My Thoughts on Christ at Christmas Time

This Christmas Season, I am reminded of a powerful and poignant story shared by a fellow college student just a year ago during one of our church meetings. I should hope that I never forget it. He told of the following:
It was Christmas time and his father was the manager of a prominent sporting goods store. An error which seemed to be deliberate occurred in the accounting practices of the store in which it appeared that someone had pilfered money as a sizeable portion of the store's revenue could not be accounted for. My college friend's father, who had no involvement in the fallacious accounting practices or pilfering was given an ultimatum. He could choose to deny any involvement and be fired for not accepting responsibility for the error, or he could falsely admit to being the author of the inauspicious plot, and face a mere reprimand and reproof from his superiors in the store's corporate leadership. To his son, this faithful man expressed, "I will not admit to something I did not do. I would rather my son know that he has an honest father than to have money for presents at Christmas time." He then expressed his undeviating confidence in the Lord, and told his son that he knew all would be well.
I share this story this Christmas season, because it so clearly illustrates a lesson so oft forgotten and so seldom remembered by so many each year as December approaches us. It begs the question, 'What is most important at Christmas time - the presents that mark our trees and fill our stockings, or the integrity that marks our name and the love which fills our hearts?'
I believe that we have become all too concerned with money at Christmas time. We need only remember that first Christmas, when there was no room in the inn, and the little Lord Jesus lay down in the hay. As was His birth, so was His life. The birds of the air had nests, the foxes had holes, but the Son of Man had not where to lay His head. He surely had power to amass more riches than any mortal man has known, yet was content with a few loaves and fishes, of which He always gave greatly more than He received.
And then in those final hours, Christ was scorned and persecuted by the world He would save. To the layman and commoner, Christ's mortal mission must have seemed an utter failure, a good man whose purported status as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, found no more than a deriding crown of thorns, and a burdensome cross for his throne. What seemed an utter failure by worldly standards was the greatest and most triumphant victory which the world has ever known and will yet know. Can any fully comprehend the loving restraint which was necessary for the greatest of all to be spit upon and suffer it, to be scourged and to suffer it, to be smitten and to suffer it? As a lamb before its sheares is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Amidst the most unspeakable suffering ever endured by any of God's children, Jesus did not so much as open his mouth in rebuke or protest. He who had power with three words to still the might tempest did not seek to still the hatred and bitter venom of the crowds that would crucify Him. He drank the bitter cup without becoming bitter. Legions of angels stood waiting to rescue Him, but he knew that even they, in all of their glory were powerless to rescue us. The Atonement of Jesus Christ was a one man mission, inaugurated by the selfless, sacrificial words of the Savior, "Here am I, send me." May we remember at Christmas time, that what the world esteemed as naught or failure, was a triumph more glorious than any mortal mind is capable of conceiving.
I believe that each of us who truly come to know the Master must sooner or later pass through the Garden's gate of Gethsemane and then approach the Golgothas of our lives. The moment will surely come when every knee shall bend and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. All will come to more fully appreciate the words of that great hymn, as we will be compelled to fall on our knees, and to hear the angels' voices. Perhaps then, we will either rejoice or lament the stirring admonition of the Savior, that "he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." The triumph can only come from the confidence we have that we have fought a good fight, that we have finished our course, and that we have kept the faith. Perhaps we think too little of this, and too much of money at Christmas time.

My Joy in A Journey

I have recently been boldly reminded of the words of Elder Russel M. Nelson who once declared, "Real joy awaits each of us - on the other side of sorrow." Indeed, my best friend Dane and I traveled through several experiences this past week which may well qualify as the ideal genesis of sorrow, but I feel inclined to speak of the "brightness of hope" and the reality of the joy that can be experienced as we look to the Lord who will not fail in guiding us through any vale of tears.
Rather than detailing the full import of the difficulties we faced during a greatly anticipated camping trip to the Southwest Uintas, I will briefly outline a few of the challenges which encompassed us. After both getting around 3 hours of sleep the night before embarking on our trip, Dane and I found ourselves stranded 5 miles up a steep and narrow mountain road, less than a mile below our final destination, the Grandview Trailhead. We were soon rescued by a group of middle aged guys who, in noticing our BYU hats were quick to let us know that they were University of Utah grads and fans. However, they were even quicker to help, and helped push and guide our car into a safe area by the side of the road. Though no one else could, I was able to get cell phone reception by some miracle and called my mother as well as the local ranger station. In doing so, I made the decision to continue but shorten our trip and return to the car the next day.
After an incredible day of fishing, I retired to our tent exhausted but struggled to fall asleep until 2 am as the hard and consistent rain beat upon our tent. I realized amidst my worrying that I had left the moon roof to the car open. Only a few weeks ago, I had left it open during a thunderstorm and returned to find a decent amount of water inside the car - and that was after about an hour. So as each pounding drop seemed to grow in frequency and intensity, so grew the intensity and frequency of my pleading with the Lord to provide a way that Dane and I, as well as my car could find a way safely to Provo the following day.
I awoke at 5:15 am after 3 hours of sleep, to the feeling of cold rainwater which had leaked and accumulated in a corner of the tent, soaking my feet. Dane was also awake and we decided to hike out of the Grandaddy Basin as quickly as possible. The rain miraculously stopped as we returned about 5 miles to the car. I was immediately reminded that I had left the moon roof open, but was surprised to discover that the interior of the car had miraculously remained dry. I then struggled to gain reception as I had found before. I paused to offer a silent prayer, and nearly immediately gained reception after multiple attempts. The first bit of news that I received came by text message from my mother informing me of Michael Jackson's death. I won't write a lot about that here, but that touched me more deeply than the state of my car. After talking to both my mother and father and struggling to find consistent reception, Dane and I decided to hike 5 more miles down the trail to a small camping area called Defa's Ranch, marked by its saloon and old western mentality. During this time, Dane realized that he had lost a very expensive pair of sunglasses during our journey. Toward the end of our descent, we also realized that we had just hiked about 20 miles in 24 hours.
We were distraught to discover in calling the few local towing companies that it would likely cost between $ 500 and $ 1000 to get our stranded car back to Provo. During our search for help, the workers at the Ranch were more hospitable and willing to help than perhaps any group of people I have yet known. Eventually, we met a cowboy, ruffian named Shay, who's language was consistently speckled with profanity and foulness. However, I have never met a man who was so willing to help while demanding nothing in return. Shay drove all the way up the mountain in his pick up truck, checked out our car, pulled it out of its ill fated spot, filled the leaking car with transmission fluid, and helped us to push and pull the car until it was possible to coast down the mountain to Defa's Ranch. Then, he offered to tow our car to Provo this coming Monday for merely the price of gas. But he didn't stop there. He personally arranged a ride for us from Defa's to Heber and then from Heber to Provo that evening. We received a ride from a group of kids our age who we later discovered were all high school dropouts. They smoked often during our trip, and the car was littered with beer cans, but they were among the kindest human beings that I have ever associated with. They were quick to allow us to use their phones, to give us drinks, and to help us feel comfortable. When we reached Heber, we were given a ride to Provo by a boy who recently graduated high school. He would later profess his sexual orientation as homosexual as he drove us to each of our apartments.
As I entered my apartment, my body was utterly wrecked and torn, but my faith and hope in humanity was elevated and bolstered as my heart was changed. I contemplated the many "Good Samaritans", mere strangers who had aided me amidst a sorrowful journey. Their fortuitous presence seemed more than a result of fortune. It was a miracle of God. I was reminded of the love that I have developed for others as I have sought to recognize the child of God deep inside each of us. I realized that behind every face, and behind every word or gesture, is a heart. And I renewed an invigorating hope and belief that people are indeed good at heart. Amidst the struggles which plague the world today, I am convinced that our greatest hope is not found in the intellect of our minds, but the love of our hearts. The world is so in need of love and the wings of hope upon which it flies. The good Samaritans who helped me home, by the view of the world, ranged from a few church going guys from a rival school, to a cursing cowboy, to a few high school dropouts, to a self proclaimed homosexual. Despite their various stations and behaviors in life, none rested or neglected the arduous task of getting me home without weariness. It has caused me to reflect on the central purpose of life - what it is really all about. We sometimes get caught up in a lot of the little things, and I am in no way suggesting that little things are not of value or not important, but I am not sure that my new cowboy friend Shay understands the Gospel of Jesus Christ less than a man who abides by all of the little things, but would pass a distraught wanderer. It seems to me that what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is really all about is becoming more like Jesus Christ, who's central mission and purpose revolved in doing that which we could not do for ourselves. God's work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. When all is said and done, I do not think that our Savior, the King of Kings and our final judge will reveal to us the number of times that we smoked a cigarette or said a curse word, but how many times we passed by a desperate hopeless wanderer, both in body and in spirit.
I bear my witness that Jesus Christ really lived and yet lives as being a perfect love whose life was one of unparalleled service to which we may look to as a beacon of happiness, regardless of our present sorrow. I further testify that as we strive to recognize the reality of His hand in all things, we will certainly do all that we can to act as his hands in guiding without weariness even the most distraught wanderers of life. In so doing, our hearts will learn to match our actions and we will find joy in our journey. I thank God for the blessing of a broken down car on the side of a mountain. The cost of the transmission which was shot cannot compare to the valuable lessons which I learned from a trying journey. As I struggled to find my way safely home, I found renewed faith in the Master whom I will seek to serve by serving others forevermore.

Torture and Agression: The New American Way

As President Obama is now fighting to keep detainee abuse photographs from being released, I have been alarmed by the widespread “American” support of both a lack of transparency in Government, and even the inhumane practices of torture and abuse of detainees. Some have sought to justify their position by referencing the atrocities of Iraqi insurgents, seemingly supporting the irrational conclusion that two wrongs may somehow make a right. Equally disturbing is the frequent defense of such disgusting displays of humanity as somehow “American.” Many cry that it is in the interest of our national security to cover our nation's sins, while I contend that every American has a right and even need to know of the atrocities which have been allowed and even condoned by our elected officials, both past and present. Perhaps through such actions, the American people may be awakened to the evils which we collectively have allowed and often times condoned. Preemptive war and torture of war criminals, though descriptive of the erroneous “New American Way”, are not in harmony with the philosophy of our nation's founders, nor the humanitarian principles once embodied by our great nation – a nation whose people once honored the rule of law of the land, namely the Constitution of the United States.
Some have mistakenly quoted the words of the Preamble of the Constitution as justification for our interventionist actions in Iraq and the undisclosed torture of Iraqi detainees. The words are familiar to all, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence ...”1 It is the term “common defense” that seems to be most frequently erroneously applied to justification of our nation's actions which are in opposition to the very Constitution which the Preamble introduces. I'd like to submit that the inspired men who penned those words would abhor torture of war criminals, and furthermore would view our presence in Iraq as a great detriment to our national security. Allow me to reference a few of their sentiments concerning the subject, and clearly explicate that our success in winning the Revolutionary War was bolstered by our principled, anti-torture philosophy.
In the year of 1776, the inception our nation's birth, American leaders believed that it was not enough to merely win the war fought on battlefields, but also the war which raged in the hearts and minds of men. Thus, they were deeply concerned with winning the war in such a way that was consistent with the ideals for which the young nation stood, principles which they believed had power to change the world in which they lived. Perhaps one of their greatest, yet largely unknown achievements was to successfully win the war while maintaining the humanitarian ideals for which their countrymen had been fighting. It is for this reason that they were wholly opposed to torture of war prisoners. This was more than fanciful idealism. It was the official policy of both the Continental Congress and the Continental Army.2
Despite the inhumane treatment of the British regulars and German mercenaries toward captured American soldiers, Washington refused to abrogate the ideals for which he was fighting. After capturing 1,000 Hessians in the Battle of Trenton, he ordered his men to treat their prisoners with the same decency and recognition of rights granted to the people living in the country for which they were fighting. In an order concerning prisoners which were taken during the Battle of Princeton, Washington wrote: "Treat them with humanity, and let them have no reason to Complain of our copying the brutal example of the British Army in their treatment of our unfortunate brethren…. Provide everything necessary for them on the road."2
John Adams believed that the humane treatment of prisoners was not only vitally consistent with the ideals of the American Revolution, but also of vital strategic value to winning the war as well. In a 1777 letter to his wife, Adams wrote: "I know of no policy, God is my witness, but this — Piety, Humanity and Honesty are the best Policy. Blasphemy, Cruelty and Villainy have prevailed and may again. But they won't prevail against America, in this Contest, because I find the more of them are employed, the less they succeed."2
British military leaders conversely recognized the counterproductive nature of their violent and inhumane treatment of American prisoners and felt that such atrocities stifled their military success. A 1778 letter from Col. Charles Stuart to his father, the Earl of Bute, reveals this sentiment,"Wherever our armies have marched, wherever they have encamped, every species of barbarity has been executed. We planted an irrevocable hatred wherever we went, which neither time nor measure will be able to eradicate."2
Furthermore, many modern Americans would be surprised to learn that the first code of conduct for the ethical and humane treatment of prisoners of war was created by President Abraham Lincoln, a personal hero of mine, in the year of 1863 and forbade any form of torture and cruelty. This official American code of conduct eventually became the model for the 1929 Geneva Convention.2
I do not believe in the current actions of our nation, but believe in the principles upon which it was founded. I do not believe in Bush or Obama, but in the principles of the Constitution they have sworn to uphold, yet wholly disreagard. The "war" in Iraq is wholly unconsitutional - it was never declared by Congress. It was also pre-emptive, violating the non-interventionist policy and wisdom of our founders (try looking up their thoughts on foreign involvement and you may be surprised at how much we have strayed). I have yet to understand how firing a few bullets into a hornets nest somehow increases our nation security. I have yet to understand from a logical perspective how bombing the cities of a nation who performed no acts of aggression toward our people prior to invasion will somehow cause them to like us. What would you do if China was bombing your city out of mere suspicion?
We don't increase our national security by stationing and delocalizing our soldiers internationally in needless wars which have conveniently changed their meaning and justification. Terrorism membership has risen at an alarming rate, and so has our federal deficit. We are spending a trillion dollars a year to finance our oversees interventionist empire, and yet we wonder why the value of the dollar is depreciating and our economy is collapsing.
I pray for our soldiers - I pray that they will come home as quickly as possible. I pray that we might be transparent in our efforts to stand for liberty by encouraging freedom by example rather than campaigning a paradoxical effort to force others to be free. I pray that we might be awakened to the erosion of our civil liberties as we fight a war supposedly aimed at granting such liberties to others. We find ourselves in a dangerous time and must hold to just and holy principles. If we bend for everything, in the end we will stand for nothing.
So if you are going to reference the words "We the people", you ought to familiarize yourself with the principles and ideals of those inspired men who wrote them. I believe if we hold these just and holy principles inviolate, we can become the kind of people they envisioned when they wrote those sacred words.
I think another important aspect of the words found in the Preamble of the Constitution is the word "defense." Preemptive action and interventionism does not constitute defense, but offense. The war in Iraq is aggressive, not defensive. They never struck until we did. Therefore, I feel it is imperative to recognize that the founders were dedicated to maintaining domestic strength rather than a strong foreign presence. I'd much rather adhere to the founders' foreign policy of building our strength at home so that no nation would dare attack us, rather than spreading our troops in 700 bases across the world in interference of the sovereignty of others, at times through blatant nation building. Meanwhile, as we struggle to build our own bridges in America, we are blowing them up in Iraq, and using taxpayer money to build them again. No nation can continue to spend a trillion dollars a year in “national defense” while simultaneously expecting to remain prosperous and impervious to the constraints of reality. Iraq did not willingly choose to be our enemy in this conflict, we made them our enemy through preemptive attacks. How long will we point to our self created enemies until we recognize the enemy within? We are engaged in very real self destruction, a destruction which is being fueled by pride, arrogance, and ignorance.
Imagine how much stronger we could be at home in building our national defense if we were to eradicate our exorbitant overseas presence in nations that grow in hatred toward us as we grow in numbers in their countries. Substantial evidence points to the fact that extremist terrorist groups do not fuel their fire out of hatred toward democracy or American wealth. They hate us because we are meddling in their domestic affairs with no sovereign right or elected jurisdiction. Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that the Government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed. Therefore, we can't expect to have respect or power to govern a people that never gave us their consent. They have a right to retaliate. I am not a supporter of terrorism nor do I sympathize with evil of any form, but I wonder why we are so quick to disregard the illogical and unjust nature of our presence in Iraq. We are torturing individuals who are retaliating for their people being tortured. That isn't defense.
1.“Preamble to the United States Constitution.” Wikipedia.org.
2.Kennedy, Robert F. Jr. “America's Anti-Torture Tradition.” LA Times. December 17, 2005.

True Beauty

I recently had a simple, yet life altering experience. It has caused me to carefully consider and reflect upon my perspective of others and of myself. As a result of it, I have pondered many times what constitutes true beauty, and the gross misunderstanding and vain perception wrought by society concerning this topic.
As I was entering a laundry room to simply move my clothes from the washer to the dryer, I just happened to notice from behind a well dressed girl, whose hair looked beautiful. Guys my age are always scoping out territory. It is what we do. haha. Anyhow, as the girl suddenly turned to look at me as I entered the room, it quickly became evident that she was a burn victim, and the side of her face was disfigured.
Suddenly, a thought entered my mind. It came subtly, yet powerfully. 'How pathetic, ridiculous, and horrible is it that this girl, whose smile is so warm and demeanor is so kind, is not viewed as beautiful by society? How despicable is it that because of an accident that likely happened in her childhood, 99 out of 100 guys would not even think of asking her on a date?' These thoughts have not left me, but have left me re-evaluating myself. I have realized how greatly society and the world's version of "true beauty" has affected my own perception and perspective.
I do not wish to imply that I do not value or respect those who dress well, and desire to take good care of themselves. However, it is of my opinion that we ought to value less as a society what is largely an accident of birth, and focus on the significance of beauty which one acquires, a beauty which is not found at the end of a scalpel or at the end of a clothing aisle at Abercrombie and Fitch.
It is not wrong to be beautiful, but it is not a requirement to healing the wrongs of the world. As I think of some of my greatest heros who have made the greatest difference in this world, they have largely done so through the greatness of their lives rather than the style of their clothing, or the features of their face. In fact, one of my greatest heroes is President Abraham Lincoln, who once declared himself "If I were two faced, would I be wearing this one?" He was considered by many contemporaries to be a homely man. However, he is a man who is remembered with feelings of holiness by those of his homeland.
I have sometimes wondered how different we would be if for just one day we could view the world through the eyes of God. How would we view others? How might we view ourselves? It seems to me that His view of beauty is quite different than the view of the world.
This life is a time to learn what true beauty is.

Tithing vs. Taxation

TITHING VS. TAXATION

The purpose of this essay is to assess the difference between taxation by governments, and the Lord's law of tithing as implemented by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The essay mainly focuses upon the erroneous, and inappropriate system of taxation currently existent in the United States of America in reference to both just principles and evident effects of such adulteration of constitutional statutes. The arguments presented are in response to a current debate taking place in a Sociology class at BYU which you can visit and contribute to at http://themsociologists.blogspot.com/.

THE PROPER ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

Lance, you proposed “ that by being citizens of a country, don’t we implicitly consent to allow the government the power to spend money where it thinks is best?” What a frightening thought! Couldn’t a similar argument be made for an individual’s consent to any policy or action of Government? Does my citizenship, which is largely an accident of my birth, imply that I somehow consent to the decision of Roe vs. Wade, to unjustified war, or to the many gross iniquities which have resulted from abuses by Government? Did those living in Nazi Germany implicitly consent to allow the government to do what it felt was best?

It was Thomas Jefferson who stated in the Declaration of Independence that Government derives “its just powers from the consent of the governed.” President Ezra Taft Benson argued that the government therefore, “becomes primarily a mechanism for defense against bodily harm, theft and involuntary servitude. It cannot claim the power to redistribute the wealth or force reluctant citizens to perform acts of charity against their will. Government is created by man. No man possesses such power to delegate. The creature cannot exceed the creator. “ The very basic fact of the matter is, the Government does not have the right to exercise any power that any individual member of society does not have the ability to exercise in the absence of government.

The economist Frederic Bastiat explained this premise for the proper role and justification for the existence of governments when he declared,

"Each of us has a natural right - from God - to defend his person, his liberty, and his property. These are the three basic requirements of life, and the preservation of any one of them is completely dependent upon the preservation of the other two. For what are our faculties but the extension of our individuality? And what is property but an extension of our faculties?

If every person has the right to defend - even by force - his person, his liberty, and his property, then it follows that a group of men have the right to organize and support a common force to protect these rights constantly. Thus the principle of collective right --its reason for existing, its lawfulness -- is based on individual right (The Law, p.6).”

One would not be reluctant to accept the premise that if an individual holds his neighbor at gunpoint and demands he surrender a portion of his income, he would be promptly arrested as a criminal, regardless of the nobility of his promise to use the loot to help others. However, we quickly disregard such principles in defending the exorbitant activities of Government, a group of people in theory “hired” by “we the people”, whose greatest and most just responsibility is to protect the very wealth they “legally plunder.”

I believe the illustrative observation of William Graham Sumner relates this sociological issue to that of liberty most effectively. He said,:

The type and formula of most schemes of philanthropy or humanitarianism is this: A and B put their heads together to decide what C shall be made to do for D. The radical vice of all these schemes, from a sociological point of view, is that C is not allowed a voice in the matter, and his position, character, and interests, as well as the ultimate effects on society through C’s interests, are entirely overlooked. I call C the forgotten man … They therefore ignore the entire source from which they must draw all the energy which they employ in their remedies, and they ignore all the effects on other members of society than the ones they have in view. They are always under the dominion of the superstition of Government, and forgetting that a government produces nothing at all, they leave out of sight the first fact to remembered in all social discussion- that the state cannot get a cent for any man without taking it from another man, and this latter must be a man who has produced and saved it. This latter is the Forgotten Man.

Taxation is inseparable from mandatory labor. Who would argue that it is ethical, moral, or just for the Government to demand its citizens work approximately one third of the year for foreign countries in need, or to pay someone else’s medical bills, or to subsidize someone else’s mortgage payment? Taxation is the vehicle through which Government forces unpaid labor, for the income of any individual is a direct result and fruit of their own personal labor.

In contrast to the source of Government’s powers, God does not derive his just powers from the consent of His children, but is Himself the supreme author of the “inalienable rights” of man. In pertaining to His Kingdom, He does not govern His children through compulsory means. His children are indeed “free to act, and not to be acted upon.” Tithing is not paid at gunpoint or with threat of legal litigation. Tithing is paid by the individual freely. It was President Gordon B. Hinckley who declared that, “We do not pay tithing with money. We pay tithing with faith.” Our analysis of the resultant effects of tithing ought not to merely focused upon the collective Church and the transparency of the allocation of such sacred funds, but rather on the sacred impact that tithing has upon the individual. What profit does paying tithing have for the individual who’s central motive in willingly imparting of their substance is wonderment concerning what they will get in return? How much greater is the blessing to the individual who voluntarily gives a tenth of their increase because they love their God, and wants to return a small portion of that which God has given them for the benefit and building of His Kingdom?

A similar argument may be made for minimizing the ever increasing taxation of government. Such activity has engendered an attitude of demanding something for nothing. Seldom if any citizens think to themselves while filing their taxes, “Wow. I am so glad the Government is making me help my neighbors out.” Far more will grudgingly wonder, “What will I get in return for what I am being forced to give?” How much greater is the concept of an individual actually becoming a better individual because they wish to help others of their own volition and free enterprise? Excessive government taxation does not make people “good”, but conversely robs them of the decision to do good.

“The world works from the outside in, Christ works from the inside out. The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.”

Could the same approach of the Gospel of Jesus Christ also be the best course for Government to pursue? Ought we to work from the inside out, rather than the outside in? Ought we to honor the personal liberty of the individual, rather than the outward might of Big Brother? Surely the argument may be made by many that if left to individuals, the naked will go unclothed, and the hungry unfed? However, if this were to happen, it would at least be the fault and responsibility of the people directly and not the fault of an out of control government elected by them. I for one, feel a personal responsibility to serve those in need, without being told to by the Government. I do not believe I am alone in expressing this sentiment.

THE EFFICACY OF TAXATION AS A VEHICLE TO SOCIETAL PROGRESS

Now that we have analyzed the principles, let’s analyze the resultant policies and their efficacy. Lance, you made the argument that individuals are not necessarily charitable by nature. However, a valid argument could be made that people would be more charitable if a third or more of their income wasn’t being taken from them in the name of Government charity. If all government programs were suddenly eliminated, how would you respond? Would you be more or less likely to volunteer at a homeless shelter? Would you be more or less likely to help a sick relative or neighbor pay their medical bills? Would you be more likely to serve others? We aren’t doing these things already because we have been sucked into the destructive logic of a welfare state – that it is someone else’s responsibility – the government. Is this really how much we think of our own personal responsibility as human beings?

Individuals would not have to match the Government funds lost through reduced taxation dollar for dollar, because the private sector is far more effective than the public sector. As much as 70% of welfare budgets have been eaten up by bureaucracy. I am confident that this contrasts with minimal, if any overhead in the processing of tithing funds. Government funded businesses are not as effective as private enterprises because failure often results in the Government giving the program or organization more money to save them from their own negligent extinction. Private individuals have statistically shown a greater and more efficient propensity to serve others than the Government.

For example, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), an institution created in 1965, received about $ 121 million in government funds for the NEA in 2006, while private donations to the arts totaled $ 2.5 billion. Private donations from Americans to impoverished individuals in lesser developed countries has been estimated to exceed those by the Government by 3 times. The advent of tax funded programs such as Medicaid and Medicare have replaced a health care system that was once the envy of the world, in which pro bono services were given routinely by Doctors, with a highly regulated, and often unaffordable system which now prohibits Doctors from such charitable acts. New York City’s public schools , which educate the majority of the city’s youth is run by 6,000 bureaucrats, while the private Archdiocese of NY, which educates one fifth of the kids in New York City is run by only 26 individuals. The point that I am trying to make with this long laundry list of examples is this: Freedom works! We don’t need to mandate people to do good when it comes to every little need of society. Society is better served through voluntary charity than congested government programs.

Lance, you also made the argument in response to Jeff that we can find where our taxes are being spent if we look hard enough. I’m not so sure about that. Have you ever tried to discover where the government debt ultimately being paid to the federal reserve directly goes to? Furthermore, we currently pay about $1.4 billion a day in interest on the federal debt as Americans. We certainly get nothing for that money. Well, I guess we do get the twisted pleasure of sustaining a Government that is acting without fiscal responsibility. Reduction of taxes ought not to be viewed as a radical concept. In order to completely eradicate the income tax for example, we would have to do nothing more than return our budget to the same spending level exercised by the government all the way back in 1997. Scary thought huh?

The interesting thing about this whole discussion is that it has been based largely upon the premise that taxation helps the poor and needy more than it helps the wealthy. Basic economic theory would point to the fact that excessive government spending often correlates with excessive printing of money, which in turn leads to inflation. Inflation disproportionately has a greater impact on the impoverished than it does on the wealthy. In addition to this fact, many big businesses have been propped up by Government and have supported taxation and regulatory policy that would crush their competitors. Lobbying groups that are most successful in Washington are not often the ones with the greatest cause, but the greatest money.

Finally, the good of society, from an economic perspective, is largely a result of capital output per person. Some mistakenly look to recent American history and attribute a greater poverty level decades ago to a lack of government regulation. However, the bottom line is we didn’t have the capital output that we have today. Public policy can do nothing to bolster economic capacity. Compared to today, the American economy had little capital. According to Dr. Ron Paul,

The only way to increase everyone’s standard of living is by increasing the amount of capital per worker. Additional capital makes workers more productive, which means they can produce more goods than before. When our economy becomes physically capable of producing vastly more goods, their abundance makes them more affordable in terms of dollars. Soaking the rich works for only so long: the rich eventually wise up and decide to hide their income, move away, or stop working so much. But investing in capital makes everyone better off … it is foolish to levy taxes along any step of this process, because doing so sabotages the only way wealth can be created for everyone.

Where is the excessive overhead in tithing? When is the individual tithe payer paying interest on the debt of the Church? When is the payment of tithing mandated by force, or required by compulsory means? Does tithing have any potential negative side effects upon the poor? Is God’s right to command that His covenant children pay tithing different in nature than the right of the Government to take our substance from us by compulsion, a right which no individual member of society possesses? Can any argument be made that tithing funds are not used as effectively as possible, even with divine guidance? The Lord’s eternal system of Tithing is far different both in principle and in outcome, than America’s current corrupt and inefficient system of taxation.

The Face of A Dream

The Face of A Dream
By
Joshua C. Merris

Like the sun ablaze at noonday which warms each heart with light
There is in every man, an ember soft yet bright
A power deep within, to rise above what nature deems
Upon his hopes and wishes, is a face on every dream

Some men dream of riches, others seek for power
Such will fade away, like the wilting of a flower
But the face upon a dream, will smile evermore
For eternity exists in man, at the center of his core

If men forget their brother, and treat him with disdain
Their dreams will be forgotten, their hope will be in vain
They truly give no heed, in their heart they make no place
Their dream will fall in darkness, a dream without a face

What Will Save America?
President Abraham Lincoln once said these inspiring, and strikingly applicable words,
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves… Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step over the ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!—All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth in their military chest; with a Bonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a Thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."

It has been said that the people largely get the Government they deserve. I agree with this sentiment, for even Lucifer himself, assembled with all of the mighty hosts of hell would have no power over us if we did not surrender it to him. In egotism and pride, we have largely forgotten that our strength is not in the greatness of our armies, but the greatness of our hearts. We are quick to blame our leaders and elected officials, but slow to honestly evaluate "we the people" who elected them. We have become quick to point to any who question the constitutionality and true motivations of corrupt leaders and factions as irrational conspiracy theorists. However, in the pride of our hearts, we dangerously ignore conspiracy fact.

If America is to be saved from the downward sliding slope of destruction, it will not be a result of some political think tank, the Republicans, or Democrats. It will be because we as a people, stand up and say "no more!" It will be because we begin to think more about the welfare of others than we do of ourselves. It will be because the Government, which derives its power from the consent of the governed, will be denied abuses of power by the American people collectively.

May we remember the source from which our freedoms, rights, and liberties emanate. May we recall that each and every human being is endowed with certain inalienable rights from their Creator, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The proper role of limited government is to protect these rights which are inalienably ours. Nowhere in the Constitution or Declaration do we find the role of Government entails granting or giving us rights. God is the source of such rights, and if we turn from believing in absolutes and eternal truths, the Government will and has assumed that role. To accept the premise that Government gives us rights is to accept the premise that Government can take such rights away.

May we be quick to remember the responsibility that is ours to serve and help our fellowman. Who are we really helping when people are stripped of their private property at the whims of Congress? The Government does not make people good. How many Americans at tax time think to themselves, "Wow, I am really helping my starving neighbor out today by filing my taxes. I am so grateful the Government is forcing me to give up a third of my income so that my neighbors can get some fraction of the money I am paying in taxes?" A good society comes from within, not from without. If Government forces us to choose to surrender such a substantial portion of our money, they have robbed us of the choice and the means to be good. Government appropriately derives its power from the consent of the Governed, and therefore cannot excercise any power which is not possessed by an individual member of society. What man has a right to strip their neighbor of his hard earned income, regardless of the allure of his promised agenda?

How much greater we would be as a people if out of love and compassion rather than compulsion, we reached out to those in need because it is the right thing to do. What is more, it is not a new concept to any economically minded individual that government programs, however good their intention, are rewarded for failure. As opposed to the private sector, running such subsidized nationalist businesses do not fail as a result of ineffective management, but are subsidized more. Such subsidies find their basis in taxation, a gross portion of the Americans' incomes who they intend to help with such programs. The private sector can work and will work more effectively if we as Americans recognize a need to serve others. Furthermore, the result will be that we choose to be good, rather than the paradoxical requirements and burdens placed on us by the Government to mandate such behavior. Many Americans would be suprised to learn for example, that private donations by the American people to help developing, impoverished nations of the world are three times as great as those given by the Government.

People are only as free as they are personally responsible. Think of the power that one surrenders when they incessantly rely on some party for their sustenance. How easily persuaded is the man who is driven to do or surrender whatever he must to another to receive his daily bread. When Government becomes the means through which we subsist, man becomes slave, and Government becomes master.

Finally, may we base policy upon true principles, which may be readily discovered through a careful examination of the inspired Constituion of the United States of America. Policy must become the pillars upon which we build our nation. Such pillars will be supported by the American people, or else the edifice of our greatness will crumble to the earth. May we realize that we as a nation cannot force people to be free, we cannot discriminate to end discrimination, and we cannot assume or excercise rights without accepting and establishing responsibility for our actions. Policy without principle, is like being without feeling.

And so I stand with Lincoln, in inviting you my dear friends, to carefully consider what has made our nation great and to humbly recognize the impending forces which threaten its destruction. Our hope is not in government programs our bailouts, but in the good of humanity and those willing to help out. I believe in the American people. I believe there is still so much good in the world today. I believe that we as a people are still good at heart. I invite you to awaken to a sense of your awful situation, that we may not stand divided as Republicans and Democrats, but unite as Americans under God. May our unification stem from the banner which we wave triumphantly and invitingly to all the world, even the Constitution, a heavenly banner.

We Seek After These Things

We Seek After These Things

By

Joshua Merris

Within the chasms of each man’s soul, a yearning lies within

That reaches for the highest heights, and sneers at sight of sin

Amidst a world of pain and doubt, where melancholy reigns

We find a voice which beckons us and comforts us in pain

We need not look to presidents, to kings, or magistrates

For the power is within us to drain the world of hate

Just as the Sun at noonday, we’re guided by the light

Which calls to saint and sinner to press on through darkest nights

Though many masters call to us, we know by whom we’re called

The Master whom we seek to serve is greater than us all

By Him, the light divided from the damper dark abyss

In Him we must place our trust, for He will not lead amiss

In the path He walked before us, we find hope, and perfect love

In vibrant faith we’ll walk with Him and cry to Him above

That spotless in that perfect day, we’ll greet the King of Kings

We’ll welcome Him who died for us, who triumphed o’er death’s sting

In His presence, our knees will bend, our feeble tongues confess

His holy name, Jesus the Christ, who bled in awfulness

Reunion sweet, can mortal man, begin to comprehend?

What rapture will fill each bosom, as we greet our truest friend

We long for that Heavenly home, where saints and angels sing

For this, and for the good of man, we seek after these things