1984 and the Fourth of July

I recently reread George Orwell's "1984" and "Animal Farm".  I wonder what Orwell would think of events in 2013.  The USSR, which was the subject of his parody in "Animal Farm", and the basis of his apocalyptic vision in "1984" is no more.  Orwell's theories of why regimes fall was stated thusly:

"All past oligarchies have fallen from power either because they ossified or because they grew soft.  Either they became stupid and arrogant, failed to adjust themselves to changing circumstances, and were overthrown, or they became liberal and cowardly, made concessions , when they should have used force, and once again were overthrown.  They fell, that is to say, either through consciousness or through unconsciousness."


It seems to me that the last socialist regime in the USSR was neither as ruthless as Stalin, nor able to adjust to changing times, so maybe a bit of both reasons.  But you have to keep in mind that Orwell was a socialist, and viewed Stalin's USSR as a betrayal of liberal socialist principles.  But curiously, his "1984" presents a vision of a perfectly ruthless government that is able to survive because it has abandoned all goals except to pursue power for power's sake.

"We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it.  Power is not a means; it is an end.  One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship."

Still, though the USSR is gone, many of the principles used by Big Brother in "1984" are alive and well; constant surveillance, double-think, elimination of traditional families, etc.  Some of these are even more sophisticated than Orwell could imagine in 1949. Big Brother's telescreens were all in fixed locations, they didn't follow you around in your pocket, and they could only do video and audio, not the many text, GPS and other apps on our modern devices.  And then Big Brother enforces the policy that telescreens could not be turned off, but we voluntarily keep our smart phones on and with us at all times.  What would Orwell think?

Big Brother's regime in "1984" was actually the perfect description for the world's worst nightmare, as far as government is concerned.  Though Orwell would not have admitted it, as he was not a believer in God, his vision of Big Brother's government lines up nicely with the kingdom of Satan described in the Bible.  It's too bad that he died in his ignorance, and did not realize that there is an alternative in the Kingdom of God.  What would Orwell have made of the fact that the USSR is gone, but the USA, originally established on godly principles is still standing?  And what would he think of the surveillance, double-think and attack on families that we allow here in our free society?  Would he warn us that Big Brother can come take our freedoms in more than one way; through the revolutions and ruthlessness of Hitler, Stalin and Mao, but also be the deceptive promises of the progressive politicians?

It's the fourth of July, when we celebrate the Declaration of Independence here in the USA.  Our forefathers fought and won independence from King George, but will we voluntarily surrender our God given freedoms for empty promises?  Read "1984" and the Bible and think about it...

Equality

There has been a lot of talk about equality lately, especially in regard to the debate over the definition of marriage.  But what is equality from a  Biblical perspective and from an American perspective?

The word “equality” is only used in the New Testament two times in the King James Version translation. In 1^st Corinthians, Paul is instructing the church on giving:

2Co 8:14  But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

The equality here has nothing to do with rights, but is an equality of supply, resulting from the generosity of those who have more, to give offerings and alms that those in need would have an equal supply.  Americans are well known for their generosity to those in need, so I don’t think that there is any lack of equality in this regard in our country.  Some may argue for additional redistribution of wealth, but a forced redistribution, in the socialist model, is far removed from the Christian principle of voluntary giving to supply the needs of those have lack.

As far as equality of rights, this concept comes more from the French revolution.  Cries of “Liberté, égalité, fraternité”, were heard as there was rioting in the streets during the reign of terror, and thousands were beheaded in the guillotine.  The French cried for liberty and equality, but it is arguable whether people actually experienced much brotherhood, except for the brotherhood of suffering.

In the American Revolution, the principle of rights is laid out in the declaration of independence:

 “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Equality in the American experience is an equality before our creator, with rights granted by almighty God.  It is inconceivable that the founders would have considered anything a right which is declared by God to be an abomination.  That brings us to our current debate about homosexual marriage; not that it is a surprise that men would desire abominable things. As Jesus said in Luke 16:

Luk 16:15  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Where Jesus was talking about things like greed and adultery, but the list of things abominable to God is well documented in the Bible. Including homosexuality, which Paul discussed in Romans 1:

Rom 1:26-27  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

So how can we sanction cries for equality in regard to things that are manifestly not equal? Marriage is an institution created by God as “male and female” in Genesis 1, and defended by Jesus in Matthew 19:4-6:

Mat 19:4-6  And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,  And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Equality?  Yes we are equal in God’s sight, and we are equally subject to the same desires and failings that have plagued man from the beginning.  Let us pray for an equality of mercy, that the God who rains on the just and the unjust will have mercy on our land. That He not judge us according to our manifold sins, but turn our hearts to repentance. May we call upon Him for forgiveness, that we may be equally righteous in His sight, not equally abominable, as was the case in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Think about it…