Mohammad on the Crucifixion of Christ by Jack Kettler
The Koran has as its foundation, the Bible. In it Mohammad referenced both Moses, the Torah and Jesus and the gospels. The Koran would be completely unintelligible without its appeal to earlier Judeo-Christian revelation. A principle that is relevant is, new revelation should be judged by older established revelation. Does the purported new revelation contradict previous established revelation? The problem for the author of the Koran is that it repudiates earlier established revelation by nothing more that making assertions about the unreliability of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, without any kind of proof.
One glaring example of this is the Koran’s denial of Christ’s death:
And for their saying, ‘Verily we have slain the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, an Apostle of God.’ Yet they slew him not, and they crucified him not, but they had only his likeness. And they who differed about him were in doubt concerning him: No sure knowledge had they about him, but followed only an opinion, and they did not really slay him, but God took him up to Himself. And God is Mighty, Wise! – (Surah 4:156-57)
According to this passage in the Koran, “they did not really slay him.”
Does this assertion have any merit?
Secular history confirms that Christ died. For example, Josephus, the Jewish historian, refers to Jesus’ death:
About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had first come to love him did not cease. He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life, for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared. – (Jewish Antiquities, 18.3.3)
In addition, the Roman writer, Tacitus, said that Christ was “executed” by Pilate:
All human efforts . . . of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus , and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular.
Tacitus, Annals, translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb, accessed 11-26-03, http://classics.mit.edu/Tacitus/annals.11.xv.html.
Historically, the evidence for the death of the Lord is absolutely overwhelming. Only someone wholly incognizant to history would deny this.
What about evidence from the words of Christ himself in the New Testament and eyewitnesses recorded in Scripture?
Jesus said he would be killed:
From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. (Matthew 16:21)
Jesus said his body would be in the grave:
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40)
Muslims may claim these are not really the words of Christ, but the insertions of impostors who perverted the word of God. Muslim may claim many things, but claiming something is a far cry from proving it. A claim like this is nothing unless backed up by textual evidence. Who changed the text? When and how? A Muslim statement like this is simply an argument by assertion which is a logical fallacy. It is invalid to argue a point by merely asserting that it is true, without supporting textual evidence. An observation; it seems that Muslims have no knowledge of established historical standards by which ancient literature is evaluated.
Eye witnesses of the crucifixion in Scripture:
And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: (Acts 10:39)
Many of Christ’s disciples and apostles went to their deaths by torture rather than contradicting their testimony of Christ’s death and resurrection.
A Scriptural Creedal Statement:
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)
If a Muslim wants to assert that these texts are corrupted, the burden of proof is on them. Fallacious assertions will not do.
The Reliability of New Testament:
There are over 5 thousand Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. How do they compare with other literature from antiquity?
Regarding punishments by death in history and Scripture. We learn the following from Easton’s Bible Dictionary:
A common mode of punishment among heathen nations in early times. It is not certain whether it was known among the ancient Jews; probably it was not. The modes of capital punishment according to the Mosaic law were, by the sword (Exodus 21), strangling, fire (Leviticus 20), and stoning (Deuteronomy 21).
This was regarded as the most horrible form of death, and to a Jew it would acquire greater horror from the curse in Deuteronomy 21:23.
This punishment began by subjecting the sufferer to scourging. In the case of our Lord, however, his scourging was rather before the sentence was passed upon him, and was inflicted by Pilate for the purpose, probably, of exciting pity and procuring his escape from further punishment (Luke 23:22; John 19:1).
The condemned one carried his own cross to the place of execution, which was outside the city, in some conspicuous place set apart for the purpose. Before the nailing to the cross took place, a medicated cup of vinegar mixed with gall and myrrh (the sopor) was given, for the purpose of deadening the pangs of the sufferer. Our Lord refused this cup, that his senses might be clear (Matthew 27:34). The spongeful of vinegar, sour wine, posca, the common drink of the Roman soldiers, which was put on a hyssop stalk and offered to our Lord in contemptuous pity (Matthew 27:48; Luke 23:36), he tasted to allay the agonies of his thirst (John 19:29). The accounts given of the crucifixion of our Lord are in entire agreement with the customs and practices of the Roman in such cases. He was crucified between two “malefactors” (Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:32), and was watched by a party of four soldiers (John 19:23; Matthew 27:36, 54), with their centurion. The “breaking of the legs” of the malefactors was intended to hasten death, and put them out of misery (John 19:31); but the unusual rapidity of our Lord’s death (19:33) was due to his previous sufferings and his great mental anguish. The omission of the breaking of his legs was the fulfilment of a type (Exodus 12:46). He literally died of a broken heart, a ruptured heart, and hence the flowing of blood and water from the wound made by the soldier’s spear (John 19:34). Our Lord uttered seven memorable words from the cross, namely, (1) Luke 23:34; (2) 23:43; (3) John 19:26; (4) Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34; (5) John 19:28; (6) 19:30; (7) Luke 23:46.
What do Muslims believe Christians to be teaching about the Trinity? If the Muslims in their primary source material, such as the Koran and the Hadiths are mistaken, what does this say about the truth claims of their religion?
The next quotations will demonstrate that Mohammad did not have a clue to what Christianity believes about the Trinity. Mohammad did not utter these inaccurate sayings until the 7th Century, long after creedal statements on the Trinity had been stated by ecumenical counsels of the Christian Church.
Was Mohammad mistaken?
“O ye people of the Book! overstep not bounds in your religion; and of God, speak only truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, is only an apostle of God, and his Word which he conveyed into Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from himself. Believe therefore in God and his apostles, and say not, ‘Three:’ (there is a Trinity) — Forbear — it will be better for you. God is only one God! Far be it from His glory that He should have a son! His, whatever is in the Heavens, and whatever is in the Earth! And God is a sufficient Guardian.” Sura 4:169
“O followers of the Book! do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not speak (lies) against Allah, but (speak) the truth; the Messiah, Isa son of Marium is only an apostle of Allah and His Word which He communicated to Marium and a spirit from Him; believe therefore in Allah and His apostles, and say not, Three. Desist, it is better for you; Allah is only one God; far be It from His glory that He should have a son, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His, and Allah is sufficient for a Protector.” Sura 4.171
“And behold! Allah will say: ‘O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah’?” He will say: “Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden.” Koran 5:116
“They surely are Infidels who say, ‘God is the third of three:’ for there is no God but one God: and if they refrain not from what they say, a grievous chastisement shall light on such of them as are Infidels. Will they not, therefore, be turned unto God, and ask pardon of Him? since God is Forgiving, Merciful! The Messiah, Son of Mary, is but an Apostle; other Apostles have flourished before him; and his mother was a just person: they both ate food. Behold! how we make clear to them the signs! then behold how they turn aside!” Sura 5:77-79
Now consider some Islamic commentators in the Hadiths about the Trinity that shed more light on what Allah through his messenger Mohammad was trying explain:
“People of the Book, do not go to excess in your religion, and do not say anything about God except the truth: the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was nothing more than a messenger of God, His word, directed to Mary, a spirit from Him. So believe in God and His messengers and do not speak of a ‘Trinity’—stop, that is better for you—God is only one God, He is far above having a son, everything in the heavens and earth belongs to Him and He is the best one to trust.” – Qur’an, sura 4 (An-Nisa), ayat 171
“Those who say, “God is the Messiah, son of Mary,” have defied God. The Messiah himself said; ‘Children of Israel, worship God, my Lord and your Lord.’ If anyone associates others with God, God will forbid him from the Garden, and Hell will be his home. No one will help such evildoers. Those people who say that God is the third of three are defying [the truth]: there is only One God. If they persist in what they are saying, a painful punishment will afflict those of them who persist. Why do they not turn to God and ask his forgiveness, when God is most forgiving, most merciful? The Messiah, son of Mary, was only a messenger; other messengers had come and gone before him; his mother was a virtuous woman; both ate food. See how clear We make these signs for them; see how deluded they are.” – Qur’an, sura 5 (Al-Ma’ida), ayat 72-75
“And when Allah will say, “O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah ?’” He will say, “Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen.” – Qur’an, sura 5 (Al-Ma’ida), ayat 116
In summary; Islamic doctrine is saying that God (Allah) and a mother God (Mary had a boy (Jesus) who were all Gods. These 3 Gods are what Christians understood as the Trinity.
As already noted; by Mohammad’s time, the Christian doctrine of the Trinity was fully developed and articulated in the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Chalcedonian Creeds. It is outrageous that Allah and his messenger did not even know what the Christian belief about the Trinity was.
For example, the Chalcedon Creed as an example of the ecumenical Christian Creeds says:
Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.
How could Mohammad if he were truly speaking for God, not even know how Christians defined the Trinity in the Chalcedonian Creed (451 A.D). This creedal statement was approved in church counsel almost two hundred years before Mohammad claimed to be receiving messages from Allah? Instead, Mohammad and the Koran state and refute something that no Christian has ever believed. If Mohammad is going to refute the Trinity, at least he ought to understand what he is trying to refute. In reality, Mohammad and his followers are simply refuting Mohammad’s own claims to be a messenger of Allah. It appears from what we have seen thus far, Allah is nothing more than an Arabian tribal deity. Moreover, Mohammad, we can say, is a seriously confused individual, whose messages he presented regarding the Trinity in particular have no bearing in reality.
Some more observations on the Koran, Mohammad and the Trinity:
Thabiti Anyabwile, from the gospel coalition interviews Dr. James R. White about the Koran and the doctrine of the Trinity in his book What Every Christian Needs to Know About The Qur’an.
Thabiti Anyabwile asks:
You open chapter 4 by identifying a key question: “Does the Qur’an’s author show knowledge of the Trinity to where the criticisms offered are accurate and compelling?” How would you answer that question?
“Most definitely not, and this is one of the primary reasons I reject the Qur’an as a divine revelation. While the Old and New Testaments in the Bible are intimately related, the authors of the New showing intimate familiarity with the Old, the author of the Qur’an shows only a surface level, second-hand knowledge of the Bible in its entirety. This results
in gross misrepresentation of those Scriptures, and of the beliefs of the Christians especially. I have often said to Muslims, “Putting aside the issue of whether the Trinity is right or wrong, is it not clear that in 632 AD (the year of Muhammad’s death and the completion of the revelation of the Qur’an) Allah knew in perfection what the doctrine of the Trinity was,
and hence Allah could have provided a full and accurate refutation of it, had he desired to do so?” But one will search in vain for any accurate representation of the Trinity, and will instead find the repeated assertion that when Christians say “three,” they are speaking of three gods, a form of polytheism.”1
Noteworthy church historian makes the following observation on Islam and the Trinity:
“In rude misconception or wilful perversion, Mohammed seems to have understood the Christian doctrine of the trinity to be a trinity of Father, Mary, and Jesus. The Holy Spirit is identified with Gabriel. God is only one God! Far be it from his glory that he should have a son!” Sura 4, ver. 169; comp. 5, ver. 77. The designation and worship of Mary as “the mother of God” may have occasioned this strange mistake. There was in Arabia in the fourth century a sect of fanatical women called Collyridians, who rendered divine worship to Mary. Epiphanius, Haer. 79.”2 (emphasis mine)
2. Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Volume 4, Chapter 3, (Hendrickson Publishers), p. 368.
To set matters straight, the Christian doctrine of the triune nature of God can be simply stated as:
1. There is only one God
2. There are three equally divine, distinct and eternal Persons called God
3. Therefore, these three equally divine and eternal Persons are the one God
Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology correctly defines the doctrine of God’s triune nature. The doctrine is stated in a series of propositions:
1. There is in the Divine Being but one indivisible essence;
2. In this one Divine Being there are three Persons or individual subsistences,Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
3. The whole undivided essence of God belongs equally to each of the three persons;
4. The subsistence and operation of the three persons in the divine Being is marked by a certain definite order;
5. There are certain personal attributes by which the three persons are distinguished.1
A definition that is more suited to help a Muslim understand this:
Within the nature of the one true God, there are three eternal Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Or, it could be said God is One with respect to His nature or substance and three in respect to Persons.
The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Father; the Son is not the Spirit; and the Father is not the Spirit. God is not one person who manifests or reveals himself in three different modes, or three gods who are one in purpose. There is only one God in essence, who truly exists as three divine persons. The Christian is honestly handling the word of God by saying there is only one God. The Christian is indeed correct in saying that there are three persons who are God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Westminster Confession of Faith states:
In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power and eternity; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.
The following Scriptures, demonstrate that there is a plurality of persons in the Godhead, in other words, you see more than one divine person in each passage listed:
Genesis 1:26, 3:22, 11:7; Isaiah 6:8; 48:16; 61:1-2; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Zechariah 10:12; Matthew 28:19; Luke 4:18-19; John 1:1-3; John 14:23; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Colossians 2:2; Hebrews 1:8-10; Hebrews 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:2; and 1 John 2:24
And yet, the Christian Scripture are clear, there is only one God Deuteronomy 6:4! Therefore, the triune nature of God is an inescapable fact!
In conclusion, we have to reject Mohammad’s claim to be a messenger from God. Christians can use the Muslim gross inexcusable ignorance of the Trinity to convince Muslims that their founder, and the Koran are promoting demonstrable falsehoods.
Mr. Kettler is the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read.
Observations about the Scriptures: A devotional by Jack Kettler
What are the Scriptures?
They are the Word of God. They reveal His thoughts, His will and purposes. God is the author and they rest on His authority.
“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” (Psalms 33:6, 11)
What are important characteristics of Scripture?
They are infallible, they are holy, they are powerful, they are complete, they are plain, and in them we find the ordained means of salvation.
“For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Romans 10:11)
“Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16)
Why should we search the scriptures?
For the knowledge of God, for truth, to learn our responsibilities, for comfort, to learn how to advance in sanctification.
“For whatever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
How should we search the Scriptures?
Reverently and submissively, with diligence and dependence on the Holy Spirit.
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
“Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39)
Some human Observations:
“The Bible is worth all other books which have ever been printed.” – Patrick Henry
“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” – George Washington
“A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.” – John Calvin
In closing, may we always be able to say with the Psalmist: “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” ( Psalm 119:103, 105)
Mr. Kettler is an ordained Presbyterian Elder and the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read.
A fictional account of an attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS or ISIL) within the United States. This is not far-fetched at all considering, the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has proclaimed himself the caliph, the successor to Muhammad and promises to bring Jihad to America.
Author’s Bio:
William R. Forstchen has a PhD from Purdue University with specializations in military history and the history of technology. He is a faculty fellow and professor of history at Montreat College. He has authored over forty books. Forstchen coauthored the New York Times bestselling Gettysburg and has written numerous short stories and articles about military history and military technology.
His book “One Second After” was one of his best sellers about an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack. It is a frightening story about what would happen when a nuclear bomb is detonated above the earth’s atmosphere leading to the frying of modern electronic circuits and an almost certain societal collapse. “One Second After” most surely, has helped fuel the “prepper” movement.
His book “Day Of Wrath” is a truly frightening fictional story of what may lay in store the United States of American if the current regime that is wedded to politically correct anti-American multiculturalism is not stopped.
I have imagined a number of similar scenarios, none of which compared to the persuasive story told in this book. Dr. Forstchen’s book is so realistic, the reader will think they are listening to and viewing live news coverage that are parents and patriotic citizens worst fears. The book generates many vivid mental images.
The value in this book is that the reader is confronted with the reality of how vulnerable the country is. In this fictional account, a hundred terrorists could literally bring the country to the brink of a complete break down.
You will not be able to put this book down! Spread the word about this powerful story that hopefully will serve as a wake up call for many more citizens. At author’s website a link is provided demonstrating the intent of ISIS. It is not for the weak minded.
Mr. Kettler is the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read.
The Evil Genie is out of the Bottle by Jack Kettler
George W. Bush opened his second term with a promise to the people of the United States and the world – vowing to “promote democracy both at home and abroad.”
While speaking to the National Endowment for Democracy, President Bush called for “democracy in the Middle East.”
It is now becoming clear, that George Bush’s overthrow of the Iraqi government to spread the form of government that the founding fathers of the country warned us against, “democracy,” has let the evil genie out of the bottle, “ISIS.” To complicate matters, his successor, the “narcissistic dim whit golf player” does not have a clue how to put it back in.
The “dim whit” and his arming of the Syrian rebels will probably result in the toppling of the Bashar al-Assad Syrian government leading to the slaughter and displacement of one million Syrian Christians and will give ISIS an extremely large land base and will prove almost impossible to contain.
Remember the “dim whit” and his saving the persecuted Libyans from Muammar Gaddafi, a leader who George Bush said was our ally in the so-called “war against terror?” What happened in Libya? The “dim whit” wrecked a whole country and turned it into a jihadist hell-hole, which is surely a crime against humanity. Almost all Western diplomats have fled the country. Thousands are now dead and entire Christian community has probably been wiped out.
It can be said; the unintended consequences or blow-back from Bush’s attempt to spread democracy in the Middle East and Iraq is leading to the establishment of what may be the most evil Islamic caliphate in history led by ISIS. The evil genie is out of the bottle, resulting in the slaughter and displacement of two million Iraqi Christians. I’ve heard no apologies from the architects of this unmitigated disaster.
Now what?
The “dim whit golfer” is the leading the nation on a fools mission to fund and attempt to train the Syrian rebels who have alliance agreements with ISIS. If we could not train the Iraqi military to resist ISIS after years of on the ground training, how is it possible to train the so-called moderate Syrian rebels from afar?
It is clear that the Syrian rebels are connected to ISIS:
‘Vetted Moderate’ Free Syrian Army Commander Admits Alliance with ISIS
Because of this common knowledge, Israel is rethinking its policy on the Syrian war:
Israel considering Assad alliance
The U.S. like Israel, should rethink our policy on Syria. Don’t hold your breath for any sanity to arise in the U.S. Congress or from the interventionist Neocon syndicated radio talk show hosts.
Terrorist Surge in Syria Prompts Israeli Rethink
Consider why Israel is rethinking it position on Syria:
“The Israeli official estimated that just two years ago there were only about 2,000 jihadis in Syria but claimed the number has mushroomed to more than 30,000 as the conflict has dragged on, presenting the Middle East with a far more dangerous threat. He claimed that the Islamic rebel groups in Syria currently focused on toppling Assad intend to turn their sites on Israel after dispatching the Syrian government.”
It is becoming obvious that the “dim whit” and RepubliCon neo-conservatives (Neocons) are stampeding into another disastrous interventionist catastrophe which will prove to do exactly the opposite of what they intend. The blood of more Christians will surely be on their hands.
It should not come as a surprise, that the “dim whit” is not even serious about defeating ISIS. The pattern is, every two weeks he pivots to something new, like sending the U.S. military to African to fight Ebola or inviting illegals to flood across the Southern border bringing Central American sicknesses such as the mysterious respiratory virus responsible for thousands of young people being hospitalized.
It is almost certain that the Ebola virus will be brought into the U.S. from the “dim whit’s” ill advised Ebola mission using the military. How is the military going to fight Ebola? You cannot shoot a virus.
What can we do?
To start, we can pray:
Dear God; please deliver us from our present wicked ruler who at one time was known as Barry Soetoro and on a daily basis: makes arrogant prideful untrue representations, speaks falsely, and willfully misrepresents and misleads the nation in violation of the ninth commandment. O Lord, Give us a ruler who can say: “O how I love your law! it is my meditation all the day.” (Psalms 119:97)
In more responsible times, an ineligible fraud like the “dim whit” would be arrested and charged and convicted for high crimes against the republic. Instead, and almost assuredly leading to our demise, the republic has to “suffer a criminal lawless fool.”
We are in grave peril:
A Widespread Power Failure Plus An Ebola Outbreak Would Become America’s Extinction Level Event
Am I violation Scripture by speaking against the current fraudulent leader and the previous president? Biblical submission to governing authorities does not mean keeping silent in the face of public evil. See my Prayers for Deliverance for example of godly leaders who opposed wicked public leaders.
Mr. Kettler is the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read
Christian Democide and American Foreign policy: The Bush/Obama Middle East Disaster by Jack Kettler 2014
Democide is a term defined by the political scientist R. J. Rummel as “the murder of any person or people by their government, including genocide, politicide and mass murder.” According to Rummel, democide passed war as the leading cause of non-natural death in the 20th century. Moving into the 21st Century, it show no signs of stopping.
A Christocentric view of current events in the Middle East:
By Christocentric I mean, a theology that openly and without apology makes Christ, the cardinal message, from which all other theological and political positions are evaluated.
I’m writing this as an appeal for Christian leaders to speak up to help save Syrian and other Middle Eastern Christians. If the anti-Christian Syrian rebels trying to overthrow the Syrian government are successful, it will lead to the almost certain genocide of Christians in Syria like we are now witnessing in Iraq. The U.S. Democracy debacle in Iraq has led to the displacement and slaughter of almost the entire Christian community in Iraq.
As a Christian, I’m becoming increasingly concerned about the destruction of Christian communities around the world and the murder of tens of thousands of Christians, particularly in the Middle East. That is why I am speaking out. I’m not an apologist for any regime in the Middle East, since it is well known that I’m a relentless critic of Islam. My motivation is to help stop the almost certain slaughter of Christians in Syria, if the present government is overthrown.
Christianity was spreading in the Middle East until U.S. Policy shifted to spreading Democracy:
For example, Victor Atallah, is an Egyptian born Presbyterian missionary to the Middle East, based in Cyprus. Mr. Atallah told me personally that he had been in Iraq and Baghdad prior to Saddam Hussein’s overthrow by the Bush regime and how there were two large Christian Churches in Baghdad that he visited. It is uncertain of these churches existence today. At the time, Mr. Ahallah’s radio broadcast from Cyprus was heard in Iraq and bearing fruit. Mr. Atallah works with MEFF the Middle East Reformed Fellowship
Ideas have consequences that are not always good:
Saddam Hussein, as bad as he was, kept the warring Muslim factions in check and protected the Christian community, which dated back to biblical times. Iraq under Saddam Hussein did not have democracy, nor were weapons of mass destruction found, yet there was freedom for Christians, some even served in high government positions such as the one time Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.
I’m deeply concerned about Obama’s new plan to support the so-called moderate Syrian rebels whose chief goal is the overthrown the Syrian government, and what will happen to the large Christian community in Syria if this happens. What guarantee is there that these rebels will do anything to fight ISIS as promised? ISIS is growing rapidly in numbers and funding. The only government that has any chance to hold them off is Syria.
Regarding Syria, U.S. Senator Rand Paul understands what can happen:
“Think what would have happened had we seriously degraded Assad to the point where he was overrun, think who would be in charge of Syria right now?” Senator Paul asked before answering his own rhetorical question: ”ISIS.”
What happens to Christians around the world when current U.S. Policy of spreading democracy is implemented?
Iraq
In Iraq, Christians numbered nearly 2 million in 2003, representing just over 5% of the population of the country. This is before the Bush/Obama disaster. Now there are fewer and 500,000. This was the estimate before the Sunni Jihadists started rampaging through the country to establish the caliphate and a nation base for their savage blood thirsty plans to conquer the whole world.
Syria
The total number of Christians, in Syria not including Iraqi refugee Christians, numbers about 1.7 million or about 12% of the population. In Syria, both Christians and Muslims serve in the military, and are fighting for their lives against the jihadist backed U.S. Christ hating rebels.
Libya
Christians numbered around 100,000 in Libya. Thanks to U.S. policy under Obama and his top Republican interventionist cheerleader, John McCain, the entire community may have been exterminated. As of now, the country is destroyed and almost all Western diplomats have left the country. Right now, jihadists are swimming in the U.S. Embassy pool in Tripoli, the capital.
Egypt
In Egypt, there are about 10 million Christians. Thankfully, the U.S. Obama / Hillary Clinton backed Muslim Brotherhood government was overthrown by the Egyptian military.
In particular, what happened in Iraq after installing Democracy?
“Bush and his neocons in their witless crusade for democracy smashed holes in all those state structures. Their relentless insistence on general elections across the region as soon as possible fatally undermined the government of President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and brought Hamas to power in Gaza… The absurdity and futility of the Bush-Rumsfeld-Wolfowitz ‘democracy-building dream’ in Iraq is now exposed for all to see. Instead, the Islamist jihadi tidal wave is sweeping all in sight.”1
President Bush however honorable he is compared to Obama, miserably fails the test when evaluated in terms of a Christocentric policy analysis. The current slaughter of Christians would not be happening without his overthrown of Saddam Hussein. After Saddam’s removal, there is no government to counter Iranian influence in the region. The Bush foreign policy created a disastrous power vacuum.
Why would Bush want to spread democracy anywhere considering:
“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” – H.L. Mencken
In the Bush installed democracy in Iraq, how did recent prime minister Nouri al-Maliki work out? Was he a moron? How is our own current narcissistic golf playing dim whit working out? Our own moron got elected twice by promising stupid people free stuff. Democracy and Islam are not compatible. In fact, democracy and Islam equal radical Islam.
In his important study, The Heresy of Democracy (1955), Lord Percy of Newcastle declared of democracy that it is “philosophy which is nothing less than a new religion” (p. 16).2 In fact, democracy is evil!
Some thoughts supporting my last assertion:
“Democracy has nothing to do with freedom. Democracy is a soft variant of communism, and rarely in the history of ideas has it been taken for anything else.” – Hans-Herman Hoppe
“Hence it is that democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and in general have been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.” James Madison, Federalist Papers No. 10 (1787).
“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” Thomas Jefferson
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” John Adams
“Pure democracy cannot subsist long nor be carried far into the departments of state – it is very subject to caprice and the madness of popular rage.” – John Witherspoon
It is high time for Christians to wake up and stop supporting politicians who engage in nation building, and spreading the insidious form of government religion called democracy, which in the case of the Middle East is leading to the extermination of Christianity throughout the whole region!
Current U.S. foreign policy is responsible for tens of thousands of Christians in the Middle East being murdered and displaced. Ideas have consequences, and current U.S. policy has been a catastrophe for the historic Christian communities in the Middle East. Closer to home, instead of flooding America with countless hordes of Islamic immigrants, some of whom will become jihadists, we need to provide sanctuary in the U. S. for Middle Eastern Christians that have been driven from their homes.
And finally, I say that is time to pray for God to remove corrupt leaders and to raise up Godly ones who fear God and who will seek to protect Christ’s Church.
Notes:
1. Martin Sieff, Blame Iraq on George W. Bush and the GOP, is the author of several award winning books including: “The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Middle East” (Regnery, 2008). He has received three Pulitzer Prize nominations for international reporting.
2. THE HERESY OF DEMOCRACY WITH GOD by Rousas John Rushdoony [From Chalcedon Position Paper No.6]
What is a Democracy and should Christians be advancing it? by Jack Kettler
Democracy is a system of government in which all eligible citizens participate equally, either directly or indirectly. Democracy comes from the Greek language and means “rule by the people.”
The thoughtful Christian reader will ask, where is God in this form of government that by it’s definition means rule by the people? Most Christians would agree with the Psalmist and say: “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” (Psalms 119:97) The Christian wants to ruled by God, not man!
Are there an alternatives to a democracy?
Yes, living under a monarchy with a good and wise Christian king would be better. Living under a republic with a fixed constitutional body of law dependent upon biblical law would be far superior. Living under strong local independent city states would be preferable. Living in a nation with a national covenant acknowledging the King of the Universe and His law that is recorded in the revelation of the Old and New Covenants would be the best.
There is a basic problem this side of heaven. It is man’s fall into sin and the resulting consequences. When mankind fell into sin, men now try to be their own gods. Since the fall, there are two basic choices, just like there are two races of men, redeemed and unrepentant sinners. This side of heaven, there will never be a perfect government and all that those who fight the tyranny of an overreaching tyrannical state have never found a way to perfectly reign in and stop government abuse. This does not mean we should not try.
What are the two basic ethical choices of mankind?
Reformed theologian and apologist, Cornelius Van Til says: “There is no alternative but that of theonomy and autonomy.”
Theonomy comes from the Greek theos (god) and nomos (law.) Theonomy or God’s law being the standard, is the antithesis to autonomy, which is the idea that humanism or man-made law is the standard.
In the Garden of Eden God offered theonomy, or His law as the standard to determine right and wrong.
In opposition, Satan offered Adam and Eve autonomy, or humanistic self-law as seen in Genesis 3:5 “ye shall be as gods, determining right and wrong for yourselves.”
Those who love God, use His law as the defining standard between right and wrong. On the other hand, those who hate God and His law, choose man-made self-law or autonomy i.e., “rule by the people.”
In his relevant article, reformed theologian R.J. Rushdoony notes:
In his important study, The Heresy of Democracy (1955), Lord Percy of Newcastle declared of democracy that it is “philosophy which is nothing less than a new religion” (p. 16).1
Truth is determined by God, not man or a group of men. Majorities do not make right. Majorities and be very wrong as in the case of Nazi Germany and the murder of the Jewish minority. Ultimately, all democracies degenerate into tyrannies.
Some plainspoken truth about Democracy:
“Democracy is the road to socialism.” – Karl Marx
“We believe socialism and democracy are one and indivisible.” – Socialist Party U.S.A.
“Democracy has nothing to do with freedom. Democracy is a soft variant of communism, and rarely in the history of ideas has it been taken for anything else.” – Hans-Herman Hoppe
Some thoughts from the Founding Fathers on Democracy:
“Hence it is that democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and in general have been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths… A republic, by which I mean a government in which a scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect and promises the cure for which we are seeking.” James Madison, Federalist Papers No. 10 (1787).
“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!” Ben Franklin
“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” Thomas Jefferson
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” John Adams
“Between a balanced republic and a democracy, the difference is like that between order and chaos.” – Chief Justice John Marshall
“Pure democracy cannot subsist long nor be carried far into the departments of state – it is very subject to caprice and the madness of popular rage.” – John Witherspoon
A collection and survey of important insights on Democracy:
“Democracy… is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike.” – Plato
“In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme.” – Aristotle
“The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don’t have to waste your time voting.” – Charles Bukowski
“The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.” – John F. Kennedy
“Democracy is the menopause of Western society, the Grand Climacteric of the body social.” – Jean Baudrillard
“Democracy is also a form of religion. It is the worship of jackals by jackasses.” – H. L. Mencken
“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” – H.L. Mencken
“Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.” – H.L Mencken
“Democracy consists of choosing your dictators, after they’ve told you what you think it is you want to hear.” – Alan Corenk
“The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.” – Winston Churchill
“In a democracy, the majority of the citizens is capable of exercising the most cruel oppressions upon the minority” – Edmund Burke
“Democratism and its allied herd movements, while remaining loyal to the principle of equality and identity, will never hesitate to sacrifice liberty.” – Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn
“Despite popular rhetoric, democracy is not synonymous with freedom. Taking something without permission is theft, but not when the majority goes along with it and calls it taxation. Matters that should be of no interest to any other person (e.g., what a person chooses to do with his or her body) become matters of public policy when the majority says so. The recipe is fairly straightforward. All you have to do is appoint someone else to initiate force on your behalf, get enough people to pick the
same candidate, and then hide behind the waving banner of free and open elections. The syllogism goes something like: The initiation of force is wrong, so I cannot initiate force without punishment. Democratic elections are good. I help to elect someone to public office, then he or she initiates force on my behalf.” – Brian Drake
Most people are dastardly and would not rob their neighbor with a weapon, instead as Mr. Drake has just pointed out, the people use the government to steal for them.
“Parliamentary government is simply a mild and disguised form of compulsion. We agree to try strength by counting heads instead of breaking heads, but the principle is exactly the same… The minority gives way not because it is convinced that it is wrong, but because it is convinced that it is a minority.” – James Fitzjames Stephen
“I do not believe in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.” – Thomas Carlyle
“The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections.” – “It is bad to be oppressed by a minority, but it is worse to be oppressed by a majority. For there is a reserve of latent power in the masses which, if it is called into play, the minority can seldom resist.” – Lord Acton
“It is a logical absurdity to equate democracy with freedom in the way that mainstream political philosophers and commentators typically do. A system where individuals and minorities are at the mercy of unconstrained majorities hardly constitutes freedom in any meaningful sense.” – Keith Preston
“The concept of the Will of the People is dangerously arbitrary. Certainly not worthy of being the foundation of a rational and practical political system.” – Stephen Townshend
“Gang rape is democracy in action.” ~MRDA~
“Democracy is the will of the people. Every morning I am surprised to read in the newspaper what I want.” – Wim Kan, Dutch comedian
Thoughts on the inevitable results of Democracy in the civil realm:
“Every election is sort of an advance auction sale of stolen goods.”- H.L. Mencken
“Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.” – Frederic Bastiat
“Those who are asking for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion and less freedom.” – Ludwig von Mises, Austrian economist and great free market defender
Many people agree with the following sentiments on the inability to keep government growth in check:
“The only good bureaucrat is one with a pistol at his head. Put it in his hand and it’s good-bye to the Bill of Rights.” – H.L. Mencken
Speaking about the hand in the neighbor’s pocket:
“Where shall we get to and how are we to maintain progress if we increasingly adopt a way of life in which no one wants any longer to assume responsibility for himself and everyone seeks security in collectivism?” Ludwig Erhard, former German Chancellor
See Ludwig Erhard’s The German Miracle vs. the Welfare State.
“Democracy is majority rule at the expense of the minority. Our system has certain democratic elements, but the founders never mentioned democracy in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or the Declaration of Independence. In fact, our most important protections are decidedly undemocratic. For example, the First Amendment protects free speech. It doesn’t – or shouldn’t – matter if that speech is abhorrent to 51% or even 99% of the people. Speech is not subject to majority approval. Under our republican form of government, the individual, the smallest of minorities, is protected from the mob” – Ron Paul
“Democracy? I want nothing to do with a system which operates on the premise that my rights don’t exist simply because I am outnumbered.” – R. Lee Wrights
“The problem with [democracy] socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” – Margaret Thatcher
What kind of government did America have in the beginning? It was not democracy!
From the article what our fore fathers thought:
Just after the completion and signing of the Constitution, in reply to a woman’s inquiry as to the type of government the Founders had created, Benjamin Franklin said, “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
A Republic is representative government ruled by law (the United States Constitution). A Democracy is government ruled by the majority (mob rule). A Republic recognizes the unalienable rights of individuals while Democracies are only concerned with group wants or needs for the good of the public, or in other words social justice.
Lawmaking is a slow, deliberate process in our Constitutional Republic requiring approval from the three branches of government, the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches for checks and balance. Lawmaking in Democracy occurs rapidly requiring approval from the majority by polls and/or voter referendums, which in turn is mob rule 50% plus 1 vote takes away anything from the minority. Here is one example; if 51% of the people don’t pay taxes they can vote a tax increase on the 49% that do, which is mob rule.
Democracies always self-destruct when the non-productive majority realizes that it can vote itself handouts from the productive minority by electing the candidate promising the most benefits from the public treasury. To maintain their power, these candidates must adopt an ever-increasing tax and spend policy to satisfy the ever-increasing desires of the majority. As taxes increase, incentive to produce decreases, causing many of the once productive to drop out and join the non-productive. When there are no longer enough producers to fund the legitimate functions of government and the socialist programs, the democracy will collapse, always to be followed by a Dictatorship.
Even though nearly every politician, teacher, journalist and citizen believes that our Founders created a democracy, it is absolutely not true. The Founders knew full well the differences between a Republic and a Democracy and they repeatedly said that they had founded a republic in numerous quotes, and documents.
Article IV Section 4, of the Constitution “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion”, the word Democracy is not mentioned in the Constitution at all. Madison warned us of the dangers of democracies with this quote, along with more warnings from others.
Democracy forces you to be in conformity with the demands of the “will of the people,” regardless of what economic realism, common sense, or what biblical law says. Democracy obligates you to relinquish your freedom and your assets including property for the so-called “general welfare” Article 1, Section 8, today a grossly misinterpreted term. Democracy in the end, destroys freedom and property.
At first, some democracies are very particular on who is allowed into the country. There are strictly enforced immigration laws only allowing in people who have something to contribute along with secure boarders. As H.L. Mencken noted; “every election is sort of an advance auction sale of stolen goods.”
In the late stages before a democracy collapses, the politicians who promise people free things to get elected, find that many people are starting to recognize the voting scam for what it is. In order to keep the scam of democracy going, the politicians need more stupid people who cannot not recognize the political lies. In the case of the U.S. the corrupt vote buying political prostitutes (most politicians) create an open boarder disaster and start flooding the country with millions of stupid people who fall victim to specious promises of the vote buying prostitutes. The new wave of immigrant law breakers are coming for government handouts, taken from people who producers and given to non-producing bums and parasites.
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until a majority of voters discover that they can vote themselves largess out of the public treasury. From that time on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the results that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.” – Sir Alexander Fraser Tyler, Scottish historian
Consider two quotes by economic professor Hans-Herman Hoppe author of the powerful book; Democracy – The God that Failed: The Economics and Politics of Monarchy, Democracy, and Natural Order.
“What is true, just, and beautiful is not determined by popular vote. The masses everywhere are ignorant, short-sighted, motivated by envy, and easy to fool. Democratic politicians must appeal to these masses in order to be elected. Whoever is the best demagogue will win. Almost by necessity, then, democracy will lead to the perversion of truth, justice and beauty.” – Hanse-Hermann Hoppe
“Thus, if one is indeed concerned about America’s moral decay and wants to restore normalcy to society and culture, one must oppose all aspects of the modern social-welfare state. A return to normalcy requires no less than the complete elimination of the present social security system: of unemployment insurance, social security, medicare, medicaid, public education, etc.- and thus the near complete dissolution and deconstruction of the current state apparatus and government power. If one is ever to restore normalcy, government funds and power must dwindle to or even fall below their nineteenth century levels. Hence, true conservatives must be hard-line libertarians (antistatists).” – Hanse-Hermann Hoppe
Dr. Hoppe is Professor Emeritus with the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, the publisher of much of his work, and was editor of various Mises Institute periodicals.
“You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the Universe.” – John Adams
It is significant that Adams grounds these rights in the biblical God and not from government!
If a political leader is promoting democracy there are two main possibilities:
1. The politician is an ignoramus.
2. The politician is a deceiver and really intent on spreading democracy leading to socialism.
One example is, Woodrow Wilson, who was the 28th President of the United States. He said our nation’s mission is “to make the world safe for democracy.” Since then, it has been fashionable to promote this political delusion by the majority of politicians in America.
Christian Democide,* Democracy and American Foreign policy: The Bush/Soetoro Middle East Disaster
* Democide is a term defined by the political scientist R. J. Rummel as “the murder of any person or people by their government, including genocide, politicide and mass murder.” According to Rummel, democide passed war as the leading cause of non-natural death in the 20th century. Moving into the 21st Century, it show no signs of stopping.
As a Christian, I’m becoming increasingly concerned about the destruction of Christian communities around the world and the murder of tens of thousands of Christians, particularly in the Middle East. Victor Atallah is an Egyptian born Orthodox Presbyterian missionary to the Middle East, based in Cyprus. Mr. Atallah told me personally that he had visited Iraq and Baghdad prior to Saddam Hussein’s overthrow by the Bush regime and how there were two large Reformed churches in Baghdad. It is uncertain of these churches existence today. At the time Mr. Ahallah radio broadcast from Cyprus was heard in Iraq and bearing fruit. Mr. Atallah works with MEFF the Middle East Reformed Fellowship. This ministry is worthy of your support.
Saddam Hussein, as bad as he was, kept the warring Muslim factions in check and protected the Christian community, which dated back to biblical times. Iraq under Saddam Hussein did not have democracy, nor were weapons of mass destruction found, yet there was freedom for Christians, some even served in high government position such as the one time Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.
A little about the Bush mission in Iraq and democracy. The promotion of democracy as essential to nation building was fundamental to the George W. Bush’s war on terrorism and his general strategy for advancement for freedom around the world.
George W. Bush opened his second term with a promise to the people of the United States and the world – vowing to “promote democracy both at home and abroad.”
While speaking to the National Endowment for Democracy, President Bush called for “democracy in the Middle East.”
The biblical doctrine of a just war should be a standard Christians should require be met before supporting a nation’s war effort, not spreading of democracy. The Bush Iraq war did not even come close to meeting this standard.
A main component of “The Bush Doctrine” on foreign policy was supporting and promoting democracy around the world, especially in the Middle East. This idea of spreading democracy was a key principle behind Bush’s invasion of Iraq. Bush thought that the Iraqis were no different from us, they wanted democracy. As will be seen, this has been an unmitigated disaster for Christians in Iraq.
Excerpts from the article: Blame Iraq on George W. Bush and the GOP
“However, Bush and his neocons in their witless crusade for democracy smashed holes in all those state structures. Their relentless insistence on general elections across the region as soon as possible fatally undermined the government of President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and brought Hamas to power in Gaza.
After Bush left office, the crazed and incessant calls for instant democracy across the Middle East did not cease. President Obama, to his credit, finally resisted immense pressure to send U.S. armed forces to aid the rebels against President Bashir Assad in Syria. That civil war has over the past four years killed at least 100,000 people and the opposition forces, which New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman and many others championed for so long, is now dominated by ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
In Egypt, Gaza, Iraq, Libya and Syria, the story has been exactly the same. The U.S. drive to promote democracy so eagerly embraced by George W. Bush and his second secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, fatefully undermined existing regimes and opened the way to full scale civil wars and uprisings in which the small, weak and naïve middle class secular genuine democrats were quickly swept aside by formidable extreme Islamists. No wonder that experienced and responsible rulers in the region such as old King Abdullah ibn Abdelaziz of Saudi Arabia despaired of U.S. policymakers.
American policymakers and the arrogant, ignorant, self-righteous media pundits who fed them their “ideas” created the Rube Goldberg joke that is the current government and constitution of “democratic” Iraq. And the army they created has proven as loyal, reliable and strong as the puppet armies that the British Empire tried to create in Iraq before them.
I documented this whole, sorry story and predicted the rapid collapse of the Iraqi “democracy” after U.S. forces pulled out in my 2008 book The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Middle East.
Only the reliable but increasingly exhausted forces of the U.S. armed forces prevented this collapse until now. And it was George W. Bush, not even Obama, who made the fateful concession to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki before Bush left office that U.S. forces would soon pull out according to a set timetable. Yet U.S. power was all that ever held up the whole sorry “house of cards” in Iraq. So now it all is coming tumbling down.
The absurdity and futility of the Bush-Rumsfeld-Wolfowitz “democracy-building” dream in Iraq is now exposed for all to see. Instead, the Islamist jihadi tidal wave is sweeping all in sight.” – Martin Sieff (underlining emphasis mine)
Martin Sieff is the author of several award winning books including: “The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Middle East” (Regnery, 2008). He has received three Pulitzer Prize nominations for international reporting.
What happens to Christians around the world when current U.S. Policy promoting Democracy moves in?
Iraq
In Iraq, Christians numbered about 1,500,000 to 2 million in 2003, representing just over 5% of the population of the country. This is before the Bush/Soetoro disaster. Now there are fewer and 500,000. This was the estimate before the Sunni Jihadists started rampaging through the country to establish the caliphate and a nation base for their savage blood thirsty plans to conquer the whole world.
Syria
The total number of Christians, in Syria not including Iraqi refugee Christians, numbers about 1.7 million or about 12% of the population. In Syria, both Christians and Muslims serve in the military under president Assad. Right now, the Syrians under president Assad are fighting for their lives against the Jihadist backed U.S. Christ hating rebels.
Libya
Christians number around 100,000 in Libya. Thanks to U.S. Policy under Barry Soetoro and John McBama the entire community may have been exterminated. As of now, the country is destroyed and almost all Western diplomats have left the country. We should not forget the four Americans killed in Libya, Ambassador Chris Stevens, information officer Sean Smith, and former navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.
Egypt
In Egypt, there are about 10 million Christians. Thankfully, the U.S. Soetoro backed Jihadist Muslim Brotherhood government was overthrown by the Egyptian military.
It is high time for Christians to wake up and stop supporting politicians who promise to promote democracy, which in the case of the Middle East is leading to the extermination of Christianity throughout the whole region!
Why are almost all modern American politicians promoting a godless form of government called democracy? Democracy is the road to Socialism and responsible for ten of thousands of Christians in the Middle East being murdered and displaced.
Another good book:
Beyond Democracy: Why democracy does not lead to solidarity, prosperity and liberty but to social conflict, runaway spending and a tyrannical government
by Frank Karsten and Karel Beckman
“Just finished reading the thing. Fantastic. Great work. Congratulations.” Hans-Hermann Hoppe, author of ‘Democracy: The God That Failed’ “This book has massive explanatory power. It can liberate your mind.” Jeffrey Tucker, executive editor of Laissez Faire Books Democracy is widely considered to be the best political system imaginable. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that democracy has become a secular religion. The largest political faith on earth. To criticize the democratic ideal is to risk being regarded an enemy of civilized society. Yet that is precisely what Karel Beckman and Frank Karsten propose to do. In this provocative and highly readable book, they tackle the last political taboo: the idea that our salvation lies in democracy. With simple, straightforward arguments they show that democracy, in contrast to popular belief, does not lead to freedom, civilization, prosperity, peace, and the rule of law, but the opposite: to loss of freedom, social conflict, runaway government spending, a lower standard of living and the subversion of individual rights. They debunk 13 great myths with which democracy is usually defended. What is more, they offer an appealing alternative: a society based on individual freedom and voluntary social relations. Do you wonder why government keeps growing bigger and the public debt keeps getting higher, while your freedom and prosperity look ever more threatened? After reading his book, you won’t wonder anymore – you know why it is happening and what can be done about it. Beyond Democracy is a groundbreaking and fascinating book for everyone who wants to better understand current social problems and the economic crisis. More info at: http://beyonddemocracy.net/
I strongly recommend Dr. Hoppe’s book; Democracy – the God that Failed and the above title.
In conclusion some thoughts from R.J. Rushdoony:
“The heresy of democracy has since then worked havoc in church and state.” R.J. Rushdoony, The Institutes of Biblical Law, Vol. 1. p. 100.
“Because the modern state, in all its variations, is based on Rousseau’s concept of the infallible general will, it is moving steadily towards totalitarianism, seeking total power over man.” Continuing he says; “We are therefore in a state of war, war between heaven and humanism, war between the Almighty God and the totalitarian state, war between the scientific planners, predictors, and controllers, war between God and all those who deny His infallibility.” R.J. Rushdoony Systematic Theology, Vol. 1 p. 6-7.
Arab Winter Comes to America: The Truth About the War We’re In
by Robert Spencer
Regnery Publishing
Robert Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch, and the author of thirteen books, including two New York Times bestsellers, The Truth About Muhammad and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades).
In addition to being a prolific author, Robert Spencer has conducted seminars on Islam and jihad for the United States Central Command, United States Army Command and General Staff College, the U.S. Army’s Asymmetric Warfare Group, the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the U.S. intelligence community.
Some important testimonials on Robert Spencer:
“Armed with facts and fearlessness, Spencer stands up for Western civilization.” – Michelle Malkin
“A national treasure…The acclaimed scholar of Islam.” – Frank Gaffney, Center for Security Policy
“A courageous, fearless warrior…a voice in the wilderness.” – Monica Crowley
“Robert Spencer incarnates intellectual courage when, all over the world, governments, intellectuals, churches, universities and media crawl under a hegemonic Universal Caliphate’s New Order. His achievement in the battle for the survival of free speech and dignity of man will remain as a fundamental monument to the love of, and the self-sacrifice for, liberty.” – Bat Ye’or
“Robert Spencer is indefatigable. He is keeping up the good fight long after many have already given up. I do not know what we would do without him. I appreciate all the intelligence and courage it takes to keep going despite the appeasement of the West.” – Ibn Warraq
Robert Spencer is my favorite scholar and researcher on the Mohammedan religiously held political ideology. His newest book, Arab Winter Comes to America: The Truth About the War We’re In is important and necessary for those monitoring the 7th Century medieval religion of regressive Arab culture that is spreading worldwide and threatening Western freedoms like those listed in the U.S. Bill of Rights.
In Spencer’s latest book, you will learn why the current administration has chosen to placate rather than take on Islamic Jihadist apologists in the United States and Jihadist terrorists around the world. Spencer documents how Muslim alleged civil right groups are pressuring the media, cities, states and the federal government to censor critics of Islam (155-158). This is done by accusing critics of Islamophobia, a made up term with no basis in reality. Our current spineless leaders like those in the State Department when pressured by the Muslim Brotherhood, simply ask how high are they to jump? (112)
Obama appointed CIA director, John Brennan, who himself is probably a secret convert to Islam (see John Guandolo, author of Raising a Jihadi Generation’s research) when approached by Farhana Khera of the Muslim Advocates on alleged offensive law enforcement training material presented by Spencer at training sessions should not be used. What did Brennan do, he folds without so much as a peep (138-144).
Additionally, Spencer documents how so-called Muslim civil rights groups are pressuring Muslims in America not to cooperate with law enforcement in their attempts of identify Jihadist terrorist recruitment and training activity (132-134).
The so-called “Arab Spring” is about to wreak havoc and mayhem here in America. Americans need to inform themselves of the threat and ensure that their elected government in Washington takes action. The Islamic State in Iraq and Levant or Syria (ISIL) are currently rampaging across Iraq and trying to overthrow the government of Syria. Their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi vowed to bring terror to New York City, when he was released by the current administration, as preacher of the religion of peace.
Chapter Fifteen titled: “Where We Are Headed” (225-242) is a frightening dark prophecy envisioning what could happen if America remains on it’s current course of denial and refusal to even allow public discourse on the spread of Islamic supremacy. Events in this chapter are imaginary and hypothetical but unfortunately almost certain to happen unless all freedom loving people wake up and pressure public leaders to come to grips with the situation and reject suicidal political correctness which is killing the 1st Amendment to the Bill of Rights!
What others are saying about this book:
“As Robert Spencer demonstrates with his signature blend of intellectual rigor and fearlessness, our continued refusal to grapple with the ideology that fuels jihadism has significantly increased the terrorist threat here at at home. When you pretend your enemies are your friends, you don’t get peace, you get terror.” – Andrew C. McCarthy, bestselling author of Willful Blindness and The Grand Jihad, policy fellow at the National Review Institute, and contributing editor at National Review
“Spencer’s helpful survey of efforts to impose Islamic law on Americans irrefutably shows he dangers of succumbing to a medieval code.” – Daniel Pipes, president of the Middle East Forum and author of In the Path of God: Islam and Political Power and Militant Islam Reaches America
“This book is a wake-up call that every one of our elected representatives and law enforcement and intelligence officials should heed. Robert Spencer shows the price of the prevailing refusal to study the ideology of Islamic jihad terrorists and that price is only going to rise, unless the lessons of this book are heeded.” – Steven Emerson, The Investigative Project
“Robert Spencer has been banned in Great Britain, canceled in Massachusetts and shunned by the Obama administration. So what is it about Spencer’s insights on Islam and the jihadist threat that has the Left and its smooth-talking Islamist allies in the West so eager to silence him? Look no further than Arab Winter Comes to America. Bold, eloquent, witty and uncompromising in its assessment of the massive Islamic jihadi penetration of a feckless West, it is vintage Spencer. Snatch it up and give copies to your friends, family and neighbors while you still can and before the Spencer censors come to your town.” – Erick Stakelbeck, Author, The Brotherhood: America’s Next Great Enemy and host of CBN’s “The Watchman” program
“Robert Spencer shows in this book just how serious the situation has become regarding the jihad against the U.S. Few people realize how much our government, law enforcement and media elites have endangered us all with their denial of the jihad threat. But it’s all in this book, along with a pathway back to sanity. If the West is to be saved, we will owe Robert Spencer an incalculable debt.” – Pamela Geller, President, American Freedom Defense Initiative, and author of The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration’s War On America
In closing, it cannot be said any better why this book and Spencer’s other books should be read:
“You simply cannot seriously argue about the question of the conflict between Islam and modernity if you have not carefully read his work.” – Standpoint Magazine
Mr. Kettler is the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read.
The Brotherhood: America’s Next Great Enemy
By Eric Stakelbeck
Regnery Publishing
Eric Stakelbeck is a terrorism expert for CBN News. He covers the growing threat of radical Islam here in America, Europe and around the world. He is the host of the weekly CBN program, Stakelbeck on Terror.
In this work, Stakelbeck makes the case that “Al Ikhawn Al Muslimum,” the Muslim Brotherhood (M.B.), is probably today the primary threat to the Christian West in the 21st Century.
To make matters worse, our current leader who was one time known as Barry Soetoro has befriended and takes parenting advice from the Islamic supremacist, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who admires Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf, and whose country (Turkey) has never acknowledged or repented of the genocide committed against millions of Armenians and Greek minorities during the early part of the 20th Century. Shockingly, Erdogan has said: “Democracy is like a train that takes you to your destination and you get off.” Next stop, Grand Sharia station. (166)
Stakelbeck draws attention to the insane policy in Europe with lax immigration laws, suicidal multicultural policies, and draconian political correctness. (94) Unfortunately, this same policy for surrender to the medieval genocidal religion of backward Arab culture is moving full steam ahead in America.
Stekelbeck points out the flawed policy of the Obama administration’s naive belief that they can flip die -hard revolutionary Islamists into becoming reliable American allies. (273)
After reading Stakelbeck’s book, I predict that the following trends will begin to manifest themselves in the U.S. following the pattern already emerging in Europe, which is well on its way and probably doomed to become Eurabia:
Muslims will begin wielding increasing pressure on business, schools, cities and states, demanding and obtaining special privileges allowing them to practice sharia laws in effect creating a separate legal system. Critics of Islam will be denounced as Islamaphobes by a complicit and compliant media. Individuals who speak out against the Muhammadan onslaught and its threat to Constitutional freedom will be subjected to lawsuits designed to bankrupt them into silence.
Muslim clerics will begin issuing Fatwās or death threats against those who speak out against the Koran and Mohammad. At some point as their numbers increase, Muslims will begin rioting and begin outright assaults on Christians and Jews while shouting “allahu akbar.”
Armed Muslim groups will start attacking their critics and Muslim gangs will start raping non-Muslim women (a reality in Europe) who do not adhere to Islamic dress codes. Muslim enclaves in larger cities will become off limits to non-Muslims and even the police will stay out of these areas effectively turning certain areas into separatist zones where the U.S. laws will not be enforced.
Hopefully, Stekelbeck’s book receives a wide hearing, especially in the evangelical community. Stakelbeck has a multi pointed program to turn things around (274, 275) and will work if implemented. The biggest challenge to Stakelbeck’s program will be overcoming politically correct ignoramus media talking heads and cowardly politicians who only have one goal, namely, getting re-elected.
Mr. Kettler is the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read.
What about the medical use of marijuana? Is it legitimate? by Jack Kettler
In this article I will defend the use of marijuana for medical purposes. My lines of argumentation will be as follows:
1. An appeal to a proper understanding of Scripture.
2. An appeal to medical science.
3. An appeal to the Constitution.
4. An appeal to entrepreneurial-ship.
Contrary to official government propaganda, Cannabis Sativa has been used as medicine in many of the world’s cultures for thousands of years. More importantly, the use of marijuana for medical use and even recreational use is not a conservative or liberal issue. It is a constitutional freedom issue! A case in point, conservative Christian columnist, Michelle Malkin, has powerfully defended the medical use of marijuana as a freedom issue. Links to articles on this topic will follow in section 3.
I invite you to be the jury and evaluate my thesis on medical marijuana. To qualify to be on the jury you must watch the: Dr. Sanjay Gupta CNN Special – Documentary “Weed” part one and two This two part documentary is positive anecdotal evidence from medical doctors and scientific researchers. Links are listed below in section two.
The CNN documentary is balanced and warns about dangers of marijuana use among young people and how it may arrest brain development. In addition, prolonged recreation abuse in some people may cause psychiatric problems. A close family member, is in a managerial position at a state run mental health facility. In this facility, there are a number of people who have ongoing mental health issues traced to marijuana and other drugs, that have been abuse. As tragic as it is, the amount of people this happens to is statistically insignificant compared to deaths from legally prescribed drugs.
First off, I’m coming from the position, which is committed to alternative complimentary therapies that can assist the best in allopathic medicine. This includes required daily nutritional intake, dietary supplements, herbals, homeopathy, energy medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic, and medical marijuana.
A little history on medical freedom that never was:
One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a doctor, educator and politician. Dr. Rush was a member of the Continental Congress and was a member of the Pennsylvania Convention that ratified the US Constitution. He became a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and was a founder of the first American Antislavery society. Rush Medical College in Chicago is named after him.
In addition to Dr. Rush’s amazing career in medicine he had one very significant idea that he wanted added to the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Dr. Rush believed that the right to Medical Freedom should be imprinted into the Bill of Rights and was just as important as the right to Freedom of Speech and Religion. His thoughts were incredibly accurate given today’s political climate. The following is a quote from Dr. Rush’s argument before the American Continental Congress:
“Unless we put Medical Freedom into the Constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize into an undercover dictatorship….to restrict the art of healing to one class of men, and deny equal privilege to others, will be to constitute the Bastille of Medical Science. All such laws are UN-American and despotic, and have no place in a Republic…The Constitution of this Republic should make special privilege for Medical Freedom as well as Religious Freedom.”
Unfortunately, the right to medical freedom was not added to the Bill of Rights in the Constitution, and now we have the government, medical and pharmaceutical groups working together to limit our health choices. In short, we have a monstrous medical monopoly enforced by the increasingly compromised and corrupt FDA along with the Federal Trade Commissions (FTC) which routinely censors truthful health claims. See my The Pharmaceutical Drug Cartel and the FDA
The early church theologian Origen allegedly said: “no one would act rationally in avoiding medicine because of it’s heresies. The Bible does not tell us to refuse medicine, it tells us to refuse sorcery. We are free to use medicines in the purposes that God designed them to be used, and are to acknowledge Him concerning them.”
Marijuana laws in America:
Briefly, in 1937 the Marijuana Tax Act was introduced in the U.S. Congress. With this legislation it became mandatory for sellers to acquire a license from the government. In the beginning, outright prohibition was not in view. The Bureau of Narcotics Commissioner, Harry Anslinger testified in hearings on marijuana, that it had to be banned because the so-called inferior peoples would get hopped up on a reefer and go mad and start committing crimes. This “boogie man” populist argument worked extremely well during the time when the Nazi, Sanger, eugenics movement was popular.
Supposedly, an out right ban on hemp was not in view. However, the government workers who were suppose to issue the licenses to sell hemp products, refused to do so, and De Facto prohibition started. From then on, government propaganda machine against marijuana literally exploded with idiotic films like “Reefer Madness.” There is much more that can be said about various businesses at the time that used the power of government to put hemp manufacturers out of business in order to promote their own modern synthetic fabrics. This happens frequently in business. In particular, large corporate manufacturers often support massive government regulations because new start up companies can never over-come the regulatory hurdles to become a viable competitors.
Introduction to an appeal to a proper understanding Scriptures:
Today, conservative Christians are generally the biggest opponents of medical marijuana research and use. One reason I’m writing this article, is to challenge faulty legalistic thinking on the subject. If the Scripture does not forbid something, it would be legalism for the church to forbid what Scripture has not. When doing research on the topic of drug use, correct biblical understanding is crucial. The understanding of word pharmakeia and related words are essential to arrive at a biblically balanced position on the topic. Are there restrictions or contextual limits in our understanding of pharmakeia?
It may come as a surprise, there are many web sites that put forth the idea that there is a connection between pharmakeia and medical doctor prescribed drugs and sorcery. These web sites condemn all pharmaceutical drugs prescribed by a doctor. Is this reasonable or biblical? Are antibiotics drugs like penicillin and high blood pressure medicine connected to sorcery, or witchcraft? Most Christians after serious reflection upon Scripture would hesitate to draw these conclusions. In the case of marijuana for medical use, many Christians, dismiss this possibility out of hand, and fall back upon what I hope demonstrate is a reaction caused by an improper biblical understanding, that attempts to make a connection of pharmakeia (pharmacy, drug store) with drug use, and sorcery.
Unfortunately, many modern Christians accept the present drug laws because of a faulty understanding of pharmakeia. As a result, we have had a nearly a 100 year failed drug war by our federal government against a plant. Literally, tens of thousands of lives have been destroyed for no compelling biblical reason. Police departments, the courts, and politicians have been corrupted because of the huge profits obtained from property seizures and under the table payoffs for officials to keep silent by cash rich drug cartels. No doubt, some will say that “we have to do something.” We do, it is called personal responsibility.
1. An appeal to a proper understanding of Scripture.
Does the bible condemn using a plant like marijuana for medical purposes? Let’s start by looking at the following Scriptures?
“And the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after its kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:12) (underlining emphasis mine)
“God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.” “And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:29-31)
God calls His creation good. Does this include cannabis sativa?
As and aside, wine is mentioned in the bible and since it can be used in moderation or abused, has some comparative similarities to the use of other plants that can be abused or used for good purposes. For example, wine is used during religious occasions such as Passover and the Lord’s Supper. Jesus began his public life by miraculously turning water into real fermented wine at the Wedding at Cana when the party ran out of it’s supply. (John 2:1-10)
Wine is used as a sacrament in a majority of church services around the world by the very command of Christ himself. The use of wine is sanctioned by our Lord, in spite of the fact that it is also abused. The bible clearly condemns drunkenness. Gluttony is condemned in Scripture, and yet God provides the blessings of food in due season for His people.
The Scriptures distinguish between use and misuse. The bible says:
“Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.” (Proverbs 31:6-7) “but Woe unto them that … follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them.” (Isaiah 5:10)
There is a principle of Scripture in the Proverbs passage of showing mercy. Today, this principle can be met by prescribed medicines that are more effective in pain management than strong drink.
The blessing of drinking wine is mentioned in Scripture. “He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man and oil to make his face to shineth.” (Psalms 104:14-15)
“And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?” (Judges 9:13)
“And the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare with the burnt offering or sacrifice, for one lamb.” (Numbers 15:5)
Wine can be abused, yet God commands wine to be offered to Him for a drink offering in the Old Testament.
This next passage gets right to the heart of the matter:
“Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; that which cometh out of the mouth defileth a man.” (Matthew 15:11)
It is not that which goes into a man’s mouth that defiles him, but what comes out of his mouth. If something bad is coming out of a man’s mouth, it is a spiritual heart problem. Taking a puff of marijuana, or taking orally, a refined plant chemical from the cannabis plant or sipping some alcohol does not defile a man. This type of argument is no different than “the devil made me do it.” Giving in to the fleshly desires of the “Old Man,” or “Old Self” (Colossians 3:9-10) is where the real problem is found.
The apostle Paul adds additional information on Christ’s teaching:
“I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. …” “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:14, 17)
This passage from Romans would of include cannabis sativa as not being unclean.
“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” (1 Corinthians 10:23)
Does this include marijuana? I would say that recreational marijuana is not expedient, but medical marijuana does fall under the category of mercy by alleviating pain, and other health conditions, and is lawful.
What do the Scriptures say about drug use and the connection with the Greek word pharmakeia and its derivatives?
I’ve collected a number of references to pharmakeia and related words from on-line sources such as the Strong’s Concordance, the Web Net Dictionary, and the Greek-English Dictionary to gain a better scriptural understanding on the subject.
The Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines the word pharmakeia as follows:
5331 φαρμακεια pharmakeia, far-mak-i’-ah; from 5332; medication (“pharmacy” [pharmaceutical]) i.e. (by extens.) magic (lit. or fig.):-sorcery, witchcraft.5332 φαρμακενς pharmakeus, far-mak-yoos’; from φαρμακον pharmakon (a drug or medicine, a spell giving potion); a druggist (“pharmacist”) or poisoner, i.e. (by extens.) a magician:-sorcerer.5333 φαρμακος pharmakos, far-mak-os’; the same as 5332:-sorcerer.
Pharmakeia farmakeia, pharmakeia Pronunciation: far-mak-i’-ah Origin: from 5332
Definition:
1) the use or the administering of drugs
2) poisoning
3) sorcery, magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it
4) metaphor, the deceptions and seductions of idolatry from 5332; medication (“pharmacy”), i.e. (by extension) magic (literally or figuratively):-sorcery, witchcraft. See the Greek for 5332
pharmakeus farmakeuv pharmakeus
Pronunciation: far-mak-yoos’
Origin: from pharmakon (a drug, i.e. spell-giving potion)
Definition:
1) one who prepares or uses magical remedies
2) sorcerer from pharmakon (a drug, i.e. spell-giving potion); a druggist
(“pharmacist”) or poisoner, i.e. (by extension) a magician:-sorcerer.
Word Net Dictionary:
Noun sorcery has 1 sense
sorcery (n = noun cognition) black art, black magic, necromancy – the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world; is a kind of magic, thaumaturgy has particulars: witchcraft, witchery, bewitchment, enchantment, demonism, diabolism, satanism, obiism Derived forms verb sorcerise1, verb sorcerize1, adjective sorcerous1
Noun pharma has 1 sense
pharma (n = noun group) drug company, pharmaceutical company – a company that makes and sells pharmaceuticals; is this kind of company.
The first choice while not dealing with all of the possible connections stemming from pharmakeia and sorcery does justice to the biblical data. The second choice also draws conclusions warranted by the biblical data. Said another way, it is clear that there is a connection between pharmakeia, drug use, sorcery, and idolatry. In light of the second choice, it is not clear that there is a connection between pharmakeia, medicine, plant chemicals, naturopaths, homeopaths, and herbalists who use alternative and natural medicines, sorcery, and idolatry. Pharmakeia means poison, sorcery and should not be confused with pharmakon, which can mean medicine.
Pharmakeia and its related word forms appear four times in the Book of Revelation as follows:
“Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries (Pharmakeia), nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” (Revelation 9:21)
”And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (Pharmakeia) were all nations deceived.” (Revelation 18:23)
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers (pharmakon), and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
“For without are dogs, and sorcerers (pharmakeus), and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” (Revelation 22:15)
Comments on the passages from Revelation:
There are differing views regarding the interpretation of the book of Revelation. Four common views are the historicist (a method of interpretation which associates biblical prophecies with actual historical events), preterist (past fulfillment), futurist (future fulfillment), and the idealist (called the spiritual, allegorical, or non-literal approach) views. The book of Revelation belongs to a class of literature called “apocalyptic.” The bible uses many literary forms. For example, it uses genera’s such as; law, historical narrative, wisdom, poetical, gospel, didactic letters, or epistles, predictive, and apocalyptic literature.
In light of the fact that we are dealing with a special genera of biblical literature, namely, “apocalyptic,” and there are a least four major schools of interpretation that involve rather substantial differences, it is probably best not to use these passages from Revelation to build an iron clad case of binding moral doctrine. Instead, we should look to the didactic portions of Scripture.
The epistle to the Galatians is a didactic portion of Scripture and it lists pharmakeia or pharmacy as works of the flesh for which those doing such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. It should be noted that the Galatians passage in the only other passage outside the book of Revelation where we find the Greek word pharmakeia.
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft (pharmakeia), hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:19-23)
Pharmakeia in this verse is clearly connected to the works of the flesh, not doctors or medicine! The context is essential for correct exegetical interpretation.
Ask yourself, in light of the usage of pharmakeia, and related words, is your family doctor involved in sorcery or witchcraft? If so, should you stop going to your doctor? Is your doctor prescribing drugs that induce demonic spiritual experiences? The connection between pharmakeia and sorcery is when a drug concoction is used to induce a spiritual experience. Unfortunately, many Christians have used faulty logic in making connection that is not there between medicine, herbals, sorcery, and idolatry.
The fact that the modern word pharmacy is derived from the Greek pharmakeia, does not prove medical doctors are practicing sorcery. On the contrary, the biblical usage and condemnation is valid when the word pharmakeia carries with it the invoking of, or promotion of idol worship, which is why it is consistently rendered in Scripture as sorcery, and not herbs, medicine. The connection to sorcery is referring to a drug-induced spell in order to commune with the evil spirits.
Therefore, we must understand that Paul’s prohibition of pharmakeia as described in Galatians 5:19-20, in describing the works of the flesh, as a clear indictment of “sorcery,” not of going to the doctor or using properly prescribed medicine or herbals. The gospel writer Luke was a physician, was he practicing sorcery? What about Christian missionary doctors? The astute reader can see how absurd this hard fast connection between pharmakeia, doctors, and medicine.
Moreover, it can be asserted that using medical marijuana prescribed by a doctor is not the same thing as sorcery. Just because many people believe that pharmakeia always equates to sorcery does not make it so. If this were true, it follows logically, that we should not take any prescription medicines, use herbals or go to doctors. As noted, there are many websites that teach that any use of pharmaceutical drugs prescribed by doctors is sorcery. These claims are wrong and a misuse of Scripture and usually associated with futuristic end times mania theology.
Similarly, using marijuana for recreational use is not necessarily sorcery. Recreational drug use in most cases is nothing more than an escape from reality or a seriously skewed view of recreation. It is similar to the abuse of other drugs. For example, alcohol abuse leads to sexual sins, violence, addiction, destruction of families, inability to hold a job. And yet, as seen above, God gave wine to make the heart merry and to remind His people of the shed blood of His Son on the cross in communion.
There is an obvious downside to drug or alcohol abuse. No one wants their children to become dependent on, or injured using drugs or alcohol. As will be seen, the answer is not massive government prohibition programs that can never work, even with the best of intentions.
Concluding this section; suggesting that consuming herbals or prescription medicine is sorcery is contrary to the teaching of Scripture in it’s broader context. If the bible meant that medicine is sorcery, no doctor would be able to prescribe medication without breaking God’s law. If doctors are “sorcerers,” no Christian would be able to take medication to recover from strep throat, reduce high blood pressure and many other ailments. Hence, it should be clear, that there are limits when connecting pharmakeia with drug-induced spiritual idolatrous sorcery.
Scripture does not condemn or ban pharmaceutical drugs, or plant based medicines. Scripture does warn in the strongest terms against drugs connected to idolatrous worship and mind control. If the Scriptures do not condemn or ban something, neither should the church. The church can say that not all things are expedient and not all things work towards having a sound mind. Beyond this, if the church legislates, it is legalism because of going beyond Scripture.
What are modern day examples of drugs being used for evil religious purposes?
Sorcery has unmistakable dark spiritual connections. In the Caribbean, for example, marijuana, is called ganja, and is considered to be “holy” and is used by the Rastafarians. They consider this a sacrament in their false idolatrous worship and a way to get closer to, and understand God.
American Indians in the Southwest have made use of peyote in their religious rituals. Additionally, there are satanic religions like Voodoo, Santeria, and Eastern Religions ceremonies that have been connected to drug use. These are examples of what the Scriptures speak against regarding pharmakeia and sorcery. I would speculate that a pimp using drugs to addict a women and forcer her into prostitution would also fall under the condemnation of pharmakeia and drug-induce control.
In summary and to be clear, I do not encourage the recreational use of drugs. As stated, it is an escape from reality. As Christians, we are to be of sound minds (2 Timothy 1:7). Unfortunately, we live in the era of big government. Big government thrives on a crisis. A crisis real or perceived, is always an excuse for the expansion of government. Think about all the government wars on this or that. How has the war on poverty worked out? According to Fox News, over, the last 50 years, the government spent more than $16 trillion to fight poverty with no success. What about the war on cancer? And, the war on obesity? How are the pro-big-government, i.e., public schools performing?
Some argue that we should keep present drug laws in place, because if it saves just one life, it is worth it. Really? If that is a workable standard, let’s save 50 thousand lives a year by reducing the national speed limit to 5 mile per hour. Not only would that save thousands of lives, it would also prevent many thousands of injuries. We could also ban alcohol and cigarettes because that would save thousands of lives.
Most people will understand that we could save lives using bans like this. If cars were banned, there would be no automobile deaths. If the first example of reducing the speed limit to 5 miles per hour were implemented, the economy would collapse as commerce would come to a standstill. The second example has already been tried via a constitutional amendment which failed miserably. Society is willing to tolerate a certain amount of loss to keep goods and services moving with present speed limit laws.
The war on drugs has been colossal failure. Government involvement in education produces nothing but mediocrity and citizens devoid of any knowledge of biblical morality. Big government bureaucracies have a built in vested interest never to solve a problem. Once created, the bureaucracy will never put it self out of business by winning the war or solving the problem. There is a huge price paid for asking the fed gov for total protection, namely, the loss of freedom and the empowerment of the surveillance state. A little popular wisdom notes; “Everything the government touches, turns to crap.” – Ringo Starr
The answer is not the expansion of government, but expansion of Christ’s kingdom through the preaching of the gospel. When people are converted to Christ, and begin to mature in Christ, they learn principles of biblical living which is the solution and bulwark against the temptations of the flesh. Modern government programs are devoid of biblical principles, and doomed to fail. Christ tells us to build our house upon a rock or a strong foundation. We don’t need unending government wars to protect us, we need Christ. Just as in the old temperance movement and alcohol, modern day-Christians have made the same mistake of going down the failed path of prohibition. Do we really want a total regulatory state run by a bunch of parasitic busy-bodies?
Faulting thinking:
In the past, when hearing someone use passages in Genesis favorably regarding marijuana, I would respond by saying, what about Hemlock? I thought that this response took the wind out of the sails of those referring to the Genesis passages for a justification for using all plants for good uses including marijuana. Some simple research exposed my faulty thinking.
Well, what about Hemlock?
Hemlock to be sure is a poisonous plant. Hemlock is native to Europe and western Asia and was introduced into North America as an ornamental plant. Despite serious safety concerns, the leaves, root, and seeds of Hemlock are used to make medicine. It is used for breathing problems including bronchitis, whooping cough, and asthma; and for painful conditions including teething in children, swollen and painful joints, and cramps.
Hemlock is also used for anxiety and mania. Other uses include treatment of spasms tumors, skin infections, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Sydenham’s chorea, and bladder infections. Hemlock has also been used to reverse strychnine poisoning. Hemlock is poisonous and dangerous, yet also beneficial.
What about Heroin? Is it good? Are there beneficial uses?
Heroin is a synthetic derivative of morphine. Heroin or diacetylmorphine is a strong analgesic pain killer medication. In the England and the Netherlands, heroin is available legally with proper prescription by an appropriate physician. The National Health Service (NHS) in Britain recommends giving it to people in extreme pain, people in surgery and women in labor because it works for pain relief in just several short minutes. It is a very effective pain killer. For patients with terminal conditions, it is merciful to help ease pain in end of life cases.
It follows that while a substance may be abused, that very same substance can have positive uses. I would argue that this is true of marijuana. It can be abused and used as an escape mechanism, or used for an increasing number of known beneficial uses. More on this in the next section.
According to the federal government, marijuana is a scheduled 1, highly addictive narcotic substance.
This is a bald face lie on the part of the fed gov. Marijuana is psychologically habit forming but not a physically addictive drug like legal nicotine found in cigarettes. My own experience with marijuana made it easy to quit, since I concluded that it was an anti-social experience and a vocabulary killer due to the unredeemed time, sitting around spaced-out. With nicotine in cigarettes, it took me over five years to win the battle against addition. Government is dependent on massive tax revenues collected on addictive dangerous nicotine products, no conflict of interest here.
2. An appeal to medical science:
For general health and well-being, I agree with the following two quotes:
“All that mankind needs for good health and healing is provided by God in nature… the challenge to science is to find it.” Paracelsus, the father of Pharmacology
“Let your food be your medicine, let your medicine be your food.” Hippocrates 320 BC
Paracelsus and Hippocrates are recognizing by God’s common grace that God created seed bearing herbs for food and subsequent health. The nutrition in plants and animals become the raw material building blocks for new cells. The key is using the rich phyto-nutrients and chemicals in plants and proteins and nutrients from the animal kingdom for the basic building blocks for optimal cellular makeup.
To briefly elaborate on this; one of the ways the structure and function of cells are determined is by the nature of nutrition supplied into the body. Plant chemicals and nutrition from food sources are the raw material that goes into the ongoing creation of new cellular structures. For this process to happen correctly you need to have vital essential nutrition in your body. Nutrition when ingested in the body is broken down into micro-nutrients which become the building blocks or parts used in the making of the cells in your body.
All of the recognized groups of nutrition are vital for improving cellular structure and function by supporting the physiological functions of repair, regeneration, and other immune defense mechanisms of the body. In some cases, special intake of plant chemicals are needed by the body. What I am saying is that the body repairs itself and nutrition provides the molecules necessary to accomplish this. When this happens, these are not a drug effects, it is normal physiology, in other words the biochemistry of the body is being changed nutritionally and because of this I am not claiming that nutritional products, herbals, or other alternative pant chemicals treat cure, or mitigate disease. Plant chemicals work in the body similar to nutritional intake. In short, when the body has the correct nutrition supplied the structure of the new cells will normal and they will function correctly.
Our goal should be to improve the Structure and Function of the cells in your body through essential nutrition, or particular intake of plant chemicals directed to assist the body with special needs. When your cell structure is normal, they will function correctly. Then, we we will not need to visit the doctor, or take medicine. We will be healthy.
“Science has shown that the body can truly heal itself. Drugs don’t heal nor do dietary supplements. Proper nutrition gives the body the resources to heal itself.” – Dr. Roger Williams (Nutrition and Disease 1971)
Most people have heard of the phyto-chemical in marijuana called THC, (tetrahydrocannabinol) which gives the user a high. Few people have heard of the phyto-chemical CBD (cannabidiol). This
phyto-chemical is where much of the promising research is happening in the field of child-hood epilepsy, and other serious conditions with medical marijuana. After examining the the information presented at the above web presentations and sites, ask yourself, what substance has more potential health properties, cannabis, or alcohol?
Many desperate parents with epileptic children are flocking to Colorado to obtain a special strain of medical marijuana low in THC and high in CBD that is having dramatic results helping these children. It is called “Charlotte’s Web” and named after Charlotte who is featured in part one of Sanjay Gupta’s documentary. The Dr. Sanjay Gupta CNN Special that tells Charlotte’s story.
As the growing body of anecdotal stories of miraculous cures continue to rise, along with serious medical scientific research proving the value of the cannabis sativa plant for medical purposes, hopefully people will ask the government to end it’s failed war against a plant. Hopefully, the growing depository of anecdotal stories of miraculous cures lead to more research, including double blind placebo studies. If these studies continue to prove the effectiveness of cannabis to provide various levels of benefit for a variety of ailments, the moral thing to do is repeal federal law against cannabis.
3. An appeal to the Constitution
What about the U.S. Constitution and drugs?
The Tenth Amendment states the Constitution’s principle of federalism by providing that powers not granted to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the States, are reserved to the States or the people.
Consider the following from the Tenth Amendment Center:
“Alcohol prohibition in the United States from 1919 to 1933 was supported by an actual constitutional amendment. Modern drug prohibition is not. This is an important point because, unless something has drastically changed, drug prohibition would also require a Constitutional Amendment, ratified by the States, to have any semblance of legitimacy. Drug prohibition is simply a federal power grab. It’s an end-run around the Constitutional Amendment process because such an amendment would never pass. So, while social conservatives may believe that it is perfectly reasonable for the Federal Government to impose harsh criminal penalties on what free citizens can put in their own bodies, our Founders clearly disagreed.
Ron Paul also made the point that granting the Federal Government the right to legislate what free people can and cannot put into their bodies when it comes to drug use would also give the Federal Government the right to tell us what we can and cannot eat, drink, or otherwise consume. So, the same Conservatives who decry Michelle Obama’s War on Trans-Fat unwittingly support such Nanny-State legislation by endorsing the War on Drugs.” See more at:
Cannabis sativa was known during the time of the Constitutional convention, why didn’t the framers ban it, if it is so evil? Freedom is a scary thing to some. Christians do not have to afraid of freedom. We are governed by God’s law and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are able to make sound judgments such as the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians saying that all things are not expedient.
Joel Miller is a Christian who makes a powerful case for his thesis in his thought provoking book. The book is endorsed by Fox News senior legal analyst, Judge Andrew Napolitano.
To End the War On Drugs by Dean Becker
This book features the thoughts of 115 experts on the subject of drug policy. Included are the words of scientists, doctors, cops, wardens, prosecutors, politicians, authors, prisoners, patients, pastors, pot providers and more. 340 pages of unvarnished truth that will help bring an end to this century of lies. http://endthedrugwar.us/
As seen from the valuable information at the above two sites, prohibition has failed, and can never possibly work. Marijuana is illegal, yet it is readily available everywhere. What been accomplished by the fed gov war on drugs? Nothing, but loss of civil freedom and the empowerment of the surveillance state and corruption of the courts and law enforcement. If you do not believe there has been a corruption of law enforcement, you are living on a different planet. How many innocent people have been killed by militarized swat teams in no-knock drug raids at the wrong address?
The unintended consequences from modern prohibition of marijuana has empowered the violent Mexican drug cartels that make Al Capone and his boys look like pikers. Capone and the Mexican cartels were and are business men who are forced to operate outside of the law. They cannot settle their disputes in court, so they settle them with violence. How many people have died from an over dose of cannabis sativa? Can you cite a number? In contrast, how many Mexican citizens have been murdered by the drug cartels, which are the result of this modern day debacle of prohibition against a plant? Literally thousands of Mexican citizens have died because of an UN-constitutional failed drug war.
As previously noted; over 50 thousand people die in automobile accidents every year? To put things in another perspective, every year over 100 thousand people die from properly prescribed prescription drugs, and many more injured in medial malpractice cases. Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning and related problems like cirrhosis of the liver. Similarly, more than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco smoking. By comparison, marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose. It is a statistically insignificant number. Unfortunately, some people who abuse alcohol and drugs will become dependent and injure themselves. As scary as freedom is to some people, a nanny state is not the answer.
The reader should consider the following articles by conservative Christian columnist Michelle Malkin to understand freedom versus governmental control:
The Religion That Started in a Hat 