by
Gadfly
On April 1, 2021, commonly
known as Fool’s Day in America, I learned that the Military Religious Freedom
Foundation (MRRF), led by Air Force Academy graduate Mikey Weinstein, threatened
a lawsuit against the city of Monument, Colorado.
The offense? A teenage Boy Scout
erected a monument at the local cemetery in honor of his father and grandfather
for their service to our Nation. The
teen obviously loved his family members who loved their country enough to die
for it. What are the implications here?
America has not won any war or
conflict since World War II. A cease
fire remains in effect following the Korean conflict. America sacrificed thousands of lives and
trillions of dollars from our national treasury ever since.
WWII was a contest against
totalitarianism, not tyranny. Scattered
across the European landscape are cemeteries adorned by Christian crosses and
Jewish Stars of David. The public domain
photograph below is from an American cemetery in Luxembourg.
The moral inspiration for America’s
triumph over totalitarianism came from a Judeo-Christian tradition. Gallup has annually surveyed
Americans regarding their religiosity.
In 1948, 91% had Christian affiliations and 4% claimed a Jewish
affiliation. In 2020, those numbers had
dropped to 68% and 2%, respectively (Catholics ranged from 21 to 29%, a more
stable pattern, which may explain why they tend to be targeted by the left’s
secular humanists).
Totalitarianism did not exist
before the Twentieth Century. Before
that era, oppressive regimes were considered tyrannical. Totalitarianism is a more brutal form of
tyranny, fueled by technology (perhaps now we can understand the existential
role played by tech
giants in our current situation) as explained by Dr.
Larry Arnn, President of Hillsdale College, in a December 2020 speech.
Here we are in the year 2021
and the new Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) recently directed a screening of the
ranks to root out extremism. The Air
Force Academy performed theirs this week.
What is extremism? Quite frankly, it appears to represent any
thought contrary to the left’s ideology in its quest for total (totalitarian) political
power. Here is an excerpt from a Washington
Times article:
“I still find [the Defense Department’s] definition of extremism in its
underlying instruction ambiguous enough to remain concerned that, for example,
Catholics and other pro-life advocates who equate abortion, as Pope Francis
does, to the ‘murder of children’ could be branded as ‘extremists’ even if they
are adamantly opposed to violence or other illegal activities,” said
retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles J. Dunlap Jr., now the executive
director of the Center on Law, Ethics and National Security at Duke University.
Also ironic is that the MRRF
and SECDEF actions took place during Christian Holy Week.
So,
what is at play here? Why, as a
Christian, am I so troubled? Who is in
command of America and the world? Leftist
political elite? No, they are mere
instruments. The answer to the question
as to who is in command is the ruler of the world (John 14:30 ; John 12:31-33; John 8:44-47; John 16:11; Ephesians 2:1-3; Ephesians 6:12-13; 1 Peter 5:8-10; Revelation 12:12; Matthew 4:8-9; Luke 4:5-6; Hebrews 2:14; James 4:4; James 4:7; 1 John 2:17; 1 John 5:18-19).
Tomorrow,
Easter Sunday, is such a special day. It
reminds us of something incredibly far more powerful than the mortal, fleeting attractions
of this world. The Son of God died for
our sins, offering forgiveness to any one of us who repents; and now that He has
risen, welcomes us to an eternal kingdom.
