The attacks of the left, while not likely deliberate in the case of every individual leftist, have as consequences some insidious results. Among them are the twin sins of extreme dereliction of duty--even cowardice-- and apathy. While Marxist theory does not create those undesirable traits in any of us, they both feed upon them and feed them in all of us.
Cowardice
Today I was reading the story of David and Goliath in the Old Testament. It seems relevant to and typical of this point.
Goliath was a man who, according to some accounts, stood over 10 feet tall. He enhanced his enormous size with a lifetime of combat training, the best, biggest and best-crafted (technologically superior) weaponry available at the time. But in his core--in his heart--he was an empty shell because of his reliance on those things that elevated his pride to the point of mocking the sacred--all that the Israelites held dear.
His size, his equipment and his loud taunts made him formidable, indeed. Yet one man, small of frame, lacking armor, sophisticated weaponry and decidedly lacking in training and combat experience (with some notable exceptions) walked confidently onto the field firm in his faith and reliance on all that the giant mocked and derided.
There were some brief comments exchanged between the two, but David did not waste time in banter. He put a stone in his sling, drilled Goliath between the eyes and it was over. Those in the Israelite army that focused on the armor, the size, the taunts, the spear, the sword...they hid in shame from their obvious duty. They revealed their lack of understanding of and their commitment to the principles that impelled David onto the battle field.
They failed in their duty and put cowardice on display. Yet, no doubt, many of them were happy to take part in the victory celebrations, as if they had contributed in some way!
Today, those of us who hold the principles of our Founders dear in our hearts--those of us who continue to have faith in the principles of self-rule and self-government--we are mocked on every hand by the myopic leftists, who use their control of the media to make conservatives feel isolated, alone, and afraid. They have sadly succeeded to some degree in silencing dissent over their leading our nation in a headlong descent into slavery and despotism.
Too many of us have been intimidated by their slick PR campaigns, their shrewd use of the technology at hand, their ludicrous claims of intellectual and moral superiority, their mocking derision of the bedrock principles. Too many of us have been cowed into silence or worse, into acquiescence to their agenda. Too many have been deflected from the demands of duty when, in reality, relatively simple statements of truth and faith in enduring principles--including an abiding faith in God--are all that are required to deliver the fatal blow to the false ideology of the leftists. The truth, you see, strikes them "between the eyes," and truly sets the faithful free!
Apathy
The second prong of this insidious attack is on our own morals and engagement with one another. Over time, as the socialist influences in government have expanded and offered increasing "entitlements" to the idle, we have been likewise severed from our duty to one another. With so much of our money being siphoned off to the government to buy the votes of our friends and neighbors we are increasingly disinclined to step outside ourselves to meet the needs of the truly needy among us.
The confiscatory taxation demands that we work harder and longer hours to make up for the loss--keeping us focused on the "rat race" rather than taking time to look around and find opportunities to help out. Worse, even if we want to, our ability to make a living is hampered by intrusive government regulation and excessive taxation to the point that many are not able to afford to help their neighbors if they want to!
Don't believe me? Ask your dentist sometime about what would happen to him/her if a van full of homeless people were brought to the office for basic care, say, once quarterly. The government won't even allow it! Remember the recent fiasco involving the woman who was going to be required to get licensed as a day care facility because she typically drove several neighborhood kids to school?! How on earth can we expect one another to navigate increasing piles of government red tape and confiscatory taxation to render a helping hand to a friend or neighbor in need?! So, the presumption that it's all being taken care of by the government sets in. We cease looking up from the grindstone, we cease to be engaged with our neighbors and cease to be available when needed. We cease to care and we cease to respond. We become apathetic under the false assumption that our taxes are being used as promised.
In both cases, the answer is the same. Stand up. Engage the enemies of cowardice and complacency with principles of truth and liberty. Employ the enduring principles of our founding--our Christian founding-- and put to silence those who "mock honor and are surprised to find traitors in our midst; [who] castrate and bid the gelding be fruitful." (CS Lewis, The Abolition of Man.) Refuse to be intimidated and refuse to ignore the needs of others.
Cowardice
Today I was reading the story of David and Goliath in the Old Testament. It seems relevant to and typical of this point.
Goliath was a man who, according to some accounts, stood over 10 feet tall. He enhanced his enormous size with a lifetime of combat training, the best, biggest and best-crafted (technologically superior) weaponry available at the time. But in his core--in his heart--he was an empty shell because of his reliance on those things that elevated his pride to the point of mocking the sacred--all that the Israelites held dear.
His size, his equipment and his loud taunts made him formidable, indeed. Yet one man, small of frame, lacking armor, sophisticated weaponry and decidedly lacking in training and combat experience (with some notable exceptions) walked confidently onto the field firm in his faith and reliance on all that the giant mocked and derided.
There were some brief comments exchanged between the two, but David did not waste time in banter. He put a stone in his sling, drilled Goliath between the eyes and it was over. Those in the Israelite army that focused on the armor, the size, the taunts, the spear, the sword...they hid in shame from their obvious duty. They revealed their lack of understanding of and their commitment to the principles that impelled David onto the battle field.
They failed in their duty and put cowardice on display. Yet, no doubt, many of them were happy to take part in the victory celebrations, as if they had contributed in some way!
Today, those of us who hold the principles of our Founders dear in our hearts--those of us who continue to have faith in the principles of self-rule and self-government--we are mocked on every hand by the myopic leftists, who use their control of the media to make conservatives feel isolated, alone, and afraid. They have sadly succeeded to some degree in silencing dissent over their leading our nation in a headlong descent into slavery and despotism.Too many of us have been intimidated by their slick PR campaigns, their shrewd use of the technology at hand, their ludicrous claims of intellectual and moral superiority, their mocking derision of the bedrock principles. Too many of us have been cowed into silence or worse, into acquiescence to their agenda. Too many have been deflected from the demands of duty when, in reality, relatively simple statements of truth and faith in enduring principles--including an abiding faith in God--are all that are required to deliver the fatal blow to the false ideology of the leftists. The truth, you see, strikes them "between the eyes," and truly sets the faithful free!
Apathy
The second prong of this insidious attack is on our own morals and engagement with one another. Over time, as the socialist influences in government have expanded and offered increasing "entitlements" to the idle, we have been likewise severed from our duty to one another. With so much of our money being siphoned off to the government to buy the votes of our friends and neighbors we are increasingly disinclined to step outside ourselves to meet the needs of the truly needy among us.
The confiscatory taxation demands that we work harder and longer hours to make up for the loss--keeping us focused on the "rat race" rather than taking time to look around and find opportunities to help out. Worse, even if we want to, our ability to make a living is hampered by intrusive government regulation and excessive taxation to the point that many are not able to afford to help their neighbors if they want to!
Don't believe me? Ask your dentist sometime about what would happen to him/her if a van full of homeless people were brought to the office for basic care, say, once quarterly. The government won't even allow it! Remember the recent fiasco involving the woman who was going to be required to get licensed as a day care facility because she typically drove several neighborhood kids to school?! How on earth can we expect one another to navigate increasing piles of government red tape and confiscatory taxation to render a helping hand to a friend or neighbor in need?! So, the presumption that it's all being taken care of by the government sets in. We cease looking up from the grindstone, we cease to be engaged with our neighbors and cease to be available when needed. We cease to care and we cease to respond. We become apathetic under the false assumption that our taxes are being used as promised.
In both cases, the answer is the same. Stand up. Engage the enemies of cowardice and complacency with principles of truth and liberty. Employ the enduring principles of our founding--our Christian founding-- and put to silence those who "mock honor and are surprised to find traitors in our midst; [who] castrate and bid the gelding be fruitful." (CS Lewis, The Abolition of Man.) Refuse to be intimidated and refuse to ignore the needs of others.
Loved reading what you have so nicely written here. I wish I could write as you do. Two things come to mind reading this:
ReplyDelete1) Truth has a native power of its own, and if stated clearly and fully it will be its own witness. (Saw this quote from the LDS Conference Quote of the Day...can't remember who said it, but love it all the same)
2) I am not apathetic. Not in the least! I give of myself as much as I am able to and even when I am not able to give another ounce. I am indeed a blessed woman to be able to sense need and render help to fulfil such needs.