Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Take a look at what’s happening in our own country, for goodness sake! We are constantly bombarded with blatant offences to the sanctity of marriage, life, and chastity. Homosexuality is no longer considered sinful or shameful, but is now tolerated and celebrated. I was HORRIFIED to learn that someone I hold to great esteem, a conservative stalwart had failed as a parent when her son publically announced that he was a homosexual. Young children are taught in school that “it’s okay to have two fathers, or two mothers” (as popularized in the children’s story Heather Has Two Mommies –). Life beginning at conception is challenged by Femi-nazis and their socially deviant counterparts through what is considered one of the greatest crimes against humanity. Illegitimacy and promiscuity are as commonplace to “youth culture” as getting braces or having acne. Malfeasance begets malfeasance. This is the Western Culture of today that is broadcast ad infinitum.
State legislators are trying to remove “God” from the Pledge of Allegiance, the ten commandments from courthouses, and abolish prayer in school.

Unless we are a wholly Christian culture, what superiority can we dare claim? If our collective moral compass points away from the Lord, in just direction are we headed?

God Bless,
Liz

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand”.

Ephesians 6:11-17

Fortunately, not all North American Jews are in the “Get the Goy” (Michael Savage’s line) mentality. Names like Ilana Mercer and Jacob Neusner come immediately to mind (as well as Savage himself).

Mark – My Bible refers to Israel, Jerusalem, and thousands of locations in the Middle East. It does not differentiate between Biblical Israel and secular Israel and I doubt that is a determination we need to make. God will make it by either saving his people or going to His plan B.

As I’ve come to see it, there are other issues that need to be resolved, beginning with who or what is Israel as described by the prophets.

You raise a good question, but I don’t think it is that big of an assumption. See the Books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, among others.

Rather than getting all complicated, I think the simplest answer is the truth and is just as simple as the plan of salvation — Occam’s Razor principle.

I know some sects/cults claim to be the new Jerusalem, but that doesn’t wash. I believe that Jews=Israel regardless of the form of government and notwithstanding Diaspora. To wit;

1) Both in OT & NT, much has been made of geneology. The line from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Judah, to David to Jesus is pretty direct.

2) Secular or not, it is the Jews that comprise the 12 tribes of Israel. They are God’s chosen and have been set apart. Location is also important, not for the “occupants” but for the heirs to that locale.

3) As far as the Bible is concerned, Palestinians are trespassers on God’s promised land to Abraham & Moses — to put it bluntly, the Palestinians are both pawns of their Arab brethren and of Satan.

4) Satan tried to obstruct God’s divine plan by having Sarah use a surrogate mother, resulting in Ismael. And as we approach the end times, Satan is unavoidably bound to use the Arabs and the rest of the world to destroy Israel. In between these two endpoints of the Israeli question, Satan has been restlessly busy trying to disrupt, delay or otherwise destroy God’s plan.

Finally, I would argue that on one hand, yes we shouldn’t just blindly follow the “support Israel” dogma, a la liberal lockstepping moonbats, yet, we shouldn’t precondition our support for Israel on their secularity, lest we justify in our mind the persecution of them as have previous Christian leaders because they “killed” Christ.

That said, we can confidently toss out any global testing. I think the proper approach to the Jew/Israel question is to ask ourselves; ‘What would God do’? I say God and not Jesus, because we’re dealing with the Father’s perspective and his promises. Since none of us have a direct 2-way line to God, our roadmap will be found within the Bible and it seems to me that there is no way we can nuance our way out of an eventual global holocaust instigated by the enemies of Israel.

Now, will that happen tomorrow, during a sKerry/cHillary admin or will it happen after we achieve warp drive and settle on Europa? Frankly, I don’t know, but for Christians the when and how doesn’t really matter — we just have to be ready. The Bible tells us where, which leaves us with the question of who are the national players and on which side.

Whew! I’ve done burned a heap of off-topic bandwidth. As you’ve said, ‘God will work out any End Times scenario in His sovereignty.’ Maybe La Shawn or you will blog more on this

Its not that I have a problem with either — being a gun owner with no insurance — its that it makes this idea of ‘the west’ a bit too fuzzy.

This is a big assumption. Is it? I honestly can’t answer. In any case, our foreign policy ought to reflect a spirit of peace and goodwill, with entangling alliances with none. I wish Israel the best. God will work out any End Times scenario in His sovereignty.

Are we going to be part of the antichrist coalition, Global Test and all? I also think of the fact that God promises to bless NATIONS that bless Israel and curse nations that curse Israel. That to me means the onus is on the nations, not so much the people individually, altho they will be held personally accountable for their actions.

That said, if this nation is run by We The People, therefore it is incumbent upon us Christians to ensure that our leaders bless Israel, or we will suffer the curse as a nation. That should be our litmus test for electing leaders, more so than abortion, gay marriage etc.

sKerry seems to think that Arafat is the one he should be sucking up to. Also we can’t count too much on the secular Jews here since they are adamantly “anti-zionist” — self-haters, much like the ACLU and other anti-American organizations.

The first purpose of a just democracy is to ensure the peace and freedom of its citizens. Any “brothers keeper” type of action ought to be held in highest scrutiny if it is in danger of contravening these purposes.

Actus: part of the problem with the West is that it includes both the US second amendment and universal health care. Which of these do you have a problem with, as though I can’t guess?…

As for me, I also believe one of those items is a bad idea. Can you guess which?

Given the state of the edumacation elite here, it seems they’re determined to run it into the ground as fast and vapidly as possible.

While we might manage to hold our own vis a vis EU-25, I’d say look to China and India for the next wave of geniuses and breakthrus

I think that thats the disagreement — I think people are taking the US to be the West, rather than looking at the west as a whole, and what it has been and come from. While I think that social policies of welfare maximization and social floors have a basis in the tradition you mention, I don’t think they are the only policies with a claim to that tradition, the only ones that can rightfully follow from that. Which leaves room for other policies to have a place in this tradition.

Take for example, Adam Smith’s advocacy of universal education.

That’s the thing. I’m generalizing too. How can you say that something that is in every western country but the US is not part of western culture? And philosphically, socialism came from the west — at least in the way that marx brought it: he was a german living in london, writing on and in response to greek, british and german philosophers.

I can see how it doesn’t fit into your pure western culture, but it didn’t come from any other one. I guess in my generalization, I take the bitter with the sweet.