Category Archives: Christianity

Climate fear: The anti-science, anti-industrial revolution

"Misanthropic prejudices of the depressed middle classes" are driving policies

Brendan O’Neill writes about the current COP26 Climate conference in Glasgow as “a severe outbreak of Climate Derangement Syndrome”.

Unfortunately, he is right.

He continues:

“Prime ministers, bishops, princes and noisy greens all tried to outdo each other with their apocalyptic warnings. It has been a grim competition of catastrophes, an orgy of hyperbolic prophecies that wouldn’t look out of place in the Book of Revelation.”

Do they even listen to themselves? You might think not, considering some of the utterances:

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Repealing the century of collectivism, mass destruction and genocide

Our hope resides in a resurrected God

“We shall repeal the 20th century.” These were words spoken by American economist Murray N. Rothbard (1926 – 1995) near the end of an article he wrote in 1992. Another American economist, Gary North (b. 1942), who is a historian and theologian as well, used these words near the end of a lecture he gave in 2010.

Rothbard made clear why he wants to repeal it, when he asked, ironically:

“Who would want to repeal the 20th century, the century of horror, the century of collectivism, the century of mass destruction and genocide, who would want to repeal that! Well, we propose to do just that.”

With “we” he meant what he hoped would be a resurrected movement which in America is called the Old Right, a movement that was libertarian in its core, supported decentralised structures, laissez-faire economics and minimal interference of the government into private lives. This movement was effectively killed off around the year 1900 and replaced by interventionist, imperialist, big-government and big-business supporting politics.

Similar things had happened, or were happening, in Europe. Nationalism was the name of the game, and that sentiment lead to centralised governments continually increasing their interventions into the economy to suit their lust for power. Imperialism was the natural outgrowth of this development. This in turn lead to the original catastrophe of our time, World War One.

Considering that we are by now one fifth into the next century, it is clear that we have been unable to repeal the 20th century. For, as an idea, or phenomenon, the 20th century, in all its awfulness, is still firmly with us. So, how can we go about “repealing” it?

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A Jesuit’s quest to “reform” Christianity

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s contribution to destroying western civilization

Before reading this illuminating article, I had heard of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. But all I knew was that he was a Jesuit cleric who lived in the early 20th century and who had somehow tried to reconcile Darwinism and Christianity.

However, according to the author of the above linked article, Matthew Ehret, Teilhard de Chardin’s role in shaping today’s discourses that are occupying and exercising minds is quite large. And he seems to have been one of the culprits responsible for the weakness of Christianity in the West today. For, as Ehret says in conclusion, it seems to have been Chardin’s conviction that “Christianity had to evolve with the times like any creature wishing to avoid extinction within a Darwinian fight for survival.”

Moreover, Chardin seems to have been a proponent of eugenics. I’ll get to that shortly. First, another thing I learnt is that Chardin seems to have been in the centre of contriving the Piltdown Man hoax and the “discovery” of the Peking Man, very likely a hoax as well.

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Wrong Again, and Again on the End of the World

50 Years of Failed Eco-pocalyptic Predictions

As we approach the COP 26 conference in Glasgow on climate change, it’s worth remembering the many false alarms with regard to the climate so-called scientists have uttered over the past five decades or so.

The Competitive Enterprise Institute has compiled an illuminating list of false alarms which have over the years scared untold millions of people witless. So witless, that they are happy to sacrifice their wealth and that of their children, their children’s children and their neighbours, and the not yet even existing future wealth of the world’s poor in the hope of preventing climate change. So witless, that some of them are happy to resort to frankly terrorist methods in order to externalise their fear. (I’m speaking, of course, of “Extinction Rebellion” and their road-hugging soulmates from “Insulate Britain”).

It may not have been the purpose of those scientists, but the main consequence so far is that many people in the West are now practically begging for tyranny and offering themselves up for slavery to save their skins. It’s a sad spectacle of widespread witlessness. Worse is the mental illness this constant barrage of scaremongering is causing in many children.

But that’s not the scientist’s fault. That is the fault of people who thrive on scaremongering. I’m thinking in particular of the media and many sections of politics.

And the reason the scaremongers can run rampant is that there is no strong counternarrative. The churches, whose holy scripture contains hundreds of times the reminder and commandment to not be afraid, have in this regard been an embarrassing failure.

Why Christianity in the West is Wilting

And why "progressivism" is currently so strong

Christian theologian, historian and economist Dr. Gary North (b. 1942) has something to say on this subject.

In a written introduction to a lecture he gave in 2010 on the history of American conservatism, he says:

“A movement without optimism regarding the earthly future of its adherents suffers from a disadvantage in recruiting, training, and financing evangelists who will sacrifice time and money in order to bring its message to the public.”

In this instance he meant, specifically, conservatism. But he might just as well have referred to Christianity – certainly in western countries.

That North in fact does think this also with regard to most of Christianity today becomes clear when reading these words from the introduction to his book “Christian Economics, Vol. 3: Activist’s Edition“:

“The vast majority of Christians have adopted an eschatology—the doctrine of last things—that insists that the world cannot be reformed. Yes, an individual can use the Bible to reform himself with God’s help. Of course, Christian families can be reformed by biblical principles. Even churches can be reformed or else replaced by better ones. But society cannot be successfully reformed. Neither can the state. In contrast, another group of Christians, few in number in the past, insist that Christ’s redemption is comprehensive. Wherever sin reigns, Christ’s kingdom can reform it. Therefore, the Bible offers answers to every question, including this one: “How should this area of life be reformed?” This is the issue of healing. The concept of healing is related to salvation. A salve heals.”

North continues:

“I am in the second group. I am inviting you to join.”

His books on Christian economics are his “program of reform”.

I agree with North. When I advocate “progress with God”, I am thinking of North’s ideas for “reforming” or “healing” society.

Today’s “progressives” also talk a lot about “reforming” or “healing” society. Their intentions in that respect are what make their movement so attractive — and powerful. Their particular intentions may be laudable. But without God, they will not heal society. On the contrary, their attempts at healing society without listening to God are very likely to make things worse for society and its individuals.

Against Apocalyptic Environmentalism

A discussion between Jordan Peterson and upbeat environmentalist Michael Shellenberger

Jordan Peterson, the celebrated psychologist and campaigner against restricted speech and other forms of censorship, has been back for quite a few months now after a long bout of mental and physical illness. His new, preferred format is long (1 to 2 hours) discussions with people who, like him, have done their homework and have something to say.

His latest discussion is with Michael Shellenberger, author of the book titled “Apocalypse Never”. I’ve watched the whole 1 hour 50 minutes of the conversation, and here are my notes and impressions of it. (I don’t claim my rendition is exhaustive. However, I think it provides a good idea of what was said.)

First of all: What a blessing it is, and how refreshing, in this age of quick memes, talking points and “cancellations”, to be able to follow two highly intelligent human beings involved in an exchange of ideas, ranging far, wide, and above all, deep, on some highly topical, contentious and relevant issues.

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If our enemy wants to destroy our neighbour

To which one of those two do we then show more love?

I occasionally follow the blog of the “Bionic Mosquito” (BM).

Here’s an interesting question I found there recently:

The following comment was made in response to a post on Christian pacifism, Anabaptists, etc.

>>Charles Martel and John III Sobieski would be hearing “blah, blah, blah,” and even the most pacifist Christians, deep down inside, would have said at the two respective times, “thank God for Charles” … “thank God for John.”

We are called to love our neighbor and love our enemy.  But what if our enemy wants to destroy our neighbor?  To which one do we then show love?  Look into your child’s eyes while answering the question.<<

This does not mean viewing every new stranger in our midst as an enemy. BM’s important question however reminds us that we do not live in paradise. And that, even if we did, there’d probably be a serpent around somewhere. So, we need to be on our guard for the enemy.

The natural order of medieval society

Professor Hans-Hermann Hoppe, an Austrian school economist and libertarian/anarcho-capitalist philosopher, gave a talk in 2018 with the title “The Libertarian Quest for a Grand Historical Narrative“. In it, he said the following:

“While many libertarians fancy an anarchic social order as a largely horizontal order without hierarchies and different ranks of authority – as “anti-authoritarian” – the medieval example of a State-less society teaches otherwise. Peace was not maintained by the absence of hierarchies and ranks of authority, but by the absence of anything but social authority and ranks of social authority. Indeed, in contrast to the present order, which essentially recognizes only one authority, that of the State, the Middle Ages were characterized by a great multitude of competing, cooperating, overlapping and hierarchically ordered ranks of social authority. There was the authority of the heads of family households and of various kinship groups. There were patrons, lords, overlords and feudal kings with their estates, and their vassals, and the vassals of vassals. There were countless different and separate communities and towns, and a huge variety of religious, artistic, professional and social orders, councils, assemblies, guilds, associations and clubs, each with their own rules, hierarchies and rank orders. In addition, and of utmost importance, there were the authorities of the local priest, the more distant bishop, and of the Pope in Rome.”

It is exactly this multitude of hierarchies and authorities which could, in the long term, be the guarantor of freedom and prosperity. Historian, economist and theologian Dr. Gary North has identified four authorities in human societies that are biblically ordained: The individual, the family, the church and the state (or, in medieval times, proto-state). They are constantly competing against each other, attempting to become the monopoly authority, thereby however preventing a monopoly of any one of them. Sometimes however, one of them becomes overbearing. Then society crumbles and falls apart. And the competition begins anew.

North writes about these competing authorities extensively in his book “God’s Covenants“. This is from the introduction:

“This book discusses three covenantal units that have operated in history from the beginning: individual, church, and family. It then discusses a fourth covenantal institution, civil, which began after the Fall of man.”

From the conclusion of “The Relation Between Religion and Culture”

Great religions are the foundations on which the great civilizations rest

This is part 10, the last part, of my notes on the thoughts and ideas of Christopher Dawson. (In brackets the page numbers of each quote from TRBRAC, unless another book mentioned. “PwG” refers to my own thoughts.)     

Dawson: “The great civilizations of the world do not produce the great religions as a kind of cultural by-product; in a very real sense the great religions are the foundations on which the great civilizations rest. A society which has lost its religion becomes sooner or later a society which has lost its culture.” (271, my emphasis) (Progress and Religion, 1937)

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