The Cosmic Conflict The Cosmic Conflict and the Future and the Future

(of America)(of America)

Loma Linda Loma Linda

June 11, 2011June 11, 2011

Re-acceptances

1.1. Re-acceptance of the Re-acceptance of the Church as StateChurch as State

2.2. Re-acceptance of Re-acceptance of extreme economic extreme economic inequitiesinequities

3.3. Re-acceptance of Re-acceptance of unaccountable authorityunaccountable authority

4.4. Re-acceptance of the Re-acceptance of the mother mother

Re-acceptance of the MotherRe-acceptance of the Mother

““If you fear the Father, If you fear the Father, go to the Son. If you go to the Son. If you fear the Son, go to the fear the Son, go to the Mother.” Mother.”

- Bernard of Clairvaux - Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)(1090-1153)

The Shape of The Shape of Unaccountable AuthorityUnaccountable Authority

1.1. Imperial legacy: Imperial legacy: imperatorimperator = ‘ruler = ‘ruler answerable to none’answerable to none’

2.2. Hierarchical structure: authority from Hierarchical structure: authority from above down, not from below upabove down, not from below up

3. Fraternity (e. g. male only) 4. Patronage5. Notion of infallibility

Shape of Church AuthorShape of Church Authorityity

““And just as the end at which And just as the end at which the Church aims is by far the the Church aims is by far the most noble of the ends, so most noble of the ends, so also is her authority the most also is her authority the most exalted of all authority, and exalted of all authority, and can in no way be looked upon can in no way be looked upon as inferior to the civil power or as inferior to the civil power or in any way subject to it.”in any way subject to it.”

Leo XIII (1878-1903)

Unaccountability as Unaccountability as Constitutional PrincipleConstitutional Principle

The Treaty on European Union The Treaty on European Union has established has established the principle of the principle of subsidiarity subsidiarity as a general rule. as a general rule.

This principle specifies that in This principle specifies that in areas that are not within its areas that are not within its exclusive powers the Communityexclusive powers the Community

shall only take action whereshall only take action whereobjectives can best be attained by action at Community rather than at national level.

A New EuropeA New Europe

Principal featuresPrincipal features::

1.1. Economic integration > political Economic integration > political integrationintegration

2.2. (Free) market economy(Free) market economy

3.3. Surrender of national and local Surrender of national and local autonomyautonomy

4.4. Christian ‘super-authority’Christian ‘super-authority’

Pius XII (1939-1958)

Re-acceptance Re-acceptance of Unaccountable Authorityof Unaccountable Authority

http://www.aclu.org/accountability/tortureprogram.html

‘Extraordinary renditions’ Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen, was a victim of the U.S. policy known as "extraordinary rendition." He was

detained by U.S. officials in 2002, accused of terrorist links, and handed over to Syrian authorities, who tortured him. Arar is working with the Center for Constitutional Rights to appeal a case against the U.S. government that was dismissed on national security grounds.

Re-acceptance of Re-acceptance of Unaccountable AuthorityUnaccountable Authority

‘Enhanced interrogation’

“Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity.”

- Lord Acton

In Times In Times ‘Orwellian’ and ‘Kafkaesque’‘Orwellian’ and ‘Kafkaesque’

George Orwell (1903-1950)George Orwell (1903-1950)

Animal FarmAnimal Farm, , 19841984

‘‘Newspeak’Newspeak’: : blackwhiteblackwhite- The - The ability to accept whatever "truth" ability to accept whatever "truth" the party puts out, no matter how the party puts out, no matter how absurd it may be. absurd it may be.

Orwell described it as "...loyal willingness to say black is white when party discipline demands this. It also means the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know black is white, and forget that one has ever believed the contrary."

In Times In Times ‘Orwellian’ and ‘Kafkaesque’‘Orwellian’ and ‘Kafkaesque’

Franz Kafka (1883-1924)Franz Kafka (1883-1924)

The Trial, The Castle, AmericaThe Trial, The Castle, America ‘‘KafkaesqueKafkaesque’ ’

““a senseless, disorienting, often a senseless, disorienting, often menacing complexity: Kafkaesque menacing complexity: Kafkaesque bureaucracies"bureaucracies"

"marked by surreal distortion and often a sense of impending danger: Kafkaesque fantasies of the impassive interrogation, the false trial, the confiscated passport ... haunt his innocence"

— The New Yorker

1. The Roman Church has never yielded on its claim to wield unaccountable authority.

2. The exercise of unaccountable authority is now widely accepted in Europe and in the United States.

Cf. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Secrecy (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998).

The Cosmic Conflict and the Future (of America)

Common GroundCommon Ground

The one thing common to The one thing common to them all….them all….

“The one thing common to them all is the disregard for liberty.” - Lord Acton

Victims of VictoryVictims of Victory

““We easily become ourselves, the We easily become ourselves, the sufferers from these methods of sufferers from these methods of deception. For they inculcate in their deception. For they inculcate in their authors, as well as their intended authors, as well as their intended victims, unlimited cynicism, causing victims, unlimited cynicism, causing them to lose all realistic understanding them to lose all realistic understanding of interrelationship, in what they are of interrelationship, in what they are doing, of ends and means.”doing, of ends and means.” - George F. Kennan, letter to Daniel Patrick - George F. Kennan, letter to Daniel Patrick

Moynihan, March 25, 1997, in Moynihan, Moynihan, March 25, 1997, in Moynihan, SecrecySecrecy, 227. , 227.

Attacked by Evil from BehindAttacked by Evil from Behind

““Everyone has become a captive of a fateful illusion Everyone has become a captive of a fateful illusion that believes itself able to drive out evil by force. In this that believes itself able to drive out evil by force. In this world where we everywhere marshal force against world where we everywhere marshal force against force, we must learn that force at best may succeed in force, we must learn that force at best may succeed in containing a few manifestations of evil, but it can never containing a few manifestations of evil, but it can never conquer or eliminate evil. On the contrary, the force conquer or eliminate evil. On the contrary, the force with which we fight evil has mainly the consequence with which we fight evil has mainly the consequence that we ourselves become the victims of evil. As we that we ourselves become the victims of evil. As we resort to force against others, evil attacks us from resort to force against others, evil attacks us from behind and makes us evil ourselves.” behind and makes us evil ourselves.” Helmut Gollwitzer, Helmut Gollwitzer, Predigt über Offenbarung Johannes 12:7-12, in Predigt über Offenbarung Johannes 12:7-12, in Festschrift für Festschrift für Ernst FuchsErnst Fuchs, ed. , ed. G. Ebeling et al. (Tübingen: Mohr, 1973), 128.G. Ebeling et al. (Tübingen: Mohr, 1973), 128.

Imperial TheologyImperial Theology

““The Church gave unto God the attributes which The Church gave unto God the attributes which belonged exclusively to Caesar.”belonged exclusively to Caesar.”

- - A. N. Whitehead, A. N. Whitehead, Process and RealityProcess and Reality, 485., 485.

Biblical FrameworkBiblical Framework

QuestionQuestion: “Shall I hide from Abraham : “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” (Gen 18:17).what I am about to do?” (Gen 18:17).

AnswerAnswer: ‘No, for I have known him with : ‘No, for I have known him with the the resultresult [ [lleema‘anma‘an] that he may charge his ] that he may charge his children...’ (18:19). children...’ (18:19).

““Shall I hide from Abraham Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do that which I do [[asher ani osehasher ani oseh] – not merely on this ] – not merely on this occasion, but as a regular practice.”occasion, but as a regular practice.”

QuizQuiz

13. (True or false) Abraham13. (True or false) Abraham’’s dialogue s dialogue with God over the fate of Sodom shows with God over the fate of Sodom shows that the true believer never questions God. that the true believer never questions God.

TT F F

14. (True or false) Abraham is 14. (True or false) Abraham is remembered as Godremembered as God’’s friend because he s friend because he trusted God without asking any questions. trusted God without asking any questions.

TT FF