Patriot or Pansy?

Did you know that our military runs urban training drills in American cities? Believe it or not, it is true and has been going on now for a long time. However, one such training drill grabbed American headlines this past week as an Ohio mayor said, “No”:

“Mayor kick Marines out of Toledo”

http://www.nbc24.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=94192

Here are the first few paragraphs from the article:

“Mayer Carty Finkbeiner on Friday ordered some 200 members of Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines from Grand Rapid, Michigan, out of Toledo just before the unit was supposed to start a weekend of urban warfare training downtown.

The mayor’s spokesperson, Brian Schwartz said, “The mayor asked them to leave because they frighten people. He did not want them practicing and drilling in a highly visible area.”

Toledo police said they knew about the training and had approved the unit’s use of the Madison Building and the Promenade Park area. The training was scheduled to start Friday afternoon and last until Sunday. Police said the unit’s presence would have a minimal impact on the city. Police issued a press release earlier in the week saying the Marines would be wearing green camouflage uniforms, operate military vehicles, carry rifles, perform foot patrols, and fire blank ammunition during the exercise.”

Is this mayor a patriot…or a pansy? Does the military need to be running drills in our cities? Or do they have enough money and resources to do it at other less populated or military designated training grounds? What are the effects…What do these drills accomplish? Do they simply train our military? Or do they also train our population to see military running drills and operations in our streets? Is these just urban warfare drills? Or are they do more harm than good by creating unnecessary worry and fear to the residents who witness these activities?

Is there an armed system being built up on strength by force instead of by public service? And if that is the case…Where are we being led? Have these steps always been necessary…but are just now being implemented? Or were they not used in the past for a reason? Are we growing stronger as a country through these new trends…or weaker? Are we strengthening our rights through these new trends…or weakening them? Isn’t the main reason for national defense to defend our country…And our way of life? And isn’t our main way of life…living free? So if we take away freedom…or even our sense of freedom…in the name of protecting it: What are we really doing?

Are we slowly seeing our country slip into global governance, with increasing sets of laws legislating how we must or mustn’t live our lives? And..if that is the case, who elected these people to legislate? Do we have any say? Does the Bible talk or refer to any system like the one we may be seeing created here?

Was the mayor doing what was right in order to defend the people? Or was his refusal actually refusing to defend the people?

What do you think?

Layers of Extra Law? But why?

Listening to Fox News a few days ago, I heard an interesting segment on the Brian and the Judge show.  They had been discussing several celebrity cases, including the now infamous Brittney Spears debacle in Los Angeles.  Specifically, they were discussing new potential law in the State of California which would allow stars extra space.  This was touted by local government officials as necessary piece of legislation, as it was claimed that traffic was being disrupted by photographers (and wanna-be journalists) which surrounded celebrity cars (hindering traffic) and therefore caused the potential for bodily harm or possibly death.

Talk of the new proposed legislation can be found here:

“‘Britney law’ to give celebrities a safety bubble”

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article3341791.ece

Of course if someone is putting people’s health or lives in danger, we as a society have a tradition of protecting the public interests.  But…who’s interests does this really serve?  If someone is blocking traffic…or chasing people at high speeds…or driving wrecklessly…for whatever reason…. Don’t we already have laws for this?  Where are they, and why are they not being used?

In a similar vein, there are many other people who would also like special laws written to provide them the treatment they believe they deserve, including people in religious groups or with alternate sexual preferences.  But aren’t we missing something?  While some can make a case that they are being discriminated against, don’t we all have ‘inalienable’, individual rights according to our Constitution?  Should we really go around making laws to get specific desired outcomes…If we already have laws protecting our rights?  Instead of fighting for new legislation which may have ‘unintended consequences’ which may actually outweigh the original intended results…Why don’t we fight for the laws that we have?  Does anyone have the right to have laws tailor-made which either take away rights, or grant them extra ones?  How is that legal?

While I do not believe the people who write these types of legislation (or the majority which support it) want anything but the best of society, I start to wonder at the consequences of writing what seems to be so many of these laws which grant or take away rights of people under certain circumstances.  Are we eroding our rights..and the laws we have…by slowly creating a new system which by definition rejects the old?  Which laws do we follow and use?  Which do we ‘let be’?  What do we do when new legislation conflicts with old, but both are still on the books?

But again…how might this apply to prophecy?  Whether in Europe, the US, or other parts of the world, new legislation seems to increase with each year.  Much of it is done in good faith hoping to fix what seems to be wrong with humanity in an attempt to create a better world.

However, as Believers we know that each of us by nature is sinful….. (Romans 7:14-17 for example):

 14“For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

 15For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

 16If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

 17Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

We seem to see a world dominated by sin and destructive tendencies.   Do we have to teach children to be nice or naughty?  Does societal morality seem to grow, or to decline over time?  With these realities of the human condition in mind, we may come to an understanding that no matter how much law is written it will not change our hearts or nature.  Only the Holy Spirit can show us our lives and convince us of our need for a Savior and a life of service to God as well as others.  But if we come to this reality…does it make sense to legislate morality?  What may be disturbing to some is how we seem to be told that we somehow gain new freedom and safety by restricting our freedom and safety to tailor what a certain few deem ‘acceptable’.  If that is the case:  Does that make sense?  And again:  What happened to all the laws we had from before?  How did people ever get along without these new laws?  Who decides if something is ‘acceptable’ or not?  And will these new laws collectively usher in a forced one world system?  Is this a case where ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’, or not?

The Bible describes a time when a one-world system will be in place that will demand strict obedience.  For example, in Revelation 13:15-18 it says:
 15″And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

 16And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

 17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”

This system will be global and apparently demand obedience to have access to any buying and selling.  If we continue to pile up new types of law, based on good intentions instead of protecting God-given freedoms…Can we be possibly encouraging this system to come into place stone by stone, bit by bit?  Though the Bible does not say more regarding this ‘mark’, could there also be other reasons which may bring about a precursor to this system?:  For example, to fight violence by outlawing certain spiritual beliefs…..or to fight crime, by instituting a global cashless system through such things as microchips?  Can these possibly add up to giving power and influence to a certain few…while dwindling the rights and freedoms of others?  Do we truly think through the consequences of our actions, or does that even matter?  If something is done in the name of doing good…can it ever go bad?

In the meantime, we may continue to see new legislation which tries to do good, but ultimately brings with it consequences that may, over time, prove more detrimental…and perhaps devestating…than any one of us could’ve imagined possible.  Or…could this possibly be over-analyzing something which is either a positive step for everyone….or a step which affects almost none of us, and is altogether insignificant?

What do you think?