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

(of America)(of America)

Loma Linda Loma Linda

May 28, 2011May 28, 2011

Long Term PerspectiveLong Term Perspective ““Ecclesiastical institutions Ecclesiastical institutions

tend to use a measure of tend to use a measure of time that is all their own. time that is all their own. The cliché about the The cliché about the Vatican is that it thinks in Vatican is that it thinks in centuries . …The Vatican centuries . …The Vatican takes the view that it is takes the view that it is going to be there for a very going to be there for a very long time.” long time.” - Peter Nichols, - Peter Nichols, The Pope’s Divisions: The The Pope’s Divisions: The Roman Catholic Church Today Roman Catholic Church Today (Middlesex: Penguin, 1981), 19.

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

Nancy Reagan: Pope & Ronnie Had Unique 'Psychological and Emotional Tie'

Theology in CongressTheology in Congress

““One of the biggest changes One of the biggest changes in politics in my lifetime is in politics in my lifetime is that the delusional is no that the delusional is no longer marginal. It has longer marginal. It has come in from the fringe, to come in from the fringe, to sit in the sit in the seat of power inseat of power in

the Oval Office and in Congress. For the first time in our history, ideology and theology hold a monopoly of power in Washington.” - Bill Moyers, 2004

Case in Point: Case in Point: This Week in WashingtonThis Week in Washington

““It was an address with no It was an address with no destination, filled with lies on top destination, filled with lies on top of lies and illusions heaped on of lies and illusions heaped on illusions. Only rarely is a foreign illusions. Only rarely is a foreign head of state invited to speak head of state invited to speak before Congress. It's unlikely before Congress. It's unlikely that that

any other has attempted to sell them such a pile of propaganda and prevarication, such hypocrisy and sanctimony as Benjamin Netanyahu did yesterday.” - Gideon Levy, May 25, 2011

Cheering for the Death of HopeCheering for the Death of Hope

““The fact that the Congress rose to its The fact that the Congress rose to its feet multiple times to applaud him feet multiple times to applaud him says more about the ignorance of its says more about the ignorance of its members than the quality of their members than the quality of their guest's speech. Anguest's speech. An

Israeli presence on the Jordan River - cheering. Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel - applause. Did America's elected representatives know that they were cheering for the death of possibility? If America loved it, we're in big trouble.”

- Gideon Levy, Haaretz, May 24, 2011

Theology in Congress Theology in Congress

““The peak of the fury came when The peak of the fury came when Netanyahu declared, to the sounds of Netanyahu declared, to the sounds of the most prolonged applause the most prolonged applause registered during the entire speech, registered during the entire speech, that the Jewish people has an that the Jewish people has an ancestral right toancestral right to the land of its fore-the land of its fore-

fathers and it is not an occupier in Judea and Samaria... And if Congress so sweepingly adopts the Jewish right to the land, where are all those Israelis coming from, who for years have been explaining to the world that this is occupied territory?” - Israel Harel, Haaretz, May 26, 2011

Case in Point – 2: Case in Point – 2: ‘Christoslavism’‘Christoslavism’

On Orthodox Easter, 1993, On Orthodox Easter, 1993, Metropolitan Nikolaj, the Metropolitan Nikolaj, the highest ranking Serb highest ranking Serb Church official in Bosnia, Church official in Bosnia, stood between General stood between General Ratko Mladic and Bosnian Ratko Mladic and Bosnian Serb President RadovanSerb President Radovan

Karadzic—architects of the “ethnic cleansing”—and spoke of Bosnian Serbs' struggle as following the “hard road of Christ.” Michael A. Sells, The Bridge Betrayed. Religion and Genocide in Bosnia (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996), 81-82.

Biblical Perspective Biblical Perspective for Today’s Topicfor Today’s Topic

““The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll, the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luk scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luk 4:18-21).4:18-21).

Biblical Perspective – 2 Biblical Perspective – 2

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! It has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit, a haunt of every foul bird, a haunt of every foul and hateful beast. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxury” (Rev 18:2-3).

Christian Imperial Christian Imperial EconomicsEconomics

““To the empire the To the empire the official change of religion official change of religion made little difference: the made little difference: the old corruption and old corruption and oppression of the oppression of the masses by officials and masses by officials and landlords went unabated, landlords went unabated,

and the last remnants of public spirit faded away.” - A. H. M. Jones, Constantine and the Conversion of Europe, 206.

Christian Imperial Economics: Christian Imperial Economics: Fast Forward (to France)Fast Forward (to France)

Lord ActonLord Acton: “French : “French historians believe that in a historians believe that in a single generation six millions single generation six millions of people died of want. It of people died of want. It would be easy to find tyrants would be easy to find tyrants more violent, more more violent, more malignant, more odious than malignant, more odious than Louis XIV, but there was not Louis XIV, but there was not oneone (cont. next slide) (cont. next slide)

Louis XIV (1643-1715)Louis XIV (1643-1715)

Christian Imperial EconomicsChristian Imperial Economics

(cont.) who ever used his (cont.) who ever used his power to inflict greater power to inflict greater suffering or greater wrong; suffering or greater wrong; and the admiration with and the admiration with which he inspired the most which he inspired the most illustrious men of his time illustrious men of his time denotes the lowest depth to denotes the lowest depth to which the turpitude of which the turpitude of absolutism has ever absolutism has ever degraded the conscience of degraded the conscience of Europe.” Europe.” - Lord Acton, - Lord Acton, Essays Essays in Freedom and Powerin Freedom and Power, 100., 100.

Christian Imperial Economics 101Christian Imperial Economics 101

1.1. Insensitive and Insensitive and indifferent to the indifferent to the plight of the poorplight of the poor

2.2. Preferential to the Preferential to the interests of the richinterests of the rich

3.3. Sustained by ideals, Sustained by ideals, interests, and policies interests, and policies held in common by held in common by church and statechurch and state

Cardinal Mazarin (1602-1661)

“in his palace”

Reaching Out to the Poor Reaching Out to the Poor – Better Late Than Never?– Better Late Than Never?

““Hence, by degrees it has come to Hence, by degrees it has come to pass that working men have been pass that working men have been surrendered, isolated and helpless, to surrendered, isolated and helpless, to the hardheartedness of employers the hardheartedness of employers and the greed of unchecked and the greed of unchecked competition. … To this must be added competition. … To this must be added that the hiring of labor and the that the hiring of labor and the conduct of trade are concentrated in conduct of trade are concentrated in the hands of comparatively few; the hands of comparatively few;

so that a small number of very rich men have been able to lay upon the teeming masses of the laboring poor a yoke little better than that of slavery itself.”  RN #3

Leo XIII (1878-1903)

Why the Change?Why the Change?

1.1. Rise of revolutionary Rise of revolutionary movementsmovements

2.2. Industrial revolutionIndustrial revolution

3.3. ‘‘Working class’Working class’

4.4. Church ‘on the wrong Church ‘on the wrong side of history’side of history’

Left: Jeremy BenthamLeft: Jeremy Bentham

(1748-1832)(1748-1832) Right: Karl Marx Right: Karl Marx

(1818-1883)(1818-1883)

Predatory Economics ThenPredatory Economics Then((- and Now?)

“A mentality foreign to the conventional economy inspired these traders. Their attitude, characterized by a hazardous quest for profit, transformed the warring spirit into a ruthless determination

to vanquish competitors and made speculation the mainspring of their activity. With them appeared certain characteristics of what we call capitalism – concentration of capital and of business concerns so that exploitation could be rationalized, a development that gave this economic technique cardinal importance in the rise of European civilization.”

- Georges Lefebvre, The French Revolution, 1:24.

Ideological Roots Ideological Roots of the European Union of the European Union

The original idea of The original idea of the European the European Union has deep Union has deep roots in Catholic roots in Catholic social teaching.social teaching.

•Above: Jean Monnet (L) and Robert Schuman (R)

•Alan Fimister, Robert Schumann: Neo-scholastic Humanism and the Unification of Europe (New York: Peter Lang, 2008).

Ideological Roots Ideological Roots of the European Union of the European Union

““What is seldom appreciated is What is seldom appreciated is the remarkable degree to which the remarkable degree to which Schuman's actions were the Schuman's actions were the conscious implementation of the conscious implementation of the Neo-Thomistic project of Pope Neo-Thomistic project of Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903).”Leo XIII (1878-1903).”

Principal features:1.Economic integration > political integration2. (Free) market economy3.Loss of national and local autonomy

Constitutional PrincipleConstitutional Principle The Treaty on European The Treaty on European

Union has established Union has established the the principle of subsidiarity principle of subsidiarity as a as a general rule. 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 Community shall only take action where objectives can best be attained by action at Community rather than at national level.

•Article A provides that the Union shall take decisions as close as possible to the citizen.

Tea Party Principle # 3Tea Party Principle # 3

Free MarketsFree Markets: A free market is the : A free market is the economic consequence of economic consequence of personal liberty. The founders personal liberty. The founders believed that personal and believed that personal and economic freedom wereeconomic freedom were

indivisible, as do we. Our current government's interference distorts the free market and inhibits the pursuit of individual and economic liberty. Therefore, we support a return to the free market principles on which this nation was founded and oppose government intervention into the operations of private business.

American (Christian) Economics 101American (Christian) Economics 101 Neal Gabler, “America the stony-hearted,” Neal Gabler, “America the stony-hearted,” LA Times, LA Times, May

22, 2011. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/22/opinion/la- http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/22/opinion/la-oe-gabler-morality-20110522oe-gabler-morality-20110522

1. Insensitive and indifferent to the plight of the poor

2. Preferential to the interests of the rich

3. Sustained by ideals, interests, and policies held in common by church and state

Age-adjusted Percentage of U.S. Adults Who Were Obese or Who Had Diagnosed Diabetes

Obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2)

Diabetes

1994

1994

2000

2000

No Data <14.0% 14.0-17.9% 18.0-21.9% 22.0-25.9% >26.0%

No Data <4.5% 4.5-5.9% 6.0-7.4% 7.5-8.9% >9.0%

CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation. National Diabetes Surveillance System available at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics

2009

2009

1. “Taxation without representation”

2. Re-acceptance of a power structure of patronage

3. Gross ignorance of history and of the character of God

The Cosmic Conflict and the Future (of America)

Sabbatarian EconomicsSabbatarian Economics

1.1. The SabbathThe Sabbath: rest and dignity for the : rest and dignity for the poor, people newly liberated from the poor, people newly liberated from the centralized, preferential-to-the-rich slave centralized, preferential-to-the-rich slave economy of Egypteconomy of Egypt

2.2. Sabbatical YearSabbatical Year: rest for the land: rest for the land

3.3. JubileeJubilee: periodic socioeconomic ‘reset’ to : periodic socioeconomic ‘reset’ to prevent an ever-growing gap between the prevent an ever-growing gap between the rich and the poor; “the land is mine” rich and the poor; “the land is mine”

The Sabbath and the PoorThe Sabbath and the Poor

““And, as in every other relevant passage And, as in every other relevant passage of the Old Testament, we have the interest of the Old Testament, we have the interest of the Sabbath bound up in the same of the Sabbath bound up in the same cause with the interests of the poor..…The cause with the interests of the poor..…The interests of the Sabbath are the interests interests of the Sabbath are the interests of the poor: the enemies of the Sabbath of the poor: the enemies of the Sabbath are the enemies of the poor.” are the enemies of the poor.”

George Adam Smith, George Adam Smith, The Twelve ProphetsThe Twelve Prophets, vol. I, rev. ed. (New , vol. I, rev. ed. (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1928), 190.York: Harper and Brothers, 1928), 190.