing him, cutting his hair, carrying him in his litter, or even relaying messages—could, in theory, give a eunuch “the ruler’s ear” and impart de facto power on the formally humble but trusted servant. Similar instances are reflected in the humble origins and etymology of many high offices.

Eunuchs supposedly did not generally have loyalties to the military, the aristocracy, or a family of their own (having neither offspring nor in-laws, at the very least). They were thus seen as more trustworthy and less interested in establishing a private “dynasty”. Because their condition usually lowered their social status, they could also be easily replaced or killed without repercussion. In cultures that had both harems and eunuchs, eunuchs were sometimes used as harem servants.”[2]

King Zedekiah, in whose service Ebedmelech was employed, had been set up as king over Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar[3] following the first deportation. Zedekiah called on Jeremiah for counsel from the Lord, but he despised what the Lord had to say.[4] Zedekiah sent word to Jeremiah asking him to pray to the Lord for them. At this time, the Egyptians had come up to defend Judah, but the “Chaldeans,” i.e., the Babylonians, turned them back to Egypt.

“Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land. And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire” (Jeremiah 37:6-8).

God advised Zedekiah not to deceive himself into thinking that the Egyptians could defeat the Babylonians. “For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire” (Jeremiah 37:10).

While the Chaldeans were off fighting the Egyptians, Jeremiah left Jerusalem and went to the territory of Benjamin. There, he was overtaken by Irijah, one of Zedekiah’s officers and accused of defecting to the Chaldeans. So, Jeremiah was arrested and imprisoned in a dungeon. While there, Zedekiah came to him requesting “any word from the Lord.” The word from the Lord was that he would be delivered over to the king of Babylon. The word displeased Zedekiah and he put Jeremiah back in prison.[5]

Jeremiah continued to prophesy from his prison cell in the court where all passersby could hear. Jeremiah’s message was harsh but true. All in the city would “die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.”[6] However, anyone surrendering to the Chaldeans would be spared.[7] The message did not appeal to the leaders because they felt it would dishearten the people. They asked Zedekiah to do something about Jeremiah, and he gave them permission to do whatever they wanted with the prophet. So, their solution was to put Jeremiah in a deep cistern that held no water but was deep in mud. Here is where Ebedmelech comes in.

“Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; Ebedmelech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying, My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city. Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die. So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison” (Jeremiah 38:7-13).

Ebedmelech had nothing to gain by pleading on Jeremiah’s behalf, but he had surely heard Jeremiah preach and believed that he was God’s prophet. He also trusted that Jeremiah’s message was true. Seeing the mistreatment of Jeremiah moved him to compassion. As a eunuch in the king’s service, he had the trust and the ear of the king, so he acted on behalf of Jeremiah and rescued him from the mirey pit.

Again, Zedekiah requested a word from the Lord by Jeremiah and the answer came back the same. The Chaldeans would conquer the city and all would die by the sword. However, if they surrendered, they would survive. Zedekiah rejected the message and imprisoned Jeremiah again, albeit not in as harsh of conditions. Zedekiah resisted the Babylonians for two years under siege, but the Babylonians finally prevailed. All that resisted died by the sword and those that surrendered were taken away captive in the second deportation. As for Zedekiah, “Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon” (Jeremiah 39:6-7)

In all this time, God did not forget the good that Ebedmelech had done for Jeremiah.

“Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 39:15-18).

Our good deeds seldom get noticed or rewarded instantly. It is quite possible, that they many never be rewarded in our life here on earth. By the same token, neither do our evil deeds. We often see wicked people get away with murder and never get their just punishment, but God does not forget. Karma, as any false idea, is only partially true. Sometimes we do receive good for good and evil for evil, but not always. The Bible’s record shows that all deeds will eventually be justly rewarded. No one can get away with murder in the end.

Jesus is coming soon, and His reward is with Him. The signs for His appearing are increasing in intensity and frequency. Are you prepared to meet Him? If you do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

Notes:

[1] Jeremiah 38:7

[2] “Eunuch” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunuch

[3] Jeremiah 37:1

[4] Jeremiah 37:2

[5] Jeremiah 37:11-21

[6] Jeremiah 38:2

[7] Jeremiah 38:3

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Filed under Apologetics, Book Reviews, Christianity, Philosophy, Theology

Tagged as Bible, Christianity, God, Karma, Religion and Spirituality, theology

December 8, 2019 · 10:00

Seasons

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8:22)

It’s fall. The trees in our front yard are mostly plucked clean of all leaves. Our Red Oak holds tenaciously onto what it has left. That suits me because I like its red leaves on display. However, it’s created a different kind of mess with all the acorns it’s dropped this year—a bumper crop! The neighborhood squirrels will have plenty to last them through the winter.

Our Sycamore creates the biggest mess. It drops branches and seed pods, and it releases huge brownish leaves. Both trees decided to defoliate this week and cover the yard to the point that even our walkways disappeared from view. My daily trips to the mailbox were accompanied by the rhythmic music of swish, swish, swish with the occasional crunch, crunch of acorns under my soles as I plowed my way through a foot or more of dead foliage.

Yesterday, guilt got the best of me. The neighbor west of me gets his yard maintained as part of his rent. My neighbor east of me runs a family business from his house, so he can find time during the week to tend to his yard. So, the yards on either side of my house are free of tree debris. I feel certain that they want me to clean up my yard before my leaves blow into their yards. In order to promote good relations with my neighbors, I filled seven plastic lawn bags with my tree trash. The resulting aches and pains from the effort reminded me that I have fully entered the fall of my life and winter is coming.

Seasons come and go for trees. The spring produces new growth. Some trees put forth beautiful flowers to sweeten the air. Summer comes and their leaves stretch out a canopy to cool the passerby from the heat of the blistering sun. Then fall comes. Photosynthesis stops and the trees show their true colors as they prepare for their winter sleep. Winter comes and the trees display bare skeletons giving the viewer a sense of sadness. But then spring returns and the cycle begins anew.

God promised that as long as Earth remains, the cycle will continue. Climate change scaremongers would have us believe that human beings affect Earth’s climate and that we can control how the climate will react by our actions. Obviously, these people do not know God, are unaware of His omnipotence, and are ignorant of His promise.

I’ve seen satellite images of Earth’s surface. Cities, much less people, cannot be seen from outer space. I’ve looked out of airplane windows; I can make out cities, and roads, but I cannot see people. Human beings are invisible specks on the planet, and these fools think we can control the weather! How arrogant! Climate changes by God’s design. The sun flares up at times making some years hotter. Sometimes the sun is less active and our temperatures are milder. It ebbs and flows, up and down. God made it that way, and He promised that the seasonal cycle will continue as long as Earth lasts. According to the Bible, Earth still has more than 1000 years to go before God destroys it to make it anew (2 Peter 3:10, 12; Revelation 21:1), but in the meantime, seasons will continue according to God’s design. There is no need to worry about climate change. As for me, my approaching winter doesn’t bother me. Soon, I will dwell in eternal spring!

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Filed under Creation, End Times, Philosophy, Random Musings, Science, Theology

Tagged as Book of Genesis, theology

May 5, 2019 · 10:00

Making Time Count

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

On Tuesday of this last week, I completed my 69^th lap around the sun. The Sunday before, June and I led the last lesson in the Crown ™ Do Well: The Crown Biblical Financial Study.[1] The lesson was on “Eternity,” and one of the questions we were asked to ponder was this: “Estimate the number of days you have left on earth. How does this impact your thinking?” Wow! That is a sobering thought! Psalm 90:10 brings this thought into sharp focus. “The days of our years are threescore years and ten [70]; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years [80], yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” For me, age 70 looms a mere 366 days (2020 is a leap year). And “if by reason of strength” I reach 80 years, that is only 4020 days away (there are three leap years between 2020-2030). For me, at least, that is not a lot of time. However, no one is guaranteed tomorrow; we are all living on borrowed time.

The same psalm, quoted above, offers a prayer to help us think soberly about the time we are given. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Time is a precious asset and to squander it on frivolity[2] is poor stewardship. Frivolity opposes “wisdom.” God gives us all the freedom to “apply our hearts unto wisdom” or to apply our hearts to frivolity. That was heavy food for thought.

Then on Friday, our devotional in Days of Praise: “Redeeming the Time,”[3] by ICR’s founder, Dr. Henry M. Morris brought this thought back to mind. In the devotional, Dr. Morris points out that “time is a very valuable asset, in danger of being lost forever unless it is rescued or redeemed.” It occurs to me that we experience the “present” in nanoseconds.[4] We constantly move from the past into the future, so when we misuse time, that is lost forever. Therefore, the only way to “redeem” time is to redeem it in the “future” toward which we are moving. That requires thought and planning – always.

Dr. Morris further asserts, “If we squander our money or lose our health, there is always the possibility of earning more money or being restored to health, but wasted time is gone forever.”

As I begin my 70^th trip around the sun, I want to remember what a precious commodity time is. I what to remember that the time I am given is not mine and it can be taken away from me at any time. Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal … But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:19-20, 33). My time belongs to God; therefore I want to invest it wisely in His kingdom. “So teach [me] to number [my] days, that [I] may apply [my] heart unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

Notes:

[1] Crown Financial Ministries website: https://www.crown.org/

[2] Dictionary.Com definition of : frivolous: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/frivolous

[3] Henry M. Morris, Ph.D., “Redeeming the Time”: https://www.icr.org/article/11211/

[4] “No Time Like the Present”: https://erniecarrasco.com/2015/01/18/no-time-like-the-present/

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Filed under Christianity, Heaven, Philosophy, Random Musings, Religion, Theology

Tagged as Christianity, death, End Times, God, Institute for Creation Research, Religion and Spirituality, theology

January 20, 2019 · 10:00

The Immorality of a Wall

Walls Work! Image source: https://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2016/06/21/the-many-barriers-to-donald-trumps-border-wall

And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. (Nehemiah 4:10)

The partial government shutdown continues beyond the third week. Some say that this is the longest shutdown in government history, yet, outside of a small percentage of government employees, the shutdown fails to have the chaotic effect that the main-stream media (MSM) purport. Many conscientious government employees remain at their posts even though they have not received a paycheck. (That is what I call dedication, and they ought to be commended for it.) While their pay may be temporarily delayed, they will receive their full back-pay eventually when this government impasse is breached.

The cause of the impasse is absurd. The House of Representatives wants to submit a spending plan for President Trump sign. President Trump will not sign the spending plan because it does not include the $5.6 billion he has requested to build a wall on our southern border. Democrats and Republicans both agree that a wall is needed; however, Democrats, because it is Donald Trump making the request, refuse to allocate the money for wall construction to deny Trump from keeping a campaign promise. It has nothing to do with the right or wrong of the matter. It has everything to with who wins the argument, and the Democrats (I call them Demoncrats for a reason) want to win, regardless of whether the border wall is good for the nation or whether thousands of government employees get paid or not. (Note: Congressmen have not missed a paycheck. If any wall is immoral, it is this one erected by the Demoncrats.)

Democrats stoke up the media to incite sympathy for unpaid government employees while they take off on vacations to exotic places, and meet with lobbyists in Puerto Rico rather than sit with the President to hammer out this impasse. They accuse President Trump of inflexibility, yet they have refused any offer of compromise by the President. In his last meeting with Democrat leadership, President Trump asked Speaker Pelosi, “Okay, Nancy, if I open up the government in 30 days, could we have border security?” She said, “Not at all.”[1]

President Trump will not budge on his demand for border security that includes a solid barrier of some kind. He has offered concessions such as legalizing so-called “dreamers,” whom Democrats claim to champion. However, because yielding on the wall gives President Trump an optical victory, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, refuses to give sway on the matter regardless of the shutdown, regardless of the unpaid government employees, regardless that she has favored the wall in the past, regardless that it is a matter of national security and sovereignty, and regardless that it is the right thing to do. She defends her obstinate stance by claiming that “the wall is an immorality.”

The wall is an immorality! How so? On what, other than the imaginations of a deluded mind, does she base that claim? In a world of relativism, morality amounts to individual preference. It becomes subjective so that “your truth is not my truth” and in a nation of over 300 million people that makes for mass confusion and anarchy. I prefer the objective truth of God’s Word.

Since morality comes from God, and because God created humans in His image,[2] humans are naturally moral creatures. However, that morality has been corrupted,[3] and what is true for Nancy Pelosi may not be true at all. We need an objective standard for morality. God, as our Creator, provided us with His operating manual as the standard of morality – the Bible. Does the Bible address the question of the morality or immorality of a wall? Indeed it does.

Before getting into the Word, what is the purpose of a wall, barrier or fence? One of the definitions for a wall is a “rampart” or a “bulwark,” which is any protection against external danger, injury or annoyance. A wall or bulwark protects those within from danger from without. Walls prevent invasion from outside forces that would harm those behind the wall.

I have a seven-foot fence in my back yard. It may not prevent an intruder climbing over, but it will certainly cost him (I assume intruders will be male) great effort and hopefully alert the dogs before he can break into my house. Otherwise, I hope the fence will discourage the attempt in the first place. The front of my house is open to the street. Without a fence to protect my front door, I feel vulnerable to attack from that side. (I speak from a human perspective; however, I place my trust in God for our protection. I do my part and let Him take care of those things which are out of my control.)

I heard someone say, “I have a fence not because I hate the people outside, but because I love the people inside.” Fences, and walls, while not perfect, give us a measure of protection. Nancy Pelosi’s estate has a wall around it. Barack Obama, the Clintons, Bernie Sanders as well as most other Democrats live behind tall barriers to keep out the riffraff. Are their walls an “immorality”? No sane person would make such a claim; therefore, Nancy Pelosi’s claim is either delusional or hypocritical.

The Bible talks about walls. In Bible times, walls presented the first line of defense for the city (they do today also). Entry into a walled city was through the city gates. Anyone having business within the city walls entered through the massive, heavy gates (the “ports of entry”). When the gates were closed, no one entered or left the city. When invading armies came against the city, they would have either to scale the heavily defended walls, break down the gates, or lay siege to the city. Conquering a walled city often took several years to accomplish. Those living in the unwalled villages were easy prey. If they could not escape to the protection of a nearby, fortified city, they fell victim to the enemy. Walls, for those protected by them, were moral, not immoral.

The Bible has 247 occurrences in 223 verses of “wall” or “walls.” When Israel entered the Promised Land, “All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many” (Deuteronomy 3:5). The first walled city they faced was Jericho, and it took an act of God to breach that wall.[4] David conquered the walled city of Jebus (Jerusalem)[5] by entering the city through a water conduit (“gutter”).[6]^, [7] Later, his son Solomon reinforced and expanded the walls of Jerusalem.[8] During his reign, Solomon fortified other cities throughout Israel.[9]

We have already seen that walls are not 100% effective; they can be penetrated,[10] and when a wall is broken down, it must be repaired.[11] Broken walls are distressing for those depending on them for protection,[12] and their restoration is cause for celebration.[13] For those inside, walls provide security.[14] For those outside, walls present an obstacle to overcome, and they are not appreciated.[15]

God approves of walls.[16] The idea of borders and nations was His in the first place.[17] God created the nations[18] and established their boundaries.[19] Borders are not offensive to God; neither is the defense of those borders; therefore walls are not “an immorality” as Speaker Pelosi proclaims. If anything, breaching a wall is immoral and cause for war – a war initiated by the invader. In the world in which we live, we need walls, and those walls must be respected.

One day soon, the need for walls will cease,[20] except for the wall around the New Jerusalem whose walls will exclude no one. That wall will serve to set that city apart as a very special place.[21] However, for the present, for everyone who names the name of Christ, no matter what national or ethnic origin, “… he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Ephesians 2:14). Outside of that, “Build the Wall!”