The Twisted Self

Continued

     Writer Carl Trueman explains how our emotions and inner feelings determine who we think we are. He says, "personal happiness has become a criterion for deciding what is and is not moral, and even what's real."

How we got here

     "Key thinkers have shaped the view of reality, the plaything of educational elites. It trickled down through media and entertainment and into our streets.   

     "Technological developments also shape how we think about and relate to the world. There has been a rise of politics based on identities: gender, race and sexuality. 

    "All the above connect to transform the nature and purpose of the institutions that define our culture. Thinkers may be gone, but their theories live on. 

Jean-Jacques Rousseau   

     "Man is born free, and everywhere is in chains. Rousseau believed we are born empathetic and moral, but that society encourages us to be selfish. 

      "Romanticism. Each individual has feelings and intuitions that need to be expressed, they said. Never mind that the 'heart is deceitful and wicked above all things.' (Jeremiah 17:9)  

     "The 'individual will' becomes sovereign, humans descend into pure subjectivity, and ideas become matters of personal preference." 

  To be continued

 The Twisted Self   

 Article by Carl Trueman

     Like Alice in Wonderland, we find ourselves in a world where yesterday's certainty seems to be watered down. The definition of marriage or the meaning of "woman" depends on who is speaking.

     He quotes Christian ethicist Oliver O'Donovan, 1970s: "The weakest argument of the abortion lobby is its strongest and most persuasive, that the baby in the womb is merely part of the woman's body. Their weak argument appeals to the intuitions of modern men and women who think of themselves as free and autonomous. ...who conceive of life's purpose as attaining personal psychological happiness, a sense of inner well-being."

     "Modern men and women got behind the argument that would give them what they wanted anyway - personal peace and contentment." 

     Trueman: ...this understanding of what it means to be human empowers the transgender lobby. "Until recently, most people would have scoffed at a man who claimed to be a woman trapped in the wrong body. Now, such statements are standard fair in our culture," right down to elementary schools. "It's becoming a requirement in cultural orthodoxy."

     "If we wish to understand the changes that are fracturing our society, we must see them within the context of how people think themselves to be. O'Donovan pointed to the broader moral imagination that made certain arguments - even very weak ones, rhetorically powerful."

 To be continued

     

We Didn't Know  

   Capt. Toti - Conclusion

     "No American officer agreed with Halsey more than Gen. Curtis LeMay. His philosophy: 'You've got to kill people, and when you've killed enough, they stop fighting.'" 

     "In spring 1945, LeMay targeted the poorest areas of Tokyo with firebombing attacks because the houses of the destitute were built closer together and constructed of wood and paper. LeMay's near-maniacal disregard for human life would make him the template for Gen. Jack D. Ripper in the 1964 movie, Doctor Strangelove. LeMay later admitted that if America had lost the war, he would probably have been tried as a war criminal." 

     "To be clear, all sides targeted civilians during World War II in order to terrorize them into surrendering. Though this tactic had worked precisely nowhere, LeMay perpetuated it late into the war. In early 1945 he deployed enough napalm over Tokyo to kill well over 100,000 civilians. This became the deadliest act of war in human history - deadlier than either of the atomic strikes." 

     "The outcome of all this is that tens of thousands of American lives were lost pursuing flawed strategies to appease glory seekers. While the enemy did the actual killing, in many cases it was our own leaders who put them in position to do so by elevating ambition and pride above sound strategy - and humanity." 

     Capt. William Toti is a 26-year veteran and retired submarine commander. 

 What We Didn't Know 

 Capt. Toti, part 2 

     Gen. MacArthur's "three-word quote forced Roosevelt into a strategic campaign that likely lengthened the war by months and increased Allied casualties by tens of thousands." 

     "MacArthur orchestrated his own award of the Medal of Honor ... for defending, and I point out, losing, the Philippines. MacArthur's excess body count extended beyond the Philippines - for example, 1,200 unnecessary dead when he organized the taking of Peleliu to 'protect my flank.' Peleliu is 730 miles away from Leyte. That would be like Sherman capturing Oklahoma City while advancing on Atlanta." 

     "His return to the Philippines delayed the Okinawa (final) offensive ... by more than six months, burning though vast military resources. It also generated more than 60,000 American casualties ... 150,000 fatalities among the Filipino population that MacArthur claimed to have been trying to protect."

     "Adm. Bull Halsey had a dark side. Dehumanizing the enemy makes it easier to kill them and has been common throughout history. He extended his pronouncements beyond enemy combatants to Japanese civilians. 'The only good Jap is a Jap that's been dead for six months.' 'When we get to Tokyo ... we'll have a little celebration where Tokyo was.' 'Before we're through with them, the Japanese language will be spoken only in hell.'" 

     "What matters is the human cost ... the effect his words likely had on the progress of the war. Soon, Halsey's fame exceeded that of Nimitz himself. He reveled in it. His hyperbole hardened Japanese resolve. His statements (gave) the perception that Japanese would not survive an American occupation and would have to fight to every last man, woman and child. Some (Japanese) used Halsey's words to justify doing so. The media helped. On July 23, 1945, Halsey's phrase (posted on billboards in the warzone) 'Kill Japs, kill Japs, then kill more Japs.' appeared on Time magazine's cover.  

Continued tomorrow

The Pacific War   

What We Didn't Know  

     Americans know the questionable judgments made by our military and civilian leaders in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

     Yours truly was going on 7 when WWII ended in 1945. I remember the announcement on radio. Growing up, I learned names of key people and places in both Europe and the Pacific. Our guys were always the good guys. MacArthur, Halsey, LeMay and others.

     But Capt. William Toti provides his study of the Pacific War in WORLD magazine, and the human cost of pride. Here are a few lines:

     "This kind of pride would lead, arguably, to at least 250,000 unnecessary deaths - Americans and allies, military and civilian - and delay peace in favor of individual military glory." 

     Gen. Curtis LeMay. "One of his infamous lines: 'There are no innocent civilians.' The general had spent the latter part of the war doing his best to eliminate as many civilians as possible."

     "What Gen. Nimitz did not foresee is that leadership, including President Roosevelt, would permit pride and glory-seeking to actively subvert ... a commonsense plan for victory." 

     "When Gen. MacArthur (then out of retirement) was evacuated from the Philippines, he made perhaps his most famous pronouncement, declaring, 'I shall return.' It was also his greatest strategic blunder. He didn't bother himself with strategic, interim objectives. He operated on ego. And many Americans loved it." 

     "Today, as we face a potential Pacific conflict with China, we learn that humility saves, and pride kills."

      MacArthur wasn't done. Five years later President Truman gave him authority to free South Korea, which worked. But his decision to invade North Korea brought countless Chinese into the battle. MacArthur's reaction was to go nuclear. Truman had enough.  

Continued tomorrow

 

 Short Takes 

     Walgreens and CVS say they plan to provide abortion pills. So, you men, who claim to be women, can look forward to this easy solution to a major problem. 

     The U.S. increased liquefied natural gas exports to Europe by 137% in 2022. U.S. shipments accounted for more than half of Europe's imports.

     Our natural gas production generated about 45 percent more than Russia, which is in second place.

The Game of Life

     Last Sunday, the Buffalo Bills met the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL playoffs. Damar Hamlin was able to attend the game. Who dat? 

     Damar is the Bill's linebacker whose heart stopped during a game in Cincinnati January 2. Medics rushed on the field, got his heart started, and did so again on the way to the hospital. 

     Hamlin's first question, returning to consciousness on January 4,  "Did we win?" 

     A doctor at the hospital answers, "Yes, Damar. You've won the game of life."

     Reminds me of an incident decades ago, playing soccer with other fathers of kids in the soccer league. I was playing goalie, when a ball was kicked hard and fast into my chest. 

     I laid there breathless for a couple minutes. Soon as I could talk, I wanted to know if the opponents had scored. 

     Nope.

              Jimmy

     

The Absurb Is Now Sacred   

                Some quotes from Seth Dillon, the Babylon Bee

"To prop up an insane worldview, you have to insulate it from criticism." 

Twitter - "The site's policy on hateful conduct starts out with a tribute to free expression." 

"The idea that men can become women is being pushed on people ... by some of the most powerful people and institutions." 

"I think we're more depraved than ever because we're affirming what we should be ridiculing." 

"How did we get to a place where insane ideas are sacred?"

"Instead of laughing at absurdity, we accepted it. Instead of ridiculing bad ideas, we tolerate them." 

"Mockery is a moral imperative ... bad ideas taken seriously have catastrophic consequences." 

"Bad ideas are everywhere, and social media increase the speed with which they spread ... all over the world." 

"Elon Musk ... on our podcast, called wokeness ... one of the greatest threats to modern civilization. Wokeness is divisive, exclusionary and hateful." 

"You can't reason with people who've abandoned rationality. But you can - and must - ridicule their bad ideas."

 

 Can't We Just Get Along?  

     Humans are tribalistic. It's part of our sin nature, says reporter Timothy Lamer. "This means the growing racial and religious diversity of Western countries is ... a historic challenge." 

     He critiques a book, The Great Experiment, by Yascha Mounk, who writes, "We don't have a blueprint for making diverse democracies work. Great Experiment is whether we can come up with one. If we fail, our children face a bleak and possibly violent future."

     Mounk, whose politics are left of center, admits that progressives are undermining the experiment. Environmentalists, for instance, oppose economic growth that creates opportunities for everyone to excel. 

     He also opposes those who try to make "racial identity the dividing line of American life." 

     Lamer writes, "American progressives have said ... that mass immigration will create a permanent majority for left-wing politics. Many conservatives are concerned that large-scale immigration is a natural boon to the left." 

     Mounk, himself on the left, thinks "these worries are unwarranted.  Rigid political beliefs can disappear in a relatively short time. Growing rates of intermarriage raise a challenge to identity politics." 

     "For our Great Experiment to succeed, members of every group must have confidence that they and their children have a fair shot at prosperity," writes Lamer.   

     Mounk admits the success of Asian Americans and other immigrants, many of whom have more upward mobility than white Americans. His greatest weakness, Lamer thinks, is his commitment to the welfare state. 

     Thomas Sowell asks, "What if welfare undermines the values that are the key to prosperity?" Lamer: "If welfare encourages a culture and holds back poor Americans, then welfare is not a solution but a problem." 

     "Mounk doesn't mention our $31 trillion debt, but it's surely an obstacle to the Great Experiment," Lamer concludes.

     

 Who Wrote the New Testament?

     Gentiles? 

     The book of Acts begins with the disciples' final conversation with the risen Lord. They asked him, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? 

     Jesus didn't say he wouldn't. Rather, he answered, It is not for you to know the times... But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 

     Jesus was miracle-born to a Jewish virgin. His Father was God. His disciples and most of those he encountered during his ministry were Jewish. With his sacrificial execution, followed by his resurrection, 40 more days with his disciples - on and off - and finally his ascent into heaven, history divided into before and after. 

     That's the origin of B.C. and A.D. 

     People didn't know this at the time, and billions today still don't. Jesus sent the Spirit to represent him worldwide in power going forward. The Spirit enables us to believe, and to act.   

     The New Testament was written by Jewish believers: Matthew, Mark, John, Paul, Peter, and two men said to be half-brothers of Jesus - James and Jude. Acts was written by a gentile believer, Luke, who also wrote one of the four gospels. 

     Considering authors of the Bible, beginning with the beginning - Moses wasn't there in the garden - God (mysteriously revealed to us in three persons) wrote the Bible. We respond by allowing the Holy Spirit and the Word to guide us. Without him, we Christians aren't much different than the world.  

       Jimmy

  

 The Lord's Final Words

     To Isaiah: 

      (after the Messianic kingdom)  

     "As the new heaven and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the Lord, "so will your name and descendants endure.  

     From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the Lord. 

     "And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind." (in hell)

Isaiah 66:22-24

  

 It's All About Today 

     Long ago, hungry Israelites on their journey from Egypt were grumbling. They had little to eat in the desert (today's Saudi Arabia), while carrying their tabernacle toward the Promised Land. They had no AAA maps. They just followed a miraculous cloud.

     God rained manna for them to eat. They had to eat on the day it fell, for the bread would be uneatable the next morning (by design). He gave them a double portion the day before the Sabbath. And the second helping was always good the next day, on the Sabbath. 

     When Jesus (same God) gave his disciples the "Lord's prayer," he included, Give us this day our daily bread. 

     Of course, now our bread can last for days, but God was building on the theme initiated during the Exodus. 

     Jesus ascended, after instructing his disciples, and turned a fierce opponent, Saul, into Paul, whose mission mostly was to reach Gentiles. His Spirit-led writings account for about a third of the New Testament.

     Paul was severely troubled as he carried the gospel into hostile Roman regions...beaten, left for dead, shipwrecked, etc. 

     But he never quit on the Lord who had spoken to him from above. Outwardly, a battered man. Inwardly (spiritually) he wrote, he was "renewed day by day." 

     If Paul could make every day the day of salvation, so can we. Yesterday is over. Tomorrow may never come. 

            Jimmy

     

Who Is He?

     He was born in South Africa. His parents were divorced when he was age 10. Sounds like a road to failure.

     He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with $100,000 in debt. Then he started a company that combines business listings and mapping software. He sold it for $300 million, of which he got about $20 million. 

     Then he quit working and turned to a life of partying. 

     Not.

     He invested into founding a website that developed into PayPal. After selling that, he was $180 million richer. 

     Then he invested in cars and spaceships. SpaceX delivers cargo to the International Space Station. An early investor in Tesla, he became CEO when the company was five years old. Tesla has sold over 2 million electric cars. 

     Entering a world that many people live in, he bought Twitter and vowed to make it, "the most accurate source of information about the world." He supports free speech, criticizes progressive ideology, and backs renewable energy, but not climate change. 

     He isn't so successful in relationships. Two marriages ended in divorce, and he's known to have fathered nine children with three women. 

     Meet Elon Musk. 

      

     

 The Silent Treatment...doesn't work  

     Columnist Andree Seu Peterson, like her mother and grandmother, used the silent treatment to get her first husband to see things her way. She confesses that her years-long approach not only failed, but her marriage as well.

     The Spirit through Paul says, Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. - Ephesians 4:26. 

     Jesus warned us about our attitudes: Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 7:21. 

     Jesus adds, The sin you think you are the master of and able to quit anytime at some point ... turns and masters you. - John 8:34 

     Peterson writes, "I know it is God who works in us. The grace is His, the means are His - but the obedience is ours." 

     He says, Make every effort. - 2 Peter 1:5. And, Be transformed by the renewal of your mind. - Romans 12:2.

 Thank You   

     The oil of social interaction. "Thank you" helps the giver as much as the receiver.

     We can assume God appreciates our "thank you," also. Thanks for the accidents we avoided, the sticks and stones that never hurt us. The grace that covered our bad.  

     How about the failures, got-aways and pains of aging that keep us from fleshly pride. 

     Oh, we lost sometimes - boo hoo - but didn't that make our little victories more satisfying? 

     There were negatives that never were cured, but all the better for trusting in God whose reward up there awaits. This world is not our home, but it still feels good to say, "thank you."

   

     

 Who Votes for Poverty?

     We welcome the new year with hopes and dreams for happiness, safety, financial security, and on and on. Resolutions will solve everything, right? 

     Well, year after year, nothing seems to improve in Detroit, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami, St. Louis, El Paso, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Newark. 

     People in poverty in those cities rank from 32.5 percent in Detroit to 24.2 percent in Newark. What do these cities (all over 250,000) have in common? With the exception of Miami, they have voted in Democratic mayors for decades. 

     The most recent Republican mayor was elected in 1961, in Detroit. El Paso has never had a GOP mayor, and Newark elected their last Republican in 1907. Miami, where mayors are officially nonpartisan, is on the upswing. 

     A mayor can't wave a wand and lift everyone into the middle class. But policies - and objectives - make a difference, whether city, state or country. If the poor are content to let the politicians thrive while they live on food stamps, nothing will change. 

           Jimmy