This and That No. 7

My last two essays have been on topics that are central to evangelical Protestantism. My next essay will continue in that vein, after which my essays in this theological series will address topics on which small-o orthodox Christians are in agreement and topics in which I tend to be more "High Church".

I went to see the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Winnipeg's production of H. M. S. Pinafore last Friday at Pantages Playhouse. It was an excellent performance, although it was a bit strange to hear Fred Cross in his role as Sir Joseph Porter sing "I am the monarch of the sea, the ruler of the king's navy". As today, when the operetta was originally written and performed a queen sat on the throne. This production was neither in its original setting nor contemporary, but was actually set in the 1930's. This could also be seen in the costuming and in the set itself, where the ship had very WWII-era looking artillery on prominent display.

This past Sunday (April 3) was my birthday. I am now half-way to the three-score and ten that Moses says is allotted to a man.

The Manitoba Opera will be performing Mozart's "The Magic Flute" in the upcoming week, with performances tomorrow, Tuesday, and next Friday. I look forward to seeing it.

Unless you have been completely avoiding international news for the past few months you are undoubtedly aware that civil wars are breaking out in northern Africa and that Western countries, including our own, have for some foolish reason or another decided to get involved in the latest one in Libya. Neither side, in this conflict, deserves Western support. Colonel Qaddafi is a power-mad, evil dictator, to be sure, but that does not mean that the uprising against him is worthy of our support either. We have allowed ourselves to be brainwashed into thinking that "democracy" is an ultimate good and that therefore we must support it, whenever and wherever in the world it rears its head. This makes an idol out of democracy. Democracy is not an "ultimate good". Indeed, it is hardly a good at all, and perhaps ought to be considered an evil. It is the most destructive and tyrannical of all forms of human government. The only reason it has worked out fairly well in the English-speaking world is that other, stronger forces, have historically kept it in check. Originally, those were the power of the Crown and of the titled, landed, nobility and aristocracy. Then, when liberal individualism weakened the power of the Crown and aristocracy, liberal individualism itself held democracy in check. Now democracy is triumphant and like most demon idols it is calling upon us to make human sacrifices to itself. This is what those bombs we are dropping on Libya are truly about.

Every year in Canada we sacrifice about 100, 000 children to the demon idols of "women's rights", "sexual equality" and "sexual freedom". Having grown tired of worshiping the idols of "race" and "nation" we are now desperately trying to sacrifice our own people to the post-modern Moloch of "racial equality". It is not enough, for the modern and post-modern pantheon of pagan devils, that we sacrifice our own children. "Democracy" and "human rights" demand the blood of both our own children and other peoples' children as well.

Lent, in the Christian year, is a traditional period of self-examination and penitence in anticipation of our remembrance of Christ's death and resurrection on Good Friday and Easter. As we consider, this Lent, the children, our own and others, that we have sacrificed to the above mentioned demons let us follow the prophet Joel's instructions, and rend our hearts not our garments, and turn in contrition to the Lord our God, for "he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness".

For those of you looking for a less-preachy analysis of our involvement in the Libyan conflict that is none of our business, I refer you to James Bissett, former Canadian High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago and former Canadian Ambassador to Yugoslavia. His excellent remarks can be found here: http://policystudies.ca/library-mainmenu-76/96-international-affairs/411-humanitarian-intervention-again