WEBCommentary Guest

Author: Gerald V. Todd
Date:  September 20, 2014

Topic category:  National Crisis - Saving our Constitutional Republic

Spiritual Warfare and the Culture of Death


What is the Culture of Death? One could say it is the opposite of the Culture of Life, best explained in the teachings of the Catholic Church – if not the actions of its members. Why would anyone want to participate in a death culture? For the one half it is the human tendency to rebel against moral authority, demanding the right to exercise one’s feelings and urges regardless of their effect on themselves or others. It's called "progressivism." The other half of the Culture of Death is wrapped up in the deadly goals of radical Islam.

What is the Culture of Death? One could say it is the opposite of the Culture of Life, best explained in the teachings of the Catholic Church – if not the actions of its members. The writings of Cardinal Raymond Burke are particularly revealing: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=943 He also gives a history of the development of one half of today’s Culture of Death.

Why would anyone want to participate in a death culture? For the one half the good Bishop is addressing, it is the human tendency to rebel against moral authority, demanding the right to exercise one’s feelings and urges regardless of their effect on themselves or others. The mob is always there to justify this urge.

The other half of the Culture of Death is wrapped up in the goals of radical Islam. Opposite of the license demanded by the “progressive,” the absolute rigid discipline of Islam, a theocratic government/religion – draws mainly young men seeking a mission that even seeks death with the expectation of an eternal reward for killing the innocent. Today, the Land of the Free is the primary source of funding, weapons and exhortation from a corrupt Administration bent on making the USA a Muslim country.

Both “progressivism” and jihad visualize a one world government with a drastic reduction in world population by any means necessary. Should either succeed, the blood bath against the loser would not be unlike Hitler’s “Night of the Long Knives” when he eliminated his inconvenient followers.

"Progressivism," one half of the Culture of Death, has no regard for the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. The other half of this Culture of Death is radical Islam which is the ultimate expression of "church and state" gone mad. It authorizes itself by fatwah to murder any who disagree with them, regardless of religious faith or lack – even fellow Muslims. These expect an eternal reward for martyring themselves “for Allah.”

Sanctity and eternal reward are arenas of spiritual warfare – the bloodiest kind as history has proven time and again. Call it “spiritual warfare in the political arena” if it makes you feel better. After all, that’s the only way it’s reported - politically.

Now, if we’re in spiritual warfare, maybe it would help to get it defined. In the Old Testament there are three verses that lay it out for us – one, verse 14, is familiar to most believers. 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 New International Version (NIV): 13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.”

13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people."

No Rain - The American West Coast, where much creativity has yielded wonderful benefits for the world, is also the home of the haughty and self-aggrandized. Is our prolonged drought a curse from God? I believe it is more the result of the haughtiness of environmentalists who believe the control of every aspect of our lives is an ideal path to power. Droughts we have, but we are also commanded by God to subdue the earth – be fruitful and multiply. We have every workable means to prepare for droughts with reservoirs, underground storage and advanced irrigation and water recycling technologies. Much is resisted because it doesn’t fit the “progressive” template. Is there a hell? Does God send us there? No, we send ourselves.

Locusts - The rise of radical Islam was prophesied by Muslim writers as far back as 1938. They call themselves “locusts”: "When the locust swarms darken vast countries, they bear on their wings these Arabic words,"We are God's host, each of us has 99 eggs, and if we had 100, we should lay waste to the world and all that is in it." Sadly, it appears by the actions of our government, we, the USA are the “100th Egg.” Acknowledging their backwardness and determination, they say, “You may have the watches, but we have the time.”

Pestilence – It started with AIDS and continues with the contrived invasion of illegals from Central America, their secret dispersion around the country, often carrying diseases Americans have long eliminated. Now there is the sudden surge of the Ebola virus. It has brought the danger of worldwide pestilence because of the ease of carrying the virus in modern transportation. Plans to send American troops to “fight the disease” should be reserved to local authorities, not foreign troops herding people like sheep.

The only practical use of our troops is to isolate infected areas by forced quarantine. If history proves correct, their next duty would be to corral entire communities, men, women, children and animals. They could be ordered as a Pakistani doctor told me, to set fire to destroy all within. Any troops that survive the disease could be brought home to further spread it among the American people and deal with a whole new range of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD from burning people to death. It needn’t happen.

The Promise - 14 "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

We have to admit, we have let the steady roll of “progressive” philosophy to undermine everything that is beautiful, meaningful and lovely for the sake of “rights,” lust and power. We’ve forgotten how privileged we are. We have let it happen as we basked in our prosperity. It is a real condemnation of several generations that failed to maintain a moral and spiritual balance to the joy of living. We can change as every generation that has honestly met its shortcomings has done.

The Requirement - 15 "Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place."

Mockers are sure to laugh and call out the childlike believer who simply tries to do what his God asks. Most of the time we will never know when our prayers are answered I often look back and review a situation only to find something wonderful, but very subtle has paved my way. The least subtle was my own healing from Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma 9 years ago as my Hindu Oncologist told me - "lots of prayer, great attitude and good medicine."

Prayers are offered in one’s closet, with the family, among others in a meeting or in church. In the case of national corruption, God calls, “If my people” – may presuppose the need for national prayer and repentance just as Jonah called out for Nineveh to save that city. Unable to sleep, I tuned into “The Son Rise Morning Show” on EWTN – for me 3 AM. A guest was calling attention to an International Week of Prayer and Fasting from September 24th to 30th. Here is the link: http://iwopf.org/ I sent in an offering to help cover the cost as a first step to discipline my undisciplined self to participate effectively.

It is time for all people of faith who have tasted the blessings of liberty to do their best to meet God’s simple calling. Unbelievers can join in with whatever wells up in their souls. Doubters can challenge God to show he hears from heaven and is willing to heal our land.

Toddyo1935@att.net

Gerald V. Todd


Biography - Gerald V. Todd

Jerry is a retired engineer with strong experience in environmental innovation which he still applies today with 2 clean water and energy saving technologies. His life avocation in writing and study of philosophical and biblical themes as they apply to the body politic's spiritual warfare. He survived stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2006; now in excellent health. A graduate of the University of Illinois (1958, Industrial Engineering), Jerry had post graduate studies at both the University of San Francisco and the University of Santa Clara in California between 1961 and 1963 (Logic, Marketing). As co Founder and seminar presenter he was awarded a Ph.D. in Philosophy at Valley Christian University operating under California private-post secondary statutes for mid career student, VCU was the pioneer external degree school for mid career students. Its course structures were picked up by several well known Christian colleges. Hosted local broadcast radio and TV shows, "Religion on the Line" and "The News Firm" (jointly with wife, Joanne), respectively. Jerry has published several books that are available at Amazon. Jerry is available to speak as a visiting lecturer at the high school, college or community organization level. Jerry is married 55 years to Joanne Dean Todd – 3 children, 8 grandchildren.


Copyright © 2014 by Gerald V. Todd
All Rights Reserved.


© 2004-2014 by WEBCommentary(tm), All Rights Reserved