The Church
The Church
The rapid growth of the global economy and the resulting onset of non-traditional lifestyles cast the Church into disarray. The bewilderment of the Church is not a consequence of any weakness of the biblical Testaments themselves: correctly understood, the biblical Testaments not only anticipate todays integrating society, but also stand as an eternal answer to society's inability to establish personal and social justice. The upset of the Church is, therefore, a consequence of the Church's inability to establish a systematic understanding of the biblical Testaments.
The lack of a systematic grasp of the scriptures became apparent when the Church struggled to establish the deity of Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit as being coeternal with God the Father, all having neither beginning nor end and yet one. Further questions arose, ultimately requiring a professional priesthood to guard orthodoxy. And so, the common people’s ministry that Lord Jesus the Christ established amongst his working class disciples became disenfranchised as the professional priesthood became corrupt and politicized. Though Church creeds established orthodoxy, etymologically, a systematic understanding that Church leaders could readily impart to the laity remained absent, even unto this day. Protecting their political welfare, Church leaders often oppressed those whom the Christ designed the Church to serve.
The lack of a systematic grasp of the scriptures became apparent when the Church struggled to establish the deity of Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit as being coeternal with God the Father, all having neither beginning nor end and yet one. Further questions arose, ultimately requiring a professional priesthood to guard orthodoxy. And so, the common people’s ministry that Lord Jesus the Christ established amongst his working class disciples became disenfranchised as the professional priesthood became corrupt and politicized. Though Church creeds established orthodoxy, etymologically, a systematic understanding that Church leaders could readily impart to the laity remained absent, even unto this day. Protecting their political welfare, Church leaders often oppressed those whom the Christ designed the Church to serve.
The Protestant Reformation’s return to the authority of scriptures and the empowerment of all saints recovered much of the gospel’s strength; however, currently in an effort to preserve Church orthodoxy and shield the Church from the progressive world, most contemporary ministries repeat some of the same errors that the Reformation fought against. Contemporary Churches often commit two errors that undermine the very essence and strength of the New Testament, which in operation concerns the Testator, Lord Jesus,’ free gift of salvation through his electing his chosen by faith and not by religious works, kindred group, familial relation, class, and male or female sex. Contemporary Churches commit the first error by funding biblical schools through a student’s works-based ability to pay tuition, instead of funding biblical education through Church tithes, in support of students who believing congregations affirm: because of this first error, many Church leaders arise who have essentially paid for their qualifications, though the Christ the Testator may not have gifted them for Church leadership. Contemporary Churches commit the second error by catering to unbelieving and uncommitted attendees to Church services. In doing so, contemporary Church become works based ministries that fail to depend upon the simple efficacy of the Gospel and Lord Jesus’ election of those whom he has chosen. As an outcome, contemporary Churches depend upon gimmicks and corruptible charismatic Church leaders, who disenfranchise mature Christians.
For all true worshippers of God in Lord Jesus the Christ and Testator, the Landscape of Truth grasps the systematic theology that the biblical Testaments entail: the Landscape grasps the power and actual application of the biblical Testaments, in regards to the manner that the Testaments not only anticipate civilization’s progression, but also answer civilization’s shortfall. The Landscape unfolds a systematic theology by translating orthodox understanding into appreciable terms. For instance, the Landscape describes the Godhead by underscoring how the eternal deity of the Christ completes personhood over any-possible-existential world, while the eternal deity of the Holy Spirit completes community over any-possible-existential world; even as the holiness of the Father transcends and unites all. Upon this basis, the Landscape details how the unfolding biblical Testaments anticipate and prevail upon human civilization by Lord Jesus’ freely electing his beneficiaries, regardless of their religious works, kindred relation, societal status, race, and male or female sex. Like so, the Landscape describes how Christianity fostered the West’s upward social mobility. Above all, the Landscape describes how the Testator elects his beneficiaries from all segments of society unto the Holy of Holies: namely, individual fulfillment in the Body of Christ, within the communal fulfillment of a Holy Marriage under God.
For all true worshippers of God in Lord Jesus the Christ and Testator, the Landscape of Truth grasps the systematic theology that the biblical Testaments entail: the Landscape grasps the power and actual application of the biblical Testaments, in regards to the manner that the Testaments not only anticipate civilization’s progression, but also answer civilization’s shortfall. The Landscape unfolds a systematic theology by translating orthodox understanding into appreciable terms. For instance, the Landscape describes the Godhead by underscoring how the eternal deity of the Christ completes personhood over any-possible-existential world, while the eternal deity of the Holy Spirit completes community over any-possible-existential world; even as the holiness of the Father transcends and unites all. Upon this basis, the Landscape details how the unfolding biblical Testaments anticipate and prevail upon human civilization by Lord Jesus’ freely electing his beneficiaries, regardless of their religious works, kindred relation, societal status, race, and male or female sex. Like so, the Landscape describes how Christianity fostered the West’s upward social mobility. Above all, the Landscape describes how the Testator elects his beneficiaries from all segments of society unto the Holy of Holies: namely, individual fulfillment in the Body of Christ, within the communal fulfillment of a Holy Marriage under God.
The following themes exemplify how the Landscape systemizes the Old and New Testament: the Landscape notes how Lord Jesus forecasts the Holy Marriage by his summing up the Old Testament Law by commanding his disciples to Love God with all their souls and to then love their neighbors as themselves. The Landscape accordingly sums up the Old Testament by observing how the perennially unfulfilled Ten Commandments, sequestered within the Holy of Holies, reflect the Holy Marriage: the Landscape’s chapter 7 observes how the first 4 commandments concern our relationship with God, while the last 6 commandments concerns our relationship with one another, in respect to God. To this end, the Landscape sums up the Old Testament agrarian judgments by observing how they merely help to underscore the people’s equality under the Law and to underscore the fact that no worldly good or religious service equates the eternal riches and happiness within the sequestered Holy of Holies. Symbolically, the ancient Israelites sacrificed the best of the livestock and agricultural yields to be redeemed by the unblemished lamb behind the veil: their sacrifice reinforced the understanding that the true riches are behind the veil of the Holy of Holies.
Primarily, the Landscape’s chapter 7 describes how Lord Jesus the Testator and Savior’s sacrifice rationalized Israel’s agrarian sensibilities: the chapter describes how Lord Jesus’ unblemished conscience undermines the vain religious works of the self-righteous and redeems the faith of those who seek his righteousness, despite the fact that they fall short of his righteousness. The Landscape demonstrates that Lord Jesus the Testator’s simple imparting faith in his righteousness to his elect true worshippers, despite race, kindred relation, class, religious works, and male or female sex empowered the saints to foster Europe’s upward social mobility and social justice. The Landscape’s chapter 7 underscores the point that Lord Jesus’ indiscriminate election created Western society’s upward social mobility and undermined the social injustices that are inherent in every stage of human civilization.
Primarily, the Landscape’s chapter 7 describes how Lord Jesus the Testator and Savior’s sacrifice rationalized Israel’s agrarian sensibilities: the chapter describes how Lord Jesus’ unblemished conscience undermines the vain religious works of the self-righteous and redeems the faith of those who seek his righteousness, despite the fact that they fall short of his righteousness. The Landscape demonstrates that Lord Jesus the Testator’s simple imparting faith in his righteousness to his elect true worshippers, despite race, kindred relation, class, religious works, and male or female sex empowered the saints to foster Europe’s upward social mobility and social justice. The Landscape’s chapter 7 underscores the point that Lord Jesus’ indiscriminate election created Western society’s upward social mobility and undermined the social injustices that are inherent in every stage of human civilization.
How the Doctrine of Grace Plays an Active Role in the Preservation and Governance of Democratic Society
Published March 2, 2021 – thelandscapeoftruth.com
Everyone will agree that the traumatic year 2020, the year of the pandemic, will not be forgotten for some time. 2020 seemed to present new troubles at every turn. However, we here at thelandscapeoftruth.com relish one memory from 2020. For us, the first few minutes, after the 2020 New Year rang in, seemed to promise great wonders ahead. In fact, those wonders do remain ahead!
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You see, a few of us hear rang in the year 2020 by attending a raucous praise service at a Church in Columbia, Maryland, a Washington, D.C. suburb. At the chime of mid-night, ominous base drums bellowed throughout the building, like the sound of war drums from some savage tribe, out for vengeance. Then the choir roared, “We love to call Your name; It’s something we cannot explain; That happens when we proclaim; Your Great Name, Your Great Name; King Jesus; No other name . . . . Things change, yes; When we call on Your name”
The lyrics to the praise song, “Your Great Name” by Todd Dulaney, certainly speak the truth in the saying, “It’s something we cannot explain.”
A mature Holy Spirit filled Christian whom has an intimate relationship with Lord Jesus the Christ cannot fully articulate or comprehend the power and necessity of ones salvation in the Christ. So we fully understand why non-Christians are utterly perplexed as they wonder why Christians are so resolute in their fixation upon Jesus of Nazareth as a necessity to comprehend an almighty God. For non-Christians, the belief in the necessity of Lord Jesus seems to be too much superstition.
Seeing how we hope that our spiritual gifts are suitable enough to continue publishing this informative website, we will briefly venture to summarize the necessity of Lord Jesus’ name; which is actually, the Hebrew name Yehoshua that means YHWH is salvation. Then afterward, we will be able to describe the personal, social, and even political implications of Lord Jesus’ name. To begin, let us say that initially our summary is merely a straightforward interpretation of New Testament scriptures. Essentially, we have but to note that the vast majority of society’s problems derive from the fact that we as individuals inescapably seek our own interests often regardless of the greater good for all. Our self-assertion through pride, covetousness, negligence, and even purposeful acts injustice rob all of a greater good. Thus, the scriptures report that God so loved the world that He gave Lord Jesus to save us, the human condition, from God’s necessary judgment that establishes God’s eternal righteousness. And so, Lord Jesus looked beyond life’s temptations, holding true to God’s greater good; therefore, upon his death and resurrection Lord Jesus lives as the eternal embodiment of righteousness, even a heavenly wealth that surpasses the temporal wealth that we covet in this life. Like so, God redeems those of us who seek the Christ’s righteousness as we forgo the temptations of this life for the greater good of all, through love. So basically, Lord Jesus’ name is the promise of a salvation and righteousness that we strive for together, since no one can achieve that righteousness by themselves. We obtain the Christ’s salvation only by the grace of God through faith in Lord Jesus the Christ!
To begin to understand the greater implications of Lord Jesus’ name and God’s necessary grace, we must say that the New Testament scriptures state that God created the worlds through His Logos expression whom ultimately assumes the eternal righteous body of Lord Jesus the Christ; therefore, we may conclude that the God’s expressing the worlds is secondary to his expression of his eternal good to us in the Christ. Thus, when we seek selfish aspirations, despite the greater good of God, we literally trespass upon holy ground. For this cause, we all equally need the grace of God through faith in the risen Lord whom as a minister empowers us to look past our selfish aspirations as he employs the scriptures to grow our understanding of his greater good.
Unfortunately, however, most of Church history consists of a shortsighted argument concerning the merit of religious works verses the ultimate necessity of God’s grace for individual believers: some argue that since we are helplessly imperfect, we should not concern ourselves with the endless moral failings that we personally endure. Others argue that our acceptance of our moral frailties renders us no different from non-believers whose moral failings harm themselves and the greater society. Of course, the answer is that God’s gifting true worshippers faith through grace renders the worshipper’s faith as entailing a desire for righteousness that lessens the worshipper’s desire for the temporal pleasures of the world; therefore, the true worshipper will by and large pick him or herself up upon his or her moral failings, and like so pick up others whom the true worshipper inspires. In this manner, individual worshippers inspire the greater community to seek everyone’s advantage under God’s greater good, which see embodied in the risen Christ.
From a landscape perspective, let us briefly discuss how the Church can capture the greater personal, social, and political implications of the doctrine of grace. Like so, we will understand why the Church remains a key pillar that preserves and encourages liberty and justice for democratic society in the light of God’s greater good.
The lyrics to the praise song, “Your Great Name” by Todd Dulaney, certainly speak the truth in the saying, “It’s something we cannot explain.”
A mature Holy Spirit filled Christian whom has an intimate relationship with Lord Jesus the Christ cannot fully articulate or comprehend the power and necessity of ones salvation in the Christ. So we fully understand why non-Christians are utterly perplexed as they wonder why Christians are so resolute in their fixation upon Jesus of Nazareth as a necessity to comprehend an almighty God. For non-Christians, the belief in the necessity of Lord Jesus seems to be too much superstition.
Seeing how we hope that our spiritual gifts are suitable enough to continue publishing this informative website, we will briefly venture to summarize the necessity of Lord Jesus’ name; which is actually, the Hebrew name Yehoshua that means YHWH is salvation. Then afterward, we will be able to describe the personal, social, and even political implications of Lord Jesus’ name. To begin, let us say that initially our summary is merely a straightforward interpretation of New Testament scriptures. Essentially, we have but to note that the vast majority of society’s problems derive from the fact that we as individuals inescapably seek our own interests often regardless of the greater good for all. Our self-assertion through pride, covetousness, negligence, and even purposeful acts injustice rob all of a greater good. Thus, the scriptures report that God so loved the world that He gave Lord Jesus to save us, the human condition, from God’s necessary judgment that establishes God’s eternal righteousness. And so, Lord Jesus looked beyond life’s temptations, holding true to God’s greater good; therefore, upon his death and resurrection Lord Jesus lives as the eternal embodiment of righteousness, even a heavenly wealth that surpasses the temporal wealth that we covet in this life. Like so, God redeems those of us who seek the Christ’s righteousness as we forgo the temptations of this life for the greater good of all, through love. So basically, Lord Jesus’ name is the promise of a salvation and righteousness that we strive for together, since no one can achieve that righteousness by themselves. We obtain the Christ’s salvation only by the grace of God through faith in Lord Jesus the Christ!
To begin to understand the greater implications of Lord Jesus’ name and God’s necessary grace, we must say that the New Testament scriptures state that God created the worlds through His Logos expression whom ultimately assumes the eternal righteous body of Lord Jesus the Christ; therefore, we may conclude that the God’s expressing the worlds is secondary to his expression of his eternal good to us in the Christ. Thus, when we seek selfish aspirations, despite the greater good of God, we literally trespass upon holy ground. For this cause, we all equally need the grace of God through faith in the risen Lord whom as a minister empowers us to look past our selfish aspirations as he employs the scriptures to grow our understanding of his greater good.
Unfortunately, however, most of Church history consists of a shortsighted argument concerning the merit of religious works verses the ultimate necessity of God’s grace for individual believers: some argue that since we are helplessly imperfect, we should not concern ourselves with the endless moral failings that we personally endure. Others argue that our acceptance of our moral frailties renders us no different from non-believers whose moral failings harm themselves and the greater society. Of course, the answer is that God’s gifting true worshippers faith through grace renders the worshipper’s faith as entailing a desire for righteousness that lessens the worshipper’s desire for the temporal pleasures of the world; therefore, the true worshipper will by and large pick him or herself up upon his or her moral failings, and like so pick up others whom the true worshipper inspires. In this manner, individual worshippers inspire the greater community to seek everyone’s advantage under God’s greater good, which see embodied in the risen Christ.
From a landscape perspective, let us briefly discuss how the Church can capture the greater personal, social, and political implications of the doctrine of grace. Like so, we will understand why the Church remains a key pillar that preserves and encourages liberty and justice for democratic society in the light of God’s greater good.
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The United States Declaration of Independence declares that God created all humankind equal and that all possess the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Yet, the political consequence of the Declaration is this: the Declaration’s recognition of individual liberties is the recognition of an individual’s rights to personal property and self-determination; however, the vast majority of people do not farm parcels of land and raise animals for a guaranteed source of food and shelter: above 90 percent of the population depends upon the commercial economy; and no constitutional charter can guarantee an economy’s constant innovation, production, and an universal distribution of wealth. Thus, the unending confrontation between those who recognize the necessity for a social safety net and those who recognize the right for laborers’ to reap the rewards of their labor endures to this day, often with frightening consequences.
What has made the American representational democracy and its free market economy work and not succumb to factionalism is this: the people have been able to accept the political system’s inability to guarantee equal wealth because many of the people’s faith count upon a heavenly and eternal reward of wealth and liberty. And so, some may justly conclude that the United States Constitutional right to religious freedom has played a key role in making the political system work; however, we must go one step further and say that the key religious doctrine that has played a critical role in encouraging people to accept religious, social, and economic differences is the Christian doctrine of a heavenly election by grace through faith alone and not religious works. Why? Because the doctrine encourages one’s individual faith without encouraging one to consider one’s self-worth to be greater than another’s whose belief may differ: the doctrine encourages one’s individual faith to love all universally, while holding true to his or her faith. In fact, one may conclude that the United States is only as strong as the Churches within it who champion the doctrine of election by faith through grace!
Unfortunately, however, today’s Churches are weak. Many Churches struggle, wondering how to stay relevant to younger generations that are increasingly lured away by global multiculturalism and the belief that science disproves Church teachings.
Lingering Church goers continue to entrust the most valuable things they have (their beliefs, their souls, and their loved ones) into the hands of those who struggle to discern God’s overall purpose for the world and the contemporary challenges that it presents. Unfortunately, Church leaders do not fully understand that the Church is not only relevant, but also necessary for the preservation of democracy and its individual liberty: a liberty that stands upon different people with different self-interests who unite around a greater good; even a good that transcends their race, societal standing, and even religious practices.
You see, Democracy can only stand when individual people believe that justice and liberty are real tangible things that exist despite human frailty and can be appealed unto and apprehended, being accessible to human conduct. The Christian conviction that Lord Jesus embodies justice and liberty and that he rose again eternally and freely bequeaths his justice to us by faith, despite our many faults, is our access to comprehending the reality of eternal liberty: the very fruit of democracy that inspires us to look past our self-interests for Christ’s greater good.
What has made the American representational democracy and its free market economy work and not succumb to factionalism is this: the people have been able to accept the political system’s inability to guarantee equal wealth because many of the people’s faith count upon a heavenly and eternal reward of wealth and liberty. And so, some may justly conclude that the United States Constitutional right to religious freedom has played a key role in making the political system work; however, we must go one step further and say that the key religious doctrine that has played a critical role in encouraging people to accept religious, social, and economic differences is the Christian doctrine of a heavenly election by grace through faith alone and not religious works. Why? Because the doctrine encourages one’s individual faith without encouraging one to consider one’s self-worth to be greater than another’s whose belief may differ: the doctrine encourages one’s individual faith to love all universally, while holding true to his or her faith. In fact, one may conclude that the United States is only as strong as the Churches within it who champion the doctrine of election by faith through grace!
Unfortunately, however, today’s Churches are weak. Many Churches struggle, wondering how to stay relevant to younger generations that are increasingly lured away by global multiculturalism and the belief that science disproves Church teachings.
Lingering Church goers continue to entrust the most valuable things they have (their beliefs, their souls, and their loved ones) into the hands of those who struggle to discern God’s overall purpose for the world and the contemporary challenges that it presents. Unfortunately, Church leaders do not fully understand that the Church is not only relevant, but also necessary for the preservation of democracy and its individual liberty: a liberty that stands upon different people with different self-interests who unite around a greater good; even a good that transcends their race, societal standing, and even religious practices.
You see, Democracy can only stand when individual people believe that justice and liberty are real tangible things that exist despite human frailty and can be appealed unto and apprehended, being accessible to human conduct. The Christian conviction that Lord Jesus embodies justice and liberty and that he rose again eternally and freely bequeaths his justice to us by faith, despite our many faults, is our access to comprehending the reality of eternal liberty: the very fruit of democracy that inspires us to look past our self-interests for Christ’s greater good.
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The vast majority of Protestant Churches uphold sound orthodox doctrine: they uphold the Creeds of Christendom, which affirm the Trinity—God’s existing in three persons (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). Moreover, the Churches recognize how the Creeds affirm the doctrine of God’s electing the saints by grace through faith.
However, today’s Churches only stress the way the legal injunction of the New Testament gets people into Heaven: they do not fully understand how the legal implications of the New Testament anticipate the progressive nature of our governments and societies; therefore, they do not fully discern how the legal implications of the New Testament ultimately enable us to overcome the world’s political, social, and personal conflicts and thereby help us self-govern in a multi-cultural democratic society. Without this understanding, the Churches fail to grasp a systematic theology that instructs seminaries and Church leaders concerning how to teach congregants to face the challenges of the contemporary world.
However, today’s Churches only stress the way the legal injunction of the New Testament gets people into Heaven: they do not fully understand how the legal implications of the New Testament anticipate the progressive nature of our governments and societies; therefore, they do not fully discern how the legal implications of the New Testament ultimately enable us to overcome the world’s political, social, and personal conflicts and thereby help us self-govern in a multi-cultural democratic society. Without this understanding, the Churches fail to grasp a systematic theology that instructs seminaries and Church leaders concerning how to teach congregants to face the challenges of the contemporary world.
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The 16th Century Protestant Reformation, which saw many Churches break away from the Catholic Church, was a result of reformers, like Martin Luther, recognizing that religious works do not gain anyone access to God’s heavenly Kingdom and eternal righteousness in the Christ. The reformers championed the doctrine of grace, compelling the masses to worship in newly formed Protestant Churches.
A challenge immediately faced the Protestants. Protestant leaders wondered how they would preserve a universal understanding of sound orthodox doctrine without the political hegemony of the Catholic Church. They also wondered how to keep the Church politically relevant as secular authorities arose, no longer relying upon Church traditions but relying upon science. The challenge continues to face the Church unto this day.
A challenge immediately faced the Protestants. Protestant leaders wondered how they would preserve a universal understanding of sound orthodox doctrine without the political hegemony of the Catholic Church. They also wondered how to keep the Church politically relevant as secular authorities arose, no longer relying upon Church traditions but relying upon science. The challenge continues to face the Church unto this day.
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The doctrinal Treatise, the Landscape of Truth: An Orthodox Understanding of the Biblical Testaments for the True Worshippers, grasps a systematic understanding of the Old and New Testaments: as an key example, the Landscape expounds upon the Prophet Daniel’s vision of the progressive succession of the nations’ governments’ being crushed by a mountain boulder that God’s grace alone carves out without the works of human hands: like so, the Landscape underscores how the vision illustrates how God’s New Testament overcomes the injustices of the nations to establish God’s heavenly Kingdom.
The Landscape describes how the whole Creation is ultimately an expression of God’s love and fulfillment. The work encapsulates how God grows our understanding of the liberty that God’s three persons establish through God’s grace: indeed, the Landscape describes how our liberty is ultimately personal fulfillment within a greater community’s like fulfillment; as established by God’s eternal love in the personhood of the Christ and as established by God’s eternal communion in the personhood of the Holy Spirit: the Landscape essentially describes how God fulfills us in his personhoods to bring forth the consummation of Heaven’s Holy Marriage Kingdom.
To describe, specifically, how the biblical Testaments overcome the injustices of the nations, the Landscape shows how God uses the worlds and the Testaments to grow humanity’s knowledge of his greater good: in point of fact, the Landscape observes that our knowledge stands upon an aesthetic sense of appreciation that God alone fulfills. And so, to define the injustices of the nations that God liberates us from, the Landscape’s Chapter 4 describes all the evils of injustice as deriving from pride, selfish pursuits, and the ignorance of the greater good as one accepts selfish-satisfaction, regardless of another’s welfare.
The Landscape’s Chapters 5 and 6 then give examples of how evil’s pride and selfish pursuits corrupt the progressive stages of government. For example, Chapter 6 observes how the rudiments of culture begin with patriarchies, but then sooner or later the patriarchies succumb to tribal factions. Chapter 6 then shows how monarchies arise and reconcile tribal factions to solidify higher culture; but then the monarchies eventually result in classism and tyranny. Following, the Chapter notes how the sciences arise amongst the aristocracy, but then concentrations of wealth beget property hoarding oligarchs. Afterward, the Chapter describes how individual liberty comes with the rise democracy, but then anarchy arises as the public fails to unite around a common good. Then, at the last, Chapter 6 discusses how the supremacy of power sharing representational government arises to rule on behalf of the people; but then nihilistic policies (that deny any universal truth) result and suppress any true pursuit of individual liberty.
The Landscape’s Chapter 7 then details how the biblical Testaments secure the eternal embodiment of justice who overcomes the nations’ failings. Chapter 7 comprehends God’s personhood as a savior who endured injustices like slander, false imprisonment, and murder only to rise again eternally as an ensign and Testator who freely gives His justice and liberty unto His benefactors whom have faith in an eternal justice, though their faults often undermine the same.
And so, by holding to the truth that the biblical Testaments point to the embodiment of justice, Chapter 7 apprehends a systematic theological understanding of the Old and New Testaments. Chapter 7 details how God authored the Testaments particularly to overcome the stages of human government, as depicted in the Prophet Daniel’s vision:
For example, to address the failure of the nation’s patriarchs, Chapter 7 highlights how God’s Testament commenced with Abraham, a Patriarch and Father of faith, who looked for a Testator who gives eternal liberty and justice not only to the faithful Abraham, but also to unite all the family factions of the earth. Next, Chapter 7 details how God issued the Old Testament Law code to the people Israel (the Patriarch Abraham’s descendants). The Chapter demonstrates that the Law code (the Law of Moses) undermined the people’s pride and self-centeredness, the very roots of evil that corrupt the nations. Hence, Chapter 7 demonstrates that the Law compelled the people to sacrifice their best in recognition of the Testator’s eternal wealth; symbolically sequestered in the Temple’s Holy Place.
Then Finally, Chapter 7, underscores the geopolitical circumstance upon which the Testator, the Christ, came to begin the redemption of His faithful benefactors throughout the world: first, the Chapter details how God used Israel’s human failure to observe the Old Testament Law code as the occasion to publish the Law code to the progressive succession of nations, among whom the exiled Israelites dwelt. Then the Chapter demonstrates that God appeared as the Testator (the resurrected embodiment of justice) to redeem the faithful from the ultimate stage of governmental corruption: that is, a multifaceted federal empire that denies any universal truth other than its political right to govern. Thus, underscoring the power of the Testator’s electing individuals by faith (regardless of their societal standing, personal merit, or religious works); Chapter 7 demonstrates how Lord Jesus, the Testator, overcomes the pride of the nations by establishing individual devotion to the reality of his truth; as the enlightened faithful look past their worldly works and personal merit and recognize their allegiance to eternal truth. In this way, the Chapter illustrates that the people of such faith are capable of maintaining democracy for all.
The Landscape, therefore, concludes that for the church to be true ministers of the New Testament and demonstrate how it is essential for maintaining liberty; churches must represent the enduring power and governance of the Testator’s redemptive work of election, which overcomes the pride of men: and so, Church sermons and Bible studies must (to some degree) be a response to the manner in which the biblical Testaments specifically address the injustices that corrupt the succession of our societies and their concurring governments. Likewise, in direct response to the reality that the Testator elects the faithful from diverse parts of society, seminary education must be managed and financed by Churches or Church conglomerates, in the recognition that some would-be ministers cannot afford tuition.
The Landscape describes how the whole Creation is ultimately an expression of God’s love and fulfillment. The work encapsulates how God grows our understanding of the liberty that God’s three persons establish through God’s grace: indeed, the Landscape describes how our liberty is ultimately personal fulfillment within a greater community’s like fulfillment; as established by God’s eternal love in the personhood of the Christ and as established by God’s eternal communion in the personhood of the Holy Spirit: the Landscape essentially describes how God fulfills us in his personhoods to bring forth the consummation of Heaven’s Holy Marriage Kingdom.
To describe, specifically, how the biblical Testaments overcome the injustices of the nations, the Landscape shows how God uses the worlds and the Testaments to grow humanity’s knowledge of his greater good: in point of fact, the Landscape observes that our knowledge stands upon an aesthetic sense of appreciation that God alone fulfills. And so, to define the injustices of the nations that God liberates us from, the Landscape’s Chapter 4 describes all the evils of injustice as deriving from pride, selfish pursuits, and the ignorance of the greater good as one accepts selfish-satisfaction, regardless of another’s welfare.
The Landscape’s Chapters 5 and 6 then give examples of how evil’s pride and selfish pursuits corrupt the progressive stages of government. For example, Chapter 6 observes how the rudiments of culture begin with patriarchies, but then sooner or later the patriarchies succumb to tribal factions. Chapter 6 then shows how monarchies arise and reconcile tribal factions to solidify higher culture; but then the monarchies eventually result in classism and tyranny. Following, the Chapter notes how the sciences arise amongst the aristocracy, but then concentrations of wealth beget property hoarding oligarchs. Afterward, the Chapter describes how individual liberty comes with the rise democracy, but then anarchy arises as the public fails to unite around a common good. Then, at the last, Chapter 6 discusses how the supremacy of power sharing representational government arises to rule on behalf of the people; but then nihilistic policies (that deny any universal truth) result and suppress any true pursuit of individual liberty.
The Landscape’s Chapter 7 then details how the biblical Testaments secure the eternal embodiment of justice who overcomes the nations’ failings. Chapter 7 comprehends God’s personhood as a savior who endured injustices like slander, false imprisonment, and murder only to rise again eternally as an ensign and Testator who freely gives His justice and liberty unto His benefactors whom have faith in an eternal justice, though their faults often undermine the same.
And so, by holding to the truth that the biblical Testaments point to the embodiment of justice, Chapter 7 apprehends a systematic theological understanding of the Old and New Testaments. Chapter 7 details how God authored the Testaments particularly to overcome the stages of human government, as depicted in the Prophet Daniel’s vision:
For example, to address the failure of the nation’s patriarchs, Chapter 7 highlights how God’s Testament commenced with Abraham, a Patriarch and Father of faith, who looked for a Testator who gives eternal liberty and justice not only to the faithful Abraham, but also to unite all the family factions of the earth. Next, Chapter 7 details how God issued the Old Testament Law code to the people Israel (the Patriarch Abraham’s descendants). The Chapter demonstrates that the Law code (the Law of Moses) undermined the people’s pride and self-centeredness, the very roots of evil that corrupt the nations. Hence, Chapter 7 demonstrates that the Law compelled the people to sacrifice their best in recognition of the Testator’s eternal wealth; symbolically sequestered in the Temple’s Holy Place.
Then Finally, Chapter 7, underscores the geopolitical circumstance upon which the Testator, the Christ, came to begin the redemption of His faithful benefactors throughout the world: first, the Chapter details how God used Israel’s human failure to observe the Old Testament Law code as the occasion to publish the Law code to the progressive succession of nations, among whom the exiled Israelites dwelt. Then the Chapter demonstrates that God appeared as the Testator (the resurrected embodiment of justice) to redeem the faithful from the ultimate stage of governmental corruption: that is, a multifaceted federal empire that denies any universal truth other than its political right to govern. Thus, underscoring the power of the Testator’s electing individuals by faith (regardless of their societal standing, personal merit, or religious works); Chapter 7 demonstrates how Lord Jesus, the Testator, overcomes the pride of the nations by establishing individual devotion to the reality of his truth; as the enlightened faithful look past their worldly works and personal merit and recognize their allegiance to eternal truth. In this way, the Chapter illustrates that the people of such faith are capable of maintaining democracy for all.
The Landscape, therefore, concludes that for the church to be true ministers of the New Testament and demonstrate how it is essential for maintaining liberty; churches must represent the enduring power and governance of the Testator’s redemptive work of election, which overcomes the pride of men: and so, Church sermons and Bible studies must (to some degree) be a response to the manner in which the biblical Testaments specifically address the injustices that corrupt the succession of our societies and their concurring governments. Likewise, in direct response to the reality that the Testator elects the faithful from diverse parts of society, seminary education must be managed and financed by Churches or Church conglomerates, in the recognition that some would-be ministers cannot afford tuition.
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In conclusion, we must say that the primary goal for the doctrinal treatise, the Landscape of Truth: An Orthodox Understanding of the Biblical Testaments for the True Worshippers is to present a systematic theology that comprehends how and why God expresses creation unto the liberty of our souls in His glory. Howbeit, to demonstrate the necessity of establishing its primary goal, the Landscape achieves a second goal of tackling head on those who suppose that contemporary science disproves the existence of God, as described by the Holy Bible. In fact, the future preservation of the Church’s public standing depends upon how the Church defends itself against the claim that Church doctrine has no scientific relevance. And so, because scientists dismiss current creationist arguments as lacking scientific proof, the Landscape presents, in its third chapter, a scientific proof for the existence of God, as well as the existence of our souls whom God’s Testament liberates.
Current creationist arguments fail scientific scrutiny because what the arguments present as dogmatic evidence for God’s existence fails to make scientific predictions: scientists cannot test the arguments by proving elements of the arguments either true or false, in a manner that accumulates and perfects knowledge in a process, objectively. This process, some describe as a falsifiable process, in which either true or false outcomes of predictions can be improved upon as our knowledge grows.
For this cause, Immanuel’s Law presents a falsifiable proof for the existence of God as follows: Immanuel’s Law observes that the observable world is a normalized world that actually consists of subatomic elements that have no certain position or momentum within spacetime. Therefore, Immanuel’s Law demonstrates how the brain uses its EM waves to renormalize subatomic indeterminacy to present conceptual representations of the world, which Immanuel’s Law describes as our perceptions. Immanuel’s Law in this way demonstrates how the brain’s process of renormalization cannot be defined by the shortsighted evolutionary theory; moreover, Immanuel’s Law demonstrates how the brain’s renormalization process actually complements the biblical description of God’s expressing the world through His Logos: the second person of the Trinity. Essentially, Immanuel’s Law is a contemporary validation of the Creeds of Christendom: a scientific validation of Church doctrine.
Current creationist arguments fail scientific scrutiny because what the arguments present as dogmatic evidence for God’s existence fails to make scientific predictions: scientists cannot test the arguments by proving elements of the arguments either true or false, in a manner that accumulates and perfects knowledge in a process, objectively. This process, some describe as a falsifiable process, in which either true or false outcomes of predictions can be improved upon as our knowledge grows.
For this cause, Immanuel’s Law presents a falsifiable proof for the existence of God as follows: Immanuel’s Law observes that the observable world is a normalized world that actually consists of subatomic elements that have no certain position or momentum within spacetime. Therefore, Immanuel’s Law demonstrates how the brain uses its EM waves to renormalize subatomic indeterminacy to present conceptual representations of the world, which Immanuel’s Law describes as our perceptions. Immanuel’s Law in this way demonstrates how the brain’s process of renormalization cannot be defined by the shortsighted evolutionary theory; moreover, Immanuel’s Law demonstrates how the brain’s renormalization process actually complements the biblical description of God’s expressing the world through His Logos: the second person of the Trinity. Essentially, Immanuel’s Law is a contemporary validation of the Creeds of Christendom: a scientific validation of Church doctrine.
Have You Been to Monticello? You Have Seen Its Like Many Times: The Uncertain Legacy of President Thomas Jefferson
Published July 4, 2019 – thelandscapeoftruth.com
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Without question is the fact that these several men, whom we call the Founding Fathers, were remarkable figures well before they signed those two august documents, the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution: before he signed the U.S. Constitution and served as the first U.S. President, George Washington (1732-1799) was a military general, eventually commanding the Continental Army. Washington also owned a large slave plantation. John Adams (1735-1826), a committee member that oversaw the drafting of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the second U.S. President, was a Harvard Graduate and an accomplished attorney who staunchly defended the principle of presumption of innocence and the right to counsel. Adams also was the main author of the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution, a precursor to the U.S. Constitution.
Next, Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), also a committee member that oversaw the drafting of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and a signer of the U.S. Constitution, was a world renowned scientists, inventor, political philosopher, and diplomat. Also leading impressive pre-American Revolution lives were Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) and John Jay (1745-1829). Hamilton, a signer and key promoter of the U.S. Constitution, was a King’s College (Columbia) graduate who practiced law, founded the Bank of New York, and served as a senior aid to General George Washington in the Continental Army. And John Jay, the first U.S. Chief Justice, was a King’s College (Columbia) graduate who also practiced law. Lastly, the two actual drafters of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and James Madison (1751-1836), respectively, also had similar accomplished backgrounds. Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. President, was a graduate of the College of William and Mary, who became a lawyer, political philosopher, architect, and owner of a large slave plantation. And James Madison, the fourth U.S. President, was a political philosopher and lawyer, who likewise owned a slave plantation.
Though the impressiveness of the founding fathers’ professional backgrounds is readily apparent, scholars, political philosophers, politicians, and common citizens fail to discover any remarkable attributes that gave the founders the sagacity to endow the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution with such judicious foresight that even governs our contemporary public, civil, and technological relationships: relationships with complexities that far exceed the complexities of same relationships occurring during the lifetimes of the founders. Today, every civil servant, judiciary member, politician, and political activist analyze every recorded saying of the founders, in order to justify the respective perspectives of the civil servant, judiciary member, politician, and political activist.
From a landscape perspective, we can spy the unique circumstances that gave the framers the insight to frame the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution in a manner that captured and forwarded the individual liberties that the framers were experiencing. First, we recognize that the framers had the entrepreneurial capacity to flourish in an era of burgeoning international commerce between Europe and her colonies; therefore, the era saw entrepreneurial professions give commoners the chance to escape Europe’s long dark period in which the feudal order’s tyrannical clergy and aristocratic landlords relegated commoners to farming and other forms of husbandry. As a consequence, the framers naturally saw the opportunity to put into practice the era’s resulting enlightenment theories, concerning the people’s capacity to self-govern. In point of fact, the framers, throughout their professional careers, experienced firsthand the vital elements of democracy already in practice in colonial America: they saw the people governing themselves by peacefully adhering to a universal sense of morality that their sundry Christian denominations inspired. Also, the framers recognized that the diverse Christian people did not succumb to factionalism as they engaged in fair commerce with each other.
We here at thelandscapeoftruth.com credit the mainstream Protestant doctrines as being the source of the population’s capacity to overcome factionalism. As we have noted in our overview, these doctrines returned mainstream colonial churches to the apostolic teachings that decry the efficacy of religious works and societal status, both of which are the source of factional strife throughout human history.
Although they were philosophically literate, the framers were not theologians; therefore, they could not ascertain the particular manner in which critical Apostolic doctrines influenced a free society with a majority orthodox and biblical literate Christian population. Some of the framers understood the vital contribution of the Protestant churches to the burgeoning American democracy. Some simply regarded the necessity of religious liberty, in general. And a few only coveted the freedom to not be observant at all: these non-religious framers tended to support a centralized rational government to fill the religious gap of fostering public morality. Notwithstanding, all the framers agreed upon the importance of the separation between Church and State, in order to avoid the tyranny of Europe’s long feudal era that saw the gross abuses of the politicized Roman Catholic Church.
The debate concerning the importance of the orthodox Christian Church to the American democracy continues to this day. The debate is prominent on the minds of both scholars and common citizens, especially as the viability of democratic government increasingly comes into question as an increasingly diverse population drifts towards irreconcilable factionalism.
For those who are not constitutional scholars or early America historians, one has only to visit Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, to get a first-hand expression of what a key framer envisioned for American prosperity. Also, from the financial downfall of Monticello, one can gauge the manner in which our nation’s historical and contemporary problems derived from our inability to adhere to the Christian inspired principles that initially overcame factionalism and established the democracy. But before you visit Monticello, have a landscape perspective of what you must see.
Though the impressiveness of the founding fathers’ professional backgrounds is readily apparent, scholars, political philosophers, politicians, and common citizens fail to discover any remarkable attributes that gave the founders the sagacity to endow the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution with such judicious foresight that even governs our contemporary public, civil, and technological relationships: relationships with complexities that far exceed the complexities of same relationships occurring during the lifetimes of the founders. Today, every civil servant, judiciary member, politician, and political activist analyze every recorded saying of the founders, in order to justify the respective perspectives of the civil servant, judiciary member, politician, and political activist.
From a landscape perspective, we can spy the unique circumstances that gave the framers the insight to frame the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution in a manner that captured and forwarded the individual liberties that the framers were experiencing. First, we recognize that the framers had the entrepreneurial capacity to flourish in an era of burgeoning international commerce between Europe and her colonies; therefore, the era saw entrepreneurial professions give commoners the chance to escape Europe’s long dark period in which the feudal order’s tyrannical clergy and aristocratic landlords relegated commoners to farming and other forms of husbandry. As a consequence, the framers naturally saw the opportunity to put into practice the era’s resulting enlightenment theories, concerning the people’s capacity to self-govern. In point of fact, the framers, throughout their professional careers, experienced firsthand the vital elements of democracy already in practice in colonial America: they saw the people governing themselves by peacefully adhering to a universal sense of morality that their sundry Christian denominations inspired. Also, the framers recognized that the diverse Christian people did not succumb to factionalism as they engaged in fair commerce with each other.
We here at thelandscapeoftruth.com credit the mainstream Protestant doctrines as being the source of the population’s capacity to overcome factionalism. As we have noted in our overview, these doctrines returned mainstream colonial churches to the apostolic teachings that decry the efficacy of religious works and societal status, both of which are the source of factional strife throughout human history.
Although they were philosophically literate, the framers were not theologians; therefore, they could not ascertain the particular manner in which critical Apostolic doctrines influenced a free society with a majority orthodox and biblical literate Christian population. Some of the framers understood the vital contribution of the Protestant churches to the burgeoning American democracy. Some simply regarded the necessity of religious liberty, in general. And a few only coveted the freedom to not be observant at all: these non-religious framers tended to support a centralized rational government to fill the religious gap of fostering public morality. Notwithstanding, all the framers agreed upon the importance of the separation between Church and State, in order to avoid the tyranny of Europe’s long feudal era that saw the gross abuses of the politicized Roman Catholic Church.
The debate concerning the importance of the orthodox Christian Church to the American democracy continues to this day. The debate is prominent on the minds of both scholars and common citizens, especially as the viability of democratic government increasingly comes into question as an increasingly diverse population drifts towards irreconcilable factionalism.
For those who are not constitutional scholars or early America historians, one has only to visit Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, to get a first-hand expression of what a key framer envisioned for American prosperity. Also, from the financial downfall of Monticello, one can gauge the manner in which our nation’s historical and contemporary problems derived from our inability to adhere to the Christian inspired principles that initially overcame factionalism and established the democracy. But before you visit Monticello, have a landscape perspective of what you must see.
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Upon the summit of an 850 foot high peak in Virginia, President Thomas Jefferson built his plantation estate, Monticello, during the birth of American democracy, a crossroads in civilization’s history: before modern democracy, nations gained their wealth by exploiting their lower class peoples and foreigners, all to become nations that perish, due to overthrow and advancements; whereas in modernity, democratic nations achieve their wealth by guaranteeing equality before the law and equal opportunity under the law all to become nations that will endure, as its equality frames its laws, education, while fostering advancement through its diverse skillsets. In a word, a nation that countenances exploitation falls due to repetitive political upheaval; whereas a nation that cultivates those who seek wealth through equality is wealthy and endures, through manifest innovation. In his ideals for democracy, Jefferson stressed religious liberty (in terms of the freedom of conscience); equality for all under limited government; education and science; and economic innovation. Materially exhibiting Jefferson’s ideals in action, Monticello (Italian for “little mountain”) sat high upon the Southwest Mountain range of Charlottesville, Virginia, overseeing a 5000 acre property, that is, 8 square miles.
Monticello foremost exhibited President Thomas Jefferson’s quest for American citizens’ economic self-sufficiency and self-government, under a limited American government: the estate operated as a secluded mini-economy that employed carpenters, blacksmiths, spinners, weavers, charcoal burners, stablemen, domestic servants, journeymen, indentured servants, and slaves. Perennially seeking to innovate the operation of the 5000 acre plantation, Jefferson planted a private vegetable garden on the southeast slope of the mountain, adjacent to the main house of the estate: the garden functioned as Jefferson’s laboratory, yielding around 330 varieties of 99 species of vegetables. To accompany the private garden, Jefferson designed a greenhouse within the main house, itself, adjacent to Jefferson’s personal library.
First to exhibit the ideals of education and science that would advance the American democracy was the neoclassical architecture of the main house, itself. The house featured an octagonal dome with a system of glassed windows for temperature control. Under the dome, the layout and furnishings of the main house constituted a store of knowledge that expressed to Jefferson’s guests Jefferson’s ever-growing quest for scientific understanding for himself and the new nation. Guest would enter through the house’s east front portico. Prominent in this entrance is a weather vane that enabled Jefferson to meticulously track the weather patterns. Then immediately in the east portico entrance stands the Hall where Jefferson displayed fossils, Native American objects, maps of the known continents and Virginia, including skins and horns of American animals, all given to Jefferson by the Meriwether Lewis and William Clark expedition that Jefferson sanctioned. Then adjacent to the splendid Hall stands Jefferson’s library, private study, and bed chamber: the library held rare and consequential books, many becoming the nucleus for the nation’s Library of Congress. In the study, Jefferson employed many measuring gadgets like a polygraph. So important to him was the increase of his education that Jefferson placed his bed chamber in the midst of his study.
Further highlighting the importance of education before his guests, Thomas Jefferson placed large portraits of notable figures in his parlor, including a portrait of himself. Then in the dining room, Jefferson situated an array of small dining tables, instead of a central large table, in the hopes of encouraging intimate conversation.
One of the most important features of Thomas Jefferson’s whole estate, Monticello, was not only the view that the prospect of the main house commanded over Jefferson’s lands, but also the view that the prospect allowed of the University of Virginia, which Thomas Jefferson founded in 1819. Jefferson considered the University to be an outgrowth of his ideals for the nation that he expressed at Monticello to the extent that Monticello’s dome matched the University’s Rotunda, which Jefferson could view from Monticello.
One may capture a summary understanding of President Thomas Jefferson’s hopes for the American democracy in the manner in which Jefferson died and tried to enunciate the importance of education for the empowerment of the free self-governing citizen under limited government. Falling ill in June of 1826, Thomas Jefferson willed himself to endure just days before the 4th of July, the anniversary of America independence. Being confined to his bed, Jefferson constantly asked whether the 4th of July had arrived. Finally hearing from his beloved daughter that the day had arrived, Jefferson gave up his persistence and died, age 83, on July 4th 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Before dying, President Thomas Jefferson gave instructions on the manner of his burial: he instructed that an obelisk should mark his grave with the epitaph, “Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of American Independence, Of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and the Father of the University of Virginia”.
Strikingly, President Thomas Jefferson did not regard his being the third U.S. President as being amongst his notable accomplishments: from the manner of his burial on July 4th 1826, Jefferson hoped that posterity would recognize the importance of education and religious freedom as being of greater significance for the free citizen than aspiration to dominate a free people politically. A free and educated citizen is what Jefferson hoped to be his legacy, which he tried to express at Monticello and his burial site.
Unfortunately, President Thomas Jefferson’s true legacy is not obvious, seeing how Americans and other democratic people continue to commit the same error that Jefferson committed. Obvious to any casual observer is the fact that Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello’s being a slave plantation tarnished Jefferson’s legacy immediately following Jefferson’s death; however, the lessons that we learn from Jefferson’s faults concerns the manner in which Jefferson upheld the ideal of equality and liberty, while never discovering the true wealth of overcoming the self-interested disposition that compelled Jefferson to countenance slavery even until his death. In the same manner, Americans zealously uphold the ideals of liberty and equality, while embracing the same self-interested dispositions that undermine the continued viability of the nation. To reconcile Jefferson’s dubious legacy is, therefore, to reconcile the nation’s contradictory legacy: all see the inherent worth of equality and liberty, even as they cling to self-interested pursuits.
While visiting Monticello, one has only to observe awkward apologies of the tour guides if one wants to observe Monticello’s harsh dichotomy between our necessary aspiration for liberty and the reality that selfish interests makes us fall short. The tour guides, rightfully, want to underscore the genius of Thomas Jefferson and his contribution to modern civilization. And so, upon touching the subject of Thomas Jefferson’s being a slave holder, the tour guides usually resort to the expression, “Well, Jefferson was a man of his times.”
Loss in the tour guides explanation is the fact that Thomas Jefferson’s quest for liberty, education, economic empowerment, and self-government, even eventually for his slaves, was sincere; however, because Thomas Jefferson failed to appreciate his Christian pilgrim predecessors’ basing the ideal of liberty upon heavenly liberation beyond the material effects of this world; Thomas Jefferson coveted material and scientific advancement above equality in and of itself, which is heavenly liberty. Simply stated, Jefferson spent so much money on his educational pursuits that he accrued debt, to the extent that he feared that the freeing of his slaves would leave his descendants penniless. Thus, out of the 600 slaves that he had, Jefferson only freed six, that is, 1 percent, upon his death. Furthermore, the six that he freed were related to him as a consequence of his notorious relationship with one of his enslaved women, Sally Hemings (c. 1773-1835).
Because President Thomas Jefferson’s inability to value equality above his personal interests persists in many of us today, we should not unduly reproach his ideals that Monticello expressed without learning from how he fell short of those ideals. Jefferson’s ideals of religious liberty (in terms of the freedom of conscience); equality for all under limited government; education and science; and economic innovation remain the framework for any viable democracy. Unfortunately, Jefferson did not recognize the necessary contributions of the Protestant Church for preserving democracy from self-interests and factionalism, though Jefferson recognized the necessity of the separation of Church and State. During times of unethical business practices and cultural oppression, centralized government necessarily grew in a manner that called into question the capacity for the people to self-govern. Now, as the nation and its economy become dependent upon other economies and non-democratic cultures in the global economy, the centralized Federal Government grows stronger to the extent that the people are slowly becoming disenfranchised from direct representation. Only the Church remains the ethical buttress between business and political self-interests and the people who seek universal equality.
If we briefly consider the geopolitical state of our nation today in reference to Thomas Jefferson’s ideals for the nation, we may glean the direction to take in resolving our problems as we learn from Jefferson’s self-interested error. Today, instead of freedom of religion and conscience, people disparage the expression of religious conviction in both the public and private sector. And instead of the equality of all under limited government, our nation stands increasingly divided culturally to the extent that our representative government stands divided almost irreconcilably. Though advances in education and science are more available to the masses than people in Thomas Jefferson’s day could dream of, cultural disparities prevent minorities from psychologically identifying with the European framework through which most of the educational and scientific advances derived. And though economic opportunity proliferates far beyond Jefferson’s 18th century imagination, dramatic disparities in wealth between racial and class groups persist. Lastly, non-democratic authoritarian nations, entering into the global economy, showcase material success, while subjugating their working class populations, ultimately causing Western free citizens to turn a blind eye against what amounts to modern slavery.
Though we fully recognize that not all people adhere to or regard Protestant Christianity, we must esteem the manner in which early American Protestant culture valued eternal spiritual wealth over short-term material gain. Whether one is Protestant or not, we all must look past short term material gain in order to pursue the equal opportunity for all. In this manner, we will recommit and reframe our culture, government, educational institutes, and business endeavors. Like Thomas Jefferson, we must respect our freedom of religion as well as freedom from religion. Also, we must respect the results of fair elections. Finally, we must pursue equal opportunity in education and economy without respect to ones heritage or social background. After all, Thomas Jefferson’s legacy would be sure, if only in the realization of his hopes for the nation.
Monticello foremost exhibited President Thomas Jefferson’s quest for American citizens’ economic self-sufficiency and self-government, under a limited American government: the estate operated as a secluded mini-economy that employed carpenters, blacksmiths, spinners, weavers, charcoal burners, stablemen, domestic servants, journeymen, indentured servants, and slaves. Perennially seeking to innovate the operation of the 5000 acre plantation, Jefferson planted a private vegetable garden on the southeast slope of the mountain, adjacent to the main house of the estate: the garden functioned as Jefferson’s laboratory, yielding around 330 varieties of 99 species of vegetables. To accompany the private garden, Jefferson designed a greenhouse within the main house, itself, adjacent to Jefferson’s personal library.
First to exhibit the ideals of education and science that would advance the American democracy was the neoclassical architecture of the main house, itself. The house featured an octagonal dome with a system of glassed windows for temperature control. Under the dome, the layout and furnishings of the main house constituted a store of knowledge that expressed to Jefferson’s guests Jefferson’s ever-growing quest for scientific understanding for himself and the new nation. Guest would enter through the house’s east front portico. Prominent in this entrance is a weather vane that enabled Jefferson to meticulously track the weather patterns. Then immediately in the east portico entrance stands the Hall where Jefferson displayed fossils, Native American objects, maps of the known continents and Virginia, including skins and horns of American animals, all given to Jefferson by the Meriwether Lewis and William Clark expedition that Jefferson sanctioned. Then adjacent to the splendid Hall stands Jefferson’s library, private study, and bed chamber: the library held rare and consequential books, many becoming the nucleus for the nation’s Library of Congress. In the study, Jefferson employed many measuring gadgets like a polygraph. So important to him was the increase of his education that Jefferson placed his bed chamber in the midst of his study.
Further highlighting the importance of education before his guests, Thomas Jefferson placed large portraits of notable figures in his parlor, including a portrait of himself. Then in the dining room, Jefferson situated an array of small dining tables, instead of a central large table, in the hopes of encouraging intimate conversation.
One of the most important features of Thomas Jefferson’s whole estate, Monticello, was not only the view that the prospect of the main house commanded over Jefferson’s lands, but also the view that the prospect allowed of the University of Virginia, which Thomas Jefferson founded in 1819. Jefferson considered the University to be an outgrowth of his ideals for the nation that he expressed at Monticello to the extent that Monticello’s dome matched the University’s Rotunda, which Jefferson could view from Monticello.
One may capture a summary understanding of President Thomas Jefferson’s hopes for the American democracy in the manner in which Jefferson died and tried to enunciate the importance of education for the empowerment of the free self-governing citizen under limited government. Falling ill in June of 1826, Thomas Jefferson willed himself to endure just days before the 4th of July, the anniversary of America independence. Being confined to his bed, Jefferson constantly asked whether the 4th of July had arrived. Finally hearing from his beloved daughter that the day had arrived, Jefferson gave up his persistence and died, age 83, on July 4th 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Before dying, President Thomas Jefferson gave instructions on the manner of his burial: he instructed that an obelisk should mark his grave with the epitaph, “Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of American Independence, Of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and the Father of the University of Virginia”.
Strikingly, President Thomas Jefferson did not regard his being the third U.S. President as being amongst his notable accomplishments: from the manner of his burial on July 4th 1826, Jefferson hoped that posterity would recognize the importance of education and religious freedom as being of greater significance for the free citizen than aspiration to dominate a free people politically. A free and educated citizen is what Jefferson hoped to be his legacy, which he tried to express at Monticello and his burial site.
Unfortunately, President Thomas Jefferson’s true legacy is not obvious, seeing how Americans and other democratic people continue to commit the same error that Jefferson committed. Obvious to any casual observer is the fact that Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello’s being a slave plantation tarnished Jefferson’s legacy immediately following Jefferson’s death; however, the lessons that we learn from Jefferson’s faults concerns the manner in which Jefferson upheld the ideal of equality and liberty, while never discovering the true wealth of overcoming the self-interested disposition that compelled Jefferson to countenance slavery even until his death. In the same manner, Americans zealously uphold the ideals of liberty and equality, while embracing the same self-interested dispositions that undermine the continued viability of the nation. To reconcile Jefferson’s dubious legacy is, therefore, to reconcile the nation’s contradictory legacy: all see the inherent worth of equality and liberty, even as they cling to self-interested pursuits.
While visiting Monticello, one has only to observe awkward apologies of the tour guides if one wants to observe Monticello’s harsh dichotomy between our necessary aspiration for liberty and the reality that selfish interests makes us fall short. The tour guides, rightfully, want to underscore the genius of Thomas Jefferson and his contribution to modern civilization. And so, upon touching the subject of Thomas Jefferson’s being a slave holder, the tour guides usually resort to the expression, “Well, Jefferson was a man of his times.”
Loss in the tour guides explanation is the fact that Thomas Jefferson’s quest for liberty, education, economic empowerment, and self-government, even eventually for his slaves, was sincere; however, because Thomas Jefferson failed to appreciate his Christian pilgrim predecessors’ basing the ideal of liberty upon heavenly liberation beyond the material effects of this world; Thomas Jefferson coveted material and scientific advancement above equality in and of itself, which is heavenly liberty. Simply stated, Jefferson spent so much money on his educational pursuits that he accrued debt, to the extent that he feared that the freeing of his slaves would leave his descendants penniless. Thus, out of the 600 slaves that he had, Jefferson only freed six, that is, 1 percent, upon his death. Furthermore, the six that he freed were related to him as a consequence of his notorious relationship with one of his enslaved women, Sally Hemings (c. 1773-1835).
Because President Thomas Jefferson’s inability to value equality above his personal interests persists in many of us today, we should not unduly reproach his ideals that Monticello expressed without learning from how he fell short of those ideals. Jefferson’s ideals of religious liberty (in terms of the freedom of conscience); equality for all under limited government; education and science; and economic innovation remain the framework for any viable democracy. Unfortunately, Jefferson did not recognize the necessary contributions of the Protestant Church for preserving democracy from self-interests and factionalism, though Jefferson recognized the necessity of the separation of Church and State. During times of unethical business practices and cultural oppression, centralized government necessarily grew in a manner that called into question the capacity for the people to self-govern. Now, as the nation and its economy become dependent upon other economies and non-democratic cultures in the global economy, the centralized Federal Government grows stronger to the extent that the people are slowly becoming disenfranchised from direct representation. Only the Church remains the ethical buttress between business and political self-interests and the people who seek universal equality.
If we briefly consider the geopolitical state of our nation today in reference to Thomas Jefferson’s ideals for the nation, we may glean the direction to take in resolving our problems as we learn from Jefferson’s self-interested error. Today, instead of freedom of religion and conscience, people disparage the expression of religious conviction in both the public and private sector. And instead of the equality of all under limited government, our nation stands increasingly divided culturally to the extent that our representative government stands divided almost irreconcilably. Though advances in education and science are more available to the masses than people in Thomas Jefferson’s day could dream of, cultural disparities prevent minorities from psychologically identifying with the European framework through which most of the educational and scientific advances derived. And though economic opportunity proliferates far beyond Jefferson’s 18th century imagination, dramatic disparities in wealth between racial and class groups persist. Lastly, non-democratic authoritarian nations, entering into the global economy, showcase material success, while subjugating their working class populations, ultimately causing Western free citizens to turn a blind eye against what amounts to modern slavery.
Though we fully recognize that not all people adhere to or regard Protestant Christianity, we must esteem the manner in which early American Protestant culture valued eternal spiritual wealth over short-term material gain. Whether one is Protestant or not, we all must look past short term material gain in order to pursue the equal opportunity for all. In this manner, we will recommit and reframe our culture, government, educational institutes, and business endeavors. Like Thomas Jefferson, we must respect our freedom of religion as well as freedom from religion. Also, we must respect the results of fair elections. Finally, we must pursue equal opportunity in education and economy without respect to ones heritage or social background. After all, Thomas Jefferson’s legacy would be sure, if only in the realization of his hopes for the nation.
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The summary theme of the Old and New Testament scriptures capture the best example of the manner in which a nation may secure material wealth from the pursuit of the eternal wealth of justice. From the Old Testament, we find the story of God freeing the Israelites from their 400 year bondage in Egypt. We then find that the Israelite’s prosperity in the promise land depends upon their observance of God given laws that dictate that they must sacrifice their best produce and animals to be redeemed by the ethereal justice of the Law, sequestered behind the veil of their Temple, which stands upon Mount Zion, the fortified mountain of their capital city Jerusalem: the demonstrative lesson teaches the Israelites that the righteousness of the Law is of more worth than material gain.
Then from the New Testament, we learn that a Savior, a Christ, the Word of God expressed in the flesh, only fulfills the Law through his selfless love for God and all humankind. We learn that the Christ’s sacrifice of the Christ’s life rips the veil of the Temple, as the Christ freely gives his Holy Spirit to those who seek the love of God and their fellow man through love, self-sacrifice, humility, and charity. And so, with these lessons learned from the scriptural epic, Protestants inspired the forgoing of faction and self-interests to form modern American democratic government.
Then from the New Testament, we learn that a Savior, a Christ, the Word of God expressed in the flesh, only fulfills the Law through his selfless love for God and all humankind. We learn that the Christ’s sacrifice of the Christ’s life rips the veil of the Temple, as the Christ freely gives his Holy Spirit to those who seek the love of God and their fellow man through love, self-sacrifice, humility, and charity. And so, with these lessons learned from the scriptural epic, Protestants inspired the forgoing of faction and self-interests to form modern American democratic government.
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A personal story sometimes proves to be the best critical example for the manner in which one’s pursuit of equality for others ultimately gains wealth for all.
For over two decades Ms. Hattie worked as a nursing assistant in nursing homes for senior citizens. She was raised in the segregated south, being the second eldest of eleven siblings, whom she was made to care for to the extent that she missed many days of school, which she thrived in. She also was often pulled out of school to pick cotton to help the family earn income. After she eventually married, she raised three children of her own, unfortunately without the help of her children’s absentee Father, who spent the majority of his time away from the family.
For over two decades Ms. Hattie worked as a nursing assistant in nursing homes for senior citizens. She was raised in the segregated south, being the second eldest of eleven siblings, whom she was made to care for to the extent that she missed many days of school, which she thrived in. She also was often pulled out of school to pick cotton to help the family earn income. After she eventually married, she raised three children of her own, unfortunately without the help of her children’s absentee Father, who spent the majority of his time away from the family.
And so, to keep her three children (two daughters and a son) in a good neighborhood, Ms. Hattie often worked double shifts at the nursing home to pay the bills. Her patients adored her for her diligent care for them. Affectionately they gave her the name “Ms. Hattie,” instead of Hattie. Even so, often she came home in tears, complaining about how weary she was and how she detested how the patients were being mistreated by the other nurses. Little did she know that her son watched her Christian conduct with great admiration. He considered entering the ministry as a career choice, so he began to take some preliminary courses to aid his consideration. But out of all the ministers that he worked with, he had no better example of Christian service than his mother. Whenever she came home complaining, he sat with her to cheer her up.
One day, Ms. Hattie came home far more upset than usual to an extent that alarmed her son. She fell down upon the bed wailing in tears, exclaiming, “How could they leave that man that way? He had cakes of mud matted to his hands and bed sores all around! . . . . I could not leave him that way! I had to stay and clean him! He’s a human being! I am so tired . . . I am so tired . . . . And I keep dreaming this word ‘scion, scion, scion’. It’s frightening me! I don’t know what it means!”
At that moment, her son smiled, briefly forgetting about his mother’s grief, while congratulating himself for the opportunity to put his rudimentary Hebrew skills to use. He said, “Mom, the word that you are dreaming is not ‘scion’! It’s the Hebrew pronunciation for Zion, which they pronounce as ‘Tsion.’ So the dreams are wonderful because the Lord is telling you that He sees your work and that you will be rewarded eternally in Zion, the Heavenly place of rest for the saints.”
Though she had a trying life, Ms. Hattie’s selfless care for others made their lives far richer. And though she barely finished high school because of her sacrifices for her family, Ms. Hattie’s younger siblings grew up to raise large families with generations of college graduates. Her children and grandchildren too all pursued higher education, earning college degrees. Her patients saw the end of their lives under her care. Many bed ridden young men, who were paralyzed from neck down found moments to smile when she entered the room just to sit and talk with them on her break. Simply put, if more citizens achieved Ms. Hattie’s Christian selflessness, our nation would thrive unchallenged for generations to come. Her legacy can be seen in those whom she cared for.
One day, Ms. Hattie came home far more upset than usual to an extent that alarmed her son. She fell down upon the bed wailing in tears, exclaiming, “How could they leave that man that way? He had cakes of mud matted to his hands and bed sores all around! . . . . I could not leave him that way! I had to stay and clean him! He’s a human being! I am so tired . . . I am so tired . . . . And I keep dreaming this word ‘scion, scion, scion’. It’s frightening me! I don’t know what it means!”
At that moment, her son smiled, briefly forgetting about his mother’s grief, while congratulating himself for the opportunity to put his rudimentary Hebrew skills to use. He said, “Mom, the word that you are dreaming is not ‘scion’! It’s the Hebrew pronunciation for Zion, which they pronounce as ‘Tsion.’ So the dreams are wonderful because the Lord is telling you that He sees your work and that you will be rewarded eternally in Zion, the Heavenly place of rest for the saints.”
Though she had a trying life, Ms. Hattie’s selfless care for others made their lives far richer. And though she barely finished high school because of her sacrifices for her family, Ms. Hattie’s younger siblings grew up to raise large families with generations of college graduates. Her children and grandchildren too all pursued higher education, earning college degrees. Her patients saw the end of their lives under her care. Many bed ridden young men, who were paralyzed from neck down found moments to smile when she entered the room just to sit and talk with them on her break. Simply put, if more citizens achieved Ms. Hattie’s Christian selflessness, our nation would thrive unchallenged for generations to come. Her legacy can be seen in those whom she cared for.
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Our doctrinal treatise, the Landscape of Truth, captures an unparalleled systematic overview of the biblical covenants. The work traces the development of human civilization, assessing advances in culture, economy, science, and philosophy. Furthermore, the work demonstrates the manner in which the biblical Testaments address the shortfalls of human civilization by ultimately demonstrating how the effectual working of the Christ’s Testament overcomes human disparity with the free gift of eternal life.
In the work, the reader may find the manner in which our government advanced as a consequence of the Protestant Reformation. The work traces the cultural maturity of Europe from its backwards beginning after the fall of the Roman Empire.
In the work, the reader may find the manner in which our government advanced as a consequence of the Protestant Reformation. The work traces the cultural maturity of Europe from its backwards beginning after the fall of the Roman Empire.
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To meet the challenge of preserving the principles of democracy that the framers of the U.S. Government captured; the Church must reclaim its place in society by educating the masses about its vital contributions to democratic society. To achieve these ends, Church formats must revert from casual sermons to systematic instruction. We here at thelandscapeoftruth.com will continue to work with Churches to fulfill these ends.
The Future Industrial Apocalypse (Part 3): A Biblical Perspective on How the Global Economy forces Multiculturalism and undermines Individual Liberty and Democracy
Published January 25, 2016 – thelandscapeoftruth.com
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For the foreseeable future, the Holy Bible is likely to remain the bestselling book of all time. Among the most popular of the Holy Bible’s 66 books are the Book of Psalms, which entails inspirational poetry; the four Gospels, which record the life of Lord Jesus the Christ; and the Book of Genesis, which has accounts of the biblical Patriarchs and God’s covenant with them. Other biblical books are favorites as well, such as the books of the prophets, the histories, and the wisdom books of poetry.Whatever may be one’s favorite biblical work, most agree that 65 of the 66 biblical books are comprehensible, though some of the poetry and narratives may seem not pertinent to modern life. At the same time, all who have read the Holy Bible would agree that the Holy Bible’s 66th book, entitled the Book of Revelation, is by far the most mysterious, foreboding, and hauntingly intriguing. The Book of Revelation forever holds a captive audience because it deals with God’s ultimate judgment upon humanity: a judgment that entails the end of the world and the ushering in of the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. Revelation also holds a captive audience because the work is astonishingly cryptic.
The Book of Revelation leaves scholars wondering whether the prophecies only pertain to the Church’s persecution in the first Century or whether the prophecies also pertain to future persecution of the Church under a tyrannical regime to come. Many biblical enthusiasts debate whether Revelation indicates that the Church would witness God’s judgment upon the world or whether Revelation suggests that God would rapture the Church before his pending judgment. A whole cottage-industry of movies, books, and periodicals continue to proliferate pondering these questions.
Of course as discussed in the sixth and seventh chapters of our doctrinal treatise, the Landscape of Truth; we here at thelandscapeoftruth.com have a theological opinion, concerning how to interpret the prophecies in the Book of Revelations. Perhaps in the near future we will find the occasion to share our perspectives. For now, we only offer two cursory observations, concerning the common oversights that scholars make when trying to interpret Revelation: first, scholars overlook the fact that every civilization falls into distinctive stages of development that have expected cultural outcomes. As early as the eighth century B.C., ancient Greek philosophers wrote at length about the stages of civilization’s development, and they observed cultural characteristics of each perspective civilization’s citizens. When scholars attempt to interpret the Book of Revelation, most scholars fail to observe that the biblical authors use distinctive characteristics of one historical civilization to describe another; thereby the authors handedly describe spiritual truths for events that have past, as well as events that have yet to come.
The second oversight that biblical scholars make concerns the scholars’ failure to recognize how Revelation’s author emphasizes how personal liberty and religious freedom finally fall as the nations pursue a universal economy and united nation-state. By using the relationship between the nations’ finally achieving economic and political unity at the expense of personal liberty and religious freedom, the biblical author gives a decided answer to the question of when God’s judgment upon the nations will occur. And so, the question that we face, presently, is do we see uncontestable evidence that our personal liberties and religious freedom stand at risk as the post-Cold War global economy integrates nations and cultures at an increasing pace. Let us have a look from a landscape perspective.
Of course as discussed in the sixth and seventh chapters of our doctrinal treatise, the Landscape of Truth; we here at thelandscapeoftruth.com have a theological opinion, concerning how to interpret the prophecies in the Book of Revelations. Perhaps in the near future we will find the occasion to share our perspectives. For now, we only offer two cursory observations, concerning the common oversights that scholars make when trying to interpret Revelation: first, scholars overlook the fact that every civilization falls into distinctive stages of development that have expected cultural outcomes. As early as the eighth century B.C., ancient Greek philosophers wrote at length about the stages of civilization’s development, and they observed cultural characteristics of each perspective civilization’s citizens. When scholars attempt to interpret the Book of Revelation, most scholars fail to observe that the biblical authors use distinctive characteristics of one historical civilization to describe another; thereby the authors handedly describe spiritual truths for events that have past, as well as events that have yet to come.
The second oversight that biblical scholars make concerns the scholars’ failure to recognize how Revelation’s author emphasizes how personal liberty and religious freedom finally fall as the nations pursue a universal economy and united nation-state. By using the relationship between the nations’ finally achieving economic and political unity at the expense of personal liberty and religious freedom, the biblical author gives a decided answer to the question of when God’s judgment upon the nations will occur. And so, the question that we face, presently, is do we see uncontestable evidence that our personal liberties and religious freedom stand at risk as the post-Cold War global economy integrates nations and cultures at an increasing pace. Let us have a look from a landscape perspective.
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Since the beginning of the modern nation-state progressive social policies and economic expansion have caused conservative politicians and other conservative groups to warn against the potential loss of the people’s civil liberties and religious freedom. So often have conservative groups sounded the alarm of the threat to liberty that when a tyrannical government finally arises to topple the people’s liberties, the people will consider the threat as another false alarm.
A true gauge of the threat to liberty is the threat against the people’s right to an organized assemblage, despite a citizen’s affiliation with a government sanctioned political party. The Protestant Church has traditionally been a gauge to the integrity of this right, because unlike the world religions, true Reformed Christianity, approximating the apostolic first century Church, recognizes that one’s faith stands upon grace, despite kindred relations, religious works, social class, and male or female sex. Like no other belief system, Reformed theology’s return to the apostolic traditions apprehends personal conscience, because individual adherents to the faith stand upon personal convictions of spiritual truths, rather than the adherents’ belief that they can merit the spiritual truths or force others to adhere to their convictions. Reformed theology’s reviving of apostolic traditions in Christendom put forth the legal fiction of universal Christian brotherhood: a legal fiction that enabled the Germanic peoples of Europe to overcome kindred prejudices and eventually adhere to the universal principles of an impartial state. Like so, the Church established Judeo-Christian principles as the moral guide for the people; moreover, like so, the Church enabled the people to self-govern peacefully alongside the secular representational governments of the modern state.
Because liberal social progressives take for granted the critical cultural balance that the Protestant Church has struck with Western secular governments, threats to the people’s right to an organized assemblage develop, as social progressives and laissez faire capitalists incorporate non-Western cultures. On the one hand, because reformation theology maintained the apostolic doctrine that religious works, kindred relationships, societal status, and male or female sex cannot justify a person before God, Protestant Christians were able to pioneer the Western progressive values of non-discrimination and the acceptance of an impartial secular government. On the other hand, non-Western immigrants from Islamic, Hindu, and Oriental nations hold religious and other cultural belief systems that undermine Western values. For example, Islamic religious works-based doctrines systematically hold women and religious minorities as second class citizens; Hindu religious works-based doctrines embrace a rigid caste system that holds over 300 million people in social and economic squalor; and oriental nations hold Buddhist religious works-based beliefs that condition the people to accept the status quo of oppressive societies.
The irreconcilability of non-Western belief systems with Western values usually becomes apparent during economic downturns. In harsh economic times, people usually look to the support of their kindred groups and religious belief systems for comfort. Christianity’s legal fiction of a universal brotherhood that stands upon faith alone, despite religious works, kindred relationship, and other overcame the peoples’ propensity to rely upon factionalism instead of principle. Upon the Christian peace of Europe, laissez faire capitalists could build and expand commerce, while social progressives could apply social sciences to address societal ills; though capitalists and socialists could not guarantee economic prosperity for all at any given time.
Because liberal social progressives take for granted the critical cultural balance that the Protestant Church has struck with Western secular governments, threats to the people’s right to an organized assemblage develop, as social progressives and laissez faire capitalists incorporate non-Western cultures. On the one hand, because reformation theology maintained the apostolic doctrine that religious works, kindred relationships, societal status, and male or female sex cannot justify a person before God, Protestant Christians were able to pioneer the Western progressive values of non-discrimination and the acceptance of an impartial secular government. On the other hand, non-Western immigrants from Islamic, Hindu, and Oriental nations hold religious and other cultural belief systems that undermine Western values. For example, Islamic religious works-based doctrines systematically hold women and religious minorities as second class citizens; Hindu religious works-based doctrines embrace a rigid caste system that holds over 300 million people in social and economic squalor; and oriental nations hold Buddhist religious works-based beliefs that condition the people to accept the status quo of oppressive societies.
The irreconcilability of non-Western belief systems with Western values usually becomes apparent during economic downturns. In harsh economic times, people usually look to the support of their kindred groups and religious belief systems for comfort. Christianity’s legal fiction of a universal brotherhood that stands upon faith alone, despite religious works, kindred relationship, and other overcame the peoples’ propensity to rely upon factionalism instead of principle. Upon the Christian peace of Europe, laissez faire capitalists could build and expand commerce, while social progressives could apply social sciences to address societal ills; though capitalists and socialists could not guarantee economic prosperity for all at any given time.
Unfortunately, both laissez faire capitalists and social progressives continue overlook the manner in which Protestant Christianity’s legal fiction of universal brotherhood has prevented the people from reverting back to kindred prejudices, as the economically downtrodden naturally grow suspicious of their economic betters. Both liberal groups undermine the Christian peace by inviting the factionalism that is inherent in the non-Christian cultures that the socialists and laissez faire capitalists seek to integrate. For instance, because Islam holds strong doctrines that teach that adherents can justify themselves before God through religious deeds, adherents often resort to acts of violence against prosperous Westerners, as the adherents seek to earn their place in paradise. And so, to suppress the violence that particularly Islamic immigrants’ religious works-based doctrines incite, social progressives more frequently suppress all sectarian-based free speech in the name of suppressing hate speech.
Going forward, the only way for the Church to secure its religious liberty and right to an organized assembly is to teach, systematically, the manner in which its apostolic doctrines have given rise to Western freedoms. The Church must secure its position by being a good example to non-Western peoples.
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The precursors to our modern democracies, the ancient city states of Greece and the ancient Roman Republic, both lost their democratic governments and became tyrannical regimes. The fall of the Greco-Roman democracies occurred as the democracies expanded their commerce internationally, incorporating other peoples and their respective cultures.
The heart of democracy is the individual citizen’s being enfranchised both politically and culturally: multiculturalism, though well-meaning, has the effect of disenfranchising the citizen body, while enfranchising the ruling elite. The democracies of Greece fell after Alexander the Great integrated Persian culture with Greek culture. The cosmopolitan Hellenic age ensued as Alexander’s generals initiated dynasties. The Roman Republic likewise fell, as Roman provincial generals garnered the support of professional armies to challenge the Roman Senate.
Unlike ancient religions of Greece and Rome, Protestant Christianity not only enfranchised the middle and upper classes, but also enfranchised the working class and poor, rendering all equal before God and the Law. The freedoms that the Christian peoples of the West have secured now fall under threat as Western governments try to Westernize non-Christian people who uphold undemocratic value systems over their Western allegiances.
The heart of democracy is the individual citizen’s being enfranchised both politically and culturally: multiculturalism, though well-meaning, has the effect of disenfranchising the citizen body, while enfranchising the ruling elite. The democracies of Greece fell after Alexander the Great integrated Persian culture with Greek culture. The cosmopolitan Hellenic age ensued as Alexander’s generals initiated dynasties. The Roman Republic likewise fell, as Roman provincial generals garnered the support of professional armies to challenge the Roman Senate.
Unlike ancient religions of Greece and Rome, Protestant Christianity not only enfranchised the middle and upper classes, but also enfranchised the working class and poor, rendering all equal before God and the Law. The freedoms that the Christian peoples of the West have secured now fall under threat as Western governments try to Westernize non-Christian people who uphold undemocratic value systems over their Western allegiances.
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As the biblical Book of Revelation observes, international commerce and the political elites’ desire to form and international entity to govern international commerce is at the heart of the threat to civil and Church liberty. Multinational corporations fund both liberal and conservative politicians’ campaigns. Plus, the multinational corporations fund media advertisement; therefore, the international press often falls as prey to corruption.
The free and non-politicized Church is the only effective organization to defend the West’s democratic values; however, today’s evangelical Churches are extremely shortsighted, not being able to identify or articulate the threat to their congregations and liberty, itself. Rather than showcasing how apostolic doctrine has given rise to the modern state, today’s evangelical Churches suppress doctrine in seeker friendly services that feature haphazard gimmicks, which attempt to demonstrate the relevance of Christianity.
The free and non-politicized Church is the only effective organization to defend the West’s democratic values; however, today’s evangelical Churches are extremely shortsighted, not being able to identify or articulate the threat to their congregations and liberty, itself. Rather than showcasing how apostolic doctrine has given rise to the modern state, today’s evangelical Churches suppress doctrine in seeker friendly services that feature haphazard gimmicks, which attempt to demonstrate the relevance of Christianity.
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Two primary reasons prevent the Church from defending itself against the threat that globalism poses: first, the Church has not been able to prove scientifically the existence of God and his existing in three persons. Second, the Church has not been able to secure a systematic theology that anticipates the evolution of human government and science; moreover, the Church has not been able to disseminate a universally recognized systematic theology that laypeople can handedly grasp.
Our doctrinal treatise, the Landscape of Truth, addresses the Church’s shortfall. A great portion of the Landscape of Truth, constituting its third chapter, details how modern science came into being. The third chapter demonstrates why contemporary creationism attempts fail, such as the failure of intelligent design. The third chapter also demonstrates how contemporary scientists’ scientific method fails to apprehend a complete understanding of the universe. Afterward, the third chapter puts forth an objective and observable judgment that not only proves the existence of God, but also the existence of God’s three persons.
The Landscape of Truth’s subsequent chapters then present a systematic theology that demonstrates how the very nature of the biblical Testaments anticipate and respond to the evolution of human government. The remainder of the Landscape details the emergence of commerce and government and the measures of injustice and justice of each civilization, until complete autocracy stifles human freedom. Then by underscoring the manner in which Lord Jesus makes his elect free beneficiaries of his Testament, the Landscape demonstrates how Lord Jesus the Christ’s Holy Marriage triumphs over human government’s propensity toward tyranny.
Our doctrinal treatise, the Landscape of Truth, addresses the Church’s shortfall. A great portion of the Landscape of Truth, constituting its third chapter, details how modern science came into being. The third chapter demonstrates why contemporary creationism attempts fail, such as the failure of intelligent design. The third chapter also demonstrates how contemporary scientists’ scientific method fails to apprehend a complete understanding of the universe. Afterward, the third chapter puts forth an objective and observable judgment that not only proves the existence of God, but also the existence of God’s three persons.
The Landscape of Truth’s subsequent chapters then present a systematic theology that demonstrates how the very nature of the biblical Testaments anticipate and respond to the evolution of human government. The remainder of the Landscape details the emergence of commerce and government and the measures of injustice and justice of each civilization, until complete autocracy stifles human freedom. Then by underscoring the manner in which Lord Jesus makes his elect free beneficiaries of his Testament, the Landscape demonstrates how Lord Jesus the Christ’s Holy Marriage triumphs over human government’s propensity toward tyranny.
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Though every devout Christian longs to see the return of Lord Jesus the Christ and his heavenly government, thelandscapeoftruth.com recognizes that the ironic task for the true Christian is to fight for the liberty and the proliferation of the gospel, to the extent that Christ’s return is unnecessary for a time. Unless Churches systematically demonstrate how apostolic Pauline doctrines are at the heart of Western liberties, Church liberty will erode. Thelandscapeoftruth.com will endeavor to do its part.