Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico came back from North Korea and warned: “Violence between South and North Korea could flare anew if the South continues its military drills, and the North abandons its intention to refrain from retaliation” Associated Press report on its interview with Richardson. North and South Korea are in deadly conflict that can escalate into war unless United Nation Security Council intervenes. On September 13, 2010, BBC reports: “Pentagon to Notify Congress of $60 bn Saudi arms deal.” One wonders what a small country like Saudi Arabia in the Middle East wants to do with 60 billion arms deal.” On December 18, 2010 on BBC, “US Commander Mike Mullen reassures Gulf states on Iran.” This means should Iran attack Saudi. Iran was showing off its missile advancement- including one called “ambassador of death.” Saudi is afraid Iran will attack her. Israel has longed desired to bomb Iranian Nuclear facility on the grounds that Iran said it will wipe Israel out of the map. The world knows if Israel attacks Iran, Iran will retaliate as she promised. Congress just signed arms reduction “New Start Treaty” that will enable her to reduce nuclear stock pile with Russia. America is already fighting two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; and Pakistan is becoming so bloody everyday with Taliban explosions! As we critically survey the world today, we see Third World War looming. It will only take a spark to ignite a war.
What is really the need of the hour? Is it war or spiritual awakening? Spiritual awakening that steers human mind towards God and His righteous ways, or human greed, deceit and lies: moving us closer to the principles of materialism, hopelessness; finally at the brink of human collapse that leads to arrogance and war. What is the need of the hour? Is it war or spiritual awakening? At the heart of war is always class struggle; political leaders who love power and money: they become so greedy and powerful and keep the masses in abject poverty. Then they militarized themselves to keep their power.
and hold financial and other critical institutions at their grip. At the heart of war is class struggle and inequality: either within a nation, or powerful nations exploiting other poorer nations.
Karl Marx tried to wipe out class system and create a classless society through socialistic and communistic ideologies: did he succeed? The world is back on this class struggle that impoverishes the world. Many governments of the world are so powerful, and their subjects so destitute and hardly can meet their basic human needs, even here in America. World Hunger Education System reports: 925 million hungry people in the world in 2010: 19 million in develop countries, 37 million in Near East and North Africa, 53 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, 239 million in Sub Saharan Africa, and 578 million in Asia and the Pacific. Here in America: According to US Census Bureau, 35.9 million live below the poverty line in America, including 12.9 million children. Middle class is under attack and many are classified as poor now; and the poor and homeless are increasing, while the upper class are growing more powerful.
As Karl Marx struggled to establish a classless society, Ludwig Feurbach, a German philosopher furnished him with a premise to build extensive dialectical theories. The question was who controls the mind? Whoever controls the mind controls the historical class struggle. God controls the mind- God the traditional morality. But Feurbach argues that the only way to win this struggle is to destroy the age long belief in the existence of God with its numerous problems, and establish a new premise. Feurbach pounced on Christianity and vehemently denied the existence of God. He affirmed man’s basic reality as matter. Everything thing there is to know exists outside of our minds. He vigorously defended his atheistic, dialectical materialistic view. In his “Essence of Christianity,” Feurbach argues that existence for him is tangible, something that has feeling, something he can see and torch, otherwise, there is no God. Says Feurbach: “The existence of God must therefore be in space- in general a quantitative sensational existence. God is not seen, not heard, nor perceived by the senses, he does not exist for me. I do not exist for him.”
Feurbach continues that a God outside our minds cannot understand compassion. Says Feuerbach: “When there is no pressure, no want, there is no feeling; and feeling is alone real knowledge. Who can know compassion without having felt the want of it; justice without experience of justice? Thou must feel a thing is, otherwise thou will never learn to know it. It is man that the divine properties first become feelings, ie, man is the feeling of God and the feeling of God is the real God, for the qualities of God are indeed the real qualities, realities as felt by man as feelings. If the experience of human miseries were outside of God in a being personally separate from him, compassion also would not be in God. So Feurbash argues that since God is not visible without thoughts and feelings, how can God understand class struggle? Feurbach concludes “Man is the real God; man’s knowledge of God is man’s knowledge of himself.” Ludwig Feurbach: “The Essence of Christianity.” In order to bring closure to the argument about God’s existence, the Scripture, the fundamental base for this argument must be annihilated. Another German philosopher concluded in his book: “The Life of Jesus” that the gospel stories are a collection of “myth” originated by early Christians,” while Bruno Bauer branded the miracles as “fabrications of unscrupulous persons.”
Then there was the age of Enlightenment in 18th century, also includes late 17th century Europe. The center of the debate was on human reason. It was called the Age of Reason or Rationality. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia describes the time like this:” At the core was a critical questioning of traditional institutions, customs, morals, and strong belief in rationality and science.” When human reason became the dominant modern thought system, it was easy to disband traditional institutions and morals that focus on the mind and God. When it comes to science, it heavily depends on experience, the opposite of faith which heavily relies on what it does not see, like a God who controls human mind.
Communism, socialism enlightenment, all became failed systems of government and thought and could not wipe out class system, but have plunged humans into deeper confusion. Nothing destroys class system until humans accept God’s precepts in their hearts, then their conscience is awakened to spiritual realities. Class struggle is the embodiment of human greed, pride, selfishness, and often leads to conflict and war.
What is the need of the hour in US and the world? It is not war, but spiritual awakening. There is a diminishing interest in the world in the area of faith, especially in the Western world. An article published by the Associated Press on September 10, 2006 reports: “Pope Benedict XV1 Warns West Against Shutting Out Christian Message.” It is not only the West, it is also the South, North and East. Even African nations that were once receptive to the Christian faith in 20th century, are so greedy and politically unstable that their subjects can barely sustain basic needs; healthcare or good schools; and economic future is bleak for many African nations. Many have fled their nations. Many African nations remain the richest in natural resources in the world, but African leaders cannot develop these resources and help their own people, and African countries are constantly ravaged by war.
The only thing that can genuinely change the human heart is salvation provided by Jesus Christ. He alone can change the human heart through obedience to His finished work on the cross, and His principles that awakens the conscience to strong awareness to wickedness and evil. The continual rejection of the Christian faith and its precepts will perpetuate greed, ruthlessness, selfishness and this will finally lead to Third World War. It is tragic our generation is not interested in spiritual things. It is a generation that is not interested in cultivating the mind. Human beings have reached the pinnacle of great innovation, extraordinary intellectual acumen in high-tech, information technology and medical innovations, but remain, depraved and powerless in cultivating the mind to bring peace that guarantees security to enjoy one’s labor in life; and love and understanding towards one’s neighbor. Rather than pursing the goal of changing our “mind set,” we are fast moving towards another World War. There are those who love war and the power it gives, but what about the desolation, destruction and obliteration of families and homes that we love and cherish; the billions of dollars wasted that could be used in elevating a country, cities and towns struggling. The love of God in human heart eradicates war.
In 1941, President Roosevelt proposed the four freedoms in the future of undeveloped countries: “Freedom from want everywhere in the world. Roosevelt elaborated the advantages to America of encouraging other nations to raise their productivity, their living standard, and their purchasing power. It would mean greater safety from attack and from want and would encourage the development of democracy.” Staley Eugene: “Future of Undeveloped Countries.” Can you imagine if American Presidents listened to these principles! The world would be a better place for significant progress towards human development in the world. But America follows the principle of “ally.” You must be an ally to be among their favored nations. America deals with countries of their interests, not helping poorer nations of the world to develop their resources so they can be independent like President Roosevelt said. These are not the principles of God that can foster peace in the world but war.
One other area in the world war can escalate any moment is Middle East- The Israeli/ Palestinian conflict. America has not followed genuine peace deal there. Even though America is the strongest ally to Israel, but when it comes to peace deal, you must be impartial to advance peace- no incentives, no exemption from nuclear disarmament. Everybody, all nations must be treated equal. Prominent Saudi Royal-Prince Turki al-Farsal accused Obama administration of partiality on recent peace deal: says Farsal: “Within the make up of the administration, ladies and gentlemen, there are officials who rationalize, excuse and condone Israeli intransigence, while seeking to put more pressure on the Palestinians to concede even more. These same officials believe that Palestinian problems are not the root of Arab and Muslim antagonism to the United States.” ”The Washington Times.”
Who controls the Middle East oil is so critical to United States & World Powers, but what about the Israeli / Palestinian conflict? Is it as critical? Many in Palestine are languishing without even basic human needs and United Nations warned their plight is deplorable. Who abandoned the peace deal? Why was it abandoned? What is been done to resuscitate it? Why has it taken so long to resolve the problem? Is it on the brink of war that it will be resolved? There is rumbling of Third World War brewing in Middle East. It is the oppression of people by powerful leaders that cause wars, Many nations of the world are in dire need of basic needs, and these powerful leaders care less. Many nations of the world have bought stock piles of weapons, and many have nuclear weapons. These nations and their leaders believe we are going to war. If only these leaders will remember to apply God’s precepts and laws in their hearts and remember the poor. You will not rule long as a political leader or spiritual leader if you oppress the poor. It is a strong Biblical principle that touches the heart of God.
What causes war? “From whence come wars among you? Come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust and have not; ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain; ye fight and war.” James 4:1&2 When you look at the heart of the World Wars, it is the desire to obtain what others have by force, and not satisfied by what you have. Powerful nations crush the smaller ones. Finally after the kill, then war. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to a nation or individual.” Many nations have come down and empires faded because of plundering other nation’s resources, or oppression of the poor within their own nations.
But what does God’s principle teach? “Be content with your wages. Be happy with what you have –be satisfied. God’s principle teaches humans “to do justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with their God” Micah 6:8. This is the antithesis of war. Should political leaders, spiritual leaders, princes, nations, statesmen, etc., obey this principle, their subjects will not revolt against them; or nations warring against each other because of plundering their resources. As we enter this solemn season, and new year, let US and the World resolve to repudiate war and follow after peace. That is what the season is for: peace with those who are not like you; peace with your neighbor, with other nations: and seek to help poorer nations rise and be the best God wants them to be; and the poor in your own country. Instead of war, let all political leaders in US & World choose peace so our world can be healed.
Amarachi Ruth
marachiruth,com, cctvcambridge.org/blogucheikpa, youtube/ucheatura
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