File Name: 3157.txt Ä Area: A_THEIST: A_T ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Msg#: 79 Date: 05-23-95 21:02 From: Randy Edwards Read: Yes Replied: No To: All Mark: Subj: Re: [6 of 7] Know Thy Ene ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ * Original Message Posted via ANEWS * Date: 22 May 95 17:17:48 * From: Randy Edwards @ 1:325/805 * To: All * Forwarded by: Christopher Baker @ 1:374/14 * Message text was not edited! @MSGID: 1:325/805 019b6bb1 @SPLIT: 22 May 95 17:17:48 @325/805 29760 06/07 +++++++++++ may be slow to adopt the concept at first. Our reaction to opposition must be one of understanding and patience. We must respond to severe criticism and searching questions with solid answers and winning persuasion. As people grasp at any straw of an objection to deny these truths we must recognize what they are doing and be patient. Objection 10: This Is Religious Fanaticism Many will scoff at the principles asserted here as "religious fanaticism." It is true that all men are religious and have accepted by faith either the validity or invalidity of the Word of God. By faith, Christians accept God's Word to be true and may deduce from His Word the principles in this paper. People who assert their faith that God's Word isn't true no longer have an objective standard from God by which to determine what is ultimately right or wrong. When those who reject the truth of the Scriptures mock those who accept them, we may ask, " By what absolute moral standard do you ridicule the truths of God's Word?" They have none. For those who reject God's Word, there is no consistent higher ethic from which they can conclude that the killing of Dr. Gunn was unjust. Their mockings are ultimately directed at God. Their hatred of their Creator reaches its most blasphemous height when they kill the unborn made in His image and vilify us for protecting them. The Duty Of Defensive War The next question to be raised and answered is "What relationship does the previously proven duty of the individual have to the duty of government leaders to wage war upon just occasions?" The answer to this question is clear. Both the individuals and the civil leaders that represent those individuals have a God-given responsibility to take all just action necessary to protect innocent life. We have established the fact that individuals should protect innocent life according to their stations in life as citizens. It is a natural extension of this truth to assert that men who have been given the responsibility of acting as civil magistrates should protect innocent life as civil magistrates. All the evidence previously produced to show the individual's responsibility to protect life also applies to civil leaders with equal or greater force. The case of Phinehas in Numbers 25 clearly demonstrates that just individual action often immediately precedes a just war. The current civil government will not admit that the Bible and the American constitution are entirely and fundamentally opposed to the murder of unborn children. Our government defends with the sword the killing of approximately 4,100 innocent people every day. Yet, the most fundamental responsibility of the civil government is to protect innocent life from harm. Government leaders, therefore, have the God-given responsibility to resist our civil government that we may escape the wrath of God due to our country. The question, therefore, naturally arises as to what individuals and leaders should do in the present circumstances. The classic treatment of just war principles is found in Samuel Rutherford's Lex Rex. He outlines several options given to those required to protect innocent life from unjust harm. The first option is to protest. This option has most certainly been put to use in the years since abortion was legalized. Nor may we justly be content to wait for four years and six million human souls to pass before we try the poll box option of protest again. If any other viable options exist, we have a responsibility to pursue them. The second option is to flee. If citizens were to flee from their present circumstances it would be from the responsibility to protect those in the womb who cannot flee. The third option is to take up arms in a defensive war under a lower magistrate. Considering the pressing urgency of our cause and the lack of any other justifiable course of action our duty is to pursue a defensive war if possible. Defensive wars have been waged even when there was no apparent hope for victory. Such wars have shown the righteous indignation of those oppressed. Just wars are, however, usually considered unwise until there are enough men and resources available to offer a reasonable hope that the effort to overthrow the existing government will be successful. In order to obtain such resources people must be won to the cause. The Necessity of Proclamation To this end the full and free proclamation of the justice and necessity of the cause is essential. One of the most fundamental responsibilities each of us has is not only to believe the truth, but to pour our energies and resources into propagating the truth. The first amendment to the constitution was drafted to protect and promote the responsibility of heralding just such a cause. If we may not speak of protecting the unborn, neither should we be able to speak of protecting any other group of humans who are being violently put to death. Some may object that we should not promote these truths, as some pro-abortionists would like for us to do so. Isaiah 1:17 tells us to, "Seek justice, reprove the ruthless." This objection asks us not to do what God has required us to do. We must, however, proclaim the whole counsel of God. We have a special responsibility to proclaim truths that could result in the saving of millions of human lives. As strange as it may seem to us, obeying God is often the wisest thing to do. What is right is also what works best. All citizens, therefore, have the responsibility to hold and freely stand for defending the innocent. The Defensive Use Of Arms Americans also have the responsibility to defend the defenseless and the American constitution. We should do so with force of arms if given the opportunity. The second amendment to the constitution upholds this right, "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." One of the reasons we have the responsibility to keep and bear arms is so we may individually and corporately take all just action necessary to protect innocent life. A Call To Specific Action You may ask, "What special duties do righteous politicians, governors, mayors, police, military men and other civil leaders have in the present circumstances?" Surely civil leaders should feel a special responsibility to protect the unborn. Righteous men, therefore, in positions of civil authority should stand ready to use their authority to cast down those who oppose God's authority. They should be willing to do so if given the opportunity. The wisest course of action is for civil leaders to -- MPost/2 v1.1 @ Origin: Spartacus Lives! * Home of ANEWS * Venceremos! * (1:325/805) *PATH: 325/805 3615/50 374/1 98 14 -!- GenMsg [0002] (cbak.rights@opus.global.org) ! Origin: Rights On!-A_THEIST Echo Mod/Host-Titusville_FL_USA (1:374/14)