Realmscapes

Agápē, Government, and Wealth

Many folks who support a larger role of government in society as a kind of referee in the arena of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" have been sold a bill of goods that "charity" equals "government welfare" and thus wealth parity of society. That's why they are/have been such ardent supporters of entitlements for the "lower class". Large portions of the global Christian community have fallen for this as well for numerous reasons. Conservatives do not object to government welfare for those who are in need; we object to large swaths of society who have decided it is their right out of jealousy/apathy/covetousness/sloth, or been encouraged it must be thus (or made to believe it is so/acceptable) by government officials as a form of job security for them and an effort to expand government in general. 

That is when democracy becomes authoritarianism and we all lose the opportunity to better ourselves (and I use "democracy" in the broadest sense because the United States is technically a constitutional republic). A citizen cannot possibly have more freedom and opportunity as a citizen to acquire wealth than when its government gets out of the way of commerce; the government receives the most money in taxes when as many of its citizens are successful as possible--therein lies the irony of over-taxation and over-regulation.

The wealthy are obligated to the same morals, ethics, and virtues under God as the rest of us (see Martin Luther's letters "An Open Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation", "Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants", and "Admonition to Peace", which address both parties equally during The Peasants' War, as good examples of the equal obligations of citizens to each other). 

In the original Greek of the New Testament "agápē" was translated as "charity" (check a King James Version of 1 Corinthians 13:1-8), which is now translated simply as "love". It is interesting that what the Greeks considered to be the deepest form of love--"sacrificial love" or "agápē"--was originally translated into the English language as "charity"; "charity is NOT "dependent welfare" or "guilt offerings"--it is the deepest act of love one human creature can give another (or God can give His creation), and this love cannot be forced or imposed or decreed or legislated.

There must be a reason beyond self-fulfillment, self-joy, obligation, and/or being a "good citizen" for there to be true charitable love. If you want to read a superb contrast of the kinds of love, check out CS Lewis' The Four Loves. His words from that book would support St. John Chrysostom's notion that a heart must be changed for good for the kind of charity to exist that sacrifices of itself and possessions. 

First Lewis points out this: “There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

By contrast is this: "In God there is no hunger that needs to be filled, only plenteousness that desires to give.”

The former action is suffocating and ultimately self-destroying--the wealth of such a person will pass along to the state anyway (or hopefully family members who will manage it better); but of the latter, whether one is brought up in such virtue or learns it later by being changed by faith and forgiveness, the person lives with a joy not of this world and cannot get enough of it because his wealth is elsewhere--thus he gives freely and often of earthly possessions. It is the stark difference between Dickens' Ralph Nickleby and Ebenezer Scrooge.

One problem for government is that it cannot get a portion of charity if it does not have a managing hand in it; another is that certain causes it deems to be "charities" would otherwise receive very little for any number of reasons; another is that it gets no recognition for the purpose of advancement of status or ego. Once upon a time, before government or the ACLU felt the need to step into everything, the church and local communities took care of the needs of people. Is the ending of It's A Wonderful Life really just fiction? What about the true story behind The Blind Side? These are just two instances among thousands that have happened and do happen and will continue to happen.

The Best Ten Albums & Twenty Singles I Heard in 2011

SINGLES SHORT LIST:

"It's Our Fight", Steve Jablonsky, Transformers: Dark of the Moon
"I'm Just the Messenger", Steve Jablonsky, Transformers: Dark of the Moon
"Tall Ships", Bill Leslie, I Am a River
"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)", by Journey, Frontiers
"Entranced", by John Adorney, The Other Shore
"All in a Moment", by John Adorney, The Other Shore
"Cult of Personality", Living Color, Vivid
"Living in a Dream", Finger Eleven, Life Turns Electric
"Bright Lights Bigger City", Cee Lo Green, The Lady Killer
"Christ is Risen (Radio Edit)", Matt Maher, Alive Again
"Age of Discovery", Immediate, Trailerhead
"An Epic Age", Immediate, Trailerhead
"Glory Seeker", Immediate, Trailerhead: Saga
"Oratio Sanctus", Immediate, Trailerhead: Saga
"Arthur's Farewell", Enaid, Avalon: A Celtic Legend
"The Way", Jeremy Camp, We Cry Out

ALBUMS SHORT LIST:

Daft Punk, TRON: Legacy
David Arnold, The Musketeer
Vangelis, 1492
Craig Armstrong & A.R. Rahman, Elizabeth: The Golden Age 
Immediate, Trailerhead
Immediate, Trailerhead: Saga 
Enaid, Avalon: A Celtic Legend
David Arkenstone, The Seasons of the Great Smoky Mountains 
Brian Crain, Sienna 
Anuna, Cynara
Steve Jablonsky, Transformers 3

Alexandre Desplat, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows - Pts. 1 & 2
Bond, Born
Brian Crain, Change of Season
Brian Crain, Piano and Cello Duet
Adam Hurst, Elegy 

Not all of these are 2011-released albums and singles, just music that we heard/purchased for the first time this year. Musical scores from previous years count because certain tracks/scores often cannot be truly appreciated until they are heard separately from the film/TV. This doesn't always happen right away either because of no pressing interest or because the score wasn't available. This list covers all genres.

The singles and album recommendations on this list may be previewed and bought via the iTunes playlist we have created. 

THE SINGLES

"Roll Call", Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori, Halo 3 (2010) - I am not much into video game music, but this track caught my attention among several others on the album. An eclectic blend of ethereal neo-classical and choir, cello, electric guitar, piano and percussion.

"Hope Runs Deep", Steve Jablonsky, Gears of War 2 (2010) - Another video game score, this one with Jablonsky doing what he does best: epic strings, horn, chorals, and percussion. But this one has a more serious feel to it than anything he did on Transformers. For me, this track (and several others on the album) provided a taste of what this talented composer could do with something on the level with epic fantasy of the Narnia/Middle-earth type. Hopefully he gets the chance.

"Never Forget", Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori, Halo 3 (2010) - This is the track that first turned me onto this album. Reminiscent strings, followed by hauntingly beautiful piano and chorals, which combine to finish this album up in a manner that fits the track's name.

"Within the Outline", Robert Linton, Whisperings at Nightfall (2006) - Saxophone is a tricky instrument for me. Mostly I am not a fan, but when a musician mixes it with a slight reverb effect I am lost in its trance. Then add an accompanying guitar played with a moderate tempo like from a long ago memory...well, don't expect me back for awhile.

"Into Battle", David Arnold, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2011) - The longest track on the album by far at just over eleven minutes is also the best track on the album by far with a full orchestral range of epic instruments and chorals. It pretty well sums up the whole film and album by itself.

"Sons of Odin", Patrick Doyle, Thor (2011) - This is the music heard when Thor and Loki are introduced to the court on the day that Odin All-father ntends to declare that Thor will be his successor. It contains Thor's main theme and deserves to be recorded in film history as one of the greatest iconic character themes ever created in modern cinema--it certainly stands valiantly beside Zimmer's and Elfman's Batman themes, Elfman's Spider-Man theme, and Norman's Bond theme.

"Blessings", Laura Story, Blessings (2011) - Gorgeous piano with soaring and poignant vocals that remind that God's greatest blessing to us can often be found in "raindrops", healing "tears", "a thousand sleepless nights", and some ouf our "greatest disappointments" and trials. And why? Because, as Laura says us: "When friends betray us, When darkness seems to win - We know that pain reminds this heart - that this is not, this is not our home"; and most especially that "the aching of this life - Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy".

THE ALBUMS

Patrick Doyle, Thor (2011) - The #1 Marvel and Superhero Film score. Superb musical capturing of both the Asgard and Earth realms. The adventuring and action tracks are high inspirational; "Prologue/Sons of Odin", "Ride to the Observatory", "Thor Kills the Destroyer", and "Can You See Jane?/Earth to Asgard" are some of the gems in this bejeweled crown of music.

 

Quote for 2012, On the Garden Theme in the Fall and Salvation

"In a garden You sweated blood, in a garden You were buried, and in a garden You rose again from the dead.  In the form of a gardener You appeared on Easter, for You were to restore everything that we ruined in the garden of Paradise by our first parents."  

-- Blessed Valerius Herberger, The Great Works of God III/IV

And my wife just pointed out He was betrayed in a garden and His disciples fleed from Him in fear in the garden--that makes twice that we betrayed Him and let Him down in a garden setting.

Clash of the Titans (2010), Revisited

Initially I was utterly turned off by the anti-God atmosphere of the film. And then some weeks ago I re-assessed this position from the view that the COT remake has some interesting notions.

1) The film shows what kind of god(s) humanity creates for itself. God is not created by man and thus does not fit the definition of the gods COT purports. If anything, I would rebel against Olympus as portrayed (or disbelieve in Jupiter as Arrius does in Ben-Hur) too.

2) Draco keeps something of a belief in the gods and urges Perseus to consider the gifts he has been given. Although it is a crude form, it is still a representation of trust that the gods are powerful and possibly see ends that humans do not. It is a subtle acknowledging of the relationship that we should have with God, even though the film doesn't go nearly far enough. Humans needs more than relics to place faith in, which is where the vital importance of Christ comes in. But still, it is there in Draco's character even if it's not something I would necessarily rally people to. Given how the gods act its a wonder they have anyone sticking up for them at all.

3) The trailer for the sequel shows a Perseus more subdued and even amiable to the gods--specifically Zeus. Obviously we won't know the context of everything until the film plays out, but my hope is that there is a better relationship there.

If anything the new COT is a valuable study in the 21st century view of religion and God. It provides the perfect contrast for a Christian to say, "Yes, the gods of the Greeks, Romans, Celts, Norsemen, were tyrants and petty. Now see how the Christian God isn't anything like them..."

Quote for 2012, On The Proper Perspective of Luther's Work

"The Reformer [Luther] never permitted his impassioned protest against the Rome of his day to blind him to the ongoing presence of Christendom within that jurisdiction:  "We on our part confess that there is much that is Christian and good under the papacy; indeed everything that is Christian and good is to be found there and has come to us from this source.  For instance we confess that in the papal church there are the true Holy Scriptures, true Baptism, the true Sacrament of the Altar, the true Keys for the forgiveness of sins, the true Office of the Ministry, the true catechism in the form of the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Articles of the Creed". (Luther AE 36:16)"

-- Dr. John R. Stephenson, Eschatology

Re: Liam Neeson says Narnia’s Aslan could be Muhammed

Yes, I know this is post is dated. It's been well over a year since the news story about actor Liam Neeson quoted as saying the following during an international press conference for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyae of the Dawn Treader:

"Aslan symbolises a Christlike figure, but he also symbolises for me Mohammed, Buddha and all the great spiritual leaders and prophets over the centuries. That’s who Aslan stands for as well as a mentor figure for kids – that’s what he means for me."

Neeson brilliantly voices the character Aslan in all three Narnia films, and he is also an active Roman Catholic.

I read the outrage from various sectors of the Christian community for days after; it was painful and disappointing. I kept the story (linked above) on my desktop to this very moment; I will continue to keep that story on my desktop in the months to come. Why?

Because it is a sobering reminder of exactly the kind of behaviour Jesus, and later Paul and other apostles, warned His Church against:

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Jesus says early in Matthew's Gospel.

St. Paul picks up on this theme at the very beginning of Romans when he says, "Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed."

St. James too says, "Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?"

And finally Jesus illustrates this concept of hasty, self-righteous judgment best when a Jewish mob is ready to mercilessly stone Mary Magdalene. Jesus intervenes and cuts the crowd, and our own judging actions, down with these words: "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."

Do we wish that Mr Neeson would have courageously planted his Christian flag in that place and made a bold confession of faith? Certainly! Would it have been a proud and profound moment for Christians as one of Hollywood's most popular and hard-working actors took a gallant stand, just as the character he voiced would? Absolutely!

But instead he spoke tamely, as we all too often do, and that's a large reason why so many Christians felt the need to unfairly tear into the man--because he didn't confess the faith to the world as we do in the echo chamber of our minds and relative safety of our homes. We far more prefer to place others on public pedestals that we know we cannot stand upon ourselves.

What Mr Neeson could have used more of from the Christian community is an embrace of encouragement (public and private) as well as an understanding of his context:

1) Mr Neeson was under contract to a major film studio and professionally responsible to others involved in the filmmaking;
2) Mr Neeson was tasked with helping to ensure the film gets a healthy return on the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been invested in it--quite the amount of pressure;
3) Mr Neeson has a career and a family and we all know how these can be exploited and manipulated by all kinds of parties inside and outside Hollywood, not to mention those violently opposed to Christian doctrine--literally and politically, domestically and internationally.

These are not excuses, these are facts of the modern world and the realties of working in 21st century entertainment. And Mr Neeson did nothing that day we do not all do ourselves, regularly. 

That's the broken nature of our flesh. Our bodies are deeply corrupted with this disease--sin--and the devil knows just how to use it to bind our tongues in fear when a confession of faith is needed in our workplaces and schools and communities and churches. 

Do you not think that Mr Neeson will remember this backlash the next time he is placed in a difficult position? What about other Christians that witnessed this backlash? How alone we made him feel--and likely others just like him throughout entertainment. Perhaps our failures to support him, and be critical of other Christians of fame in the past, led him to tame his witness in that moment and in that environment (and it will impact others too from music to sports). Do you think our public flogging of Mr Neeson will help him in his faith? Or could our harsh criticism potentially do it damage and make him recoil even further when the media comes calling with another such question? We fail to see that such public scorchings of our fellow members of the Body of Christ only serve the purposes of our enemies exponentially. And while we judge each other in public forums for failures that we ourselves are also fully guilty (and if not in confession of faith, or public support of others attempting/failing to do so, then surely elsewhere--for "none are righteous, no not one" and "all have fallen short of the glory of God"), we forget the handful of powerful ways to combat this fear, temptation of self-righteousness, and deadly spiritual assault by our foes on Christians everywhere. 

One is prayer, for the strength to endure trials and have trust in God to all ends. Prayer isn't just to tell God what our wants and needs are, prayer is especially to be used for others needs and wants--even if that person doesn't perceive them. We don't pray enough as God's people--and I'm not talking about those public spectacles on National Prayer Day or other such activities. I'm talking about the kind of prayer that God loves best: privately, in a room behind a closed door [Matthew 6:6] or whilst walking among God's wonderful creation [Psalm 23], or corporate worship with fellow Christians [2 Corinthians 1:11].

Another is to build each other up in love and understanding--it's called the life of the Church invisible. Mr Neeson has only seen the harsh lawful side of Christendom when he could have far-benefited from an embrace and loving encouragement that we have his back. Such an action would have been a profound witness to him (for future times he is placed in a situation) and to the public and media (who love to pit Christians against each other in a kind of heinous modern gladatorial arena). It is my hope and prayer that Mr Neeson has found the strength in Christ to forgive his fellow Christians for our behaviour and lacking vocal support, and that his faith in our Saviour has not been diminished over the months by all this and will not be in the years to come.

There are only three things that should be our daily fervent concern: 1) repentance and a renewal of our spirits--all through faith in Christ [John 6:28], 2) prayer for ourselves and all people for the gift of salvation in Christ, to remain firmly in it [Ephesians 1:3-14] and that it mat be received by all who hear its saving message, and for God's blessings, and 3) encouragement and witness for the purpose of strength against the devil and the world among each other [Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Thessalonians 5:11]

My grandmother told me many times as child: "Josh, never point at someone (to accuse). Because there are always three fingers pointing right back." Instead of pointing fingers at each other how about pointing a finger to the cross where Jesus suffered and died a gruesome horrible death--punishment because none of us can live up to the standards of the Law by ourselves.

And then let's point our finger to the empty tomb, where we remind our enemies that by the Father's raising Christ from the dead we have Victory! over all that oppose His Church.

And finally let us point to the Word, Baptism, and Holy Communion--the means of grace whereby our faith is nurtured and strengthened, and also our neighbor's faith. The bulwark of witness, mercy, and life together--Christ--stands firm against the attacks of our enemies and it is in the safety of Christ our foundation that we find our strength and refuge. May it be that we remind others of this bulwark when they need it (instead of being the first to pound our chests in act of misguidedly pious public crticism), and that we would be helpfully reminded in kind of Its presence when we need it--this can only be done through witness, not judgment.

[Please consider Dr. John Kleinig's indispensible book, Grace Upon Grace: Spirituality for Today, for a pointed and accessible guide to all of us for being better witnessing and praying Christians.]

Quote for 2012, On Temporal Marriage & Spiritual Marriage

"Moses and Elijah looking at the shining face of Jesus knew that the greatest glory would take place in darkness as the Lamb of God yielded His life for them, for us, for all, becoming our Heavenly Bridegroom.

So you can see why St. Paul speaks of marriage the way he does.  People always mishear him – as though he said nothing than husbands are the boss and wives are the doormats.  How far from what he pictures!  He turns to Jesus, the Bridegroom, and to the Church, the Bride, and he takes marriage into that.  So that husbands ARE crowned king of their familes – a servants crown of thorns pressed squarely down upon their heads.  So that wives ARE crowned queen of their families – receiving their husbands’ service and giving him their loyalty and their love.  Marriage is simply transformed – just like all of life is – when it is taken up into Jesus and seen the right way round.  In every marriage where husband and wife submit together to the heavenly Bridegroom, He will take the ordinary, the trials, the suffering and the hardships and transform them into something extraordinary.  He will make water into wine.  And husband and wives will see His glory – the glory that shone at Cana, that Moses saw on the Mount of Transfiguration, and that shines brightest of all at Mount Calvary."

--Pr William Weedon, from an Epiphany sermon

Top 10 Favorite Wrestlers: Current & All-Time (2011)

All-Time:

01. Bret "Hitman" Hart
02. Stone Cold Steve Austin 
03. Kurt Angle
04. John Cena
05. Edge & Chrstian
06. Rowdy Roddy Piper
07. CM Punk
08. Chris Jericho
09. New Age Outlaws
10. Sting

Current:

01. John Cena
02. CM Punk 
03. Drew McIntyre
04. John Morrison
05. Sheamus
06. Ezekiel Jackson
07. R-Truth
08. Natalya
09. Randy Orton
10. Rey Mysterio

On my radar for 2012: Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes, Justin Gabriel, Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry, Wade Barrett

The Dark is Rising (The Dark is Rising Sequence, 1973)

Susan Cooper spins an absolute gem of a fantasy tale--one that mixes two of my favorite subjects, British mythology and time travel against a modern day setting (in this case 1970s England at Christmas).

Like all excellent fantasy children's fiction from UK authors there is no absence of real consequences or danger for 11-year old Will Stanton in this story. Will is an Old One, part of a group of powerful Light warrior-immortals given the task of keeping The Dark at bay. But Will isn't just any Old One: he is the Sign Seeker, tasked with finding six Signs of the Light (scattered over the region) and bring them together to give the Light the upper hand in this latest attempt for The Dark to plunge the world into chaos and despair.

The images that Cooper conjures of Will engaging with this unseen world and calling are rich--from the appearance of time-doorways opening early medieval halls to a mythical king's ornate funeral barge emerging from water to a battle between The Light and The Dark happening in a moonlit sky.

The only real gripe I had with the story is Cooper's seeming need to rank her magical world above that of Christianity and the power of faith in Christ. It's subtle and mostly relegated to a key scene (and a few pages total over the book), so it doesn't much take away from the value of the overarching message and the truth of spiritual battles overlapping real-world events. Still, it comes off as a bit disingenuous and self-serving whe it does manifest, as if there was a concern that her story couldn't maintain its integrity if it wasn't #1. (Truly, what series of beliefs can carry more weight than Christian faith given her world of the Old Ones is rooted in the power of relics?) Cooper could easily have left these out of the narrative--even if she disagrees with Christianity. Ironically the story has some wonderful metaphor more in line with the sacarament of Christian Baptism and the unchanging timelessness of God than mere myth, and Cooper goes out of her way to include the deep value of the Christmas season and the power of its music; these scenes are deep and very well-written.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention this book's relationship with its deadpanned live-action film version from 2007. The easy charge against the film is how it utterly fails to capture the book. I have come to the film's defense alone on the basis that no film can truly adapt a book given the realities of film production and conventions. Having read the book I am even more convinced this would have been impossible given the length of time the film had to tell the story and the lack of budget to properly realize even the most important of the story's dramatic scenes. So in these cases it's best not to try and come off as a mess; the film still works as a great way to inroduce someone to the series.

Where the film really could have done better is fitting the important sub-plot of The Walker into the screenplay, which I have read in places was actually filmed but ultimately cut. This character would have done much for Will, The Rider, and Merriman, but especially Merriman. Also themyth-character, Herne, should definitely have been retained for the end because the way the film actually ends--with Will defeating The Rider himself--comes off as quite flat and unbeliaveable given the breakneck pace of the film. But Will's joining the signs to summon forth The Light's champion horseman would have been a tremendous scene and could certainly have fit within the film's budget.

GRADE: A+

(Note: This book is technically Book 2 in the series, behind Over Seas, Under Stone, but Book 1 does not need to be read first to appreciate this story. Book 1 contains Merriman but otherwise has a completely different set of characters [a set of three siblings] with a different quest [for a relic known as 'the grail'] only loosely related to this one. However I would suggest reading Book 1 before Book 3, Greenwitch, because both Will and Book 1's three children join forces.)

The Tinderbox that is Women's Ordination

There are just some issues that need to be handled via satire.

Thus I give you: "How to Argue for Women’s Ordination" by Pr. Daniel A. Hinton

Limbaugh - "Mantra: Santorum is a 'Big Government Conservative'"

(JR: A vitally important monologue from Rush today...)

"Now there's a mantra -- there's mantra out there -- and it's even now spread to CBS News: "Will Santorum's big government conservatism resonate?" It's everywhere, folks. "Santorum's big government conservatism." Have you ever heard "big government conservatism" associated with Rick Santorum before today? Have you? Have you? All right, very rarely. Some of you might. In Pennsylvania in some of his campaigns it might have been said, but nationally most people are hearing this for the first time after he wins the Hawkeye Cauci. Now, it started (at least I first saw it) in conservative media and then The Cato Institute, which is Libertarian. Now CBS News has it. So let's talk about this for a second.

I remember in the early days of this program, one of the things that I said when I was actually in the process of introducing myself to the audience, explaining my views and so forth. I remember saying... I'm gonna have to paraphrase myself; I don't have the exact quote in front of me 'cause I'm going back to 1988 or '89 now, maybe 1990. But I said, "In certain things, conservatives actually do like a big government. For example, conservatives do want an activist government defending what's right and attacking what's wrong." Big government may not be the term, but, for example: Conservatives do think that it's the role of government to protect the sanctity of life, as does Rick Santorum. If government doesn't, who else will? And it stems from our founding documents: Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. The Declaration of Independence.

Clearly the government has a role here in defending life. If they don't, who will? Also, the government should be used effectively to fight crime. Conservatives are all for, for example, the government fighting illegal immigration. Now, is that big government or is that responsible government? Big government is being misused here when applied to Santorum. Big government as it's used today means welfare state, and Santorum does not believe in a welfare state. So the left is playing a rhetorical game here, folks, and I want to alert you to this. "Big government" has a specific meaning today, and it means welfare state. It means redistribution. It means high taxes. It means command-and-control of the economy. And that's not what Santorum believes. So the left knows that "big government" is a negative. It is a harmful term to attach to somebody, and that's why they're trying to attach it to Santorum. But Rick Santorum does not believe in the big government of Barack Obama. It's totally different thing for him.

Rick Santorum: Post-Iowa Straw Poll Speech, 4 January 2012

 

 

[Transcript of the speech is below]

Quote for 2012, On Ceremony and False Humility

"The modern habit of doing ceremonious things unceremoniously is no proof of humility; rather it proves the offender's inability to forget himself in the rite, and his readiness to spoil for everyone else the proper pleasure of ritual."

--C.S. Lewis, A Preface to Paradise Lost

On Being 'Anti-War'

I truly do not understand the acceptance as valid the "anti-war" position. By its superficial definition, what decent person isn't opposed to war and the tragedies it incurs? 

Does being "anti-war" mean "anti-imperialism"? Again--what freedom loving person isn't against creating empires? Where does the "anti-war" person see an empire being created or perpetuated (and who is doing the creating and perpetuating)?

Does "anti-war" mean "pro-life" or "pro-Constitution"? What is more "pro-life" or "pro-Constitution" than carrying the torch of "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness" to where its light is desired?

Does "anti-war" somehow mean "pro-military"? It actually means the opposite. Defending liberty from evil persons is as much a calling as any other noble profession and to say otherwise is to fully disrespect the definitions and God-given gifts of "vocation" and "freedom".

And to those who self-righteously place their "anti-war" belief into the same realm of being against murder: The commandment "Thou shall not kill" forbids the unjust taking of human life, be it in word or deed. God has given to civil government the authority to wage just war against those who truly murder in the manner that society calls unjust. The military is under the authority of civil government and thus empowered to punish with the sword those who are enemies of a just government and its people. To accuse a soldier of a just freedom-loving society to be a "murderer" is ignorant, selfish, a lie, arrogant, disrespectful of their Creator, or any combination of thereof.

Unfortunately there is nothing in the Christian faith that allows for a Christian people to stick their head in the sand, either on the world's battlefields defending one's neighbor and self against bullies and tyrants and villains, or on the spiritual battlefields for one's neighbor and self against the devil, sin, and death.

One day there will be no need of war or borders or courts or governments--all waged, ruled, or occupied by man within the confines of fallen, corrupted, and broken flesh. Until the Day of the Lord arrives--when sin, death, and devil are utterly eradicated from Creation--I will be forever against any person, group, or code fundamentally defined--politically or spiritually--as being "anti-war".

Quote for 2012, On The Birth of Christ and The Birth of Ourselves

"In adoring the birth of our Savior, we find we are celebrating the commencement of our own life."

~ Pope St. Leo the Great, Sermon on the Nativity, 6.3 [cited from A Year with the Church Fathers]