"A tree is known by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thorn bushes, nor grapes from brambles." Luke 6:44
Good intentions are never powerful enough to bestow good outcomes in life, or on a nation in revolution. There never was a political or religious leader who didn't promise peace, prosperity, and health to his or her followers. Usually this is a 'bait and switch' technique, where people are 'baited' into tyranny and oppression by false images and promises, enough to lure them into the trap before they discover the 'switch', the pit they've fallen into. If those desiring a good outcome thoroughly investigated and knew their leaders ahead of time, they would see the path ahead and know the inevitable outcome.*
The prime example of failed revolutionary ideals is the French Revolution of 1789, which was also the first clearly anti-religious one. (Link)
It began with the slogan, "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity", and called for the elimination of cruelty and poverty. The Catholic Church (to which 95% of the people belonged), together with the French aristocracy, became target number one for murderous mobs bent on revenge. When it was over, tens of thousands - including children - were beheaded or otherwise killed. Almost three-fourths of these victims were commoners accused of collaboration with the church or aristocracy. The French Revolution ended in 1801, but not the war it started in Europe. Napoleon arrived on the scene, and France became intoxicated with world conquest. When Emperor Napoleon was finally defeated in 1815 the death toll of French citizens and their allies exceeded three-million. It was an exhilarating ride up to the peak of global power, and an unprecedented catastrophe on the way down.
Examples of revolutionary success are far fewer, but they rise like the dawn in the annals of human civilization. The American Revolution was by far the most successful, for several reasons. First, it was dedicated to a Supreme Being, as the Declaration of Independence states, proclaiming the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God... all men are endowed by their Creator [not "the Creator" of any religion] with certain unalienable Rights..." [which cannot be taken away by any person or government]. America's Founding Documents were the pattern adopted and endorsed by the United Nations upon its founding. Few questioned the validity of these principles until a few years ago. This speaks volumes about our world's decline.
Second, it recognized that people are flawed, and they desire power over others. For this reason, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights divided up the government into competing factions that would "check and balance" one another. There was no over-arching person, title, rule, or law that everyone swore allegiance to. The American Republic - not a democracy - was an ongoing argument that guaranteed the right of free speech and open debate. It could never be perfect because people are imperfect, so it was designed to be flexible enough to adjust to every new challenge or global development. As Abraham Lincoln warned, "As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide." More and more we appear to be suicidal; too weak to resist the corruption of our own fellow citizens.
Success always generates envy and animosity. For this reason the United States and the Western Tradition of civilization itself is now mercilessly attacked, daily, by the Satanic forces of global jihadists (Link) and Marxism-Collectivism. Atheists and anti-theists in global media loudly proclaim that America is an evil nation, and they enforce the idea that only powerful governments can grant human rights, dignity, and prosperity to their people (but the attacks on Brussels and Paris prove this is a lie). They are baiting us with sweet promises of abundant fruit, but the tree from which they claim this fruit will come is the poisonous tree of totalitarian government, which deprives us of every God-given right. Including the right to go out on our own, to try new things, to fail - sometimes - and learn from our experiences. No successful person ever escaped failure, at times, but they learned from failure, and tried again and again. Don't be tempted by lies, the promises of comfort and free benefits.
Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness, Matt 4:1-11
*The U.S. government spent $799 billion in 2012 on welfare and other handouts to the needy, (Link) and $22 trillion since President Lyndon Johnson launched his War On Poverty in 1964. (Link) Yet poverty is still the endemic problem it was over 50 years ago, afflicting the same percentage of the population.
Good intentions are never powerful enough to bestow good outcomes in life, or on a nation in revolution. There never was a political or religious leader who didn't promise peace, prosperity, and health to his or her followers. Usually this is a 'bait and switch' technique, where people are 'baited' into tyranny and oppression by false images and promises, enough to lure them into the trap before they discover the 'switch', the pit they've fallen into. If those desiring a good outcome thoroughly investigated and knew their leaders ahead of time, they would see the path ahead and know the inevitable outcome.*
The prime example of failed revolutionary ideals is the French Revolution of 1789, which was also the first clearly anti-religious one. (Link)
It began with the slogan, "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity", and called for the elimination of cruelty and poverty. The Catholic Church (to which 95% of the people belonged), together with the French aristocracy, became target number one for murderous mobs bent on revenge. When it was over, tens of thousands - including children - were beheaded or otherwise killed. Almost three-fourths of these victims were commoners accused of collaboration with the church or aristocracy. The French Revolution ended in 1801, but not the war it started in Europe. Napoleon arrived on the scene, and France became intoxicated with world conquest. When Emperor Napoleon was finally defeated in 1815 the death toll of French citizens and their allies exceeded three-million. It was an exhilarating ride up to the peak of global power, and an unprecedented catastrophe on the way down.
Examples of revolutionary success are far fewer, but they rise like the dawn in the annals of human civilization. The American Revolution was by far the most successful, for several reasons. First, it was dedicated to a Supreme Being, as the Declaration of Independence states, proclaiming the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God... all men are endowed by their Creator [not "the Creator" of any religion] with certain unalienable Rights..." [which cannot be taken away by any person or government]. America's Founding Documents were the pattern adopted and endorsed by the United Nations upon its founding. Few questioned the validity of these principles until a few years ago. This speaks volumes about our world's decline.
Second, it recognized that people are flawed, and they desire power over others. For this reason, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights divided up the government into competing factions that would "check and balance" one another. There was no over-arching person, title, rule, or law that everyone swore allegiance to. The American Republic - not a democracy - was an ongoing argument that guaranteed the right of free speech and open debate. It could never be perfect because people are imperfect, so it was designed to be flexible enough to adjust to every new challenge or global development. As Abraham Lincoln warned, "As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide." More and more we appear to be suicidal; too weak to resist the corruption of our own fellow citizens.
Success always generates envy and animosity. For this reason the United States and the Western Tradition of civilization itself is now mercilessly attacked, daily, by the Satanic forces of global jihadists (Link) and Marxism-Collectivism. Atheists and anti-theists in global media loudly proclaim that America is an evil nation, and they enforce the idea that only powerful governments can grant human rights, dignity, and prosperity to their people (but the attacks on Brussels and Paris prove this is a lie). They are baiting us with sweet promises of abundant fruit, but the tree from which they claim this fruit will come is the poisonous tree of totalitarian government, which deprives us of every God-given right. Including the right to go out on our own, to try new things, to fail - sometimes - and learn from our experiences. No successful person ever escaped failure, at times, but they learned from failure, and tried again and again. Don't be tempted by lies, the promises of comfort and free benefits.
Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness, Matt 4:1-11
*The U.S. government spent $799 billion in 2012 on welfare and other handouts to the needy, (Link) and $22 trillion since President Lyndon Johnson launched his War On Poverty in 1964. (Link) Yet poverty is still the endemic problem it was over 50 years ago, afflicting the same percentage of the population.
