Specifically, are you a Christian libertarian think-fish? If so, then please join me in a new Christian libertarian think-tank.
Christian Choice will occupy space on the political spectrum above the Maxim Institute and half a dozen or so others and up a bit from the New Zealand Centre for Political Research and the newly fused New Zealand Initiative.
Please contact me with further details.
THE world should be ruled by a new “global parliament” under the auspices of the United Nations, according to Bob Brown.
Delivering the Third Green Oration in Hobart, on the 40th anniversary of the party’s founding, Senator Brown asked an audience of “fellow earthians” why the “intergalactic phones” weren’t ringing, suggesting advanced civilisations elsewhere in the universe could have “extincted” themselves through their own greed.
In a sweeping address, quoting Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill, Senator Brown called on Australia to take the lead in establishing a global parliament to govern issues such as nuclear proliferation, international financial transactions and poverty.
Excerpt from this article.
Libertarian Christians ought not to be suprised by this at all.
The Green movement is a jumble of Radical Left delusions mixed up with generous helpings of Radical Right ‘expedients’ ie Though they prefer the State to own everything, they will settle for State control of everything…with a semblance of Market functions and very limited ‘private property’… and as the most Die hard comrades of Cold war Communism… they have never abandoned their ambitions for World Communist Revolution and Politburo Dominion… and The UN has always been thoroughly infiltrated and infested by Anti western Lefties (Think: Helen Clark!)
We ought not to be surprised that The Greens do not Dread the Threat to individual liberty that such an all powerful centralised Global State represents, they actually relish the thought!
With such absolutely Evil ambitions, cloaked in terms of concern for the Poor and the wellbeing of The Ecosystems of the world It is a real travesty that so many Christians support this Demonic political movement. They must be as thick as two short planks!
The Green Movement is absolutely Anti Christ in respect to the fundamental foundations of Christian values… They hate the Judeo-Christian Idea that God gave Mankind dominion over the Earth and other creatures. It is no mere coincidence that the Greens align themselves with every Primitive Earth worshipping culture around the globe against Western domination, not because they believe the Earth is God, but because their beliefs dont grant Mankind Higher God-given rights or dominion. Comunists are famously Atheistic (Note Browns reference to Alien lifeforms… a thouroughly Atheist/ evolutionary delusion of our age)
And this call for a One world Government also exposes them as the Ultimate hypocrites in respect to the Occupy movement which is full of Lefty Greens whom claim to be ‘Anti-Imperialism’…’Anti-Globalists’…when in fact they are the Ultimate Globalists of them all!
As a Libertarian Christian I know the Antichrist shall rise on a wave of exactly this type of Ungodly hypocrisy dressed up as Humanitarianism … Deluding Billions of Dipwits… He will not only insist upon thorough product labelling… he will insist upon labelling People!… No man will be able to buy or sell except they have his mark… He will not Tolerate Christians or Jews, nor will respect their values, or religious liberty, but will label them Terrorists and have them killed if they will not bow down before him. It has all been foretold in the Book of Revelation.
With the current resurgence in Leftist Unionism in the Ports and Meatworkers I thought The time is ripe to re-publislh a Short piece I wrote on Employment Relations, work ethics, and Work Culture. I hope that after reading it You appreciate the Absurdity of The Left/ Right Political Divide in respect to Empolyment relations and get a glimpse of The Christian/ libertarian/ Free Market Rationale which is the solution. This piece also contradicts Randiod ‘Selfishness’ and shows The Superiority of Christian Values in Respect to running successful Capitalist enterprises.
And much more.
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Whistle while you work!
A short guide to work ethics and work culture for employers and employees
by Tim Wikiriwhi.
Libertarian Independent.
Why Read This?
I chose my title because a mental picture speaks a thousand words. It encapsulates my reasons for writing this booklet. Primarily this book is about being happy about working and being in business.
I seek to guide employees as to why work is a great good, and teach them the right ethics to help them move forward and gain self-esteem.
I seek to challenge employers to foster happy, safe and profitable work environments so as to maximise the bang they get for their buck.
I want to expose the folly of the “Us vs Them” conception of employment relations and prove the contrary is true. That is, there is a unity of interest and common goals on both sides of the equation!
While I have no time for politically correct nonsense, I intend to show good employment relations are a win-win scenario, and explode the Marxist fallacies regarding profit as the exploitation of the worker. I criticise common faults in both sides of the employment contract and prescribe remedies for these common ailments.
I hope to do this with economy of words so that this booklet can be mass-produced at low cost. It is therefore not exhaustive but has the essentials, and ought to be sufficient to stimulate further study and discussion. Avoiding “dumbing down”, this booklet is about the simple truths that I think are sadly neglected and in dire need of promotion.
So read on!
The Dignity of Work.
As a man who has been in the work force for almost 25 years, and spent a few on the dole, I speak from experience that working is infinitely better than being on welfare!
The notion that “Dole-ies have it sweet” is plain stupidity! This attitude reveals a poor grasp of the virtues of being productive and self-reliant. Welfare is a trap. It is soul destroying, and often leads to crime and self destruction, whereas there is a wellspring of self esteem awaiting the honest worker when he understands that work is honorable and good.
Self-esteem brings happiness and despite what many think, working for wages can be the foundation of great wealth if the worker learns how to live on less than he earns, and how to make his savings work for him.
“It takes two to tango”.
Employment relations are a joint venture, and thus only achieve optimum results when both sides of the deal fulfill their obligations with equal aspirations to strive for excellence. If one side lets the team down the result will be less than optimal.
Work culture and work ethic.
I have worked in many different jobs and come across all sorts of people and work cultures. Some better than others. What amazes me is how so many workers walk around miserable carrying a chip on their shoulder. Workers must always remember that they are at work by their own free will choice and can leave any time they like. They are not slaves forced to work by their employers!
They are free to work in this particular job or to seek employment elsewhere. It is not the workers’ place to grumble about employer expectations. Workers must always appreciate that an employer has a lot invested in his company, and has the right to expect quality performance from their workforce.
On the other hand many employers actually stifle the potential of their work force in displays of petty vanity! Condescending bigotry is commonplace amongst self-absorbed employers and in extreme cases are the “Gordon Ramsays like the infamous TV series “Hell’s Kitchen”. Putting it bluntly “What bastards!”
I do not knock his striving for excellence, which is praiseworthy. I seek here to expose his terrible people skills and hellish work culture. Much of his behavior must be for the benefit of viewer amusement, yet serves as an excellent case study. Whilst being a crappy employer may not be a crime, it is always stupid and deserves ridicule. Employers ought never to forget that they hold the well-being of their workers in their hands and it is immoral to disrespect this trust that has been invested in their leadership and enterprise. An employment contract demands respect from both parties.
The Dynamics of Freedom.
It ought to be obvious that in a free society, intelligent workers who have self-esteem will not tolerate being looked down upon as lower-caste human beings. They will exercise their liberty and judgment and seek employment where they are respected and valued. It ought to be self evident to employers that such behavior will drive away intelligent workers at the first opportunity and leave the employer with only those who have no personal drive or self respect. I ask what sort of perverse ego desires to command such un-aspiring servitude?
Only small minded vanity cannot stand intelligence in others and instead of seeing independent thinking staff as an asset, they consider it a threat instead. What hope do these narcissists have of competing in the free-market with their apathetic workforce, against inspirational rivals who attract and retain smart working, driven thinkers into their enterprises? It is self-evident that the wise employer whilst setting high standards and refusing to ‘suffer fools’, will create a work environment where workers feel valued and virtue is rewarded.
When to Quit Evil Employment.
While I cannot deny Ramsay’s success, I can but wonder how much more successful he would be if he practiced better people skills, and also how many potentially great chefs he has destroyed and driven out of the industry. I have seen workers near suicide due to allowing their virtues to be taken advantage of by unworthy self-absorbed employers. I recommend all workers to escape tyrannical employers before their spirit is broken and they are driven to depression. I say, if you have good work ethics, you will always find employment. Don’t let ‘little Hitlers’ prosper from your efforts while crushing your esteem and values. Have faith in yourself and leave these hell holes in your dust!
The Pitfalls of Bad Employer Reputation vs. the Economic Advantages of Good Employer Reputation.
Employers who refuse to modify their pigheaded ways soon get a reputation as tyrants and apart from rare exceptions will begin to struggle to attract quality workers and so their businesses suffer losses (i.e. skill shortages, detached workers etc) that otherwise would have been avoided if they were decent bosses. They must offer higher wages to get staff, which puts them at a competitive disadvantage.
Ultimately not even higher wages will be enough to retain quality workers with self respect. Because of their own folly these foolish bosses end up paying higher wages for less valuable staff and must spend an additional sum on training because of their high staff turn over. This surely is a road to bankruptcy!
The wise employer who respects his staff will have lower staff turnover and consequently lower training expenses and get greater value from the training spend.
All this proves that being a respectful and responsible employer is good business. Such businesses attract quality staff like a magnet! With lower staff turnover, they end up with a highly skilled work force at minimum cost and thus their competitiveness and profits go up. Higher profits make it possible to pay higher wages without seriously harming your competitive advantage, and so you will attract even more quality staff. It is possible for such excellent businesses to have queues of highly skilled workers busting themselves to be a part of your team!
Trouble Attracting and Retaining Good Staff is an Indicator of the Need to Change Management Style and Company Work Culture.
I hope any gruff employers who have trouble retaining staff, can see the advantages I am expounding, get a grip on their egos and modify their behavior accordingly. I write these words not to poke fun, but in the hope that they may cast a light into the shadows, help turn around staff troubles, and lead struggling enterprises into the blue.
It is all too easy when times are tough to take your frustrations out on your staff. I hope my words expose the self-destructive nature of this folly and show that in tough times the best thing an employer can do is ensure his workers feel respected.
Most of the best policies to get optimal value from your staff don’t cost a dime
Applying the simple rule of “doing unto others as you would have done unto you” will pay big dividends and help you not only to survive tough times, but to prosper. By this I mean such simple things as saying “hello” in the mornings and “thank you” at night. Showing your concern for individual staff members’ safety and well-being. Employing smart middle management who are good-natured, courteous, and take a personal interest in those under their direction. All friendships must be subordinate to fairness when dealing with disputes between workers, and thereby maintained by respect. While duties ought to be delegated by merit, personal favoritism ought to have no place in the company.
Innovation and Progress Through Staff Input.
A wise boss will listen to his employees’ suggestions regarding tasks and operations. As staff are ‘at the coal face’, they can be a vital source of information on how to reduce costs, improve safety, product quality and customer service.
“We have always done it this way” is a stagnant philosophy. Staff that make suggestions are thinkers who are utilising their minds. Implementation of their good suggestions encourages them to take ownership of that part of the process and their general performance. This stimulates them to reliability as it gives them a sense of importance in the day-to-day operations. An employer who continually stifles good ideas will make his employees feel they are not appreciated, are wasting their time putting effort into the company, and are not important in its operation. This leads to Absenteeism with complete resignation not far behind. Enthusiastic workers must also never forget who is boss, and that they have the right to reject ideas they don’t like.
How Wage Prices are Determined by the Free market.
One common source of discontent among workers is the Marxist lie that profit is made by the exploitation of the workers. Any employer who operates his business by this same notion will not maintain an optimum workforce for long when the economy is strong and workers are in demand. The primary factor in determining the value of work is the law of supply and demand.
How the Law of Supply and Demand Sets Limits to Wages.
Competition in the marketplace sets limits to the value of products and services thereby setting ultimate limits to the price payable for the labor required to produce goods and services. For industry to remain viable it is impossible to raise wages above a certain cost without innovative changes to how the company functions. This includes such things as automation, improved administration efficiency, etc. At the end of the day an unprofitable company is a dead duck and everyone looses. Innovations that improve efficiency may make some staff redundant, however, it is not greed that is the motivation, but the necessity of keeping ahead of the competition in the market place. This is essential if the company is going to continue to function at all! Profit is not only good as it keeps the company viable, it is necessary to guarantee job security for the maximum number of employees possible.
How the Law of Supply and Demand Increases the Value of Labour.
While we have seen that the law of supply and demand sets limits to what employers can afford to pay and the need sometimes to restructure, it also is responsible for competition in the labour market, giving every worker the opportunity to maximise his wages by working for companies that offer the most money for their work. This being so it is essential that workers learn not just specific skills pertaining to certain industries. The wise worker will, through the desire for self-improvement, always be learning universal skills and developing work ethics that are sought after across the spectrum of the labour market. As an economy grows so too does the demand for labour, and so wages rise as employers vie to attract and retain staff. Just as it is true that the best employer skills in retaining staff are free, so too the best skills that make a worker attractive across the employment spectrum are also free. Qualities such as being punctual, honest, and reliable. Being a worker who is willing to learn new skills and pay attention to what their employer requires. Being someone who takes ownership of the amount and quality of his work, rather than being a slacker who is full of excuses for under-achievement. Such things as being methodical and yet innovative and always being health and safety conscious.
In so doing this makes you attractive to a greater portion of free enterprise than is the case with limited specific skills and poor work ethics. In terms of the law of supply and demand, this means an employer must be prepared to pay the maximum he can squeeze out of the value of his enterprise to retain his best staff as they will move on to greener pastures if they can do better elsewhere.
The Competition of Production/ Services with Other Forms of Investment.
A third essential factor governed by the law of supply and demand at the heart of capitalism is that money is invested into whatever area promises the best security and potential capital gain. Productive industries are in competition with such things as the stock market, bank interest, property investments etc. What this means is that investors will pull money out of poor earning or insecure investments and move it into areas that offer greater rewards. This is the ultimate reason any productive enterprise must produce a good profit so as to keep its financial backing and attract further investment for development and growth.
How Profit is Shared Between Workers and Employers.
If you have followed my arguments above you ought to be able to see that it is the dynamics of the marketplace that must be contended with if a company is to remain viable. It ought to also be apparent that employers need to keep their staff happy and to pay them the highest wages affordable and so the profit margin must be in balance with wages.
Why workers and unions must forsake draconian Marxism.
I cannot finish this booklet without pointing out that the principles above show the utter absurdity of the Marxist “Us against Them” mentality. It also shows the absurdity of making unrealistic wage-rise demands. It exposes calls for regulation of the market as an attempt to unbalance its free flowing dynamics so as to extort a greater share than would be justly allotted by its un-impinged self-regulation. Regulation is the road to economic depression as it hog-ties industry to foolish restrictions.
If a union seeks to truly help its members it ought to train them in work ethics and encourage them to self-betterment. It ought to engage in wage negotiations in an intelligent manner, and argue its position from reason, showing the employer that it is well aware of the factors of the marketplace and the balance between wages and profits. Unions ought to have the best interests of their members at heart, and so realise that unrealistic demands endanger the job security of their members and the viability of the company. Unions ought also to promote meritocracy in wage negotiations over blanket collective deals. By doing so they will get the highest wages for their most worthy clients and set up a culture within the workforce to strive to be the best workers they can be to earn the highest rewards. In this way the Union-employer relationship can be rescued from the Marxist state of war, and become one of mutual understanding and objectives.
Keeping Drugs and Alcohol out of the Workplace.
No exposition on work ethics and culture is complete without addressing the problem of alcohol and drugs. The definition of stupidity is to keep repeating the same actions and yet expect different results! In a nutshell drug-testing does not keep drugs out of work places any more that it does out of prisons. The only effect drug testing will have is stop many workers with good skills and work ethics from seeking employment in your company, if they enjoy a party pill or joint after work or on the weekends.
The best places I have observed are under employers that state “No drink or drugs on the job!” yet also have the policy that what a worker does in his spare time is his own business as long as it does not effect his work. This shows that the employer respects the privacy of his workers and yet sets a standard for safety and performance on the job. It also shows that while he is not playing God over them, he expects them to respect his governance over them during their working hours and thereby sets the correct dynamics for controlling drugs and alcohol on the job.
This will be far more effective than drug testing job applicants and random drug testing which is a policy of mis-trust. It also serves to remove a barrier that hinders many good honest workers from joining the company. Should an employee be suspected of drinking or taking drugs on the job, then a drug test is the proper course of action. Workers ought to understand being drunk or stoned on the job is the equivalent of theft, and any injury caused to others while intoxicated is no accident but the equivalent of assault! Intoxicated workers ought to be immediately dismissed and the reason for dismissal put in their work record. The moral of the story is work time is for working. Employers ought to judge workers by performance not by personal prejudice.
The Ethics of Self-responsibility vs. Strong-arm Policing.
Do not delude your selves. Alcohol is a powerful drug and it is irrational to treat other drugs differently. Growing social problems with drugs and alcohol are due to the loss of ethical self-responsibility (many illustrated in this booklet). Draconian police measures will never substitute personal ethics. They have always failed and will continue to fail as they do not address the fundamentals of human behavior.
Industry and the Environment.
Waste is unprofitable! The profit motive is the strongest reason to reduce waste. And secondly, (all other things being equal), discerning customers will always prefer the most environmentally friendly products over their more dangerous counterparts. It is therefore smart business to run a clean company that always looks for ways to environmentally improve its operations and products.
Respecting the Property of Fellow Workers and Company.
Respecting the property of others is a universal ethic. Do you like it when your valuables are stolen or destroyed? Obviously only a hypocrite can take pleasure in possession of stolen property or have no conscience when they loose or damage the property of others. You cannot expect to be trusted with the property of others in the future if you have proven untrustworthy of it in the past, and this is true not only when you borrow gear from fellow workers but also company property. Workers who prove their trustworthiness with small items of low value are most likely to end up in positions of trust over items and duties of high value. When I am asked if I’ll lend a tool to a work colleague I say “sure”, “but only if you treat them with the same respect as you would if they were your own”. I will not lend gear to someone I do not trust. Promptly return all borrowed items.
Damage to company property reduces their ability to raise wages.
Criminal Reform and a Fresh start (It’s never too late!)
All of the ethics written in this booklet will work for anyone!
I hope ex-cons reading this will grasp the fact that if they start to live by the virtues of work and free enterprise they can leave their criminal past behind them, and become good, honest, and valuable members of society. An ex-con can truly be reformed if he desires to “turn over a new leaf” and embrace self-reliance. All it takes is the commitment to live honestly by your own efforts. It is truly heroic to break free from old evils and make such a transition. You cannot expect it to be easy, yet you can expect to discover a new self-esteem and liberty from the darkness of the underworld. You can become someone your family, friends, and employers can be proud of!
The Value of Basic, Repetitious, or Dirty Work.
You might be an ex-con who has made the life-saving decision to forsake crime and live by your own efforts, or a teenager who has just started part-time work sweeping floors, or a trainee cleaning parts in a workshop. When an unproven worker starts out in the workforce with limited skills how you go about your duties can be much more important than what your duties actually are. All the values and work ethics of this booklet apply to every task from the most simple to the most complex, and like trust with property, trust with responsibility grows as you prove your trustworthiness and pay increases in proportion. Stories of self made millionaires and CEOs who have worked their way ‘from the floor up’ are common place.
“ If it’s worth doing, It’s worth doing well!”.
It does not matter if the job earns $2 dollars an hour or $200 dollars an hour. The worker who is punctual, honest, reliable, well mannered, and strives to achieve the best results ought to be proud of himself and is worthy of full praise. In fact many dirty or ‘boring’ jobs can take more character and self-discipline to do well than other jobs that have more “glory” or “kudos”. Employers ought to take special care to show appreciation for their workers who do tasks that are less than glorious. The wise employer will recognise that workers who perform well in dirty or trying circumstances are showing high character and the potential to get difficult jobs done. These people ought to be financially rewarded for their fortitude and seriously considered for upskilling and redeployment in key positions as theirs skills develop. Tough or mundane work can truly sort the wheat of human character from the chaff!
Personal Grooming and Hygiene.
“Cleanliness is next to godliness”. The importance and power of this proverb cannot be overestimated. So many workers handicap their chances of promotion due to untidiness. This laziness shows poor grasp of the importance of presentation in the business world. Poor personal hygiene is a grievous safety hazard to everyone and is inexcusable. It is unacceptable to turn up for work stinking like a pair of rugby socks, spitting and picking scabs, or when ill with communicable diseases like the flu.
Employers should consider providing their work force with clothing that is safe and tidy. This will eliminate excuses and immediately improve your company image.
An all too common cause of worker discontent is substandard washroom and toilet facilities and poor sanitation and house- keeping. Neglect to ensure adequate facilities is a shocking indictment of mismanagement and lack of concern for worker health and safety. Upgrading poor facilities will greatly improve worker morale and make your company a better place to work. The choice of cleaning staff must be scrupulous, not delegated to apathetic cretins! Clean facilities are an essential obligation and just as a worker ought to set high standards for personal grooming and hygiene without need of reprimand, so too a company ought not to need health department regulations to dictate the maintenance of decent facilities for their work force. Offering minimal sick leave is not clever negotiation in remuneration packages but shortsighted and ill conceived.
The Progress of Mankind and Society.
While the above testimony is very brief, it holds within its scope the dynamics of progress. Not only the place of technical progress but also the seeds of economic growth and improvement of quality of life.
Reasons for Whistling While You Work.
The knowledge that you are a productive worker with good ethics and are at work by your own free will, and are appreciated by your employers ought to give you a positive view of your circumstances and instill an optimistic outlook. You ought to spread optimism around rather than condescending pessimism.
The Virtue of Honest Work and Enterprise.
These arguments bear testimony to the virtues of running meritocracies with honorable work cultures and also the benefits of improving work ethics. It creates a culture of intelligence over ‘sloggery’, and promotes a mutually beneficial relationship of trust and respect. The virtuous businessman and the virtuous worker both have reason to be proud of who they are and how they go about getting their incomes.
Public Servants and Officials.
All state employees from the Prime minister on down must never forget they are the servants of the public and not their masters.
Public servant must remember they are employed by the people of the country, not the politicians in government.
It is your duty to be always accommodating in your dealings and minimize the impact of government impositions on the people you serve
When government action violates the rights of any citizen it is committing a crime.
. You must always put the rights of the people ahead of any rapacious political agenda.
THE END.
Did You Get This Booklet From Your Employer?
If so be happy! They are recognising their responsibility to care for your interests, and promote a good work culture of meritocracy (meaning they are trying to create a workplace where good workers are rewarded financially and with job security.)
Did You Get This Booklet From Your Union ?
If so be happy! They are trying to show you they have your best interests at heart and that the best way they can negotiate higher wages and better conditions for you is by teaching you the right ethics, attitude and maximising your productivity!
Endorsements…. Do you have any positive comments regarding my booklet?
I would appreciate comments from any one whether worker, employer, teacher, police, etc.
Please contact me, and I will add it to this back cover!
Want copies of this pamphlet for your workforce? Personalise this booklet for your company or union.
Contact me!
Tim Wikiriwhi: twikiriwhi@yahoo.co.nz
Phone: 07 849-8323
Mobile : 027- 663-0331
Tim Wikiriwhi is an Independent Libertarian, a Dispensational Christian, The father of two teenage children, and a self employed contract engineer by trade. He is the author of several booklets on ethics including Racial Equality Before the Law, The Defense of Free Trade, and Opposition to State Encroachments on Individual Liberty and Private Property Rights. He has stood for Parliament and Mayor of Hamilton City . He promotes limited government, free market capitalism, and individualist self-reliance. He believes good ideas don’t require legislation as good sense makes good sense!
* I recommend reading ‘The Richest man in Babylon’ by George S Clason and
‘The Puritan Gift’ by The Hopper Brothers.
http://www.puritangift.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=40&Itemid=108
A bunch of Ugly Old Lefty Hags want to Ban the Tui Girls.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10787157
This is a typical example of Lefties pretending to have high ideals when in reality they are nasty and malicious. filled with Envy, Malice, and Jealousy and have no quarms about using despotic powers of Nanny State to trample the legitimate rights and liberties of others.
This Blog Post is My Libertarian Christian “IN YOUR FACE!” to all such Prudish tyranny!
This is for You my Pretties! Tim Wikiriwhi
This is me defending Steve Crows Hamilton ‘Boobs on Bike Parade’ last year from Bigotry and Religious Opression.
This is what was on the other side of my picket sign.
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/BTP/Dr_Douglas_Stauffer/one_book-17.htm
Chapter 17 — Bible Roots (Part 1)
“I build on no authority, ancient or modern, but the Scripture. I want to know one thing – the way to Heaven: how to land on that happy shore. God Himself hath condescended to teach the way. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me that book of God.” —John Wesley
John Wesley understood the value of the scriptures. His quoted words were not spoken of either the original Greek or Hebrew texts. He knew that God had also given man His word within the pages of a book. Regretfully, man no longer seems willing to accept this simple truth. The same book used by John Wesley is the very book that helped establish and guide America’s unprecedented achievement of individual liberty. It triggered the greatest revivals during the Church Age. But now, this same book has been “replaced” by hundreds of modernized versions which lack the power of their predecessor.
The influences of the modern Bible college and seminary must be examined to determine how they have helped spawn this move away from the book blessed by God more than any other. For the past several decades, many so-called conservative, fundamental Bible colleges and seminaries have weakened the faith of their students concerning the inerrancy of the scriptures.
Most of these schools require that the student, eager to learn the word of God, include Greek in his course of study. He is told that Greek is the language of the word of God, even though the Bible written in his own native tongue saved him and set his soul afire. He is placed under a teacher who may or may not believe in both the inspiration and the preservation of scripture. The purpose of these courses of study is not to strengthen the student’s faith in God’s infallible word, but to teach him to become its judge.
The young student’s final authority is changed from the book he once loved and cherished to the Greek faculty and their lexicons. Soon, he is convinced that he doesn’t have the word of God at his disposal and may even wonder if it exists at all. He is taught that better and more reliable manuscripts have been discovered that were not available to the translators of 1611. Gradually, he becomes convinced that the ignorant masses (uneducated in the original languages) have been led astray from the truth. He begins to believe that his education is the answer to the Church’s woes (II Timothy 3:1-2, 7). On the contrary, this philosophy of education has significantly contributed to the spiritual drought of these last days.
Eventually, the cycle continues when the Bible student graduates and moves on to serve in the pastorate. He unintentionally begins to convince his congregation that his knowledge of the original languages makes him spiritually superior to them. He becomes their final authority, and clergy/laity class divisions begin to emerge. One should recognize the similarities between this unfortunate scenario and that found in the Roman Catholic Church’s exclusive use of the Latin language and institution of the priesthood system to blind the multitudes. Thus, many “Protestant popes” emerge, each seeking elevation on a man-made pedestal.
When Jesus spoke, “…the common people heard him gladly” (Mark 12:37). In contrast, the majority of the scholars and religious leaders rejected and resisted Him. History repeats itself because “there is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Bible colleges and seminaries need to teach the Bible as infallible and the original languages as a means to convince the gainsayers (Titus 1:9), not as a tool to “correct” that which needs no correction. The moment a person runs to the Greek or Hebrew lexicon he is about to give you his private interpretation (II Peter 1:20). This is true because the lexicon will have a choice of words that could be used, and he will have to decide which is right. 1
The misdirection of one’s final authority may not be readily apparent, but the confusion caused by the various versions of the bible is easily recognizable. Are all of the different versions necessary or inspired of God? Do multiple textbooks (bibles) make sense? Consider this: No teacher would ever teach a history, science, or math class and instruct everyone to bring his favorite textbook version to class. However, this identical situation is repeated in churches every Sunday. The preacher “preaches” out of one version and the people in the pews potentially have a dozen or more other versions from which they “follow along,” creating confusion and chaos (I Corinthians 14:33)!
The King James Bible is the word of God for the English-speaking people. There is no other. God provides, and Bible believers cite, many reasons for this truth. In any analysis, we should first consider the scriptural testimony. The Bible irrefutably tells us that God will preserve His word, and not allow it to pass away. Furthermore, scripture tells us that God magnified His word above all of His name. For these reasons and many others, Satan has reveled in creating doubt concerning the authority of the words of God.
As we study some of the facts concerning manuscript evidence, the first point to be understood is that there are over 5,200 ancient manuscripts in existence today. The vast majority of these manuscripts from all over the world (including Greece, Asia Minor, England, Ireland, Constantinople, Syria, Africa, Gaul, and Southern Italy) support the King James Bible. However, the two ancient manuscripts that are the major foundation for the modern versions come from one locale – Alexandria, Egypt. During the early Christian centuries, Egypt was a land in which heresies were rampant. Today, we find that the Muslims are the predominant group controlling this region. The same was true two thousand years ago – except under a different name.
One Bible stands alone, originating from a completely different source than all of the modern versions. The evidence supporting the rejection of the Alexandrian (Egyptian) texts and the acceptance of the manuscripts underlying the KJB is overwhelming. Keep in mind that many works have been dedicated to uncovering the scriptural truths and historical facts presented in summary form here. In any discussion, we must first consider the scripture supporting one’s Bible position.
To be continued… (Or click the link at the top)
The following is a speech I delivered at the Libertarianz Party AGM in 2006… the Tenth anniversary of the Party.
The main thrust of the speech was to decry the destructive notions contained within the Philosophy of Objectivism, and why I believe that Philosophy is the chief reason the Libertarianz Party never achieved any traction.
I was promised that my speech would be published in the next Free Radical… It never was.
Why? Ask the Fanatical Objectivist Editor Peter Cresswell.
This was just one example of how skewed The Libertarianz Party was/ is… Dominated/ perverted by The fanatically un-objective and Rabidly Anti-religious philosophy of Objectivism.
After 10 years of enduring their Fanaticism I realised The Libertarianz Party was as fraudulent as it was Hopeless, and so I left.
The Party was not truly Libertarian, but a recruitment scheme for the NZ Church of Objectivism, and as long as it remained so it would only succeed in turning away religious people from true Libertarianism.
You may be thinking… “FFS Tim its been 6 years since you delivered that speech…And you still have a Bee up your ass about not making the Free Rad?” To which I reply… “ Hell Yes!” I am still pissed about it. My speech was Important! I am putting it up Today because it contains valid criticism about how the Philosophy of Objectivism hurts The Libertarian cause around the globe, esp the Lies against religion, and self-sacrifice. This is the common experience around the globe. I consider Objectivism an insidious evil that perverts history and rots Libertarianism from the inside out…like a virus.
The more popular it becomes, the more untenable any Libertarian movement infected with it becomes for religious people.
The millitantly Atheistic aspect of Objectivism is not the focus of this Speech, The issues I raise are linked, and just as detrimental for the Libertarian movement.
I will let you read it to get what I am talking about.
And Lastly I post this Speech now because I have just quit discussions with a group of ‘Liberal minded Kiwi’ whom were considering starting a New Liberal Party that was hoped would take over from the Libertarianz Party and attract the support of those thousands of Liberal minded people who have lost faith in the Act Party. I quit those discussions because it became clear to me that this group are heading down the same failed course that castrated the Libz Party. Ie they want to enthrone Ayn Rand as Goddess, and consider anyone (Like Me) who critsises her Deity or atheist irreligion… to be a trouble maker… to be a malicious thorn… They are incapable of considering the validity of any Critisism of Randism.
Thus I believe any New party such narrow minded people start is doomed.
It will simply end up another vile atheist club that promotes the Bogus idea that Religious people cant be Libertarians.
It would be a waste of my precious time and energy to get involved with such a travesty.
Thus I post my speech now as a historical testament of the negative nature and perversion of the Libertarian movement by Objectivism, as a rebuke to any attempt to create a New Liberal Party that blindly worships Ayn Rand, and marginalizes everyone who criticizes her. I hope that in some small way My speech helps Religiously minded Libertarians in their struggle against this Rabid Ugly Atheist religion… not to abandon the cause of freedom which truly is the Christian Ideal.
To My Objectivist Friends I make no apology. An Eye for an Eye! If your Goddess was not such a Psychotic Vicious Narcissistic Megalomaniac Bitch there would be no need for me to confront you. Rand drew First blood, and you all dance to her tune… so I am here and now Justly returning you in Kind. As My speech shows… I have spent years trying to reason with you but to no avail. And I am not just saying these things. Rand and her sick philosophy is world Famous for its Self-delusion and Malice. For anyone wanting to check out the validity of what I am saying they ought to buy Nathaniel Brandens book “My years with Ayn Rand”, and Google James Valiant’s critism of the Brandens. Also go visit just about any objectivist group on the net and the same Egotistical guile will be there for you to behold. If I appear extreme in my tone… it is because I have swam in the cesspool that is Objectivism.
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Libz 10th birthday speech.
Monday, 31 July, 2006 11:23 PM
By Tim Wikiriwhi Christian Libertarian.
Good morning brothers and sisters!
This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Today’s sermon is about integrity to truth and justice!
I want talk from my own philosophy and show how it keeps me committed to our party in the face of much hardship and I also want to question the validity of other philosophies that I see as detrimental to our cause.
In the spirit of friendship I have endeavoured to keep any criticism as impersonal as possible and yet as individualistic as possible so not to unfairly lump goodies with baddies simply because they all hang out under the same banner.
Most people here know I’m a Christian and though I will be unashamedly using Christian concepts, I hope non-Christians listening will be objective enough to see the points I am making as valid in spite of their religious origins.
If the shoe fits I hope you have the integrity to wear it!
Having set the tenor of my speech I shall now get into it!
I could have called this speech “Who Dares Wins” but I prefer to call it “Keeping the faith” Don’t become a Luke warm Libertarian!
We must Attack! Attack! Attack! With our dying breath! Attack!
This aint no game people! This is war!
Peoples lives are being destroyed!
Children are dying!
The most frustrating thing for me as an activist is convincing those poor souls out there who are being ram-rodded by the socialist tyrants to throw their lot in with the Libertarian party and putting up the necessary cash to win the fight, even when they can see we are 100% right!
This is so frustrating! I am busting my ass trying to help them but they wont even help themselves!
Did I just say that the sheeple are the most frustrating thing?
Sorry!
Let me now tell you that they aren’t the most frustrating! There is something much worse!
What is much more frustrating is that so many people who are members of our party, and claim to be passionate about freedom, never put themselves out in the slightest little inconvenience for the values they profess to hold dear!
What more a high percentage drop off after a period of good work as if they have done their bit!
I want to talk about this…about what bullshit is used to justify dropping the ball and why this is a travesty!
Why is it so hard to get Libertarians to go to meetings?
It has often been said that trying to organise any libertarian activity is like herding cats!
This is a disgrace! And I consider this a fundamental problem!
Recently I was asked a very important question…it was “Do you really believed it is possible to get a Libertarian government here in New Zealand?”
And I found that I could honestly answer, “Yes!”
I think this point is of vital importance!
So many great freedom fighters seam to loose faith in the dream and drift into inactivity.
We have many talented new faces, yet we are not gaining numerical strength on the front!
‘Loss of faith’ seams to keep us from making real gains.
Why is this?
The bible talks about different kinds of people and what they do with the seed of truth.
Some people are called “The wayside” where the truth cannot take root.
Others are the stony/shallow ground where the seed may sprout and shoot up, but when the heat of the day comes, the seed quickly withers and dies for lack of root and depth.
Some are called “the good soil” in which the seed shoots forth and is able to weather the heat and in due season bares much fruit!
I ask what sort of ground are you? How good is your value system?
Are you a Possibility thinker or an Impossibility thinker?, A pessimist, or an optimist?
People quit the party over petty little disputes or because someone like myself was too crass and not P.C enough to be worthy of their company!
We get the “ I must quit for personal reasons”…I always wonder what bullshit reasons are good enough?
Few quit for reasons of life and death!
Most are quitting for shameful reasons, and that disappoints me.
This lack of conviction makes me feel not pity but contempt!
The Bible says that “no man putting his hands to the plough yet looking back is fit for the kingdom!”
Some quitters retreat with the cowardly excuse that “only deluded dreamers believe the Libertarianz party will ever get its act together!
(thump table!)
I say this sort of pessimistic self-defeatism is self-defeating!
It is political suicide!
I see this lack of faith and resolve as the greatest enemy we face!
Our own irresolute determination to remain committed to the cause to our dying breath!
There is no reason/passion dichotomy!
If you don’t have the passion…There must be something wrong with your reasoning!
The Devil wants us to quit And would love to see our party fold! And guess what…The socialists aren’t beating us! We’re quitting due to our own fickleness!
Sloth and apathy are great sins!
Don’t give in to such temptations!
Never choose the low road!
Why do I reject defeatism and believe it is possible for Libertarian victory in our lifetime?
Well, first of all the competition is morally bankrupt to their core and utterly absurd!
I say to be quitters or fence sitters in the light of this indisputable fact is in itself an unforgivable lack of character and integrity!
“Lord give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference!”
Where’s your head at?
Where is your self respect founded?
Don’t go fooling yourself by thinking you are facing facts or being realistic when you deny the possibility of the Libertarianz party making global history and a giant leap forward in human civilisation!
You are being a quitter pure and simple a U.I.N!
You have no claim to a greater truth or higher reason
You are shirking the burden of carrying the torch of freedom and the scales of justice, pure and simple!
They are heavy but glorious!
And I can find no tolerable excuse for faltering in the face of the enemy!
The socialists aren’t beating us…were quitting due to our own fickleness!
The bible says that the lukewarm are to be spewed from God’s mouth!
As Individualist’s, when no one is prepared to stand beside us, we ought to be prepared to fight on alone, tooth and nail!
Loneliness ought to make you even more determined not to falter!
“Evil prevails when good men do nothing!”
The bible tells us never to forget our first love!
Never forget the principles and reasons you joined our party.
They become even more valid as time goes by.
Not less relevant, not less believable and essential, but more so every day!
Values are to be weighed against each other and the value of always choosing to sit on your ass smelling the roses instead of exhausting your time and resources in the Libertarian cause means you value pleasure more than justice.
What sort of human is that? A debauchee!
Certainly not a man of virtue!
While hundreds of so-called Libertarians sit on their arses, the Legions of Hell are marshalling!
Rust never sleeps!
We must daily review our highest values and renew our commitment to what is right and good!
In my view it is a very noble and great honour to work for the success of the party.
It is the measure of our integrity and fortitude!
I say “All play and no work makes Jack a very dull boy!”
What sort of person are you?
What moves you to action and to despise your own fears?
Why be active?
Why heavily invest yourself personally in this party?
I say for freedom lovers it is irrational not to commit yourself fully to the Libertarian cause!
If this cause is not important enough to get you out of your comfort zone what is?
In my ethical code full commitment to the party is not only the purest form of self-defence it is something even more praise worthy.
It is the defence of the poor, the week and the needy!
I.e. it is also the highest expression of charity and love of our fellow man!
A philosophy that does not include such love is shallow indeed!
Therefore to abandon this cause is to poison your soul with uncharitable inconsideration of your fellow human beings.
True love makes you go out of your way for others!
My Grandfather wisely reminds me that “No man is an island”
Free society, rights, etc are community values and meaningless to the lone castaway on a deserted island! My Grandfather is 100% right!
Being an individualist is no excuse for being uncharitable and I question the validity of a rational selfishness that excludes concern for others!
I say that’s a perverse individualism and the philosophy of cold self-conceit and a failure to value human life!
Think about Bill Gates. Is he a fool giving all his money to charity or is he a saint? How you answer that question will be a yardstick for your humanity.
I say Bill Gates is one of the greatest human beings ever to grace this earth!
He’s someone to aspire to, not merely for his genius but especially because of his heart!
Bill is my kind of guy!
Bill has won my heart and respect!
I’m not interest in hearing about his sins!
I ask, what sort of Libertarian society is possible without voluntary consideration of your fellow man and the desire for the common good?
The scripture says “though I have all wisdom yet not charity I am nothing!”
I ask how successful can any party be that is inconsiderate of the common good and does not make this a chief factor in seeking support.
That is just plain stupid and the public can see your fickleness!
That you don’t really give a damn about them!
I say the common good ought to be worthy of our inconvenience and is a vital yet grossly undervalued component in our fight!
Do you have a compassionate heart?
If you say you do, then I say “prove it!” by resolving never to waiver from the Libertarian cause!
Don’t tell me you care when you are backsliding from activism and party business!
Everything I am saying is aimed at our “ought ness” in the light of our own individual values. Nothing I have said is in anyway contrary to Individual voluntary action, Indeed it is the voluntary choice to commit ourselves to such a worth cause that gives us the right to have self esteem and to claim the high ground as the defenders of truth , justice and the common good! If any of you are mumbling under your breath that I’m trying to ensnare you in bondage to the collective I feel very sorry for you!
I’ll go further and say Altruism is a great good, and that you have been sold a giant Mickey if you think self sacrifice for the good of others can have no place in virtue for the individualist!
Right to claim a value always entails a cost or else its just lip service. Action defines personal values!
Long suffering is the keynote of high value.
A cost free value system is irrational and a cheap fake!
Even true friendship means we must be prepared to risk offending and loosing that friendship if we see the need to rebuke them for their own good!
The higher the value the more we must be prepared to sacrifice for it’s sake to claim it as our own. This being true it logically follows that Altruism is heroic when practised voluntarily and Jesus Christ was a great man of virtue!
He said it was out of love that he would give his life for his friends, and was faithful to his beliefs unto death even the death of the cross!
This is heroism!
The volunteer fireman, who risks the inferno for the sake of others.
The heroic rescue workers that entered the Twin towers on 9/11 and never came out!
The Christian heroes that died fighting evil in the flight that was supposed to hit the Whitehouse!
The army soldier who falls upon a grenade as a human shield for his Brothers in Arms!
These are indisputably mans greatest kind of deeds and acts of love and as such are worthy of the greatest honour!
Contrary to what Rand says, Altruism, in it’s true sense, is voluntary and is the highest expression of individualist values and character!
It is Love!
It opposite is a deluded egotistical ‘covetousness of self’ as the centre of reality! Self-worshipping Megalomania!
Sadam Insane is an ‘Egoist’ so was Adolf Hitler!
Yes we Individualists ought to be prepared to die for our faith and those we love.
Not to have contempt for death and hardship and relentlessly attack the enemy is to give the enemy the advantage!
They are often prepared to die for their beliefs!
Look at the suicide bombers!
Do they have values superior to yours?
They must if they will sacrifice their lives for them but many Libz wont even inconvenience themselves in the slightest to support your local Libz candidates!
I have made this point because my goal of this speech has been to inquire into the philosophical origins of inertia, and I see a collection of shallow excuses for denying what is indisputably the most heroic and noble of values… Altruist self sacrifice!
And this is a most common excuse for sloth in party activism and lack of willingness to carry the party’s burdens voluntarily and with honour.
I ask the question that if we were in ancient Greece facing the Persian horde who among you would stand at Thermopile?
They who will not inconvenience themselves in the fight against our pathetic socialist enemy, I guarantee would flee and die as cowards!
Christ said a philosophy may be known by its fruit.
Do you have love in your heart or contempt?
Many egoists, hiding behind ‘Individualism’, go out of their way to find fault with good Samaritans like Mother Teresa, and then fall over themselves praising someone who leaves a man to die in favour of getting to the top of a hill!
They do this so their peers will give them glory for being rugged egoists and to make themselves and their egoist buddies feel good about not giving a damn about anything but themselves!
And that’s a real ugly philosophy!
And it shows despite claims of integrity and honour!
That’s contempt for your fellow man!
That is not a passionate or compassionate philosophy but a dispassionate cold, and loveless one!
By that fruit I know its full of shit!
And the relevant point regarding party activism is that individuals with that philosophy have no problems ignoring a call to arms whenever it suits them and especially when there is little chance of personal glory!
That philosophy is costing our party dearly!
Both in lost manpower at the front and making our party ugly even when support such support is forthcoming!
I say Mark Inglis is a legless hypocrite and an asshole, not a hero!
He’s an Egoist!
“Stepping over corpses is the price of greatness” according to Hedrich Himmler! (And I say this total disregard for others is also the logical conclusion of atheism!)
Experts say David Sharp might have been saved and Sir Edmond Hillary would have forsaken his attempt at the summit and given it a shot!
He’s a real man of virtue not a vain poser!
And despite some silly ideas, Mother Teresa was a real Hero!
To paraphrase Barbara Brandon… “I have long since graduated from the school that perfection is the price of admiration, and I wonder from what lofty moral height some dare to gaze down onto a woman like Mother Teresa! Since she did not act according to their terms, her life of love and caring for the weak is seen as having no value! I do inquire into their psychology and I say their contempt does not become them. It stresses their distance from reality!
Enough said about bad philosophy, and why many Libertarians are as useless as tits on a bull to our party!
Self-serving, self-glorifying, small-minded intellectual masturbators!
The Bible says that “though we have all wisdom yet not charity we are nothing!”
Socialism is a giant tragedy and so if your heart is not breaking there is something wrong with you!
Christianity changed the world because it is a philosophy of Love and a call to action!
It has brought civilisation to the darkest regions of mankind!
It has turned cannibals into lovers of humanity!
How does your philosophy measure up to that?
Do you understand that hate can only be overcome by love?
Despite our many troubles and conflicting views, I’m still proud to be a member of this group and I’m prepared to continue to bare troubles and toils for its sake.
The Libertarianz Party does count because we force the public to choose between slavery and freedom!
You cant tell me that this isn’t an absolutely worthy truth that demands the man of virtue always to step up for the party, and hold it dear!
This party ought to be the embodiment of what makes you tick and of who you are!
And to live without making the greatest effort to achieve its goals is to fail to appreciate its greatness, and to grossly undervalue what has been built up to attack the enemy and liberate us from great evils.
What have I achieve with this speech?
Maybe nothing!
Hopefully I have started a revolution within a revolution!
I have done my utmost to encourage you all never to be quitters no matter what!
I have tried to expose the grievous weakness of egoism in revolutionary action and promote love as a chief overcoming motive energy.
By doing this you can swap a fake egoism for real self esteem and change Objectivism from the ultimate pragmatism into true Idealism!
Perigo had no qualm disputing Rand in regards to homosexuality, and I’m hopping you will do it again and acknowledge that Individualism need not be anti-altruism and indeed that when it is voluntary it empowers us to stand for our highest values and instils a heroic contempt for death and hardship!
Cowardly defeatism is for losers!
I call you all to live a heroic life for victory and start turning up to Libz meetings on a regular basis!
I pray for the strength to live up this high calling myself!
Of wearing the emblem of the Freedom Fighter!
I expect to see you all next year up at Waitangi!
God bless the Libertarianz!
Ruff Draft.
In the early part of the First decade of the New Millennium, The New Zealand Objectivists at The Free Radical Foundation invited one of their most revered Clerics to New Zealand. Tibor Machan. Joy and I traveled up to Auckland to hear him speak.
After everything had finished there was opportunity to have one on one conversations with him over a coffee. I had a question I wished to ask.
When my chance came, I introduced myself and asked him “ Do you think it is possible to live in perfect accord with Objectivist values?”
After a moment he said “Yes,… Of course.” He said he believed that was one of Objectivism’s most important attributes.
Now, as a Free thinking Christian, That answer has always provoked contemplation within me. It must be nice to have a system of values and ethics which is not only attainable, but also leaves you with an absolutely clear conscience, and faith in the perfectibility of Humanity… Indeed faith in ones own self- perfection.
When one understands ‘The Egoism’ which is the central tenet of Objectivism, it is easy to draw the inference that such a Religion requires one to think of one self as ‘The ideal Human Being’.
Now when this system is compared to the Judeo-Christian world view of Man as a Fallen and sinful being, guilty before God, One can see the appeal of such a faith, and the Temptation involved in wanting this world view to be true… by those whom seek to ‘shrug off’ Guilt, and a Code of Morality which says Man has moral obligations beyond self-interest, and that ultimately we must all give account of ourselves before a supreme Moral Judge.
This is what freedom means to the Atheist. They think obligation to a moral code set by a Higher Power is a form of slavery. (I wonder if they also think of themselves as slaves to the Law of gravity!)
Now to me these notions smack of subjectivity! Of whim. How convenient it is to invent your own code of values that magically sanitizes all your selfish actions and absolves you of Sin!
It also occurs to Me that Objectivism is a Patent rejection of Objective morality… which if they exist at all… are not merely a system of convenient sanctions that justify self interest… but are true whether convenient or not, even if their truth convicts us of evil.
“There are two types of people. Righteous Men whom think they are sinners, and sinners whom think they are righteous”. Pascal
From my perspective Objectivism far from truly being Objective reeks of Psychological motivation, and may be clearly seen as just one more revolt from Christian/ theistic values. What is interesting about this is that Ayn Rand cherry picked many Theistic values such as Human rights, limited Government etc as suited her, and attempted to cloak them in atheist Garb.
This is a laughable ploy because an Atheist reality is an Objectively Amoral reality… the only codes of ethics and values of necessity being merely subjective conventions, and not Obligatory upon anyone.
There is good reason why I have started my post with this stab against Objectivism. It serves as a good back drop for contrasting my own beliefs and the dilemmas that they involve… and how My Christian world view causes me to humble myself, and confess my many short comings as a sinful Man.
It is my experience that the Biblical story of Humanities fallen Nature is tragically real…indeed it is one of the most established facts of Human Nature. This being so it becomes clear how far from the truth the ideas of Objectivism are Though they may appear to have very pleasant ‘opiate effect’ for the conscience… They are nonetheless a flight into pure self delusion.
Now I was born in 1967, into a world in which The King James Bible is a reality.
I did not write it. I did not invent the God of the Bible. I did not invent Christianity.
These were objective realities that existed independent of me, just as other realities like Beautiful woman, and Murder, and War.
How is a Man like myself supposed to treat this Objective reality called ‘The Bible’?
The decision to embrace it as truth, or reject it as simply one of many deceptive fabrications, requires a thorough and impartial investigation.
Though there are Millions of man made false religions in the world, and many things contained within the scriptures that are cause for alarm, esp the News that I am a sinner and that my sin puts me at variance to the Holy God …creator of the Universe… These things are not grounds enough to reject it.
Ie Just because the world is flooded with Primitive superstition, and the world is wracked by religious conflicts, does not mean Religion is evil, or that All Religion is merely the fruit of Human imagination. To reach that conclusion is a very shallow pitfall that sadly many people are quick to leap into. They do it with glee… thinking they are escaping Moral obligation… the self flagellation of guilt, and the eternal fires of Damnation.
It is my testimony that when the Bible is considered Objectively, that like a Man passing through a Labyrinth, with Dead ends, Booby traps, and even a Minotaur or two… that there is one route trough all the confusion, and that, though battered and brused, it is possible to make the traverse that establishes the Bible as believably the Revelation of God to man. It is via such a quest for truth… such a voyage of perseverance and discovery, that the Older man may contemplate his pilgrimage, and realize all the Snares and pitfalls were laid down by those of malicious mind, or of weak intellects overcome by the fashions of their times, and by those whom despise the implications that arise when one accepts the bible as truth. The world is filled with such Naysayers whom desire to halt the Pilgrim in his tracks, and to deceive them into thinking their journey of faith is a lost cause.
I will soften this a bit, as I know but by the Grace of God there go I also.
I marvel that The gracious God has seen fit to reveal himself to me!
So thick are the groves of the Labyrinth, and so prone to selfish whims that I am, I wonder how I managed to become a vessel so filled with the Magnificent mysteries of God Almighty!
I too am a creature of my Time. I have the luxury of Living today in New Zealand.… the luxury of hindsight. Thus I do not equate the luminosity I have received as a sign of my own genius, Indeed I wonder that I have received it, in spite of my manifold weaknesses and folly.
And perhaps this is the greatest secret of it all! God looks to the heart of a Man, rather than his intellect, and in this age of Grace God calls a man to his service, not because of his personal piety, but for His own Divine purposes…
“Who [God] hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2Tim1vs9)
This is where My story as a morally weak and insignificant human being connects with the Divine plan, and is an example of how Christianity is diametrically opposed to Rands Ideals of Egoism.
What is incredible to realize is that because of our fallen Nature, our intellect can easily be trained to think diabolically and to vain imaginations and Grand delusions.
Yes Intelligence is no safeguard to avoiding error! It can be the source of great vanity and foolishness! It is prone to inventing false accusations against God… and thereby exacerbating our alienation from him, and keeping us from a knowledge of the truth. This is why the Christian is told to avoid vain janglings of philosophy, and beware science falsely so-called. Thus it is when a philosophy or scientific assertion is made that contravenes the scriptures it must be thoroughly examined.
It is my experience that such assertions will inevitably prove to be vacuous. Or expose a false doctrine regarding the interpretation of scripture. Ie we must be careful not to simply throw out the assertion simply because it conflicts with our current ideas. I have learned mountains of truth from the critics of the Bible and Christianity!
They have helped me correct many errors.
Being a Christian does not mean shutting your mind.
Indeed though I am a man full of weakness and vice, yet still it appears to suit God’s Divine purposes to use such a weak vessel as I.
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For after that in the wisdom God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe… For ye see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; The Base things of the world, and the things which are despised, hath God chosen… And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with Excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified….And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of Man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God…” (1Cor1vs19- 2vs5)
Let us hear what St Paul says about himself…
7And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
St Paul (2Cor 12vs 7-10)
Here St Paul confesses to his own spiritual imperfection… his sinfulness… his inability to live up to Gods Holy standards. Moreover he says that he glories in this because God uses his weaknesses, to achieve his ends… and thus we see that Paul is humbled by his knowledge of his own weakness, That he keeps his intellectual vanity in check, knowing that he is not saved…. Not raise to a higher plateau by his own genius, but rests in the grace of God Almighty, and the simple truth of The gospel… That Christ Died on the Cross for our sins, and was buried, and rose again for our justification.
There is no space for Egoism in the gospel!
The Gospel is not the preserve of Human genius!
And it is for this reason that many Vain intellectuals despise it!
Christianity is no elitist club… no Utopian enclave like Galt’s Gultch!
According to the Bible any Plonker can go to heaven! Indeed Christ seems to busy himself saving the simpletons and scum of the Earth!
And Happily… I am one of them.
The Bible is clear that as a fallen race of beings we cannot live up to Gods Holy (Objective) Moral standard. Though we can learn and reform ourselves… and become better people…We cannot perfect or Save ourselves.
Confession time. I am a man whom has many short comings. I am very Carnal… full of thorns in my flesh.
The words of St Paul ring true for me…
“For what I would, That I do not, but what I hate…that I do… Oh wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”…. (Rom 7vs14-25)
Yes I assert the doctrines of St Paul to be 100% true!
When a Person receives Christ they are ‘Born again’ and are sealed by the Holy Spirit. They begin a new Life, and yet they are still carnal, Mortal…still sinful.
They have in fact become two people. Described as the Old man and the New Man, and will not become spiritually perfected until a special day called ‘The Day of Redemption’ when God creates us new bodies that are no longer full of evil lusts.
Until that day Life involves a struggle between our two Natures, between our sinful carnal Nature and our new spiritual Life from Christ.
And what a struggle it is! Depending which Nature we ‘feed’ the most determines which Nature rules in our lives.
And I confess to being hopelessly carnal. This is my Achilles Heel! For all my knowledge of the scriptures, my lusts and carnality consume me to such a degree that I am unworthy to minister over others. I could never be the pastor of a congregation because I don’t know how to live a Godly Life. If holiness is the measure of Christian success…I am a complete failure! A part of me is so ashamed that sometimes I wonder if I ought to stop preaching about Christ and go and hide somewhere… yet when I read st Paul I realize That apart from Jesus Christ, God has never had perfect servants working for him. All of his children have had to function under his benevolent grace and forgiveness.
I rest in his Grace, and stand fast in the liberty of Christ! (Gal5vs1kjv)
I trust in the Gospel truth that I have been deemed righteous by Faith without works, and that I have the righteousness of Christ, whom took upon himself my sins. (Eph 2vs8,9kjv)
Before I understood dispensationalism, as a young Christian I was taught that God only saves the Good people… that I must repent of all my sins and forsake them to be saved, and that if I ever returned to my old ways I would loose my salvation.
That was to fail to understand the gospel of grace and to be literally enslaved to the Jewish Law again…’the yoke of bondage’ (This is not the same type of ‘slavery’ that atheists think of when they condemn religion…This is talking about having to do works for salvation, not as atheists think… a system of Human subjection and control)
I was told Sex, Drugs, and rock and roll were all of the Devil, so I Tried to quit them all… burned my records, and avoided many of my old Lost friends… yet always ended up relapsing.
I failed to maintain my promises to God to be a good boy.
Thus I learned never to make such promises to God, and thankfully though I struggled to live a godly life, I never abandoned my faith, and eventually I discovered the dispensational truth that I was completely under Gods grace, and Free from the Law.
Thus being set free myself, and knowing my own short comings this led me to having grace upon others as God has grace upon me.
My own personal struggles with life have helped me to be more understanding, more compassionate, and more tolerant of the struggle and sins of my fellow human beings.
Gods grace towards me has made me a Libertarian, because I see the hypocrisy of being full of vise myself yet calling the Law and government to persecute the vices of others.
Gods has shown tolerance and forgiveness of my sins, and calls me as a Christian to preach this ‘Good News’ to other lost sinners… not lobby the State to persecute them.
Thus I am humbled before God, and the thorns in my flesh have helped me to see the glory of Gods grace clearly, and the true libertarian nature of Christianity.
Today though I am no Pastor, I am a witness for Christ and the truth of The King James Bible to anyone who will listen.
I wont caste pearls before self righteous Christ hating swine. As a Guy who Grew up in Glen Eden West Auckland, I have always Been a Bogan Westy and alway will be. I write this Blog with Richard in Bogan style, preaching a very Bogan Gospel.
I dont preach self-righteousness.
I despise Pharisaic Hypocrisy.
Putting my faith into practice, I busy myself in Libertarian Activism, standing up for justice and the rights of the oppressed minorities like Prostitutes and Drug addicts.
I don’t reject the Holiness of God simply because in the light of it I fall short.
I hold it to be objectively true in spite of the fact that such an acknowledgement means I must confess my own sinfulness.
This is an intolerable thing for an Objectivist to contemplate.
In their own eyes… to have self esteem… they need to delude themselves of their own perfection.
Tim Wikiriwhi.
Christian Libertarian.
AV King James Bible believer.
Dispensationalist.
For a Ref to Jefferson’s Religious views:
Conservapedia
Quote:
In an 1803 letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush, Jefferson declared that “I am a Christian,” though his view of Christianity was different from most:
I then promised you that one day or other I would give you my views of [the Christian religion]. They are the result of a life of inquiry and reflection, and very different from that anti-Christian system imputed to me by those who know nothing of my opinions. To the corruptions of Christianity I am indeed opposed, but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the only sense in which he wished anyone to be: sincerely attached to his doctrines in preference to all others, ascribing to himself every human excellence, and believing he never claimed any other.
However, despite Jefferson’s self-declared Christianity, many of his views would be considered heretical by most theologians. Most notably, he attempted to create the Jefferson Bible – an edited version of the New Testament that retained Christ’s moral and practical teaching, while dropping supernatural elements.
Jefferson certainly believed Jesus to be a great teacher of morality, and believed the universe to be created by a God. Less clear is his views on subjects such as the divinity of Christ, the resurrection, sin and salvation. The Jefferson Bible suggests he rejects these ideas entirely, but is not definitive. Jefferson never had his Bible published during his lifetime. He did have this to say about Christianity and the message contained in the work that he created.
There will be found remaining the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man.
Ref to John Adams here:
about.com
Quote:
“The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”
–Adams wrote this on June 28, 1813, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson.
Read/ watch more… Materialism renders Man Nought. Meaning-less, Value-less, Right-less.
The Christian Fellowship is a voluntary private society, not a theocratic political movement.