America’s Vision vs. God’s Standard of Justice
Rethinking the American Dream
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
From Chapter 4
Is God Mocking ‘American Exceptionalism’?
Liberalism or Conservatism: Which is more Biblical?
Liberalism is a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race…liberalism subscribes to the premise that government should be the instrument to implement social justice.
Conservatism, on the other hand, is a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability…the tendency to prefer an existing or traditional situation to change.
Contrary to liberalism, conservatism favors less government intervention in society and individual’s affairs. Therefore, while progressivism is identified with liberalism, the Tea Party espouses the conservative political philosophy.
Initially the liberal premise relative to the ‘essential goodness of the human race’ can be addressed.
“Behold, I was brought forth I iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:5
King David asserts that all mankind, since Adam, is born with a predisposition to sin.
Next, the liberal premise of progress implies change. In fact President Obama campaigned on the promise to deliver ‘change we can believe in’. The Bible is very clear, however, that the basic rules of conduct given by God do not require change to keep pace with societal trends.
The benchmark by which all mankind is evaluated was revealed millennia ago and is immutable.
Any attempt to update or reinterpret Biblical teachings brings disaster. Over and over again in the scriptures mankind is admonished to return to the basics. The Hebrew for return is shuv and can be interpreted as repent, turn, and/or go back to the point of departure, i.e. a reversal in direction.
“Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to You…” Malachi 3:7
Sadly, however it appears that mankind in total will not ‘return’ or ‘go back to the point of departure’ but will continue to ‘progress’ towards contemporary norms which, according to the Bible, lead to destruction.
Is the Tea Party a threat to liberalism?
What it is about the Tea Party that liberalism finds so irksome? Of a surety the Tea Party leaves no question about what they stand for and what they don’t.
Firstly, the Tea Party believes in smaller government and less taxes. The Tea Party believes the US government spends money on programs that are not Biblically based. Recall the Scripture’s definition of governmental leaders and their limited authority.
“…for he (governing authority) is God’s minister to you for good…an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject…because of this you also pay taxes.” Romans 13:4-6
The Tea Party believes very strongly that the government should operate within its means and not generate deficits which result in debt which further leads to borrowing.
Thus the Tea Party’s fiscal philosophy appears to be Biblically based.
How about their primary social issues?
The Tea Party opposes abortion.
“And they (Jews) haves turned to Me the back…though I taught them…yet they have not listened to receive instruction…And they built the high places of Baal…to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination…” Jeremiah 32:33, 35
The Tea Party also supports traditional marriage between a man and a woman.
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife…” Genesis 2:24
‘Wife’ in this passage is from the Hebrew Ishshah which means female as opposed to a male.
Therefore, the major issues endorsed by the Tea Party appear to be Biblically based. Due to political pressures from both sides of the aisle, Tea Part members are being encouraged to compromise their ideals in order to enact legislation acceptable to both conservatives and liberals.
Opposition to the Tea Party is definitely increasing as their ideology is made known. Self professed liberal congresswoman Maxine Waters proclaimed boldly: “The Tea Party can go straight to hell…and I intend to help them get there.”
From Chapter 6
The Fertile Crescent: Geographic Center of Prophecy
‘…the seven heads are seven mountains…’
After the defeat and apparent demise of the Ottoman Empire, the new Republic of Turkey was established under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal in 1923.
Kemal’s vision for the transformation of the fledgling republic of Turkey included modernization, westernization, and secularization.
This agenda did not set well with many Muslims. The dilution of Islamism with western influence stirred a pious Egyptian Muslim named Hassan al-Banna in 1928 to found what is still known as the Muslim Brotherhood.
In al-Banna’s mind it was time to revive the Ottoman Empire and reinstate the Islamic caliphate.
While the republic of Turkey had its origin with westernized aspirations contrary to the agenda of the defeated Ottoman Empire, the present situation appears to be open to change.
Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is a Muslim. Erdogan raised eyebrows recently when he stated that the term ‘moderate Islam’ is offensive and that ‘Islam is Islam’. Therefore, the future direction of the Republic of Turkey is in question.
According to Islamic literature, however, the future of Turkey as already been determined and recorded centuries ago. Present Islamic author Adnan Oktar (pen name Harun Yahya) sums up numerous Islamic hadiths with these words:
“By Allah’s leave, the establishment of the Turkish-Islamic Union is an absolute certainty.”
Consider further:
“Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven…” Revelation 17:9-11
Perhaps Islamic prophecy has identified the seventh mountain (kingdom) in the above scripture:
1) Egyptian
2) Assyrian
3) Babylonian
4) Media/Persian
5) Greek
6) Roman
7) Ottoman Turks…Republic of Turkey…Turkish – Islamic Union
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
This book examines God’s standard of righteousness and justice as revealed to the nation of Israel and then compares those standards with America’s progressive vision. It discusses this nation’s three major branches of government—i.e., executive, legislative, and judicial—relative to America’s perception of national authority and justice. It also considers specific contemporary domestic, economic, and foreign policy issues to determine if America’s priorities compare with God’s revealed standards. A major Scripture reference will be, “Now all these things happened to them (Israelites) as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11) A comprehensive chapter on the Middle East entitled “The Fertile Crescent: Geographic Center of Prophecy” presents biblical evidence that this age will end where it all began. The study also offers in this context a unique perspective on the final world kingdom based on both biblical prophecy and Islamic literature. More than five hundred Scripture passages containing more than one thousand verses are referenced and quoted from twenty-six books of the Old Testament and twenty-four books of the New Testament. This book is ideally suited for group Bible studies in addition to enhancing individual understanding of the requirements for national success based on biblical teachings.
About the Author
Walt Thrun retired from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma, where he taught in the college of business and industry. He has previously published two books in this genre, along with numerous articles in trade periodicals ranging from Management Accounting to Journal of Industrial Engineering to Pecan South. He has taught Bible for thirty-five years and has written more than three hundred newspaper columns relating current events to biblical standards. A veteran of the USMC, he presently serves as chaplain for a veteran’s hospital. Visit him online at www.bibleandcurrentevents.blogspot.com.