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Pathways 2025

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Psalm 3:6)

Introduction

On past blogs, I have explored to a limited degree what goes into formulating a worldview. There are several categories I considered that I believe must be taken into account for understanding all that a worldview entails. You can read my thoughts here, here, and here. I recently subtitled this blog, A Christian Worldview; consequently, I hope to shape this blog in the future, filling out what a Christian worldview entails. You can read my earlier thoughts on this notion here and here. For the coming months in 2025, the theme of a Christian worldview is what I hope to work out here on this blog. Such a path is not one I can forge on my own. I will draw on works of such authors as Abraham Kuyper, Francis Schaeffer, R. J. Rushdoony, Nancy Pearcey, and Chuck Colson, among many others, including early church fathers such as Augustine and Calvin.

A Word About Categories

Over time, I wrestled with thematic categories that I believe shape the way we think about the world. My earlier thoughts focused on mind, and how the human thought process shapes how we live in the world. Earlier categories included mind, meaning making, humility/finitude, and thought/action. I explored how the last three categories contributed to how we might view and understand the mind. Later I added valuation/values because what we value shapes our ethical and moral understanding of how we live. Still later I became convinced that all these categories shape the worldview by which we live. Hence, mind, meaning making, humility/finitude, valuation/values, and thought/action all contribute and speak to the worldview we hold. Worldview and mind are difficult to nuance, but I believe they should be deciphered because various worldviews hold different viewpoints on what makes up the mind.

Worldview

As I stated, the sub-title for this blog is A Christian Worldview. There are a plethora of worldviews that clash with Christianity, and over the course of time, I will explore those on this blog. Suffice it say, the general heading of secularism covers many isms that not only differ from Christianity, but also have been formulated to directly oppose Christian thought. Atheism, naturalism, materialism, reductionism, pragmatism, scientism, rationalism, and empiricism make up the wide gamut of worldviews that are in opposition to theism and Christianity. Philosophically, humanism, existentialism, romanticism, modernism, and postmodernism take aim at theistic worldviews. Politically, Marxism originated as a form of thought that set itself up as antagonistic to a Christian worldview. Many of the worldviews listed above can be integrated into a Christian worldview with a correct nuanced understanding of their propositions. For example, we live in a world that God created, so the material universe is real and external to us. But to hold that the material makes up everything, and the material is all there is to existence, is a self-defeating worldview. What I hope to discuss over time on this blog is that the Christian worldview is the only consistent worldview for understand ourselves as human beings and the universe in which we live. Some of the Christian writers I will draw on for this task include James Sire, C. S. Lewis, Francis Schaffer, and Os Guinness, among others.

Mind

Theories of mind have been proffered for centuries. What is mind? From a Christian perspective, we are commanded to to love the Lord your God with all your mind (Matt. 22:37-40). To live up to that commandment, we must understand what the Biblical understanding of mind entails. I hope to explore that question over the course of time on this blog. I will also look at some various worldviews that have a different take on what the mind is. The fields of cognitive science and neuroscience are on the cutting edge of a scientific understanding of the mind. However, much that comes from these fields are materialistic and reductionistic. What is a Christian view of mind, rationalism, and reason? What is the relationship of mind to body? Critical inquiry is an important endeavor for every Christian. Consequently, how we think about critical thinking, our thought process, logic, and reason must be clarified as much as possible.

Meaning Making

As human beings, we search for meaning and purpose in our lives. We want our work, relationships, family life, and even our R & R time to be meaningful. What is the relationship between worldview and meaning making? How does a Christian worldview shape the way in which we make meaning for ourselves? The greatest fear that many human beings experience is a wasted life. Near the end of their lives, people do not want to look back on their existence, believing they have accomplished little. A meaningful life, however, is not one big home run swing. Meaning exists in even those experiences we may think are trivial, small, and unimportant at the time. Human beings tend to set goals for themselves. Although they may not accomplish all the goals they set (time runs out for all of us), what gives many people purpose in their lives entail the goals they set for themselves, experiencing those goals as their lives unfold. From a Christian perspective, the sovereignty of God is a great comfort for the believer. How are we to understand God’s sovereignty in our lives as it relates to our meaning making and purpose for living? Christian writers such as Francis Schaeffer, C. S. Lewis. and Os Guinness have addressed these questions. Those outside the faith have also, e.g. Rollo May and Viktor Frankl.

Valuation/Values

Whether we realize it or not, we all have values that guide us through life. As a professional counselor, I used the process of valuation in my practice with clients, but have come to have a different take on what valuation entails. I don’t believe that people can simply choose their values and begin living by them. The thought process and life formulation for creating values for our lives is much more complicated and complex than that. I repeat, we all have values by which we live. Several questions emerge from that fact. First, are we aware of the values we hold? Second, are the values we hold helping or hindering how we want to live and fulfill the goals we have set for ourselves? If we come to understand that we are living in ways contrary to our values, what does that mean, either about making changes in our lives or making changes in our values? The atheistic philosopher, Frederick Nietzsche, talked about our re-evaluation of our values. However, his thought stood on the proposition that there is no God. From a Christian perspective what does it mean to hold and live by Christian values and virtues? (e.g. the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23; Christian virtues, 2 Peter 1:5-7). Do we truly believe that who we are is how we act in the world? Put another way, do we embrace the notion that how we act speaks to who we are, what we believe, and what values we hold? The values we hold and seek to live by form our worldview, framing our ethics and morality. None of us are perfect; consequently, from the Christian perspective those actions of confession before God must be real in our lives.

Humility/Finitude

We all have a limited amount of time on this side of life on this earth. Time impacts all the other categories – mind, meaning making, valuation/values, thought/action – in a powerful way. And we have a limited time and capacity to shape our worldviews. Scripture calls us to be humble before God, knowing our limitations and our finitude. As finite beings, however, we have an infinite and sovereign God whom we can approach and before whom we bow. The tension between sovereignty and human responsibility is one we must hold. Each day I am aware of the decisions I make for my life. I’m also aware of God’s sovereignty in my life. The latter is not an excuse or a copout for negating or short changing the former. Psalm 31:14-15 tells us that our times are in God’s hands; nonetheless, one of the most hard-hitting sins we can commit is slothfulness and the wasting of our time. Our humility before God allows us to place our lives in His hands so that we can learn to live in ways that are pleasing in His sight. What does Biblical truth mean for those of us who want to develop fully a Christian worldview? How should our humility be lived out in relationship to others? Humility is a concept easily misunderstood. It’s neither weakness nor groveling before others, but it is treating others in the way we want to be treated by them (Matt. 7:12; Luke 6:31). What will our Christian worldview look like as we live it out among others, both believers and non-believers.

Thought/Action

Our worldview will be nothing but inconsistent if our actions do not follow from what we claim to believe and value. To claim that we hold to a Christian worldview must manifest the life of Christ in our lives as we seek to live in the world but not be of the world. As a Christian, we will be challenged by others to live consistently with our worldview in a harsher manner than applied to others who hold different worldviews. Two keys to understanding this are important. One, we are not perfect and need not grovel before others on that account. However, we will need at times to ask others to forgive us while apologizing for our misgivings and actions that are contrary to our being in Christ. How we act in the world will say much more than what we say. If our actions are not consistent with what we claim to believe, then we need to reflect intensely on what we claim to believe. I’m not talking about sins here and there. We will commit those daily, if not by action surely by thought. I’m talking about a lifestyle that is directly contrary to what we claim to believe. We should have Christian brothers and sisters in our lives that will say to us how we are living doesn’t appear to align with what we claim to believe. A worldview that is lived out inconsistently is a worldview built on shifting sand or over an abyss of nothing.

Conclusion

Moving forward in 2025, these are the themes and topics I hope to explore on this blog. That doesn’t mean I will not take excursions into other areas, but I want the focus moving forward to be on the exploration of what it means to hold and live by a Christian worldview. The final word should be that building such a worldview is impossible apart from being in Christ, depending and leaning on the complete sovereignty of God. As Christians we are called to relate to God as Abba Father (Galatians 4:4-7). Our being in Christ should be witnessed by those whom we encounter in the world. I pray that the task I have set for myself on this blog will, by God’s grace, be accomplished. To Him be dominion, forever and ever. Amen.

Some Core Source References:

Baucham, V. T. (2021). Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe. Washington D.C.: Salem Books.

Chesterton, G.K. (2009). Orthodoxy. [originally published 1908]. Rockville, MD: Serenity.

Colson, C. & Pearcey, N. (1999). How Now Shall We Live? Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Lewis, C. S. (2002). The Complete C. S Lewis Signature Classics. New York: HarperOne.

McGinn, C. (1993). The Problem of Consciousness. Oxford, U.K.: Basil Blackwell.

Moreland, J. P. & Craig, W. L. (2017). Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic Press.

Pearcey, N. (2004). Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from its Cultural Captivity. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Pearcey, N. (2010). Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, and Meaning. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing.

Pearcey, N. (2015). Finding Truth: Five Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook.

Pearcey, N. & Thaxton, C. B. (1994). The Soul of Science: Christian Faith and Natural Philosophy. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Schaffer, F. (1985). The Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer: A Christian Worldview (5 Volume Set). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Sire, J. (2010). The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog. [originally published 1976] Lisle, IL: IVP Press.

Trueman, C. R. (2024). To Change All Worlds: Critical Theory from Marx to Marcuse. Brentwood, TN: B & H Academics.

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./February 14th, 2025

CHRISTIAN THOUGHT/Christian Worldview

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Wildfires: Ideas Have Consequences

Introduction

To date due to the wildfires in California, over 180,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, close to 24,000 acres of land have been scorched, approximately 7,000 structures have been destroyed, and there at least 16 dead with numerous persons still missing. Regardless of the title of this article, I hope to present something here that is much more than a blame game. There is some blame, but it is blame in which we all share. More importantly, from a Christian perspective, we need to continually keep the people in California in our prayers, and we need to call for compassionate aid so that those who have experienced these devastating fires can begin the restoration of their lives in as much as that is possible. Presently, legacy news continues its politicizing of everything under the sun. Although there are some political lessons to be learned here, our learning opportunities must go beyond political affiliation. Above all, this is a time for compassion and grace in which the church can lead for meeting the needs for those on whom these catastrophic fires have fallen.

Reflecting on What Is Lost

Take some time for a while to reflect on the catastrophe that swept across California. What is lost? Our first response would most likely accent the homes that people had built, lived in for many years of their lives, all representing the carving out of families’ lives. But what did those homes contain? Think of your own home. Clothes and appliances come to mind. But there is more than that. Reflect on what you hold as valuable in your home: personal gifts, family pictures, cherished mementos, and all that is held dear that represents ones ties to others and the meaning that these memorabilia hold. Then there are the memories themselves: family reunions, rooms built for children and others, celebrations of birthdays and anniversaries. For those who are in Christ, the rooms and solitary places where family members prayed, read Scripture, and engaged in personal meditation. Memories of children growing up are now left to memory alone. Recollections of neighborhood friends and get togethers are swept away with a Santa Ana wind and scorching flames. Personal collections – coins, stamps, art, etc. – are now lost to the flames. And then there are those families who lost love ones to the devastating fires, ones with whom they cannot reunite. As a hobby my mom created pottery. She owned a kiln, would make dishes, and then would paint them. After her death, I inherited all of her work. I am sure that many of the families in California owned knickknacks along similar lines, those things on which a price cannot be fixed. All gone now with the winds of fire. Those of us who have not experienced such devastation cannot fathom what people in California are going through at the moment. This is a time to pull alongside people and support them in all the ways we can. We need to cease politicizing the moment along shallow lines of political party and affiliation.

Ideas Have Consequences

How do we account for the political side of what is now transpiring in California without overly politicizing the situation? First, the blame game must come to a halt. There is no one person or political party that is to blame for California’s plight. As a culture and society, we are all to blame to some extent for what is occurring in that state at the moment. We have become a people, regardless of affiliation, who looks too much to the State to give us life. Individuals for decades sounded an alarm, warning people of the catastrophe that is now taking place on the West Coast. Several of the areas in which people lived lacked the water that was necessary for firefighters to do their job. The kindling and brush that were too close to homes needed clearing decades ago. To pontificate that people shouldn’t have been living in theses areas is nothing but full-blown bloviating. People built their homes and lives in Malibu, the Palisades, and Altadena. These were homes, not just structures. They have lost more than what can be summed up in materialistic terms.

We live in a time where the State ha become the supposedly provider and savior of humankind. In the state of California people relinquished their property rights to those in power. The trade off is that people lost their property. When one reflects on all that was lost, as discussed above, property is more than what we commonly construe that term to entail. What lies ahead is not just a few days or months to normalize. For people to reclaim what they have lost and regain some sense of normality will take years if not decades. We are on the cusp of a new administration coming into power. What I would ask of this administration is what I would ask of any human being. Set aside the political bickering and blame game and present yourself to be a servant of the people who have experienced the harrowing wreckage of their lives. California is a loud and clear ringing bell sounding the warning that the State is not a god. The unconstitutional power that the State has arrogated to itself needs defeating. It is not only the people in California who have exalted the State to a position of ultimate power. We live in a time of Statist power. We are all guilty. Statist power is antithetical to Constitutional natural rights. The time is now to rid State power from our lives, taking back the rights on which this nation was built.

For those of us in Christ, we can pray, serve, and support the rebuilding efforts that must take place – that must begin now – in California.

[Note: At the publishing of this article, the death toll in California has risen to 24.]

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./January 14th, 2025

ANALYSIS/Current Events

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The Trials of Daniel Penny

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil. — Isaiah 5:20

Introduction

Daniel Penny has had his trial. But it’s not the trial we have been reading and hearing about in the news media. Individuals face many types of trials. In a culture of woke-ism and a perverted sense of what some call social justice, people can find themselves accused and even legally charged for actions, as well as the very words they use, actions that should in no way under the country’s constitution be considered a legal matter. When such challenges to common sense and decency occur, then people find themselves faced with the trials that life bring their way. Trials that are more real and honest than those so called jury trials in today’s institutions of justice.

The Context

The scene of the incident took place on a New York subway at the Second Avenue station. Jordan Neely, a homeless man, entered the subway and begin making threats toward people, stating that he was homeless, hungry, and wanted a job. He was heard to say, I don’t care if I go to prison, and then, someone is going to die today. Several of the subway passengers feared for their safety. Daniel Penny stepped forward and from behind took Neely down to the floor in a chokehold. Others helped Penny secure Neely until the authorities arrived. He was held in the chokehold for several minutes. (Some claim that Penny held him down for six minutes; Penny claimed that it was less than five minutes.) Neely was transported to a nearby New York hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Enter Manhattan DA’s

What would we do without woke DA’s politicizing justice to the point that the word just no longer has any meaning? Following Neely’s autopsy at the hospital where he died, the Manhattan medical examiner determined that Neely had died as a result of homicide. The toxicology report indicated that synthetic marijuana was found in Neely’s system. In addition he was known to be a homeless man who suffered from schizophrenia. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg sought to bring charges against Penny, including second degree manslaughter and negligent homicide. The case was prosecuted by Manhattan DA Dafna Yoran. The presiding judge, Maxwell Riley, had previously denied that charges against Penny be dropped. The trial ensued. The real trial of life, however, came when an individual who sought to prevent violence on a subway found himself charged with manslaughter and negligent homicide.

What Is Justice?

The fate of a civilization stands or falls based on its foundational principles. One of those principles is the idea of justice. People may claim that Penny had his fair trial and was found not guilty. But one must ask, did Penney’s trial truly represent any form of justice? What happens in a society when one steps forward to prevent a situation from escalating into possible violence is then charged with a violent crime? Ensconced in this society is the already woke politics regarding the homeless that leaves people like Neely on the streets without any decent help and care. Penny faced a trial all right, but rather than being in that Manhattan court room, it was a trial caused by that very institution of justice that has as its job description to protect citizens from violent assault. Neely was not mentally competent, but he could have injured someone that day on the subway. The situation should have never seen the light of day if the politics that be would allow for proper care of the homeless. Daniel Penny was not to blame for anything. And yes, there was a time when he would have not been charged at all. And that truth has nothing to do with Neely’s race or homelessness. It has everything to do with the disgusting woke-ism and political correctness of today’s culture.

Political Hype

The hue of cries has already begun to ring loud and clear from the woke crowd. BLM claims that Penny should not be called a hero – that coming from a group of people who burn and destroy private property in the name of protest. Others have labeled Penny a vigilante, proffering America’s thirst for vigilantism. The Wikipedia title for this incident says it all: Killing of Jordan Neely. The politically correct and woke will ring their bell loud, but what they say will have little, if anything, to do with justice. A civilization must ask itself if it can continue to be a civilized society with the sense of justice displayed in the Daniel Penny trial.

Conclusion

The stark injustice thrown at Daniel Penny has kicked off the trials he faces in life. What is equally sad is that the true injustice that Neely suffered has been lost in the politically correct hype and woke-ism of the day. The plight of the homeless is a reality that politicians have failed to answer since JFK emptied the state psychiatric hospitals back in the 1960’s. Compare and contrast Penney’s situation with another recent incident. Ben Johnson was gunned down, shot three times point blank in what appears to be a premeditated stake out and murder. However, Johnson in today’s flood of woke-ism and political correctness suffers the unfortunate position of being a millionaire working for an insurance company. People have hit the social media scene claiming that Johnson deserved what he got, and that the shooter is a hero. Would it really surprise anyone if some of these people celebrating Johnson’s murder were the same ones criminalizing Daniel Penny? Pick and choose – or socially construe – your own version of vigilantism. In a civilization where justice is a politicized social construct, what kind of justice can people expect or even hope for? Penny’s trials are ahead of him. Although found not guilty, his life has been irreparably altered by being charged with criminal intent for trying to protect people. His jury trial should have never seen the light of day. There was nothing just about what Daniel Penny had to experience with Manhattan’s legal system. The next time citizens in New York ride a subway, they should think about that.

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./December 14th, 2024

ANALYSIS

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Dominion: A Kingdom of Priests

and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood – and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His Father and His God – to whom be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5-6)

For they do not speak peace. But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land. (Psalm 35:20)

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to the God the Father. (Colossians 3:17)

Introduction

America has held its election. So now what? The tendency among many of us is to think that once the results of the election is in, we can now set back, rest on our laurels, and hope for the best. Unfortunately such thinking is the by-product derived from the belief system that government exists to do something for us. Now let the ones elected do their thing. Such a mindset has shaped this country with the rise of progressivism, particularly since the Great Depression and FDR. Today the State machine is chocked full of unelected bureaucrats that devise rules and regulations that inundate our lives. What should our response be going forward now that the American people have responded somewhat strongly to the last four years of progressivism?

A Judaeo-Christian Perspective

Writing from the perspective of a Judaeo-Christian worldview, I would like to challenge Christians to counter this tendency. Government, whatever that is, does not exist to do things for us. That is especially true for those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus, the Christ. As the verse from Revelation (1:5-6) that forms the heading for this blog tells us, Jesus has redeemed us, not only for salvation, but also to be a kingdom of priests to His God and Father. This means above all, that we are to exercise dominion over our culture. Unfortunately, the church has taken a position of passivity regarding its dominion mandate. There are various reasons for this, which can form the subject matter for other articles. [e.g. see Church & State.] But what exactly does it mean to exercise dominion?

The Dominion Mandate

Dominion is synonymous with government, absolute authority, and sovereignty, but within the confines of self-government. While passivity might characterize many Christians in respect to their view of politics and the State, another misunderstanding of sovereignty leads some Christians to believe that all laws should reign at the national level reflecting Biblical law. Theonomy is a loaded term that can unfortunately lead to misunderstanding Christians’ view of government. First, whether one believes it or not, God is sovereign, and He does rule the nations. (Christ is the ruler of the kings of the earth.) The time will come when His sovereignty will be fully realized, here on earth and throughout eternity. As Christians, how are we called to live in the meantime? We need to navigate the channel between passivity that has led to our institutions being handed over to the culture at large, and the notion that we are to establish a heaven on earth via State power. We should most definitely be active in political matters. The culture at large is fine with Christian passivity, telling many Christians that they for sure should do their thing and stay out of politics. (There is a difference between theocracy and theonomy.) When Christians voice their political views, many in the culture will cry separation of church and state, which is a gross misunderstanding of the separation clause as written in the Constitution. Note the scream of Christian Nationalism today from those who caricature Christians who are politically engaged. On the other hand, some Christians hold a view of dominion that seeks to seize power of the State in the form of some coercion. The latter is a minority compared to those Christians who want to remain aloof from politics. But one would not realize that fact listening to the verbal attacks on the church from the progressive crowd.

We Are a Kingdom

As Revelation 1:5-6 tells us, those whom God has called to be in Christ have been made to be a kingdom through His atoning work. We are a kingdom of priests. We are to exercise dominion over the earth. Rather than seizing State power, kingdom work is to be carried out by believers through the body of Christ, the church. What we should demand of the State is our constitutional rights to do just that – to worship as we believe, to impact our culture through what we believe and how we live, and to be the salt and light that will draw people to the church. Such of way of living out our beliefs, however, is far from being passive regarding our political contexts. For example, we should stand and fight for those Christian business men and women who have been sued, taken to court, and fined for seeking to operate their business lives in alignment with their Christian beliefs. We should seek an end to abortion in a manner that saves the lives of the unborn while also aligning with the Constitution. We should have the freedom to live out our beliefs in the commonwealth so as to impact our culture for our beliefs. We should take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Dominion means living out our Christian beliefs in every area of life – work, education, family, etc. as Colossians 3:17 calls us to do. The church is to be a beacon of light for the culture. The light draws people to itself by what it is, the light. As the body of Christ, the church, we should be living out what we believe in every area of our lives. Then we will be exercising dominion, and only then will we draw people to the Light that makes up the church. Dominion is not a passive idea, nor is it a call to seize political power by coercive force. I think many Christians understand the latter, but too many Christians embrace a passivity toward political matters.

Progressivism Is not Passive

Living quite in the land is not a bad thing. Neither is it a passive preoccupation. As we have witnessed over the past four years, and with other administrations as well, progressives in politics are anything but passive. In recent years we have witnessed a rise of political clout targeting Christian engagement in the political realm. Again, think of florists and bakers who have lost or who have come close to losing their businesses because they sought to align their business operations and services with their Christian values. Note the imprisonment of peaceful protestors who have made their beliefs known at abortion clinics. Witness the onslaught of the nonsensical caricature of so-called Christian Nationalism. Mark the aggressive nature of the public education establishment toward private education (specifically Christian private schools) and parents who homeschool their children. Some states mandate that homeschoolers should be forced to use curricula designed for public schools, the very thing from which parents want their children separated. Private Christian colleges should take a page out of Hillsdale College’s playbook and refuse government subsidy for education. Parents who homeschool or send their children to private schools (Christian and secular) should demand an end to having to pay school taxes that uphold institutions from which parents desire to remove their children. Progressive politicians are not passive. Nor should the body of Christ acquiesce to State mandates regarding their children’s education. Living quiet in the land is not subservience to those who seek to determine what values families should hold or how they live, raise, and educate their children. Progressives talk the game but they don’t walk what they talk. They speak peace – equity, equality, love, justice – but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land. Those who hold different values from the progressives are targeted as oppressors. It is they that want to determine what values people should hold. We as Christians should not play their game.

Conclusion

America has held its election. The question now becomes what will we do going forward. Will we continue to look to the State for an answer to all our dilemmas? As Christians I hope we choose to self-govern and exercise dominion in the culture, not by the coercive power of the State, but by the way we live reflecting the power of Christ that dwells in us. For the moment, progressivism and its agendas has been cancelled. Don’t think for one minute that progressives will go passive. The body of Christ needs to demonstrate that while we want to live quiet in the land, we will not acquiesce in passivity. We will exercise dominion in its true Biblical meaning. Elections come and go. Impacting the culture by the way we live in Christ in a long-term endeavor. Our passivity has handed over our institutions to a culture that is at best antagonistic toward God’s precepts, and at worst actually despises God’s law, actively setting the power of the State against anything that demonstrates that people want to engage their culture through God’s commandments.

God commanded a mandate to exercise dominion. Such a mandate is not a passive activity, politically or otherwise.

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./November 14th, 2024

ANALYSIS OF POWER/DOMINION MANDATE

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Birthing The State

Introduction

I was reflecting on a title of a book written by Murray Rothbard, What Has Government Done to Our Money?, and begin to wonder how we as a nation had reached the point where we make the distinction between the government and us. If anyone has read Rothbard, he too is an enemy of the State, and makes clear in his writings that what we think of as government today is indeed a tyrannical State. Our language uncovers our thinking – our beliefs – in a way that shows our nakedness regarding our subservience to the State.

Removed Far from the Founders

It is easy today to make fun of and dismiss the saying, government by, for, and of the people. But what those words signified at one time entail the legacy that the founders hoped to bequeath to future generations that would come after them. The so-called government was not to be separated from and rulers over the people. No reason to spend much time on that bit of history. We lost what it meant a long time ago. Listen to our language today. The government needs to do something about [name the problem]. The government is our security [domestic and international]. The government should provide security for people in their older age [ social security]. The government should provide affordable healthcare for its citizens [Medicare/Obamacare]. The government should educate our children [public education]. So on, so on, ad nauseam the public trough is extolled. As Rothbard points out in many of his writings, the belief system that such language uncovers had given us not a government, but an all-powerful State. In what ways have we, the people, handed our livelihoods over to the State?

The Military Industrial Complex [MIC]

George Washington, in his farewell address, warned the citizens about entanglements in the affairs of other countries, particularly regarding foreign conflicts. Yet today we have military bases in numerous countries throughout the world. We engaged in a useless conflict with Mexico in the late 18th century, and following W.W. II, we engaged in one police action after another from Korea to Afghanistan, nation building not only to our demise in terms of loss of life, but to the nonsensical goal of forming a Pax Americana over the globe. Globalism clearly raises its ugly immoral head both in progressive and neoconservative ideologies. The MIC determines our foreign policy around the globe. As Randolph Bourne put it, War is the health of the State. Critics claim that George Washington didn’t live in a time of globalism, internet, and nuclear weapons. Rather than a criticism of Washington, this is even more a rationale to remain free from political and military entanglements around the world. So-called isolationists are not calling for a return to the agrarian society of Washington’s time. It’s simply called taking care of your own backyard and minding your own business.

Health, Wellfare, and Social Security

We have likewise created the nanny State through the belief that the government should take care of all our health, medical, and retirement needs. Don’t look now, but the government is thirty-five trillion dollars in debt. To take care of all that people call on the State to do for them is unfathomable in terms of, not only dollars, but also in the ability required of a centralized Sate. Hence, the State has become the number one employer in the country. Yet with all its touted expert bureaucrats, it can do nothing but plunge the nation deeper and deeper into debt. Since there is no possible way to continue to soak the people to pay for the promises of politicians handed out to their constituents, then the State via the Federal Reserve turns on the money machine, cranking out dollar bills, flooding the economy with unearned money that drives the prices of what people really need higher and higher, creating more and more need. The government has become the people’s god.

Education

The government should provide education for our children. Given the belief system of the country as it now stands, public education has become a disaster. The so-called educational experts dictate to the parents what their children are to be taught in the neo-indoctrination camps. Unfortunately such curricula include gender identity along with other forms of wokeism. Note how intensely public educators attack private education and homeschooling, especially when those institutions are grounded in a Judeo-Christian ethic. From the perspective of the State, children do not belong to their parents; they are wards of the State. Until people truly threaten public educators with their right to remove their children from such State institutions, placing them in private educational facilities, homeschools, or homeschool co-ops, public education will continue to drift father away from its original educational goals, moving deeper and deeper into the social indoctrination camps they have set themselves up to be.

End the Fed

Ron Paul hit the bullseye. End the Fed is a worthy slogan aimed at removing the State from the regulatory role it plays in its dealings with private business, especially small, privately owned businesses. Entrepreneurs have become severely hampered, if not outright crippled, by federal, and even state, regulations. We need to heed what happened in Germany’s hyper-inflationary period in the 1920’s. With a thirty-five trillion dollar debt, inflation continuing to destroy the strength of the dollar (regardless of what politicians say), and entrepreneurial activity being obliterated, we are facing a similar situation that haunted Germany in the years following W.W.I. We may want to play ostrich, choosing not to believe that such a plight cannot happen in America, but such a plight is not external; it is internal. We have created the State, believing that it can and should meet all our needs, as if bowing before an oracle, rubbing a genie bottle, or approaching a gift dispensing machine. Such a worldview is just that, a worldview, and a false one at that.

Conclusion

So what has government done to our money? Rothbard is right. The government has become a State, not one that invaded us, but one we birthed because of the worldview we hold. As a Christian, I believe that only a Judeo-Christian ethic can be the foundation for a truly prosperous and moral civilization. I don’t hold out much hope for this nation. But that is due to my own lack of faith. I call on those of us who truly believe in the name of Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God to pray for our nation and to do our own part in our our own settings via the local churches to counter the rise of the State that we have brought about.

John V. Jones, Jr, Ph.D./October 14th, 2024

ANALYSIS

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Face of the Nation II: A Constitutional Crisis

Introduction

Our original Constitution was designed to guard a form of government known as a republic. A republic supposedly protects its citizens against those who would prefer to be rulers rather than representatives. Since the rise of progressivism, culminating in the power of F. D. Roosevelt, the Constitution has been under assault from those who desire a strong centralized form of government. However, while it would be easy to blame progressives in power for the demise of a constitutional republic and the rise of absolute democracy, we the people are as much, if not more, to blame for the condition this nation finds itself.

Government as God

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact time in our history when people’s view of the government changed from that which needed its power to be kept in check to an institution that exists to meet all the people’s needs and desires. Perhaps its historical mark is with FDR, but most likely before when the progressive era actually begin. Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt marked some of the earlier beginnings of progressive ideology. With the rise of progressivism, government came to be viewed as an institution to be commandeered by bureaucratic experts who knew better than the people concerning their needs. However, again, the people themselves had to buy into this notion. Ask people today, particular in the areas of security and economics, when problems arise, then the government should do something. Such a mindset has affected both our domestic and foreign policies. Government is called upon to solve all our problems. From Social Security to DEI regulations, the all powerful State is the panacea needed to create the good life with equity for all.

Constitutional Crisis

In order for the Nanny State to become the all powerful caretaker, the U. S. Constitution as originally written must be undermined or shredded all together. Over the decades, we have watched states’ rights dwindle as the power of the centralized State increases. Rather than allowing states, counties, and municipalities to determine their own laws and regulations, people look to a federal law to commandeer all states. Moreover, there are movements to replace the electoral college with popular vote going the winner of the presidential election. A professor from UC Berkeley, for this very reason, has called for the Constitution to be rewritten. Basically, what this would mean is that New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston would elect the president every four years. An absolute democracy is the antithesis of a republican form of government. What centralized planners and absolute democrats are saying is that people in certain parts of the country do not deserve representation. 

Foreign Policy

Under a centralized all-powerful State, a country’s foreign policy turns from defense into imperialistic expansionism. History points this out with Woodrow Wilson’s move to have the U.S. enter W.W. I. Then came FDR’s manipulation that led to U.S. involvement in W.W. II. Historically, the expansionism on the part of the U.S. has continued from the Korean War through Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan to the Mideast. Presently, we face a showdown with Russia. Although the progressives from the Democratic Party appear to be the movers behind domestic policy, the Neo-conservatives, found mainly in the Republican Party are the movers and shakers behind our foreign policy. Both parties, however, tend toward progressive measures in both domestic and foreign policies. Listening to the previous presidential debates, one is at a lost in hearing anything that resembles a desire to return the country to a republic form of government. 

Economics of Inflation

Keynesianism is tailored for an all-powerful centralized State. If it’s the government that is to solve all our problems and carve out the good-life for us, then economic-decisions should be in its hands as much as possible. This is accomplished via government spending, whereby bureaucratic government workers and politicians determine how people’s money is to be spent for what. The only problem with this scenario is that the State does not have any money of its own. What it spends it must have already taken from others. Politicians, however, cannot be re-elected if they preach higher taxes. So where does the State turn to obtain more dollars to spend – the government printing press. Consequently, more dollars flood the economy, dollars that have not been produced via entrepreneurial activity, the result being, not only an unfathomable growing debt approaching 35-trillion dollars, but also a cheapening effect on the dollar for which people work. In turn, we see prices go up in every sphere from groceries, to general services, to automobiles, to home costs, etc. At present, the dollar is in a devastating destructive decline. Some countries are already seeking to disconnect their currency from the dollar. The next Federal budget will witness 20% of government spending simply to pay the interest on the debt. As long as people believe that it is the State’s business to solve economic problems, government interventionism into private businesses will continue to grow exponentially. If you are someone who takes a few minutes out of everyday to meditate, reflect on the number 35-trillion, and see if you can actually fathom what that means in terms of dollars and government debt. 

Political Correctness Gone Awry

Anyone who watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, followed by a male boxer identifying as a female pound to ground hamburger the female Olympic boxers understands the lengths to which postmodernism and political correctness has taken various cultures. More seriously, such woke-ism is now becoming law per DEI regulations, for now regarding political institutions, state schools, and universities. It could be simply a matter of time before such regulations encroach upon private businesses. We witness the beginnings of this political maneuvering in some large corporations. Additionally, lawsuits attacking Christian businesses, such as bakers and florists, signaled a beginning move in the direction of the State’s dictatorial hegemony over private businesses. Some Christian bookstores have already closed their doors in fear of what DEI regulations may mean for their businesses. 

Conclusion

The previous presidential debates, as well as the two candidates involved, provide no comfort for those who desire the reduction of an ever-encroaching all-powerful State. Both candidates are more than willing to spend other people’s money. Both appear to be too friendly toward the Military Industrial Complex. Although Trump will most likely push back against woke-ism and political correctness, the Republicans surrounding him have shown no overwhelming desire in that direction, save a handful. Both parties are made up of government full-timers that keep their position by spending other people’s money. Until the people of this country decide whether or not they want to live under the Constitution as originally written, we will continue to drift towards an all-powerful State, a failed Foreign Policy, and an economics of inflationism that destroys that for which people work. 

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./September 14th, 2024

ANALYSIS OF POWER

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Articles from the Mises Institute

For this months’s blog article I supplied some links to some articles written by Dr. Daniel Lacalle and Dr. Wanjiru Njoya, both independent scholars themselves and both who write for the Mises Institute. Mises Institute is a libertarian educational think-tank located in Auburn, AL near the campus of Auburn University. The Institute trains students in Austrian Economics as established by Carl Menger, Ludwig von Mises, Murray Rothbard and others. The content of the many articles from the Institute go beyond what is understood as the dismal science of economics, demonstrating that a sound theory in economics allows us to understand the culture in which we live, the dangers of power that have been allocated to the State, and what a personal and meaningful life can entail. As a Christian, I find what is proffered in Austrian Economics can be readily grounded in a Judeo-Christian worldview.

Since we are in an election year, I believe the two articles to which I have linked readers to are timely but do not even scratch the surface of what can be learned through the educational efforts of the Mises Institute. So my hope is that those of you who read the articles by Drs. Lacalle and Njoya will be lead to explore all that the Mises Institute has to offer.

I placed the links for this month’s readings on the page, Analysis of Power. You can go to that page to read the articles and glean some information regarding the two authors.

Next month, 09/14/2024, I will provide part two of my take on the Face of the Nation. Until then, good reading, and for sure explore the Mises Institute website.

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D/August 14th, 2024

ANALYSIS OF POWER (AOP)

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“Pursuit” of “Happiness”

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 . . . (Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776).

Introduction

As Carl Trueman (1) has pointed out, we live in an age in which feelings have become the test of truth. If one feels a certain way, then that is his or her truth, not be denied by anyone else. This is especially true in terms of the identity question – as to whom or what one chooses to identify. With this exaltation of feelings and emotions, the word happiness, in terms of its meaning, has lost its true significance as used by the framers of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. In much the same way, the word pursuit has been emptied of its more powerful meaning. In the words of the Declaration of Independence stated above, several things stand out about which I want to comment in the blog article. First, regardless of what this postmodern age pretends to claim, there is such a thing as truth, and more importantly, self-evident truths. Second, the question emerges: What did the original framers mean by the words pursuit and happiness? Third, we cannot speak of self-evident truths apart from there being a Creator.

The Emptying of Words of Their Full Content

Russ Harris (2), in his work, The Happiness Trap, addresses the empty pursuit of what we tend to think happiness is today. We frame happiness as an emotion of feeling good. Many people have replaced what the framers meant by happiness and have exalted as a right to feel good constantly. When they do not feel good about their lives, then something is declared to be wrong, whether it be with other people and how they respond to them, or with society or culture as a whole. Harris considers this an empty chase of something that it is at best a fleeing emotion. In his Acceptance and Commitment Approach (ACT) to therapy, he relates true happiness to the building of one’s life on a set of values that one holds. Without a set of values that guides one’s life, happiness is simply an empty pursuit with no ground for its meaning. Although I agree with Harris that building a meaningful happy life should be grounded in the values we hold, values themselves must too be ultimately grounded in that which is real.

The Framer’s Take on Pursuit and Happiness

In his article from the Epoch Times, Jeff Minick (3) addresses the fact that people can define happiness as some sort of financial prosperity, possessing things, and holding some kind of status in society. Although these can be real pursuits, many find that in obtaining them, what they in fact possess is intangible and slips through their fingers like water, never stable or fully satisfying. Minick then turns to what the framers of the Constitution meant by the words happiness and pursuit. Drawing on James Rogers’ work, The Meaning of “The Pursuit of Happiness,” Minick declares that the original framers meant something more tangible that accrues in the pursuit of happiness. Rather than mere prosperity, happiness to the framers meant well-being in general. Such well being would emerge only in a virtuous life. True well-being in life could not be obtained apart from virtue.

Likewise we tend to think differently from the framers regarding the meaning of the word pursuit. Minick points out that typically we think of the word as an endless chasing after something, an object or a person. We also think of it in terms of pursuing or chasing after our dreams, whether our dreams have any grounding in reality or not. Go after your dream is a modern mantra, not related to one’s skills, abilities, or means to obtain said dreams. Again, Minick drawing on Rogers’ work points out that Rogers credited Arthur Schlesinger Sr. authoring a book chapter on what the word pursuit meant in the time of the framers. We might come closer to the meaning of pursuit when we say things like, he is pursuing medicine, or she is pursuing lawyering. Hence, pursuit can mean occupation or some kind of practice. Some kind of vocation is highlighted here. Pursuit then means the building of one’s life along a vocation, based on practice, skills, knowledge, and wisdom of the means to pursue one’s desired ends. We are talking about a meaningful life.

Pursuit of Happiness Is Grounded in the Transcendent

Minick quoting Rogers, the happiness of people and the good order and preservation of civil government essentially depend upon piety, religion, and morality. The framers pointed to the Creator as the foundation for our rights and liberty. As a Christian, I believe that unless our goals, aspirations, and pursuits are grounded in the Biblical truth concerning God and Jesus Christ whom He sent (John 17:3), then they will fall short of the true happiness we were designed to have. God has given us the means to the ends to a truly happy life. We are commanded by Him to pursue wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). Biblical wisdom is the pathway for our building a purposeful and meaningful life. There is no meaning or goodness apart from God (Psalm 16:2). We can debate whether all the framers were Biblically-based Christians or not. But what they wrote and meant by the pursuit of happiness, as Minick points out, stands on the solid ground of piety, religion, and morality. Apart from this ground, there is no building a solid virtuous life of meaning.

[References: (1) Trueman, C. (2022). Strange New Worlds. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers. (2) Harris, R. (2022). The Happiness Trap. Boulder, CO: Shambhala Publishing. (3) Minick, J.(2024). What Does the “Pursuit of Happiness” Mean? [In Epoch Times, June 24th, 2024, Online Edition].

John V. Jones, Jr, Ph.D./July 14th, 2024

ANALYSIS/CHRISTIAN THOUGHT

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Face of the Nation I

Introduction

We find ourselves in that four-year cycle where we are faced with an election once again. Although I delineate below the concerns that I believe the nation faces, and that therefore we should closely attend to what politicians specifically say about these concerns, I have come to believe that for whom we vote in elections will have little effect on these concerns that I delineate in this blog article. Neither political party has demonstrated that it cares nor even understands how major concerns we face in this nation are transforming this republic into a Statist authoritarian rule of political elites. There are few, if any, individuals running for office who claim as their passion to rid people’s lives of an ever encroaching State into every nook and cranny of individuals’ personal pursuits. What the nation faces is a constitutional crisis. Does any particular politician call for a constitutional cure that will restore the republic form of government under which we are supposed to live? I have categorized ten concerns that I believe the nation faces. I will discuss five of those ten concerns on this month’s blog article. The remaining five I will discuss for September’s blog entry.

The Economics of Inflation

The economic stability of the nation has been in the forefront of peoples’ thinking since the debacle of 2008 and the absurd quantitative easing that followed. Simultaneously and unfortunately people continue to look to the government for livelihood and security. Following the 2008 recession the governmental response to the pandemic of 2020 led to numerous business failings with drastic effects for the economy from which the country is yet to recover.

Inflation and Hyperinflation

The major threat to our economy simply put is government spending. The notion of a $34-trillion dollar debt doesn’t appear to concern either party as promises from government to provide health, wealth, and security continue to flow from D. C. The Federal Bank’s printing machine continues to print money so as to stimulate the economy. Keynesianism is on overdrive in the government’s response to insure the economy will flourish. And increased taxation becomes a threat to all forms of wealth and property while the middle class continues to carry the burden of the country’s woes. These monetary and fiscal policies continue to negatively hammer the value of the dollar for which people work. On top of that we are fed the nonsense by government officials that there is no inflation. One wonders if such bearers of economic news have ever gone to the grocery store, noticed the price of automobiles, or have sought lately to purchase a home.

History is replete with the lessons of the dangers of government spending, particularly that of the Weimar Republic in 1923. The printing machine mentality cannot continue without ushering the nation’s economy into a hyperinflation mode, which is the very sign of an economy on the verge of collapse. Presently, small businesses are treading deep water. The hurtles for small business startups are difficult due to expenses, taxes, and the shrinking value of the dollar. Unfortunately, corporations who are in bed and partnered with government have become what supposedly defines capitalism. Hence people call on a more powerful State to fix things. In an economy ensconced in hyperinflation, no politician wants to proffer the necessary solutions because the remedy would frighten people beyond fathoming. Four books that speak to the deadly concerns of hyperinflation are: The Fuhrer (Konrad Heiden); Waste Paper: The German Hyperinflation of 1923 (Simone Ricci); Germany 1923: Hyperinflation, Hitler’s Putsch, and Democracy in Crisis (Volker Ullrich); and When Money Dies: The Nightmare of Deficit Spending, Devaluation, and Hyperinflation in Weimar Germany (Adam Fergusson). The U.S. economy faces an unfathomable government debt and the devaluation of the dollar, and it is on the precipice of destructive hyperinflation. Listen for any discussion of this economic reality from would-be presidential candidates for the 2024 election. Then listen even closer for any stated remedies.

Foreign Policy

No doubt Israel’s conflict in the Gaza and the Ukraine war will be discussed in vague rhetorical terms among Democrat and Republican debate strategists. Although Hamas started this latest war with Israel via the butchery that Hamas is known for, it will be interesting to see if any politician addresses the reaction from Israel that has led to much more than is alluded to by the phrase collateral damage. Likewise, will any questions and/or discussion arise regarding the limit to which the U.S. should support Zelensky in the Ukraine under the rubric that he is a democrat? More importantly, will any presidential candidate touch on the historical position whereby the U.S. has sought not be entangled in foreign affairs? (This last notion may appear totally rhetorical, given this nation’s involvement in foreign conflicts since Korea to the present.) But do we, as a nation, have a principled foreign policy by which we seek to live?

Having stated the above, our foreign policy appears to be a muddled mess, given our position on Russia, while the nation’s politicians play soulmates with China. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been, and is, one of the most vicious collectivist regimes for over seven decades. Although there might be some nod to supporting Taiwan, is the U.S. truly supporting Taiwan with its friendliness toward mainland China and the CCP? June 4th, 2024 marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. The elder Bush, rather than supporting those who were butchered by the tanks and guns of the CCP, sought friendly relations with China. Given that China is purchasing land in the U.S. in warp speed, what is our Foreign Policy toward the regime of the CCP? The annual Shangri-La Dialogue occurred on May 31, 2024. The CCP is straightforward in how it views its own position in the world, and how it sees other countries. In this latest round of dialogues, the CCP is adamant that Taiwan and the Philippines fall under what China calls the South China Sea control. The CCP offers stern warnings against Taiwan and the Philippines if they do not accept their position in the South China Sea. Likewise, they threatened the West (Europe and the U.S.) if it seeks to support either Taiwan or the Philippines [Balding, Epoch Times, June 6, 2024]. If Putin as an ex-KGB guy still represents the haunts of the Soviet regime, then the CCP is certainly not our friend. Presently, I think it has to be taken as a given that both Russia and the CCP have as their goal the collectivist control of the world. How might the U.S. build on a principled Foreign Policy that takes a strong stand against these two regimes?

Education

The homeschool movement has been in full force for several decades now. The pandemic which witnessed the closing of schools enhanced the desire of many parents to rethink public education and move toward homeschooling. The upsurge of woke ideology simultaneous with the decreased academic standards related to the three-r’s has also moved parents toward the desire for homeschooling, homeschool co-opts, and private education, thereby removing their children from government schools. Unfortunately, the teachers’ unions for public schooling are politically connected and entrenched in their ideology. Although a large number of parents desire to make moves toward homeschooling and private education, they are still forced to pay school taxes to support public education. The school voucher system has been touted as one remedy for the sad state of education in the U.S. although such a system leaves in place government control of schooling. Listen for what politicians say regarding the rights of parents to have their children exit the public education system to either homeschool them or place them in private schools. Then listen for any support for public education that compromises their position. Better yet, listen for any statement whatsoever from the politically elite on education.

Border Crisis

Since Biden and the Democrats have opened the flood gates to (and yes I’ll say it) illegal immigration, the number of immigrants crossing the southern border of the U. S. has grown exponentially. Although, libertarian in my perspective, I have come to question most libertarian stances on open borders, especially in a day when terrorists of one stripe or another can so easily gain access into the country. Moreover, our immigration policy that now extends the government dole to those entering the country lacks any common sense or basic morality when the taxpayer is on the hook for subsidizing immigrants. At the very least before we can consider a libertarian position on open borders, subsidizing of immigrants must come to an end. One wonders how many would consider the risk of sneaking across the border if there were no government subsidies waiting for them. A true libertarian society based on free market and private property values must not assess the border crisis today along mere ideological lines. The amount of taxpayer money going to illegal immigrants on top of the already wretched inflation that has hit people’s pocketbooks is asking too much for the public to support. Should we be glad that people want to emigrate to this country? By all means. But we need a solid economic policy that creates the kind of society they hope to find here. Barring that reality, we need to hear what politicians have to say about illegal immigration.

Internet Politicization

The Dot.com revolution promised people a free market where ideas could be generated and debated, providing alternative pathways to legacy media and the news offered there. Unfortunately, many who tread in the political elite class view liberty as a problem to be placed under their control. Candidates running for any political office should address the politicizing of the internet that has undermined the freedom that the Dot.com revolution promised. The internet needs to remain the freest and most wide open resource for individuals to generate and search for ideas that speak to all areas of life. The State, however, is extending its ever-growing tentacles to control what is written and stated on various websites. Youtube, Facebook, and others have negated content that doesn’t fit a particular political ideology. We witnessed this most blatantly in the censoring of website material that was critical of the government’s handling of the so-called pandemic. Not only was such information and perspectives censored, they, in turn, were labeled misinformation, and, if possible, criminalized. We also witnessed certain financial venues refuse to work with those websites that were designated as misinformation. Although I believe strongly in the right of owners of such venues as Facebook and YouTube to determine their content, they should not become an arm of the State’s desire to censor material that criticizes the State. Simply put, some individuals may post things online that are egregious in their content. A free market should determine their fate. Perspective candidates need to speak, to not how they want to see the internet operated, but to whether or not they want to let the internet continue to be the free market source of ideas and an alternative source to legacy media.

Conclusion

The nation is bitterly divided today along political ideologies that have no apparent resolution to coexist in a society that allows the free exchange of ideas, all of which should be protected by Constitutional rights that are basic such as the freedom of speech, the freedom to worship, the freedom of assembly, and the freedom to disagree openly. Presently, we face a Constitutional crisis. This nation needs to decide what the Constitution truly represents. The five concerns above should be principally addressed by perspective candidates. Come September, I will discuss an additional five concerns, beginning with our Constitutional crisis.

[Reference: Balding, C. (2024). How China Views the World. [In The Epoch Times, June 6, 2024. Online edition.]

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./June 14th, 2024

ANALYSIS OF POWER

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Self-Government

Introduction

We live in a political age. As such, people look to politics and politicians to solve all the problems we face in life. It should come as no surprise that due to the results of that mindset the State has grown in power over the decades, in a country that once touted freedom as its primary virtue. The State presents itself as the savior of the people. Hence, the State must take on an authoritarian role whereby it can allow no disagreement or dissent. Note the crack down on free speech, now deigned as hate speech, especially when it counters political correctness or political policies that those in power want to press forward.

I have mentioned on this blog the notion of Christian Reconstruction. The idea of Christian Reconstruction has been caricatured in many ways, one way in particular that it represents coerciveness on the part of Christians to establish a theocracy on earth. Christian Reconstruction is not about violent revolution or some form of coercive take over of the government. Indeed, it does not look to any form of government at all to solve people’s problems, other than a government that allows people the freedom to live their faith out in day-to-day life. Regeneration rather than revolution is the aim of Christian Reconstruction. Within the framework of Christian Reconstruction, as Christians we are called to self-government. What does that mean exactly? And how is that carried out in day-to-day life?

What Is Government?

As stated, we live in a political age, and people look to politics and politicians to solve all their struggles and problems. This mindset emerges from equating government with one form of rule, civil government. From the viewpoint of Christian Reconstruction, however, government can mean several things. First, government primarily means self-government, which the blog article will explore. The second sphere of government entails the family, a sphere of government that Scripture strongly emphasizes. Third, the church is a sphere of government, and fourth, the school is a sphere of government. Fifth, our vocation is a sphere of government. And sixth, our various activities in private organizations, family and personal networks, and community relationships form another sphere of what can be called government.

What Is Self-Government?

Like it or not, we are entering an election year, which means we will be inundated with political ads from every media source conceivable. Candidates will be appealing to us for our votes, telling us why it’s imperative that we should vote for them. Many, if not most, candidates will tell us if elected what they will do for us. I don’t mean to sound cynical. Candidates should run for whatever office they believe they can best serve, and they have the right to get their message out. But note the primary emphasis of their message: I will cut your taxes; I will raise taxes on the rich; I will end this or that war; I will win this or that war; I will fix education; I will cure environmental ailments, etc. We hear this ploy because we listen to it. People have come to believe that they must look to those in power who will secure the good life for them. Again, we live in a political age, one in which people look to those in power for happiness, security, and wealth. We no longer believe that we should govern our own lives.

The theologian, R. J. Rushdoony, (1916-2001) proffered the notion of self-government. Whether one agrees or not with his position on theonomy, I believe that his position on self-government is Biblical, and therefore wise. There are probably several pathways to ridding the overreach of government into our lives. Note the growth these days of the nullification movement, Convention of States (COS), tax reform, foreign policy debates, fiscal and monetary policy reforms that call on politicians to truly work at balancing the budget, etc. Rushdoony poses a straightforward question: This is the heart of the issue: is authority derived from man, from history, from the state, or from tradition, or is it derived from God? For the Christian, there is only one ultimate answer to that question. Rushdoony does not deny the rightful place of government. He does deny its overreach into every nook and cranny of our lives. For the believer in Christ, self-government is not a radical individualist and anarchist approach. Under a constitutional republic, it is the right of the Christian in the face of the State to live freely in alignment with his or her religious and spiritual convictions. Rushdoony stated: Government is, first of all, the self-government of the Christian man. This is basic to government. Self-government extends to the church, then the family, then to education, then to one’s vocation, and finally to society. This view of government is one that is radically decentralized. From a Christian worldview, we can establish self-government and all its extensions if there is a thorough decentralization of the State, allowing individuals to govern their own sphere. As a believer in Christ, Rushdoony held that self-government will eventually fail, as any other form of government, when it fails to build on the foundation of the sovereignty of God. Hence, whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father (Col. 3:17).

Conclusion

This short blog article doesn’t come close to explicating all of Rushdoony’s thought. The important takeaway from his position on self-government is that people must ask themselves who or what has ultimate authority in their lives. For the Christian, that must be God and His word. As we survey our culture today, we see a State that continues to reach into every area of our lives, not by raw power it has taken on, but by raw power that people have given it as they look to the State for a life. [For more exploration on this topic see The Need for a Christian Manifesto.]

[Quotes from Rushdoony are taken from various Chaldean reports collected in An Informed Faith, kindle edition.]

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./May 14th, 2024

ANALYSIS OF POWER/CHRISTIAN THOUGHT