As we watch the rise of violent rebellion and civil disobedience in western—formerly Christian—nations (and elsewhere), it would behoove us to determine what is at the root and core of this movement, so that we can determine its source and what our response should be.
Human nature has never changed from the beginning of human history to the present. What is happening today has happened before. Only the actors, costumes and theater venues have changed, but the story’s plot is the same from the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden until now.
This ever-repeating and sad never-ending story goes like this: Elohim the Creator laid down certain rules and guidelines for humans to follow for their own blessing and well-being. Along came a snake in a tree to dissuade humans to rebel against Elohim’s rule of law, and rebellious and malcontented humans egged on by the same God-hating snake (that is, Satan the arch-rebel) have been marching to the same drum beat ever since.
We see the modern manifestations of this same satanic rebellion in the various current leftist movements that like the many-headed Hydra of ancient Greek mythology have many faces: leftism, atheism, secular humanism, moral relativism, socialism, the rise of the nanny-state, the rise in democratic mob rule, race wars, the attack on Judea-Christians values, the rise of false and Antichrist religious systems, evolution, rebellion against western culture and history and so on.
This is not to say that western culture is perfect and that there aren’t systemic problems that need fixing and that some of the issues of the leftist malcontents aren’t legitimate. There are problems that need fixing, but left’s solution of destroying the biblical foundations of the west is not the answer to the problem. The problem is that the left generally wants to kill, steal and destroy in its effort to supposedly correct the problems in western societies that despite their weaknesses have generally done more good than harm in improving the human condition when held up against the backdrop of human history. And the left has no solutions to the problems of western civilization. Their only solutions is societal upheaval—to kill, steal and destroy. They can’t point to one example past or present where their ideologies have worked. In the wake of leftist ideals there as always been mass bloodshed, anarchy, mayhem, repression, loss of freedom, enslavement and loss of social liberties. Always!
To understand the evil spirit that is behind modern leftism, let’s go back to the Bible to one of the earliest leftists—Korah the malcontent. When we study his character, life and methods of operation, we will see many parallels between him and and the modern rabble rousers who are trying to turn society on its head and usurp authority for themselves.
The Spirit of Korah
The spirit of Korah is currently alive and well on planet earth. The righteous must discern, identify and then oppose this evil spirit. Everywhere in every way, this demonic spirit of rebellion is attempting to destroy the work of YHVH Elohim on earth.
The spirit of Korah is the spirit of rebellion against YHVH and his divine authority and biblical truth. In our society, it is manifested in the philosophies of secular humanism, atheism, the New Age Movement, radical environmentalism, earth worship, progressivism, socialism, Marxism, evolution, which are all aspects of the Babylon the Great, New World Order political-religious system that will oppose the saints of Yeshua and Yeshua himself at this second coming. We also see this spirit at work, supported and encouraged in international politics, in our own government, in our educational systems, in the media, in the false religions of the world, and in the apostate church where foundational Judeo-Christian biblical values are being rejected and even demonized.
The spirit Korah, the rebel, has even worked its way into the modern church system where it is attempting to subvert and pervert the truth of Elohim as revealed in the Bible, and to undermine legitimate, YHVH-ordained authority. Every man becomes his own spiritual leader, refuses the accountability afforded by authentic godly spiritual leadership, and basically chooses to do what is right in his own eyes. Many modern churches are going so far as to water down or reject core biblical truths and values and instead emphasize ecumenism, New Age thought, one-world spirituality and a social activist paradigm. Ultimately, this is a rejection of the divine truth of YHVH Elohim as revealed in the Scriptures.
The rebellion of Korah and his comrades against Moses and Aaron and Elohim’s resulting judgment against them is a prophetic picture of what will happen in the end times against all modern Korah-like rebels. In fact, it is a picture of the judgment of Elohim that will happen to ALL sinners who choose to rebel against YHVH, his will, his Word and truth, his plans and purposes and those on this earth who are carrying out his will.
The spirit of Korah continues to manifest itself in uprisings against godly authority both within the church, and globally as the New World Order, which the Book of Revelation calls Babylon the Great, takes a more strident and virulent stand against Elohim, the Bible and the saints.
The fate of Korah and his band of rebellious malcontents is a prophetic picture of YHVH’s end time judgments against all those who dare to stand against him. The second chapter of Psalm speaks about this:
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against YHVH, and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: Adonai shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.… Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
The Spirit of Korah Under a Microscope
The spirit of Korah IS NOT a pretty picture when looked at closely.
Although Korah was a Levite, the grandson of Levi, and therefore a cousin to Moses and Aaron, he was not a priest, but he coveted the priesthood given to Aaron and his sons.
Dathan, Abiram and On were sons Reuben who was the disinherited firstborn son of Jacob and coveted the leadership role over Israel that YHVH had given to Moses and Aaron.
In their minds, this group of men had legitimate and legally based grounds for being discontent. Korah was a Levite and Dathan and his friends were leaders of the firstborn tribe of Israel.
In their minds, they had legitimate gripes against Moses and Aaron. On that basis, they
As we watch the rise of violent rebellion and civil disobedience in western—formerly Christian—nations (and elsewhere), it would behoove us to determine what is at the root and core of this movement, so that we can determine its source and what our response should be.
Human nature has never changed from the beginning of human history to the present. What is happening today has happened before. Only the actors, costumes and theater venues have changed, but the story’s plot is the same from the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden until now.
This ever-repeating and sad never-ending story goes like this: Elohim the Creator laid down certain rules and guidelines for humans to follow for their own blessing and well-being. Along came a snake in a tree to dissuade humans to rebel against Elohim’s rule of law, and rebellious and malcontented humans egged on by the same God-hating snake (that is, Satan the arch-rebel) have been marching to the same drum beat ever since.
We see the modern manifestations of this same satanic rebellion in the various current leftist movements that like the many-headed Hydra of ancient Greek mythology have many faces: leftism, atheism, secular humanism, moral relativism, socialism, the rise of the nanny-state, the rise in democratic mob rule, race wars, the attack on Judea-Christians values, the rise of false and Antichrist religious systems, evolution, rebellion against western culture and history and so on.
This is not to say that western culture is perfect and that there aren’t systemic problems that need fixing and that some of the issues of the leftist malcontents aren’t legitimate. There are problems that need fixing, but left’s solution of destroying the biblical foundations of the west is not the answer to the problem. The problem is that the left generally wants to kill, steal and destroy in its effort to supposedly correct the problems in western societies that despite their weaknesses have generally done more good than harm in improving the human condition when held up against the backdrop of human history. And the left has no solutions to the problems of western civilization. Their only solutions is societal upheaval—to kill, steal and destroy. They can’t point to one example past or present where their ideologies have worked. In the wake of leftist ideals there as always been mass bloodshed, anarchy, mayhem, repression, loss of freedom, enslavement and loss of social liberties. Always!
To understand the evil spirit that is behind modern leftism, let’s go back to the Bible to one of the earliest leftists—Korah the malcontent. When we study his character, life and methods of operation, we will see many parallels between him and and the modern rabble rousers who are trying to turn society on its head and usurp authority for themselves.
The Spirit of Korah
The spirit of Korah is currently alive and well on planet earth. The righteous must discern, identify and then oppose this evil spirit. Everywhere in every way, this demonic spirit of rebellion is attempting to destroy the work of YHVH Elohim on earth.
The spirit of Korah is the spirit of rebellion against YHVH and his divine authority and biblical truth. In our society, it is manifested in the philosophies of secular humanism, atheism, the New Age Movement, radical environmentalism, earth worship, progressivism, socialism, Marxism, evolution, which are all aspects of the Babylon the Great, New World Order political-religious system that will oppose the saints of Yeshua and Yeshua himself at this second coming. We also see this spirit at work, supported and encouraged in international politics, in our own government, in our educational systems, in the media, in the false religions of the world, and in the apostate church where foundational Judeo-Christian biblical values are being rejected and even demonized.
The spirit Korah, the rebel, has even worked its way into the modern church system where it is attempting to subvert and pervert the truth of Elohim as revealed in the Bible, and to undermine legitimate, YHVH-ordained authority. Every man becomes his own spiritual leader, refuses the accountability afforded by authentic godly spiritual leadership, and basically chooses to do what is right in his own eyes. Many modern churches are going so far as to water down or reject core biblical truths and values and instead emphasize ecumenism, New Age thought, one-world spirituality and a social activist paradigm. Ultimately, this is a rejection of the divine truth of YHVH Elohim as revealed in the Scriptures.
The rebellion of Korah and his comrades against Moses and Aaron and Elohim’s resulting judgment against them is a prophetic picture of what will happen in the end times against all modern Korah-like rebels. In fact, it is a picture of the judgment of Elohim that will happen to ALL sinners who choose to rebel against YHVH, his will, his Word and truth, his plans and purposes and those on this earth who are carrying out his will.
The spirit of Korah continues to manifest itself in uprisings against godly authority both within the church, and globally as the New World Order, which the Book of Revelation calls Babylon the Great, takes a more strident and virulent stand against Elohim, the Bible and the saints.
The fate of Korah and his band of rebellious malcontents is a prophetic picture of YHVH’s end time judgments against all those who dare to stand against him. The second chapter of Psalm speaks about this:
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against YHVH, and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: Adonai shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.… Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
The Spirit of Korah Under a Microscope
Although Korah was a Levite, the grandson of Levi, and therefore a cousin to Moses and Aaron, he was not a priest, but he coveted the priesthood given to Aaron and his sons.
Dathan, Abiram and On were sons Reuben who was the disinherited firstborn son of Jacob and coveted the leadership role over Israel that YHVH had given to Moses and Aaron.
In their minds, this group of men had legitimate and legally based grounds for being discontent. Korah was a Levite and Dathan and his friends were leaders of the firstborn tribe of Israel.
In their minds, they had legitimate gripes against Moses and Aaron. On that basis, they
Numbers 16:4, and accused Moses saying, “You take too much upon yourselves.”
These are the steps that a rebellious malcontent takes in coming against YHVH-ordained authority.
There are biblical or godly ways for the righteous to respectfully redress grievances to authority when they feel injustices have been committed. The daughters of Zelophehad were shining examples of how to do this (Num 36:19). Yeshua also addresses this in Matthew 18 (compare with Matt 5:38–42) as does Paul in 1 Timothy 5:19.
The Scriptures reveal that there are four spheres of YHVH-ordained authority on this earth against humans will typically rebel. One can find the spirit of Korah at work in all of these spheres attempting to usurp authority and foment rebellion. These spheres are:
Parental
Ecclesiastical (church)
Governmental
Employers
Lucifer Was the Original Rebel
Satan is the originator of all rebellion against YHVH-ordained authority. He was the original Korah, and the one behind the Korah’s rebellion. Scripture tells us that Satan
Coveted YHVH’s position of authority,
Gathered together malconent angels to oppose YHVH,
Rose up in rebellion against YHVH,
Falsely accused YHVH to Adam and Eve.
Isaiah records the steps Satan took in rebelling against YHVH’s authority.
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation [i.e., Mount Moriah], in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (Isa 14:12–17)
Notice all the rebellious “I wills” statements in this passage. Satan the original rebel against YHVH’s rule is the originator of humanism, which is the exaltation of man’s will and authority over that of YHVH.
“Korah” at the Garden of Eden
Satan the serpent was the original Korah. Such rebellion had its roots in the Garden of Eden at the tree of knowledge where the serpent, the archenemy of YHVH enticed man to rebel against YHVH’s divine law, and purported to exalt man to a position to be able to determine for himself what is right and wrong. The roots of modern secular humanism are to be found in the lies of the serpent at the tree of knowledge. For example, the serpent lied when he told humans that they could chart their own course and determine their own ethics or lack thereof without YHVH’s guidance. This approach has led to all the sin and misery on earth to this day!
In modern politics, the democracy movement is a manifestation of the spirit of Korah. In this case, the majority of the people determine what is right or wrong and not the Bible. The problem is that the will of the people is constantly changing with the times, and is dictated by the carnal, fallen, rebellious and sinful natures of humans, and not by the unchanging and divinely revealed truth of Elohim. There are no set standards that determine what is right or wrong, no immovable boundaries, and no points on a compass to guide people in the right direction.
The spirit of Korah ultimately proclaims, “POWER TO THE PEOPLE! GOD IS DEAD or he is at least irrelevant!” In reality, it isn’t power to the people. This is just a smoke and mirrors lie. In reality, it is only power to a small ruling elite who, once in power, lord it over the people, and enslave the people for their own evil and selfish purposes, which invariably involve personal enrichment and the accrual of power to that minority. So, in the end, the people are no better off than they were before—usually worse off. They bought the big lie, and they lost. Satan always promises much, and delivers little, if anything. The results are bondage, misery and ultimately death. This is what Satan, the serpent, did to Adam and Eve, and his tactics have never changed.
The Roots of Babylon the Great—Nimrod Was a “Korah”
The Bible reveals in Genesis chapters ten and eleven that Nimrod collectivized people into cities and founded Babylon. This city state later became a great empire. This was the prophetic forerunner of the end times Babylon the Great of the Book of Revelation.
He put himself in a place where he was before (in front of) YHVH (Gen. 10:9).
Nimrod endeavored to exalt man through human efforts to the level of YHVH by building a tower that would reach to heaven (Gen 11:4).
Nimrod wanted man to make a name (fame, reputation, glory, a memorial) for himself vis-à-vis YHVH. He promoted the self exaltation of man and the diminishing YHVH (Gen 11:4).
As YHVH judged ancient Babylon—it is now an uninhabited desert wasteland in modern Iraq, so YHVH will destroy modern Babylon the Great.
YHVH’s Judgment Against the Spirit of Korah
YHVH will render judgment against those who come under the spirit of Korah. He will not tolerate his plans, purposes and will to be subverted by self-appointed, egomaniacs who go about fomenting discontent and rebellion against Elohim-ordained authority.
YHVH let us know what he thought of Korah’s rebellion when he caused the earth to open up and swallow Korah and his band of rebels (Num. 16:32). Before judgment came upon Korah, YHVH told those around him twice to separate themselves from Korah (Num 16:21, 24), so that they wouldn’t come under Korah’s judgment. Likewise, in the end times, YHVH is calling his people to separate themselves from Babylon so that they don’t come under the plagues of that end time Antichrist system (Rev 18:4).
Those rebels who were part of Korah’s rebellion who didn’t perish in the pit, were destroyed by fire from heaven (Num 16:35). Similarly, at the end of the age, Yeshua will return to the earth to judge the wicked—those who come under the influence of Satan have attempted to take over the earth and subvert righteousness and enforce their evil agendas upon mankind. What will be their fate? Satan will also be thrown into the bottomless pit as were Korah and many of his followers, and the beast and false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire, even as fire destroyed the rest of the Korah’s rebellious malcontents. At the end of the Millennium, fire will come down from heaven to destroy those from Gog and Magog who under Satan’s influence will attempt to dethrone Yeshua (Rev 19:7–10). After this incident, the white throne judgment occurs where all rebels who have ever lived will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 19:11–15).
The Book of Jude: Story of Rebellion and Moral Perversion
Jude in his short epistle equates Cain with humanism (i.e., my way, not YHVH’s way), Balaam with greed (the love of money) and Korah with rebellion and lust for power.I advise the reader to review the whole book of Jude in this light.
The main point of Jude is how men rebel against divine authority and turn from the common salvation message of Yeshua and the gospel, which is the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3), and embark on a downward path of moral and spiritual decay. The result is that the “grace of Elohim is turned into lasciviousness”(unrestrained moral looseness; verses 7–8). The spirit of Korah uniting with the spirits of Cain (humanism) and Balaam (greed and lust) is about discarding spiritual and moral restraint and turning to moral and spiritual perversion. The modern liberal Christian churches have already given in to this spirit by accepting pedophile and homosexual priests, ordaining of homosexuals, and accepting adultery, divorce, fornication and abortion. The next step on the downward spiral is “denying the Master Elohim and the Master Yeshua the Messiah” (verse 4). These moral and spiritual perverts and apostates do not want Yeshua to be their Lord or Master and to tell them what to do or what is right or wrong. They defy his laws and make up their own humanistic laws. They are so full of lust and perversion that they will deny Elohim before they will reign in their lustful perversions and repent of their evil sin. This is the state of our society religiously and culturally today in the western church!
The message of Jude is a prophetic warning to the end-times saints not to go buy into the lies of the serpent, and to not rebel against the laws of Elohim, the Creator. In Jude 11, YHVH says, “Woe” to those who go in this direction in following the examples of the evil and rebellious malcontents: Cain, Balaam and Korah.
A Call To Action
What should be the end-time saints response to this epic battle that is occurring between the followers of the serpent and those who choose to obey YHVH? Those who love YHVH’s Torah-instructions and have faith in Yeshua (Rev 12:17 and 14:12) are taking a stand against the spirit of Korah et al when they are returning to the ancient paths of Torah-righteousness. Those who are on this path must dedicate themselves to working tirelessly by being spiritual lights shining in the darkness by obeying YHVH and helping others to see this same light. We must resolve to “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered” (Jude 2) and to “keep yourselves in the love of Elohim, looking for the mercy of our Master Yeshua Messiah unto eternal life” (verse 22). We must determine to be instruments in YHVH’s hands to save others who are sliding downward spiritually. “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh” (verse 23).
Genesis 10:8–9; 11:1–9, Nimrod…Babel .Comparisons can be made between Nimrod and his rebellion against Elohim (and apostasy from the faith of his fathers) with that of the man of sin (literally, “man of Torahlessness” in 2 Thess 2:1–12) in the end times. We can also compare the formation of Babylon and the building of the Tower of Bavel to the end-time one-world system called Babylon the Great (Rev 18). For the present, let’s explore how Satan, the devil-serpent, has been the motivating force behind collectivization and organization of humans in his rebellion against YHVH Elohim, the Creator.
Secular Humanism: The Devil’s Original Lie and the Religion of the New World Order
We are presently watching unfolding before us an epic and cosmic struggle between the forces of evil and good. The world system or cosmos of the devil is pitted against the unalterable and immutable plans, purposes and Word of the sovereign Creator of the universe, YHVH Elohim.
At the center of this battle is man. He was created in the image of Elohim and destined to become a son of Elohim. The Adversary, on the other hand, wants to make man into his image—a son of perdition. Man has to choose whom he will follow. To sit on the sidelines, ignore the battle and not to choose is, by default, to choose the side of the devil. Man must carefully choose his course of action, for the consequences are eternal. Inaction—not to choose—is to ignore the battle and by default to choose the side of the devil.
That battle will reach its nexus at the end of the age, just prior to the return of the Messiah. Will man fall for the lies of the counterfeit Messiah, or remain faithful to the Truth and Word of the real Messiah? To resist the deceiver and not fall for his lies one must know the face of his enemy: his tactics, game plan and the nature of his deception. The lies he will use in the end times to woo the multitudes to his side are not new. The tactics and game plan are the same, for it has never changed from the beginning. What are the lies he will use to seduce man to his side of this struggle? When did the deceiver first ply his trade? The answers are in the Book of Life.
The Big Lie and Its Origin
The Scriptures Speak of a “Lie”
There are those who turn from the revealed truth of Elohim and turn to believing a lie as Romans 1:24–25 states:
Wherefore Elohim also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of Elohim into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen
The Man of Sin/Lawlessness will cause many to turn from YHVH’s truth and believe a lie as 2 Thessalonians 2:7–12 states:
For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only he who now restrains will do so, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom YHVH shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause Elohim shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Outside of the New Jerusalem will be those wicked ones who believe a lie as the Book of Revelation states:
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, or makes a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Rev 21:27)
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie. (Rev 22:14–15)
The primary meaning of these passages is referring to those who have exchanged the truth of YHVH for a lie. But what lie? Who did Yeshua say was the father of lies (John 8:44)? The devil is, of course. So, ultimately all lies that humans believe had to have originate from those lies the devil through the serpent told the first humans in the Garden of Eden.
Many Antichrist secular humanists are not content on living and let live. Such individuals hate personal freedom (for others) and hate Elohim. They are rabidly attempting to enforce their brand of mind and thought control through fascistic means by getting the government to remove the liberties and freedom of those with whom they disagree. They want to destroy everything that helped to make this country great. If these God-haters succeed, their hands will be dripping with the “blood” of this nation (along with their infanticidal abortionist comrades whose hands are dripping literal blood). They will have helped this nation to commit spiritual, national hari-kari or suicide. Satan is laughing gleefully!
YHVH Elohim, bring confusion into the camp of the enemy. Break their teeth and scatter them. May the fear of Elohim come upon them and a spirit of repentance. May the name of your glorious Son, Yeshua the Messiah, be exalted over this nation, and empower and embolden the righteous to stand up against the evil-doers for the glory of YHVH Elohim and the expansion of your kingdom. Amein.
High court deciding fate of cross-shaped Maryland memorial
By JESSICA GRESKO2 hours ago
Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association, speaks near the 40′ Maryland Peace Cross dedicated to World War I soldiers on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019 in Bladensburg, Md. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
BLADENSBURG, Md. (AP) — Steven C. Lowe says he has always thought that a 40-foot-tall (12-meter-tall) concrete cross that stands on a large, grassy highway median near his home was odd.
For years, he says, he didn’t know that the cross in Bladensburg, Maryland, is a war memorial. A plaque on the cross’ base lists the names of 49 area residents who died in World War I, but it isn’t easily read from the road and getting to the monument requires dashing across traffic. Lowe said he felt the cross implied that the city where it stands favored Christians over others.
“It certainly made me raise my eyebrows,” said Lowe, 68, who is retired from the telecommunications industry.
In 2014, Lowe, two other area residents and the District of Columbia-based American Humanist Association, a group that includes atheists and agnostics, sued to challenge the cross. They argue that the cross’ location on public land violates the First Amendment’s establishment clause, which prohibits the government from favoring one religion over others. The group lost the first round in court, but in 2017 an appeals court ruled the cross unconstitutional. Now, the cross’ supporters are asking the Supreme Court to overturn that ruling in a case the justices will hear Wednesday.
The memorial’s supporters would seem to have a good shot based on the court’s decision to take the case and the court’s more conservative makeup, seen as more likely to uphold such displays. Plus, even liberal Justice Stephen Breyer voted in a 2005 case to uphold a Ten Commandments display on public property.
Backers of the nearly 100-year-old cross, also called the “Peace Cross,” say if the justices rule against them it could threaten hundreds of monuments nationwide. Opponents, for their part, say few memorials are truly similar. They argue the cross should be moved to private property or modified into a nonreligious monument such as a slab or obelisk, a suggestion backers say would be desecration.
Arguing for the cross at the high court are The American Legion, which raised money for the cross and completed it in 1925, and officials with the state of Maryland, which took over managing the site in 1960. They have the support of the Trump administration and 30 states.
Supporters say the cross is a fixture of Bladensburg, Maryland, just about 5 miles from the Supreme Court. Traffic reporters use it as a reference point in radio reports. Residents give directions that refer to it.
Maryland officials argue that the cross doesn’t violate the Constitution because it has a secular purpose and meaning, honoring veterans, in an area where several other memorials to veterans stand. On the other side, the American Humanist Association says that using a cross as a war memorial doesn’t make the cross secular; it makes the war memorial Christian.
Similar monuments have met with a mixed fate at the high court. On the same day in 2005, for example, the court upheld a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Texas state capitol while striking down Ten Commandments displays in Kentucky courthouses. Justice Breyer, whose vote made the difference in the outcome in both cases, said the history of the courthouse displays demonstrated a government effort to promote religion while the Texas display had a primarily nonreligious purpose.
The American Legion, represented by lawyers with the Texas-based First Liberty Institute, says that a test the court announced in 1971 for use in such cases, which asks whether the government’s action has a secular purpose, advances or inhibits religion or fosters “an excessive government entanglement with religion,” has proved unworkable. They say that question the justices should be asking is whether the government’s action is coercive, which they say the cross is not. The court doesn’t have to rule that broadly, however, to side with the monument’s supporters.
The monument’s backers say they just want the cross left alone. Speaking recently at an American Legion post near the cross, member Stan Shaw said modifying the cross would be “a slap in a veteran’s face.” As for the suggestion the monument should be moved, Mike Moore, another member, said he’s “not sure how one could do it.” Add that to the fact that the monument is cracking and repair work has been on hold.
Relatives of the men whose names are on the cross have also asked the court to let it stand where it is. Mary Ann LaQuay, whose uncle Thomas Fenwick’s name is on the cross, says it’s a way for her to remember her uncle, who caught pneumonia and died while fighting in France. His grave is in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, but LaQuay, 80, says she feels “like the cross represents his memorial.”
Those challenging the cross say they want to make clear that they aren’t against veterans or veterans memorials. Fred Edwords, a longtime official with the American Humanist Association, says they just don’t think it’s right to leave the impression that only Christian soldiers are being celebrated.
Lowe, who lives near the cross in the District of Columbia, said some people have asked him: Why not just leave the cross alone?
“I think it was a violation of the Constitution when it was built,” he said. “The fact that it is old doesn’t make it right. It’s an old wrong.”
Are you addicted to your smart phone (and computer)? Think about it for a minute. Maybe, in reality, you’re addicted to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Even one of our most popular electronic devices has as its symbol an apple with a bite out of it. Interesting! Symbols are often carefully designed symbolic representations of the ideas and philosophies behind them. The masses of people are usually oblivious to their meanings, but the enlightened initiates understand full well what they mean. This is one of the means by which those of the dark side communicate with each other—through arcane and mystical symbols.
Everywhere I go I see it…and so do you. People walking down sidewalks, smart phone in hand, hunched over their device. Just the other day, I saw four mom’s crossing a busy street on their way to pick up their kids from school. The eyes of three of the four were glued to their smart phones. They didn’t even look up see if traffic was coming!
“Smart phone” may be the oxymoronic label of the day…don’t you think?
At our finger tips, we have all the knowledge of the world—both good and evil. Sounds like the biblical tree of the knowledge of good and evil to me.
Remember the tree in the Garden of Eden that Elohim told Adam and Eve not to eat from? The same tree that the serpent hid in and lured the first humans into eating from?
We don’t know what kind of fruit it was. The Bible doesn’t tell us. Tradition tells us, however, that it was an apple. Hmm. Apple. The most popular “smart” phone on the planet has as its logo an apple with a bite out of it. Now connect the dots.
Look, I love my Apple I-Phone, my Apple I-Pad and my Apple computer. I don’t exactly live in a cave and grunt my way through life. But do these things master us or do we master them? Do you spend time with your electronic devices that you should be spending with YHVH? Are you spending more time feeding from the tree of knowledge or the tree of life?
I know, no one reading this is guilty of the concerns I’m positing. Each of us has a myriad justifications why the shoe doesn’t fit me. We’re all right in our own eyes. But what does YHVH thing about it? We can’t fool him. He sees through our human machinations and excuses.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed YHVH and ate from the tree of knowledge instead of being faithful to his instructions in righteousness, they sinned. This was their first step on the proverbial downward spiral, slippery slope away from the Creator. Do you really think the devil has stopped attempting to deceive humans away from Elohim? Do you really think that in these modern times he’s going to take you to an actual tree that is labeled “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”? Get real. He’s smarter than that. But I can’t think of anything that fits the bill better than a beautiful device you can hold in your hand, that you can get in any color you want, and that has an apple logo on it (or whatever logo it may be) that more qualifies.
When Adam and Eve ate from the wrong tree, they fell into idolatry. Anything we put above Elohim becomes an idol to us. When our phone or laptop becomes more important to us than our Bible—there’s a problem.
Generally speaking, social conservatives tend to act on the basis of principles—what is morally right or wrong. On the other hand, leftists, “progressives,” socialists, Marxists or fascists tend to act on the basis of whatever is politically expedient at the moment and justify their actions on the basis of their particular feelings, or what is politically correct at the moment. They act on the basis of “group think” and tend to favor mob rule—as long as their mob is ruling. What is morally right or wrong has little if any bearing on what they think or do. It’s whatever feels right to them at that moment.
Another way to characterize the actions of those who lean toward the left or “progressive” side politically is that for them “the (political) ends justify the means,” which is one step away from the satanic motto of “Do what thou wilt,” which is another way of saying, “If it feels good, do it.” This is nothing more than situational ethics or moral relativism. This is the religion of secular humanism where the rule of YHVH Elohim is rejected in favor of self-rule. In reality, this is nothing more than embracing the lie of the devil serpent at the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, when he questioned the Creator’s rule of law. When the first humans fell for Satan’s lie, this resulted in the introduction of sin and rebellion and destruction and death and man being separated from Elohim.
Broadly speaking, the political conservative tends to act more on the basis of universal and unchanging principles of right and wrong that are ultimately based on the divinely revealed truth of the laws found in the Bible. On the other hand, the political socialist acts on the basis of feelings and what man (not Elohim) thinks is right and wrong. We know what the Bible says about this:
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Prov 14:12)
The conservative, by contrast, believes in self-rule and limited government because they don’t need big government to regulate every aspect of their lives by telling them what is right and wrong: They have God/Elohim and his word, the Bible, to do that and they realize that they are ultimately answerable to the Creator for their actions, and not to government. They walk in the fear of Elohim, not man. This makes them wise and knowledgeable, for the Bible says the fear of Elohim is the beginning of both knowledge and wisdom. This understanding keeps them on the moral straight and narrow path. Because they base their thoughts and actions on the firm foundation of divinely revealed biblical truth, they find that the constantly shifting moral standards of leftist “progressives” to be illogical, foolish and impossible to understand. To the conservative right is always right and wrong is always wrong, and these definitions don’t change over time. Not so with the leftist “progressive.”
The social progressive leftist wants government (the bigger the better) to legislate their view of morality, which changes from generation to generation, hence the term “situational ethics” or “moral relativism.” They then turn their view of “morality” into an ideology and then into a political agenda, which they then they demand that the government enforce by the rule of law and cram down the throats of those who disagree with them. This is a form of fascism or government mandated authoritarianism. Extreme socialism is fascism. (The Nazis were fascists. Remember that the word Nazis was merely an acronym for Nationalsozialist or National Socialist.)
The ideology of government determining what is right and wrong becomes the socialist’s religion and is based on what the socialist feels (based on politically correct group-think) is best for society (i.e. their politically driven agendas). The state becomes the de facto god of the nation to enact and to enforce the socialist ideology. In the leftist socialists’ mind, this will lead to their version of a utopia or heaven on earth, which is a godless replacement for the paradise regained of the Garden of Eden heaven on earth, which the Bible refers to as the New Jerusalem, which Elohim promises to all those who embrace the biblical gospel message by trusting in and obeying Yeshua the Messiah.
The conservative loves Elohim as their God and is happy to follow his divinely revealed principles of the Bible, while the leftist socialist “progressives” are either ambivalent, apathetic or downright hateful toward Elohim and the Bible, and instead follow their feelings, which is usually based on politically correct group-think, which is the political system called democracy—or social democracy (i.e. socialism plus democracy). This is in opposition to the republican form of government which rules on the basis of principles that define what is right and wrong. These principle are often codified in a document like a constitution upon which all of society’s laws are based and which all members of society must follow. Most socialists disdain if not hate the U.S. Constitution, since it constrains them from fulfilling their unconstitutional agendas. By contrasts, a republican form of government, ideally, is based on a unchanging principles, while a democracy is based on the vicissitudinous feelings of the masses (beliefs that change over time).
In the United States, those who believe in a republican form of government believe in limited government and tend to be more biblically based, while those who believe in a more democratic form of government tend to reject the Bible and Christianity and want the state, without overtly admitting it, to be their god (to tell people what to do). This is ultimately rebellion against and a rejection of God and the Bible.
The Bible has a several terse statements for the secular humanist who prefers government over God/Elohim, and wants man to decide what is morally right and wrong instead of the Creator.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. (Prov 12:15)
He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. (Prov 28:26)
Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate. (Prov 24:7)
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. (Prov 14:1)
For those who have ears to hear and a heart and mind to understand, I leave you with this:
If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Ps 11:3)
