Moral Development, Values & Religion

Culture & ReligionFeldman Module 11-2

Religion & CultureReligion can be the chief influence of a culture IslamReligion can be a unifying force for cultural morality.Religion can be ignored in a culture The state church of Denmark is Lutheranism.Differing religious views within a culture can be a cause for conflict.CultureBehavior patterns, beliefs, and all other products of a group of people that are passed on from generation to generation

Ethnocentrism tendency to favor ones own group over other groups

Sociocultural InfluencesElements of the non-material culture (ideas, beliefs, values, etc.) are generally held together by an integrated and coherent worldview, which is a comprehensive but basic idea of how the world works and/or ought to work.

To the extent that this worldview is shared among the members of the culture, the worldview and the culture remain stable with low levels of change.Cultural WorldviewChildren are taught the ways and ideas of their culture, and this provides a backdrop for their development

However, an inconsistent or multiple culture is more difficult to learn and often creates doubt and confusion.Socialization into a CultureEvery kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; . . .

Matthew 12:25, Holy Bible, KJVAmerica is a Kingdom DividedShould we be globalists/world citizens or nationalists/patriots?Being overtaken by an international, world government

Should we be socialist or capitalist?Moving toward a European-style Socialist state

Should we have a large or small government?

What are the major points of division?What Is Globalism?

. . . The belief that events in one country cannot be separated from another and that the world is moving toward a form of government and economics that transcends traditional nation-states.

A small but powerful group of internationalists have been working for decades to bring various aspects of our society under one, universal system.

Kirby AndersonWorldviewtimes.comThe New World Order. . . The belief that a small and certain group of people are, in fact, better equipped to rule the world than are others and that the rest of the people are best governed by the elite.

A group of about 300 families control most of the worlds wealth.

Some are apparently convinced that it is their right and duty to rule the world.What is elitism?Extremely wealthy international bankers from all around the world, with a larger concentration in Europe and the U.S.

European royalty, heads of state, & other extremely rich and/or powerful people.

Backed on the next level by heads of corporations & universities; powerful politicians, etc.

And who are not?The rest of usWho are the power elite?In response to need or desirability:Many think a solution that rises above any one nation must be found.Financial Times, Jan., 2009

Reasons (Good solutions or just useful idiots?)PeaceSaving the environmentEqualityRegulation of business

Or is it just the enjoyment of money and power?

Why do we need a New World Order?As we become global, Americans should expect

Loss of national sovereigntyLoss of prosperityErosion of freedomErosion of privacyEnslavement to a lifetime of debtHow about the U.S.?Council on Foreign RelationsJuly 29, 1921Promotional arm of the ruling Elite in the U.S.A.: politicians, academics, media, most Presidents & Secretarys of State (Sometimes called Americas Shadow Government)

Original goal: to federate the English-speaking people of the world

Accused of desiring the overthrow of the Constitution & American sovereigntyNew World Order: ProponentsBilderberg Group (The Alliance)Formed 1954, Holland

100 elite picked by Lord Victor Rothschild & Lawrence Rockefeller

Initial purpose: Create the European UnionCurrent purpose: microchip world population by 2017

35 member steering committeeAnnual meetings, surrounded by armed guardsNew World Order: ProponentsClub of RomeEstablished 1965/1968, Bellagio, Italy75 members, 25 countriesConnected to Round Table & NATO

Goal: to be a forum to discuss future world system; main concern, world population1973 organized the world into 10 regions1976 agenda, redistribution of wealth

Concern: world population control; Council on environmental action aggressive sterilization, abortion, contraceptionNew World Order: ProponentsTrilateral Commission Formed 1972 Offshoot of CFR, BilderbergRockefeller instrumental (Jimmy Carter, Zbignieu Brzezinski)

Called for management of Americas future (take over key policy positions), community of nations, world government (socialist)

Meets annually, closed to media

Reported to reject the idea of constitutional democracyNew World Order: ProponentsWhat is sustainable development?

. . . Development that will not erode the worlds resources over time to the point that they cannot be replenished.

. . . A plan to eliminate as much as 85% of the worlds population

. . . Outlined in United Nations Agenda 21And, of course, the UN.

Traditional AmericanRepresentative RepublicFree Enterprise Capitalism Nationalism/patriotism(Christianity)

OpposingSocialism (Progressivism)CommunismFascism (Nazism)GlobalismElitismCompeting WorldviewsFreedom from government oppression.

Freedom to speak, worship, and generally live their lives without government interference.What were the founders of the United States seeking freedom from and freedom to do?Currently generally known as Conservative/Tea Party/(Republican more so than Democrat)

Small government/low taxesVs large government/high taxesRule of Law/ConstitutionVs. rule by those in powerPersonal freedom & responsibilityVs. government dependencePatriotism/nationalismVs. globalismGovernment exists to serve the peoplevs. the people existing to serve the government

Traditional American PerspectiveRule of Law the Constitution

(As opposed to rule by the powerful)

One thing standing in the way of socialist takeover is the U.S. Constitution and the freedoms or rights that it guarantees.Preservation of FreedomBill of Rights Amendment I to the U.S. Constitution

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.What freedoms are we worried about?Amendment I: . . . Or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press.

Attempts to control the internet

Overt expressions of desire to silence FOX news and talk radio (e.g., Rush Limbaugh)

What freedoms are we worried about?Amendment II: . . . the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Issues of legislating gun control have surfaced for several decades, and some laws have been enacted.People are buying up guns and ammunition.The underlying assumption of this right is that it is difficult to control an armed populace.What freedoms are we worried about?Amendment X: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States, respectively, or to the people.Limitation & Division of Powers between the Federal and State GovernmentsWorldnet Daily, Feb. 24, 2009

The State of Oklahoma hereby claims sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States.

Sovereignty bills had been passed or introduced in 33 states by August 2009.Sovereignty BillsGovernment regulation of private enterprise

Government provision of services to citizens (entitlement)/government control of those services

Big government/ high taxes

Redistribution of wealth (social justice)/few opportunities

SocialismGovernment has the right to control the people.

Rule of the people by the powerful rather than rule of law/constitution is acceptable.

People exist to serve the government.

People need little personal responsibility or freedom and (in fact) are not capable of handling it.

Assumptions of SocialismWhat are the similarities?One leads to the other. Lenin said that the end goal of socialism was communism.Progressive -> socialist -> communist

All agree that people need to be ruled, and do not have any rights other than what the government offers them. This is oppression.

Communism/SocialismTend to lead to totalitarian dictatorships

Control the lives of their citizens:Jobs & income: no competition, prescribed by governmentHousing: no private property, government rentalClothing: government stores, storehouses, possible uniformsTravel: restricted, often not allowed outside countryReligion: official, state-sanctioned & regulatedSpeech: no right to criticize the governmentHealthcare (life and death): no choice of careetc.Communist/Socialist GovernmentsGenerally imprison those who openly disagree with them (political dissenters)

Have track records of murdering their own citizens, sometimes into the millions

Tend to have poor economies because there is no incentive to work hard where income is redistributedCommunist/Socialist GovernmentsFascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power.Benito Mussolini

This was the form of government in Nazi Germany when Adolph Hitler was in power.

The Third Way currently being advocated by former President Bill Clinton and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair advocates an interlocking type of cooperation between government and business (nationally or internationally) that fits the definition of fascism.

How about the Economy?Communism did not really get a foothold politically until the early 20th Century(Marx & Engels did not publish the Communist Manifesto until 1848.)The United States spent much of the 20th Century trying to stop the spread of Communism.Cuba/South AmericaKorean WarVietnam WarCold WarRonald Reagan/Berlin WallAnd Nazism (National Socialism)WWIIHistorical Relation to AmericaWorking to get people of your worldview/political philosophy into key positions in government, media, education, and business

Using these institutions to indoctrinate the remainder of the citizens into agreeing to your rule

Tactics: control of information, creation of dependency upon the government through giveaways and promises; creation of crises and fear causing people to give power to the government in exchange for protection; creation of discontent among some groups

These are tactics of Fabian or Gramscian SocialistsWhat is infiltration?Tactics to Destroy a Culture

Destabilization of the familyIssues with ReligionCensorship of information in educationBias and withholding of information in the mediaEmphasis on social rights rather than responsibilitiesRapid and uncontrolled immigration

Sociocultural InfluencesFour Socialist organizations in the U.S. House of Representatives, including chairs of 11 of the 20 committees. [Prior to the fall 2010 elections]

Progressive Democrats of America (6)Congressional Progressive Caucus (74)Congressional Black Caucus (43)Democratic Socialists of America (?)Just how socialist has the government become?Individual Interface of Faith & CultureGeorge Barna

Every persons central choices in life are driven by their worldview, and everyones worldview is greatly influenced by their spiritual inclinations. Their social and political preferences are closely tied to their spiritual beliefs and practices.ChristianityThe Foundational Religion of The United States isWe 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. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, . . . . .Where did our ideas come from?The BibleEquality

All men are created equal

Endowed by our Creator with certain, unalienable rights Rights come from GodHard work + thrifty living = prosperity.

This created a prosperous middle class.

Also rejection of the concept of royalty/nobility.The Protestant Work EthicThe more I read, hear and research, the more I am willing to believe this financial crisis which was mostly birthed in the Clinton administration and continued by the George W. Bush administration, was possibly orchestrated in order to destroy the Middle class and implement radical, extreme socialism; . .

Brannon HowseChristian Worldview NetworkWhat about the Middle Class?Our culture is no longer unified by identification with the Christian faith.Christian by default?Barna. Jan. 12, 2009

For much of Americas history, the assumption was that if you were born in America, you would affiliate with the Christian faith.

50% in a recent survey said this is no longer true.Christian ApostasyDenial of Biblical beliefs; truth and authority of the Holy Bible (Apostasy)Mentality of salvation by good worksUniversal salvation of all faiths and those with no faithThe idea of many equal paths to God universal religionLiberation theology

Started around 1900 with questioning of the infallibility of the Holy Bible.Who among Christians Has a Biblical Worldview?Source: Barna Polls in 1995, 2000 and 2005 Respondents: self-described Christians

yes no

Biblical worldview9% 91%

Beliefs about truth:

Absolute moral truth exists34% 66%

The Bible is accurate 50% 50%

Truth is discovered only through logic, reason, and experience54% 46%

The Bible, the Koran (Quran), and the Book of Mormon are different versions of the same truth 44% 56%

What Do Christians Really Believe? yes noGod is the all-knowing, all powerful creator who still rules 70% 30%

The Holy Spirit is only a symbol 40%60%

Jesus lived a sinless life 40%60%

Satan is real 27%73%

Demons are real 67% 33%

What Do Christians Believe about how to get to Heaven?

Only 30% believed that salvation comes through correct beliefs.

50% believed in salvation (getting to heaven) on the basis of good works. Only 28% believed you cannot get to heaven by good works.

50+% believed some non-believers can get to heaven (42% included atheists)

75% believed people are not born sinful, but neutral

Secularization - The Emergent ChurchCritics Description(Compromising) Generally apostate questions doctrineAmbiguous idea of truth (postmodern)Universal salvationSocial justice gospelOpen to pagan (non-Christian) practicesYogaMeditation (contemplative prayer) Walking the labyrinth

Is the Influence of Christianity in America Waning?at the close of 2008, few Americans perceive that religion is thriving in U.S. society, and a relatively small majority believe that religion is relevant to solving todays problems. They also believe the overall influence of religion is declining.

2008 Gallup Poll

With What Competing Ideologies are people trying to merge traditional Christianity?New Age/Humanism/Cosmic HumanismOne-world SpiritualityLiberation Theology/Social Justice (Marxist)Socialism/Communism (atheist)Islam (Chrislam)?How about the New Spirituality?

New Age Cafeteria ReligionBased on personal experience

Cosmic Humanism God is in everything. (Pantheism) We are all gods.

Wicca is popular; reincarnation is popular; meditation and occult practices are popularNew Age Gospels?Oprah Winfrey (and many others) many paths to God; spirituality is about feeling, not belief

Marianne Williamson A Course in MiraclesLSD gave a whole generation a spiritual experienceHelen Schucman in 1965, wrote this course. She believed that she was channeling Jesus. However, her Jesus contradicted the historical one of the Bible.

He said there was no sin, no need of a savior, salvation comes from yourself, and Jesus was just a man.One-World Spirituality: Do we really all need to be on the same page?Evolutionary humanism (Man will spiritually evolve on into godhood.)Hindu pantheism (God is in everything.)OccultismPractice, experiences, channeling ascended mastersSocialism/social justiceEnvironmentalism (nature worship)Coming Alien Invasion (U.N., Vatican)Goal: Unified world

What is liberation theology?

It is Marxist, Communist tactics and doctrine masquerading as (Catholic) Christianity.

It has a history among liberal Catholic theologians, and was practiced extensively in South America by Jesuit priests in the 1970s and 1980s.What is liberation theology?Basically, it advocates redistribution of income.How is this different from charity?

It also advocates Christian cooperation in the overthrow of governments to obtain social justice for the poor and oppressed.What is liberation theology?What is currently happening?

Rev. Jim Wallis claims to be a spiritual advisor to the President. He has had relationships with the communist Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador and has rallied support for the communist Nicaraguan regime. He is calling for social justice in America.

What is liberation theology?It has more recently become popular among socialist-leaning, protestant evangelicals.

Tony Campolo (The Red-Letter Christians) says that Christians should engage in efforts to change the political and economic structures of our society because these structures do not adequately address the needs of the poor and the oppressed.What is liberation theology?Together they want the U.S. government to further tax Americas rich and give the confiscated proceeds to the poor.

They do not seem to realize what when you do this, most of the money ends up in the pockets of highly paid government administrators (about 75%), or in the case of foreign aid, the Swiss bank accounts of dictators.

Columnist Thomas Sowell insists that we could raise every poor person in the U.S. out of poverty in one week while reducing the program budget by 75% simply by getting rid of the government bureaucracy.And How About the Muslims?The Muslim goal is world domination.To achieve this they are using population, immigration, and terrorism.Their agenda is the U.S. is to become a mainstream (the dominant) religion, become numerous enough to elect a mayor of a large city, and eventually a president (2024).They also want many countries, including the U.S. to become Sharia compliant.This would cost us our freedom of speech, freedom of worship, and womens rights. And How About the Muslims?The ideologies (not people) of Christianity and Islam cannot peacefully coexist. What is Chrislam?

While Christians are told only to share their faith to make converts, Muslims are permitted to persecute and even kill unbelievers who refuse to convert.

Muslims are currently persecuting Christians, Jews, and others around the world.

Iranian leaders believe they must destroy Israel and the United States so that the Mahdi (the Muslim messiah) or the 12th Imam will return to convert the whole world to Islam (the caliphate).

Why Americans would not be happy to be Sharia compliant?Islam orders/commands:1. . . Jihad (war) against the infidels (unbelievers).2.. . Apostates to be killed.3. . .death for critics of Muhammad, the Quran, & Sharia.4.. . Fornicators to be whipped and adulterers to be stoned to death.5. . . Homosexuals must be executed.6. . . Highway robbers should be crucified or mutilated.7. . . Male & female thieves must have a hand cut off.8. . . An injured plaintiff may extract an eye for an eye.9.. . Husbands may hit their wives, even if they merely fear highhandedness10. . Drinkers and gamblers should be whipped.And how about prophecy?Christian ProphecyBelief that the Second Coming of Christ will be soonThe nation of Israel has been restored.There appears to be a one-world government on the horizon.

Doctrine of the RaptureBelief that Jesus will remove his true followers from the Earth prior to a 7-year period of time called the tribulation during which the world is ruled by a world dictator and terrible judgment takes place.

The belief that Jesus is returning to rescue Israel and set up His kingdom there, and that the United States will surely be judged if we are not her ally.Islamic ProphecyThe 12th Imam or the Mahdi will come and convert the whole world to Islam. He will bring Isa (Jesus) with him to assist him in doing this. The unbelievers will be killed.

There are a number of interesting parallels between Christian and Islamic prophecies.