More Than Politics:
A Gospel Witness in a Humanist Age
Billy's effort and accomplishment far exceeded any right
wing or left wing political agenda. The seeds of hope that germinated from his
efforts ultimately freed Eastern Europe , which allowed me to
see my East German birth family.
Unlike Bush's assumption of welcome acceptance in replacing a dictatorship
with a democracy in Iraq
And unlike Obama's seemingly justified call from Cairo University for activism,
protests and political uprisings to expand civil rights that soon lead to chaotic insurgencies and
even terrorist states or Trump's puzzling but powerful, "White
House," endorsements of Turkey's strongman Erdogan...
Billy preached the,
"Gospel,"...
.... a call of personal surrender to a divine
order,.....a call to freedom from the bondage of personal sin and all acts of
oppression toward self and others.
…a Gospel that empowers every willing believer to walk away
from their baser nature and become alive to a new nature. A nature that more than defines
true social justice.
Not a top down reform, imposed through punishments or
sanctions, but internal freedoms that empower deeply flawed and undeserving individuals
to experience a much higher, more just
government, one reflecting hopes of a higher Kingdom and more purposeful self
rule. Clink the picture below to See a very
(ENCOURAGING BILLY GRAHAM VIDEO)
(Billy Graham part 2)
(to see part 1, click link below)
In stark contrast, our Humanistic efforts are far more definable
and seem much more responsible. Surely seeking the best solutions from a
synthesis of the brightest minds on the globe is preferable to trusting an
unseen God's benevolence for our future. Can we really trust in religious
principles to achieve social justice and freedom from oppression.
Isn’t religious zeal a chief cause of oppression! And what about our ever expanding desire for personal autonomy and our ever evolving search for personal happiness? Can mere religion save us from our internal longings
and the sources of unhappiness we seek to avoid? Will religious mandates save our
Planet? What about the self imposed patterns of destruction we so readily embrace? If we
refuse to explore or fail to implement the best known solutions, how can we possibly survive?
Today, as in the past, we face serious fearful problems,
sobering problems! It seems imperative that we fully commit to addressing these
worst fears and strive earnestly to create comprehensive solutions through our best human efforts.
So how have these Humanistic efforts worked out?
Are we better off since committing to these approaches on a global scale? What real solutions have we already implemented and how have they served us?
With the advent of the atomic age, we have attempted to
assure world safety and avoid the harmful fallout of nuclear conflict by
creating the policy of (MAD) Mutually Assured Destruction. For the last 60 years it has guaranteed an automated escalation of nuclear retaliation. One that would achieve the unthinkable, a near absolute nuclear holocaust to be followed by an extended nuclear winter. An action waiting to be triggered by any key party that initiates a nuclear attack.
But lets consider... Has the presence of MAD led to a reduction in warfare? Has it freed our economies from prioritizing the staggering weight of accumulating armaments? Are we now free to apply these vast resources to social needs? Has this Humanistic effort enhanced the ideals of equity and justice toward the poor, or is it more prone to imposed coercive policies? Are we alleviating hardships and removing barriers, or have we increased them?
In the late 60's our brightest and most influential minds opposed practical plans to lower food costs and radically increase food supplies to address the impending threat of global food shortages and starvation. Instead of seeing the need to increase food production, the problem, was re-defined as "Overpopulation." And planners viewed those working to, "feed the starving masses," as misguided opponents to their Malthusian goal of quickly achieving, "Zero Population Growth," through decreasing birthrates and enhancing necessary demise.
They opposed increased food production assuming that these ecologically imbalanced people groups should be allowed to perish rather than over-reproduce. In America and Europe leaders sought to curtail the work of faithful agricultural researchers like Norman Borlaug and supported elite leaders like Dr. Paul Ehrlich, author of “The Population Bomb." During this period many nations adopted draconian population control mandates. Some sterilized millions. Some force the involuntary abortion of hundred of millions, possibly, thousands of millions more, and the influential power of this Humanistic opposition, forced Borlaug to work outside of the governmental hierarchy in many areas of the world.
But lets consider... Has the presence of MAD led to a reduction in warfare? Has it freed our economies from prioritizing the staggering weight of accumulating armaments? Are we now free to apply these vast resources to social needs? Has this Humanistic effort enhanced the ideals of equity and justice toward the poor, or is it more prone to imposed coercive policies? Are we alleviating hardships and removing barriers, or have we increased them?
In the late 60's our brightest and most influential minds opposed practical plans to lower food costs and radically increase food supplies to address the impending threat of global food shortages and starvation. Instead of seeing the need to increase food production, the problem, was re-defined as "Overpopulation." And planners viewed those working to, "feed the starving masses," as misguided opponents to their Malthusian goal of quickly achieving, "Zero Population Growth," through decreasing birthrates and enhancing necessary demise.
They opposed increased food production assuming that these ecologically imbalanced people groups should be allowed to perish rather than over-reproduce. In America and Europe leaders sought to curtail the work of faithful agricultural researchers like Norman Borlaug and supported elite leaders like Dr. Paul Ehrlich, author of “The Population Bomb." During this period many nations adopted draconian population control mandates. Some sterilized millions. Some force the involuntary abortion of hundred of millions, possibly, thousands of millions more, and the influential power of this Humanistic opposition, forced Borlaug to work outside of the governmental hierarchy in many areas of the world.
Fortunately Borlaug’s alternate strategy of going directly to the world's farmers was extremely successful and they implemented his agricultural reforms. His strategy drastically lowered food costs and increased world food supplies to a surplus! With this success, much of the world awakened from their stupor and in 1970 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. You can see his Nobel speech by clicking the link below.
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1970/borlaug/biographical/
Even so, Humanist elites to this day, continue to discount the facts of this "Green
Revolution." In spite of the many social problems created by Zero Population Growth, disdain for large families continues and we are encouraged to replace traditional childbearing families with Zero Growth family living through lifestyles that embrace a gender-fluid future. One that also aggressively promotes a mushrooming array of abortion-infanticide options and pressures our elderly to seek euthanasia through coercive expectation.
Below is an interesting New York Times Video on over population. Note the very negative aspects of,"Zero Population," efforts presented in the last 4 minutes of the video.
In comparison to these efforts, I truly appreciate the
faithfulness and perseverance of Billy Graham, and the power of the simple Gospel he preached! I am amazed at the doors opened to him in spite of the boldness
he displayed toward communist leaders. Understanding the personal faith focus of his effort and the creative social perseverance that Norman displayed is essential in understanding the cause and effect that brought abundance, as his discovery literally saved billions of lives and freedom without the devastation of warfare.
If you did not watch it earlier, the The Video below provides a chronological list of the amazing events preceding the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the freeing of much of the Soviet Empire. It also preceded the easing of relations with other Communist nations.
If you did not watch it earlier, the The Video below provides a chronological list of the amazing events preceding the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the freeing of much of the Soviet Empire. It also preceded the easing of relations with other Communist nations.
In the forefront were the politicians. To see and hear from many of these political actors the video below describes their thoughts and interactions from a political perspective. It also displays the effects of good will, mutual respect and prayer support on the outcomes.
Now consider how, "Billy's Fear," as described in the original meme, is being fully realized as Religious power is being harnessed to serve Russia's leader to increase allegiance to Government control. If Billy was still with us today, I think he would find this PBS broadcast to be very disturbing.
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