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Monthly Archives: September 2011

Eric Voegelin on the Western Crisis

September 27, 2011
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In my opinion, Eric Voegelin conducted the most thorough investigation into what we call the “Western crisis.” Voegelin drew heavily from both Plato and Aristotle, and made the greatest contribution to awakening us to the reality that, in a democracy, the government is only a reflection of the population.

As Voegelin stated in his three-volume work, Order and History, that we have the false idea that political change can come from electing new political leaders or political parties, when in reality this new leader or party will be recruited “from the very people whose moral confusion is the source of disorder.”

Here’s a short reading on Voegelin that I did, with my recommended Voegelin book list: A Reading: Our Western Crisis – Eric Voegelin

1. The New Science of Politics (easy to read)
2. Science, Politics & Gnosticism (easy to read)
3. Hitler and the Germans (not-so easy to read)
4. Plato & Aristotle (extremely difficult to read)
5. The Ecumenic Age (extremely difficult to read)
6. In Search of Order (extremely difficult to read)
7. Eric Voegelin – Michael Federici (The book I’m reading from in the video)

In one of the most gripping and honest books that I have read on the history of the Nazi era, Eric Voegelin, the premier political philosopher of the past century, in his Hitler and the Germans, draws the following conclusion:

“So, the conclusion [referring to a letter of Wilfried Wiegand who was looking for an out]: If Hitler was stupid or a criminal, and the people voted for him in droves, then they too must have been stupid and criminal. But this is not possible [according to Wiegand], so Hitler was not stupid and no criminal. The other possibility, the point that is being resisted, is that perhaps a very great number of Germans, perhaps the overwhelming majority, were in fact extraordinarily stupid, that in political matters a very great number still are, and that what we see here is a situation of intellectual and ethical rottenness, which in fact supported the rise of the phenomenon of Hitler.”

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Florida’s Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll Calls For Christian Theocracy

September 23, 2011
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Jennifer Carroll Calls For Christian Theocracy

Yesterday before the GOP debate, Ralph Reed’s “Faith and Freedom Coalition” (you can’t have freedom with faith at the political helm) held an event at which Florida’s Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll openly expressed her support for the Christian Nationalist theocratic agenda. Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, and Herman Cain are all Theo-cons, and therefore threats to the individual liberty guaranteed under the Constitution.

“You know the Bible says faith is believing in what is not seen, today unfortunately many in the media would like nothing better to ridicule Christians: they promote ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ they place doubt in the public’s mind that Christ was not risen and they condemn the ‘Passion of Christ,’ yet they sensationalize stories that call for the end of prayer in school and removing the name of God from our country’s pledge. Ladies and gentlemen, these are very sad times when we allow the minority to poison the minds of the majority. This is exactly what dictators and socialist rulers did.”

“Man does not have all the answers, some of our political leaders bow down to scientists and let them have the stage to push their evolution, but there’s nothing, nothing a scientist can make, that is exactly like what God creates.”

“Trust Him to give you the strength to fight back against those who want to take God out of our country. Trust Him to give you the wisdom to speak out against injustice and blasphemy of His name. Trust God to guide your path to bring about a righteous government.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, Christianity is in a fight and it is one of the greatest trials we have seen in modern times. Without a doubt, America and her people are in grave need of prayer, divine guidance, protection, to have good, solid Christians to step up and lead this country on a proper moral path. I firmly believe that if we magnify God, our problems will be minimized.”

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Rick Perry’s Christian Zionism and the Separation of Church and State

September 20, 2011
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Rick Perry: “As a Christian I have a clear directive to support Israel, from my perspective its pretty easy both as an American and a Christian. I am going to stand with Israel.”

This view is extremely common among the religious right; it’s known as Christian Zionism.

In 2009, Rick Perry stated similar sentiments while talking with the Weekly Standard: “My faith requires me to support Israel.” One has to wonder what other foreign and domestic policy initiatives Perry feels he is directed to take from the Bible.

“there is no separation of church and state”

Yes, there is:

“Mr. Madison said he apprehended the meaning of the words to be, that congress should not establish a religion, and enforce the legal observation of it by law, nor compel men to worship God in any manner.” -Madison Remarks on Proposed Constitutional Amendments, August 15, 1789. … hard to have prayer in schools with this understanding of the amendment, as Justice Hugo Black in Everson v. Board of Education (1947) made clear in his decision…

For a clearer understanding of the meaning and purpose behind Article VI, let us visit the Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States by Joseph Story. Story was nominated as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1811 by then President, James Madison. Story served on the Supreme Court until his death in 1845. Story is famous for the court case that was made into the 1997 movie, The Amistad. More importantly than his movie debut, are his Commentaries on the Constitution that were the first comprehensive treatises on the U.S. Constitution, and served as the authoritative cornerstone of American jurisprudence throughout the 19th century.

According to Story, “this clause is not introduced merely for the purpose of satisfying the scruples of many respectable persons, who feel an invincible repugnance to any religious test or affirmation,” but rather this clause forbidding religious tests “had a higher object; to cut off for ever every pretense of any alliance between church and state in the national government.”… Sounds clear to me.

Also, Madison thought it was a clear violation of the Constitution to pay Chaplains in congress, and that it was unconstitutional for the “Executive” to make “Proclamations of fasts & festivals.” Clearly Madison understood that a “perfect separation between ecclesiastical and civil matters”, was of the utmost “importance.”

Life And Letters Of Joseph Story, Associate Justice Of The Supreme Court Of The United States, And Dane Professor Of Law At Harvard University Life And Letters Of Joseph Story, Associate Justice Of The Supreme Court Of The United States, And Dane Professor Of Law At Harvard University

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc…

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