Liberating Planet Earth
by Gary DeMar by Gary DeMar
Th Inevitabili& of Liberatwn 143 “infallible” books. They have complete confidence in Marxism- Leninism. F’z@, they are optimists (outside the Soviet Union, anyway). They believe that the forces of history have guaranteed their historic victory. They look for the inevitable victory of Marxism in the future. They believe in the power of revolutionary violence to transform this world. We see a similar confidence in radical Islam, another powerful historic rival to Christianity. First, Muslims believe in a sovereign God, Allah. Allah predestines everything. Thk faith is sometimes fatalistic, but it leads to long-term confidence. Second, they believe in a covenantal religious organization that is closely allied to a military hierarchy. They are called to triumph over their foes in battle. Third, they believe in Islamic law and Islamic civilization. They believe that the West offers them nothing. They believe that their way is the only valid way. Foutih, they believe in their “holy writ ,“ the Koran. They appeal to no other writings or logic to prove the truth .of the Koran. They have complete confidence in it. Ffih, they do not think they can lose. Allah has willed their victory. Modern humanistic science has been another major religious rival to Christianity. Until quite recently, science has held all five points. First, for the providence of God, scientists substituted the rule of inescapable cause and effect. Their universe seemed to be governed by strict causality that the scientific method can master, thereby transferring power over nature (and other men) to the scientific elite. Second, this elite maintains discipline through granting access to teaching positions, scholarly publishing, and government research grants. From full professor to associate professor, to assistant professor, to instructor: hierarchy prevails. Z%ird, it has had confidence in the scientific tool of dominion, scientific method: experiments and mathematics. The rise of the computer seemed to offer even more reason to believe in this methodological tool. Foutih, they have believed in presuppositionalism: the self-attesting truth of a nearly infallible method— not infallible, but more perfect than any rival group possesses. Science has been regarded as a self-attesting truth, a truth which validates all other forms of this-worldly knowledge, especially re-
144 Liberating Planet Earth ligion. Scientific method judges all rival forms of this-worldly truth. F@h, scientists have been highly optimistic about the potential for bettering men’s lives through science and technology. Science will free mankind from the limits of scarcity and ignorance! This faith in science was especially strong prior to World War I. In short, these five points are basic to a vision of victory. They have motivated the most powerful, world-transforming movements in man’s history. But now that the faith of Christianity’s rivals is waning, Christians have a unique historical opportunity to recapture the minds of men with the Bible’s vision of victory. But this requires that Christians become confident in Christianity. This means that they must also have confidence in the earthly future, for a reh&on whose @iriciples do not guarantee earth~ success for its followers a a covenanted community is not a religion which irupires contdence. Restoration Christians must call the external culture’s guidelines back to God’s revealed law. They must regain the leadership they forfeited when they adopted as Christian the speculations of selfproclaimed “reasonable” apostates. If this is not done, then we will slide back once more, until the unbelievers at last resemble that African tribe, the Ik, and the Christians can begin the process of cultural domination once more. If neither happens, then society will return eventually to barbarism. Understandably, I pray for the regeneration of the ungodly and the rediscovery of Biblical law and accurate Biblical eschatology on the part of present Christians and future converts. Whether we will see such a revival in our day is unknown to me. There are reasons to believe that it can and will happen.T There are also reasons to doubt such optimism. The Lord knows. 7. Gary North, Th Sinai Strategy: Economics and the Tm Commandments (Tyler, Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1986), pp. 86-92: me Sabbath Millennium.”
- Page 100 and 101: The Liberation of the Church 93 Per
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- Page 108 and 109: The Liberation of the State 101 and
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- Page 116 and 117: The Liberation of tk State 109 fata
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- Page 122 and 123: Th Liberation of the State 115 13.
- Page 124 and 125: The Liberation of the Economy 117 p
- Page 126 and 127: Z&Liberation of the Ecomy 119 as th
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- Page 134 and 135: T4e Liberation of th Economy 127 ch
- Page 136 and 137: 10 THE INEVITABILITY OF LIBERATION
- Page 138 and 139: The Inevitability of Liberation 131
- Page 140 and 141: The Inevitability of Liberation 133
- Page 142 and 143: The Inevitability of .Lib~ation 135
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- Page 154 and 155: Z3.e Inevitability ~Liberation 147
- Page 156 and 157: CONCLUSION All things have been del
- Page 158 and 159: Conclusion 151 or our civil governm
- Page 160 and 161: Conclusion 153 And why would this p
- Page 162 and 163: Comdusion 1!55 ety’s institutions
- Page 164 and 165: Conclusion 157 A Liberating Gospel
- Page 166 and 167: Conclusion 159 10. We must preach t
- Page 168 and 169: 162 Liberating Planet Earth Moses a
- Page 170 and 171: 164 L@eratmg Planet Earth Deuterono
- Page 172 and 173: 166 Liberating Pla@ Earth 1 Corinth
- Page 174 and 175: 168 Liberating Planet Earth Marxism
- Page 176 and 177: 170 Liberating Planet Earth free ma
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- Page 186 and 187: 180 Liberating Planet Earth tion to
- Page 188 and 189: 182 Liberating Planet Earth the bes
- Page 190 and 191: 184 Lib~ating Planet Earth The Whol
- Page 192 and 193: 186 Liberating Pihet Earth God. It
- Page 194 and 195: 188 Liberating Phwt Earth tutional
- Page 196 and 197: 190 Lib~ating Planet Earth The Marx
- Page 198: I I I I I I I I i / I I I I I Jesus
Th Inevitabili& of Liberatwn 143<br />
“infallible” books. They have complete confidence in Marxism-<br />
Leninism. F’z@, they are optimists (outside the Soviet Union,<br />
anyway). They believe that the forces of history have guaranteed<br />
their historic victory. They look for the inevitable victory of Marxism<br />
in the future. They believe in the power of revolutionary violence<br />
to transform this world.<br />
We see a similar confidence in radical Islam, another powerful<br />
historic rival to Christianity. First, Muslims believe in a sovereign<br />
God, Allah. Allah predestines everything. Thk faith is sometimes<br />
fatalistic, but it leads to long-term confidence. Second, they believe<br />
in a covenantal religious organization that is closely allied to a<br />
military hierarchy. They are called to triumph over their foes in<br />
battle. Third, they believe in Islamic law and Islamic civilization.<br />
They believe that the West offers them nothing. They believe that<br />
their way is the only valid way. Foutih, they believe in their “holy<br />
writ ,“ the Koran. They appeal to no other writings or logic to<br />
prove the truth .of the Koran. They have complete confidence in it.<br />
Ffih, they do not think they can lose. Allah has willed their victory.<br />
Modern humanistic science has been another major religious<br />
rival to Christianity. Until quite recently, science has held all five<br />
points. First, for the providence of God, scientists substituted the<br />
rule of inescapable cause and effect. Their universe seemed to be<br />
governed by strict causality that the scientific method can master,<br />
thereby transferring power over nature (and other men) to the<br />
scientific elite. Second, this elite maintains discipline through<br />
granting access to teaching positions, scholarly publishing, and<br />
government research grants. From full professor to associate professor,<br />
to assistant professor, to instructor: hierarchy prevails.<br />
Z%ird, it has had confidence in the scientific tool of dominion,<br />
scientific method: experiments and mathematics. The rise of the<br />
computer seemed to offer even more reason to believe in this<br />
methodological tool. Foutih, they have believed in presuppositionalism:<br />
the self-attesting truth of a nearly infallible method—<br />
not infallible, but more perfect than any rival group possesses.<br />
Science has been regarded as a self-attesting truth, a truth which<br />
validates all other forms of this-worldly knowledge, especially re-
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