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Social Justice, The Plight of Man, Proud Man and the Culture of Death
Part One of Ten

Ron Panzer
April 15, 2013
Man in the World
Part One of Ten
Social Justice, The Plight of Man, Proud Man and the Culture of Death
(Part of the Ethics of Life Series)
Reproduced with Permission
Hospice Patients Alliance

Psalm 63:1-4

O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
I thirst for You;
My whole being longs for You
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.

I have seen You in the sanctuary,
and beheld Your power and Your glory.

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
my lips will praise You.

Thus I will praise You every day of my life;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.

Though there are wonderful experiences and joys we may find in this world, even the best of times end. Our experience of life can sometimes seem like a dry and thirsty land. As we move along with so many expectations, we meet many friends and good-hearted people, and some who are not. After a while, something happens. We are disappointed; our great hopes are let down repeatedly, as if desperately crawling and struggling from one mirage to another in an endless desert, only to arrive at more disappointing dry and thirsty land (Psalm 143)!

["Photo courtesy R. Pelisson - www.SaharaMet.com"]


We believe that we have found that which will truly satisfy us, only to eventually feel empty and isolated in this world once again. If we focus on ourselves and those close to us only, we may busy ourselves with all the details of daily life and actually think we are living "the good life," that everything is fine.

But a time will come when we feel we've failed to attain the lasting happiness we've sought for so long. We become discouraged and dismayed, unless, finally, we look to the dear Lord for comfort, guidance and inner fulfillment, for to know Him is to be fulfilled and at peace.

If we have been taught the wonderful truth of His compassion for us, about His sacrifice on our behalf, and of His love and grace freely offered to us, we move toward Him consciously, having faith in the truths we have learned.

As we go along, we listen to the voice of Life Himself, whispering to us in the beauty of His creation all around. Our faith strengthens us to have confidence in things yet unseen and to show ourselves to be loyal servants of a divine King who blesses us because we sincerely seek Him (Hebrews 11:1-6).

We show ourselves as such loyal servants through our actions in this world, expressing our faith through charitable kindnesses given to others we meet. Real faith changes us, and guides us into service, whatever work our nature suits us to take on. In healthcare and other community services, our work becomes the opportunity to obediently follow His command to feed the hungry, help the homeless, rescue the vulnerable, clothe the naked and poor, care for the sick, and visit the lonely and imprisoned (Matthew 25:34-36).

Social Justice

Those who seek "social justice" in society and the relief of suffering in this world may think that it is God's will, or certainly that it is right, that the government do these things, but it is we ourselves, individually and collectively, who are to consciously choose to sacrifice, to give of what we have, to serve others with love. Social justice is never assured through the imposition of any particular government, political, economic, or societal reform.

Authentic social justice has never been and never can be delivered through a socialist or communist regime, because true social justice has to do with how individuals act and interact in society. It is the body of believers, the church members, who are all those who have real faith in God, and all those whose hearts are moved to feel compassion, who are to voluntarily serve others as an expression of the love that lives within their hearts. Authentic social justice is achieved through the charitable work of the faithful in willingly choosing to serve those in need. They follow the inner call to serve.

Florence Nightingale,1 the founder of modern professional nursing, "referred to her longing and subsequent career" in nursing as a calling from God. Nightingale was inspired to give up family life in order to serve humanity. Rejecting the high-society lifestyle that her parents wished her to follow, she volunteered to work with the desperately poor and the sick. In 1854, when British soldiers were dying in the military hospitals, she went to serve those who had been wounded as a result of the Crimean War in the Ukraine.

Motivated by her unshakable faith in that calling, she gave her life in service to achieve many reforms. She succeeded in completely changing how patients were cared for. Nightingale serves as an inspiration to nurses and other healthcare workers throughout the world. We, too, are called to serve in our own times and in our own ways.

Without the individual, direct personal interaction between individuals, there is no uplifting influence, no opportunity for sharing the truths of life, our faith or our love. We cannot simply abandon our duty to personally, individually, help our fellow man in some way, because we believe "the government will take care of them." Those who push these concerns aside and forget those in need are not uplifted. Their hearts are not filled with love.

Without that individual expression of sacrificial love, the personal one-to-one contact, there is no transformation or joy. Without willing and conscious giving of our own time, money and resources, a callousness of spirit is encouraged. The culture of life is then betrayed, because forced giving is not charitable giving.

Reluctant giving does not lead to social justice but to anger, conflict, misuse of the resources forcibly seized by the elite, and tyranny. Those who receive benefits distributed from forcibly seized assets expect those benefits rather than appreciating them with real heartfelt gratitude to those who had to sacrifice in order to make benefits and care available.

Rather than a liberating influence on our souls and the real relief of suffering, forced "giving" leads to terrible oppression of the people, especially for those of faith. It leads to a totalitarian police state where man lives in fear. However, we know another way.

Authentic social justice arising out of man's awareness of the natural moral law2 requires that those who are suffering be charitably assisted, and that those who suffer from injury and illness be provided healthcare that supports the healing process, promotes life, and comforts each person, uplifting him or her as a unique human being. As Jesus taught us,

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.
Freely you have received, freely give. - Matthew 10:8

Such socially just healthcare is only delivered when the individual healthcare administrators, professionals, and caregivers approach their work as a mission in service to God as well as to the man or woman being served. This, then, becomes a network of pro-life providers of care who practice reverence for life in all they do.

All of the truly faithful, taken together, bring His light into the world, sharing the love He has for us, with those we serve. Imagine a most beautiful and graceful lady, dressed in the finest golden fabrics, lovingly and compassionately going out to the people and giving of what she has, to feed and comfort those innumerable individuals who are hungry and suffering in this world!

This compassionate giving represents the assembly of those who are faithful: truly beautiful, shining, and a blessing to those in need. Each member of the assembly finds joy and brings joy in serving others in this way. This is the blessed community that practices reverence for life and establishes the culture of life which naturally results in authentic social justice.

The Plight of Man

On the other hand, if we turn away from God, turn away when others are in need and seek to please ourselves first, we may jump from one task and achievement to another, one entertainment to another, one group of friends to another, yet remain perpetually unsatisfied. As we progress through each stage of our life, we imagine that we will finally be happy when we "get this" and "achieve that." But when we do get and achieve these things, we're no closer to true satisfaction than when we began.

Even after years and years of striving, it is not the tasks we do, what we achieve, or the company we keep that causes us to experience such dissatisfaction. It is how we are being, thinking, and acting that makes all the difference.

Many who are lost into the world, who greedily enjoy the wealth, status, pleasure or knowledge they have attained, will say that this is a "negative" view of their way of life and that they really are satisfied. Now they say they enjoy all that there is to be enjoyed in this life, but they are terribly mistaken.

Even though they may be connoisseurs of fine wine, art and music and possess fortunes, their assertion of being satisfied merely shows how truly lost they are. They flock to physicians for anti-depressants, or to the bars and the drug-dealers. The enjoyments that fascinate them are like cheap children's costume jewelry: pieces of worthless, sparkling glass made to imitate priceless gemstones.

Over time, they will find out that these things have no real or lasting value, except the better use they may be put to for the benefit of all. In the end, they ask, "Where did all the time go?" "Is this all there is?" Even if they have denied God throughout their lives, they may inwardly pray, "God, help me!" "God, forgive me!"

Many who are lost into the world, who believe that wealth, status, pleasure or knowledge will give them happiness, if they could only ever achieve it, are just as mistaken as those who do achieve it and think they have all the good and all the happiness possible in life.

How long can we be entertained without simply being entranced, hypnotized into a dull, almost catatonic state? With modern television and cinematic technical brilliance displayed on a daily basis, with hundreds of channels to watch and thousands of hours of programming available, people eventually end up flipping from channel to channel and say, "There's nothing good on!"

What a lost opportunity! These channels, shows and movies could do so much good to uplift the people and inspire them, yet most of them glorify what is wrong, mislead the uninformed and simply add to our confusion and degradation.

Even more, man is so set on not looking to God that he tragically and consistently chooses to lose himself in ultimately unfulfilling entertainments of all sorts rather than simply turn to the dear Lord who truly is infinitely more entertaining and fulfilling than anything man can experience in many lifetimes or ever dream up. If man only knew what he was missing, he would run to Him as fast as he could!

Man works so hard at "enjoying life" in his own materialistic way. Parties and banquets are arranged with wine, liquor, drugs of various types and opportunities for sexual encounters that have little meaning. People seem to need these to "have a fun time," yet if we need them, are we really happy? Artistic and musical entertainments keep the expectation of "living the good life" high. Yet, how often do people leave the party, preferring to "get away from it all?"

When people finally turn away in their emptiness, what are they seeking? Isn't it clear that "the party" of life with all its entertainments does not truly satisfy, no matter how much everyone smiles politely or how impressed one might be with the fancy clothing, status, wealth, or technological brilliance enjoyed. If they find a peaceful quiet spot in Nature, aren't they actually appreciating the purity of God's Creation that reflects His great goodness? Isn't what they are truly seeking, Him?

Yes, there are enjoyments, achievements, honors and powers, even legitimate ones. There is innocent fun to be experienced in this world, and we may be thrilled with the joys of this world, whatever it is that captures our dreams. Yet, truly, even in the most honorable of pursuits, we only get a few chances to "play the game," a certain amount of time, and then it's done. In a day, a month, a year or more, something will change.

Fun experienced in entertainment of some sort is not the same thing as deep, abiding happiness, joy and the actual bliss experienced within His love. We must realize that fun times and entertainments end, and the loved ones we cherish may move away. Life is filled with uncertainties.

Man and woman are meant to personally experience the bliss known through a direct relationship with the dear Lord - an unending sweetness much more enthralling than any liquor or drug could ever be! With His love in our hearts, we experience true enjoyment of life in all we do. There is no need to work at achieving happiness or joy if we are living in harmony with His will!

When we are young, we do not think much of the warnings given to us by those who have come before us - that wealth may be lost or that reputations may be damaged or forgotten. We laugh at the idea that time is fleeting. We don't wish to believe that our friends or colleagues could willingly, or even unintentionally, betray us.

We panic at the thought that serious illness, disability, or even death may strike us or those we love. We hear the tragic news of others' misfortunes, but hurry to deceive ourselves and think, "It could never happen to me!" Then, we put it out of our mind as if we never heard it.

We can't even imagine that those enjoyments that seem to provide such great pleasure now may lead us far astray and will no longer seem as all-important as they do now. Yet, when we are old, we know only too well that all these things are true; that, yes, they do happen to you and to me, somewhere, sometime, somehow.

Proud Man and the Culture of Death

When we choose to live according to our carnal nature (our physical body, emotions and mind) with its drives and desires and quest for power and superiority in this world, we will to do, and actually do, things that are not much different from what animals do instinctively. Yet, unlike the animals, man has endless desires for many things and is never satisfied with what he takes or gets. He also has endless fears.

The Odyssey,3 an ancient Greek story by Homer, tells us about the journey of a great king and warrior, that brave hero Odysseus. Necessarily being an imperfect man, and being quite arrogant, he found himself blown off course on the seas and lost into the world after the Trojan War. At one point, along with his crew, he sailed to the island of Circe, where they met a sorceress with magical powers.

Circe, like the wild falcon she was named for, was a predator who tested and hunted men and turned them into swine. Odysseus' crew members, however valiant they were in so many ways, were easily changed into animals by Circe. Odysseus, however, had received wisdom from the goddess Athena, as well as instruction from the messenger of the gods, Hermes. As a man famed for his reasoning ability, Odysseus was not turned into an animal by Circe and remained man.

Like the symbolism in this story of Odysseus and his men, we all have both a rational and animal nature, mind and body, and the same choice throughout our lives: to be ruled by reason or to live instinctively like an animal. We can make pleasure, wealth, power, or status in the world our primary goal in life. Or, we can seek what is wisely considered the truly good life, the life governed by reason which, properly employed, leads us to seek God first and foremost (Matthew 6:24, 33).

Odysseus had many adventures and experienced many trials in the ten years fighting the Trojan War and during the following ten years lost and wandering - struggling so desperately to find his way home. He was finally allowed by "the gods" to return home when he surrendered his pride and prayed to God, "Have mercy upon me, O king, for I declare myself your suppliant." He changed from an arrogant warrior king, who thought he needed nobody but himself, to the man who humbly acknowledged "the gods" and recognized his limitations as man. He surrendered to God.

It is significant that the name Odysseus means "wrathful" or "angry," even "vengeful," one prone to angrily punish others for their crimes. He was a king, but he was above all, man.

["courtesy Family Flying - Blogspot.com"]


As man, like all men at one time or another (Romans 3:23), Odysseus rebelled against God and was punished for this crime by the god of the Sea, Poseidon, who prevented Odysseus from sailing home.

So long as man rejects God, he invites needless self-created suffering, tragically adding to the normal challenges of life. When man defies God, he remains angry, vengeful, and is never allowed to return to his true home, his ultimate good - God, Himself.

The story of Odysseus personifies the plight of man, proud man, who is imperfect, angry, restless and trying every way but the right way to come home, to find peace. Easily offended, proud of his position and intelligence, ever ready to strike out and seek revenge, Odysseus represents unrepentant, arrogant, rebellious man who journeys from dissatisfaction and horror to dissatisfaction and horror, until he finally turns to the right path.

Odysseus' terrible suffering during his life's journey changed him. He then found the right path. His suffering helped him to accept wisdom, as contrasted with the cunning he was famous for, and to acquire the virtues of patience and humility.

If we find that way of life, we enjoy the good that arises from a mind running along the paths right reason would steer it, as well as a body governed by that well-informed mind, bringing man to live a good life as intended by his Creator. It is virtue, moral goodness, which enables man to do good and avoid evil, to protect the vulnerable and serve those in need, and to be inclined to seek God.

In healthcare and in all ways of service to those in need, each of us needs these virtues: wisdom, patience and humility. The Giver of the ethics of life asks more than that we mechanically follow a formula or rule, or even our own understanding of the law, whether human, divine or natural moral law.

Those who wish to follow the ethics of life - which show the way of life the dear Lord wills - must freely strive to be right, to receive wisdom, to live as the virtues enable us to live and as He would have us live. Being right begins with acknowledging God and humbly recognizing our own limitations, however gifted or talented we may be. Being right begins when we choose to do what we already know is right to do.

Actually changing how we are, not just how or what we are doing, costs more than most individuals are willing to pay. Most individuals want the quick and easy answer so they can go on being the same type of person they have been and go on living just the same way as they always have. They do not wish to admit their limitations or surrender their arrogance. They don't want to look at themselves. The dear Lord asks more: that everything we are and everything we possess be freely dedicated to Him (Matthew 19:16-30). This is our duty as man.

Ethics show us how we ought to conduct our lives so that we may do what is right and find the greatest good for ourselves and all other individuals around us. Healthcare professionals, as well as those in all fields, if they are to serve the public well, must adhere to the highest standards of ethical behavior.

When we do the right, we demonstrate morally virtuous conduct. The ethics of life guide us to respect the life we have been given as well as the lives of all around us; to do the good and avoid evil, holding reverence for life within our hearts as we serve those before us.

Those who promote the secular bioethics of today, with its utilitarian bent, cannot accept that man must change himself - allow himself to be transformed by God - before he can ever do the right. They assert that anyone who can think "logically" and who follows their "principles" is capable of weighing the facts, circumstances and ethical considerations to come up with a right conclusion, no matter how cold their heart may be.

They don't consider that in determining what is right for a patient, the character of the person making the decision is extremely important! In fact, it is the most important thing! How absurd to think that anyone can make decisions regarding life and death! Yet, this is exactly what is occurring in our society which has been infiltrated by the culture of death.

Think about it. It's fairly easy to understand that an "evil king" can never administer justice rightly, even if the laws were fair when he ascended to the throne. An evil king would quickly seek to change the laws to suit his base and cruel nature, or, he would make an effort to appear to be acting justly while he oppressed the people. If he cared about his reputation, he would establish the pretense of acting rightly while issuing secret royal orders, exploiting his subjects and violating the rights of many.

He would lie about the circumstances and accept fabricated testimony so that innocents could be killed or imprisoned. An arrogant evil king would certainly make decisions that harm the people, causing terrible suffering.

Only a truly just king, a humble king, can understand the law using right reason, administer justice fairly, and serve the people well. In exactly the same way, a physician, nurse, healthcare administrator, or other servant of the needy, can never consciously choose the right without first seeking to be right within his own heart and mind, without being a seeker of the truth and having love within his heart.

It is for exactly this type of problem that judges are required in a moral society to be moral individuals, and any judge who disgraces himself (is found to be involved in any corrupt act) is either removed outright or voted out by the people. Unfortunately, in the culture of death, where immorality is the rule, corrupt government officials protect corrupt government officials, corrupt judges protect corrupt judges, corrupt attorneys protect corrupt attorneys, and corrupt physicians protect corrupt physicians. When the need arises, all of them protect each other.

Each special group of those who wield power protect their own as a guild, a protected "class" of a sort that holds itself above the law and the standards expected of them, and hides its wrongdoing. Such powerful individuals and groups poison the institutions and structure within society so that their power, wealth and status in life is retained.

In addition, corrupt judges, police, attorneys, even physicians and others may protect active criminals such as thieves, drug dealers, sex and human traffickers and perpetrators of major healthcare fraud. They shield their criminal enterprises from interference, often taking bribes for the service.

Where criminal activity goes unprosecuted we can be sure there are corrupt and powerful individuals involved who make sure those criminals are unhindered in their activities. Immeasurable grief and harm to mankind have been wrought throughout history by corrupt people in positions of power. These are the ones who misuse their power to manipulate others, particularly in healthcare settings, and seek to impose death upon the vulnerable.

Those ethicists who decide what is right for a patient or for our society must be individuals of outstanding character, just as judges are supposed to be. Only those individuals who sincerely thirst for righteousness, who have reverence for God and reverence for life are rewarded and blessed with light and can decide justly (Psalm 18:27-33; Isaiah 58:10)!

It is true that the natural moral law is known to us through our practical experience and understanding of human nature and what is good or bad for all human beings in general because of the human nature that we all have in common. Yet, proud man is not inclined to acknowledge the natural moral law even when it is obvious to him.

Those who have been blessed by God, who have opened their hearts to His grace, receive the cleansing and actual uplifting presence of God, the Holy Spirit. He enters within their hearts and heals their minds and their souls (Acts 2:1-4; John 14:23). Therefore, true baptism is something very real that is transmitted to man, not a mere theory, empty ceremony, or dry philosophical or theological concept conveyed with flowery language.

God's grace is poured out upon those who seek Him just as much today as it was in the past. With this grace comes a light that illumines one's mind and uplifts one's heart so that one is receptive to fully accept and obey what right reason makes clear. One perceives the natural moral law like an open book and one knows what acts are right or wrong, or good or bad, for all human beings in general.

Just as a car's engine must be adjusted to run right, as a stringed instrument must be tuned to make beautiful music, man must be tuned, and brought into harmony through God's grace so that he is able to live rightly. It is the light of God's grace that enables man to live rightly, and this light guides physicians and others, who make decisions regarding the treatment and care of vulnerable people, to have reverence for life. Having reverence for life, their decisions are just, merciful and faithful, and reflect awareness of the sanctity of life.

"In Him was life, and that Life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness,
but the darkness has not understood it." - John 1:4-5

What can be meant by "the light of men" other than the uplifting presence of God which shows the way to live, makes the law to be seen as it truly is - glorious and eternal - and leads men ultimately to Himself? That "light of men" illumines the mind as a gift and is infinitely more valuable than the knowledge man may acquire. It is rather, the wisdom of God given to man as he may need to understand it (1 Corinthians:17-31)!

How can man establish justice and harmony in the world if he does not have that wisdom within his mind, as well as a love for justice within his heart? When ethical challenges arise in society as a whole, in healthcare. in technological or scientific research, how can man see the right choice to make without first caring for those affected, patients or others, as much as he cares for himself? Only a humble man can care for others as much as he cares for himself. How can man see the right when he refuses to acknowledge the obvious natural moral law?

When it comes to scientific investigation, we know that men studiously seek knowledge of all sorts, sometimes spending entire lifetimes expanding our knowledge of the world, but what kind of knowledge is sought and for what purpose? How many seek the wisdom required to know how to fairly and justly use knowledge for the good of all? It is the character of man that determines the type of knowledge he seeks and how he applies that knowledge in the world. Yet without wisdom, can man truly do good?

Yes, man's quest for knowledge, even when he is aware of his limited span of life, can be wonderful and praiseworthy. It is part of what makes us man. We strive to expand our knowledge, scientifically explore the world and use that knowledge to improve the lives of many. We can create truly beautiful and useful objects through our technology, art and craftsmanship to be used or enjoyed in daily life.

Man has moved from inventing the wheel and wagon to the bicycle, automobile, jet and spaceship. Man has moved from wooden implements to tools made of various metals - bronze, iron, steel or titanium. Each of these steps dramatically changed the living conditions of people, permitting the creation of wonderful tools for farming, crafts, and industry. Yet each has also been used for war, providing a military advantage to those using the latest technology and strongest materials.

In the same way, the discovery of explosive black powder in China led eventually to the creation of guns and other weapons that altered the balance of power in many parts of the world. Soldiers fighting with swords or bows and arrows stood little chance to resist those attacking with guns and rifles, and those with guns and rifles stand little chance against those with canons, missiles and aerial computer-guided precision bombardment.

Man has discovered antibiotic medicines that cure diseases that formerly killed millions. He has invented steam, diesel and gasoline engines, discovered electricity and thousands of ways to put it to use, mass production of goods through industrialization and assembly lines, and even nuclear power. He has wonderful architectural achievements, exquisite art, communications linking people all over the world, and computer technology allowing just about anyone to accomplish tasks that have never before been possible.

He has opened up the unseen world of microscopic matter and life with new microscopes and gazed at stars light years away - among so many other amazing accomplishments.

Ultimately, however, there is more to life than acquiring knowledge, even great knowledge, or creating and enjoying beautiful and useful objects or technology. Knowledge is power, and how we use that knowledge determines whether man is harmed or helped.

There are always some who will use that knowledge not to improve the conditions of others, but to exploit and oppress them. Mechanization becomes assembly-line production of machine guns used to kill millions. Nuclear energy becomes a nuclear bomb. Knowledge of diseases and how to cure them becomes biowarfare. Clearly, how we apply knowledge, industry and technology, and how we conduct our lives, make all the difference. This is what ethics is all about.

If computers are used as tools to do good, such as to help find cures for illnesses, that is one thing. However, when they are used to wage war, intimidate the masses, or control flying unmanned drones to bomb enemies and civilians, they become vehicles of terror and instruments of evil.

In the face of suffering, old age, illness and ever-approaching death, man becomes aware of the ever-present threat to his desire to be pain-free, youthful and healthy. No matter how much technology he acquires, suffering, old age, illness and death inevitably bring even the proud and powerful to their knees and finally to the grave.

When man attempts to cure disease and extend his longevity, even to overcome death, there will always come a point where he realizes the impermanence of his life. Although man has been trying for ages, he has failed to achieve immortality, and, contrary to those who think achieving immortality is a good thing, it is only right that imperfect man be born, strive to live a good life, and then die in this world. The Lord said that man "must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take fruit from the tree of life and thus eat of it and live forever" (Genesis 3:22).

We are not meant to live forever in this world. Yet, when man truly and soberly realizes there is no avoiding death, proud man may be shaken. He considers the idea, of not being able to conquer death, sacrilege. His motivation is man against Nature, man against God. He would do it all - do everything for himself!

Whatever his materialistic assertions and beliefs, eventually he awakens from his delusion and realizes the world will pass him by, that in a little while he will be swallowed up in the dust of time and be forgotten here. In that moment, which occurs in every man's life, he must choose whether to continue to fight and evade God, or to finally reach out to Him sincerely.

Although all men have faith in something, proud and materialist man rejects God, preferring to have faith in himself and the experiences he can have in this world, or in the ability of man alone. Proud man refuses to acknowledge God or to love Him. He seeks through technology and science to live bodily as long as he can, forever if possible - believing that in living "forever" materially, he is extending all that there is for him. He madly seeks to control all things without understanding the nature or purpose of life itself.

In refusing to understand life, like the proverbial "bull in the china shop," defiant, materialist man spends his entire life fighting with what is, hurting those around him, closing his eyes, ears, and mind to those who compassionately would help him see the perfection of what God has given us already. Having closed himself off, he greedily grabs what he can, amassing as much as he can while he can, like a poor man gorging himself at a banquet fearing that it will end too soon.

Proud Man, Materialism, Fascism and Socialism

Arrogant and materialistic man seeks to impose his vision of utopia in his family, resulting in the harshly controlled family; in his business, the rigidly and wrongly controlled business; and in his society, the oppressively controlled society.

When we speak of society being oppressively controlled, we must remember that "society" is merely a term used to describe a group of individuals, so it is a group of individuals who are actually oppressed. In order to create such a controlled society, the elite who run the government manipulate society.

They exert governmental power and action to impose unjust control over the individual through an intimidating police state4 that only totalitarianism of one form or another can provide. When the large business owners and corporations control the government, imposing a dictatorial rule over the people, it is fascism. When the "people" represented by the elite in government own all business interests, it is socialism. However arrogant and materialistic man seizes the reins of government, he permits little freedom of will, liberty or religion for the other individuals in society.

Hitler and other socialists have called socialism a religion, yet it is actually pseudo-religion. Socialism demands that faith be placed in the State and that it replace any religion that unites man with God. The religion of socialism unites man with the State, recognizing no authority other than the elite who run the State, who are in effect, the State.

For this reason, when socialist leaders assume dictatorial power, they seek to silence authentic religious voices on many fronts.5 They label those of faith or those who are pro-life as extremists, potential terrorists and radicals.6 The expression of religious truth in schools is now prohibited due to the doctrine of separation of church and state, something that is part of the communist Chinese, Cuban, North Korean and former Soviet Union's constitutions, but was never part of the United States' constitution.

Even in a Western nation like Canada since 2004, quoting from the Bible, or expressing a view consistent with it, that suggests homosexuality is wrong, or that there is no such thing as homosexual "marriage" is considered hate speech.7 We have already seen that marriage actually solely is the covenant relationship between a man and a woman for the purpose of raising children in a family and is expressly blessed by God. We have seen that traditional marriage is in harmony with the divine and the natural moral law.

Raising children to have faith in God within a traditional family setting is the foundation for a moral society and the ethics of life. Any challenge to traditional marriage as being solely between a man and a woman, and the traditional family environment created by such a marriage, is a conscious rejection of the divine and natural moral law.

Rather than being an effort to achieve equality between heterosexuals and homosexuals, it actually is an effort to implement policies that promote the lawless lifestyles common in the culture of death. It leads to a reduction in parental and individual rights, to state control over children, and the indoctrination of those children so they become willing supporters of the totalitarian regime.8

Because it might offend others, speech that involves expressing one's faith in God and the moral principles contained in the divine and the natural moral law is, for all practical purposes, forbidden in many business and other societal settings. Yet, quite to the contrary, the First Amendment of the US Constitution expressly guarantees the right to express oneself and to express the views arising out of one's religion.

In healthcare and in judicial settings, such speech is especially forbidden by employers and administrators, because it would be "unprofessional." Yet, religious expression pervaded American society in all these settings until the 20th century's secularization of society.

Dictatorial socialist regimes place obstacles in the path of those who would perform charitable works or give to charities. In fact, if fully in control of society, socialist elites regularly outlaw certain charities, especially those based upon faith in God. Socialism encourages dependence upon the State rather than husband, wife, father, mother, family, or community and charitable services. All means of production are owned by the state which is said to be "the people."

In contradiction to the false worldview of socialists, when men and women have children, women naturally need the support of a man to protect and provide sustenance for mother and child. This is the natural order of things in this world, a world in which woman and man both live and in which each have their strengths and weaknesses.

In contradiction to the false worldview of socialists, family life is the natural means of protecting mother and child when they are most vulnerable. It is marriage between man and woman that has been blessed by God for the benefit of both, that each would be a helper to the other, and that promotes the best outcome for all, which allows for the joyful experience of loving, serving and caring for each other all the days of their lives.

In order to eliminate what effectively demonstrates the truly worthwhile, marriage and family life, socialists encourage all sorts of immorality and the destruction of the family and family values. When men and women follow this path, women have children without husbands and find themselves alone and poor, without a helper to protect and provide for them. The socialists encourage families created by single mothers, because they know those mothers will need a larger and more powerful government to survive.

In a socialist system, the single pregnant mother - for she is a mother even before she gives birth - finds easy access to government-funded abortion. If the mother decides to keep the child, she looks to the State for help, and the State complies as it assumes greater and greater power in society and in the lives of each individual. It gives mother and child the assistance they need while exacting a terrible price: loss of their freedom!

Abortion is sacred to a fascist or socialist and totalitarian agenda, because it is one of the most effective weapons used to destroy respect for life, for marriage and family, for God and the divine and the natural moral law.

In the faith-based society, a popular motto is "for God, Family, and Nation." The way of God says that we must serve and sacrifice for the good of others, and especially for our children, while respecting the individual as well. In the secular or socialist nation, the motto is simply "for the State" or symbolically, "Forward!"9 Secularism and socialism encourage man and woman to think of the State first and then their own self-interest; the individual may be sacrificed if necessary for the State.

They encourage man and woman to choose not to practice sacrificial love. Socialists, posing as feminists, have encouraged women to declare that, "It's my body! I'll do what I want!" and to ignore the long-established scientific fact that abortion is the conscious, willing, medical murder of a mother and father's own child in the womb. While God says, "Do not murder the innocent!" the state says, "It is 'ok' to do so!" Proud and self-centered man rebels and chooses to end the lives of the defenseless.

Children raised in the increasingly more common single-parent home are denied the love and influence of a father. They often lack the reliable presence of their mother as well, since she has to work much to make ends meet. They are more likely to grow up to use drugs and alcohol, to do less well in school and to engage in sexual relations outside of marriage, leading to a vicious cycle where the State, rather than a loving family is looked to for stability and survival.

As the government's role in all individuals' lives grows, the State seeks to "educate" the children at earlier and earlier ages, with kindergarten and pre-school programs, forbidding the use of any religious textbooks that promote the divine and the natural moral law, supposedly "for the good of the child."

Even though such programs are proved to be ineffective in raising the academic outcomes10 for these children (its purported goal), the programs are continued or even expanded, because the real goal is that the children be increasingly educated to adopt a state-approved worldview, rather than be taught the values of a mother, father and extended family of faith.

A socialist or totalitarian government will increasingly seek to control most aspects of man's life. In this way, materialist man establishes his own form of the culture of death.

Endnotes:

1 New World Encyclopedia, Florence Nightingale [Back]

2 St. Thomas Aquinas, "Of the Natural Law," Treatise on Law Summa Theologica, FS, Question 94. [Back]

3 Homer, The Odyssey: Book 10, also see the ending of Book 5 for an account of Odysseus' humble prayer to the gods. Whether the author, "Homer," refers to one writer or several is not known. [Back]

4 James Simpson, The growing militarization of U.S. police - Thousands of SWAT-type raids changing face of law enforcement, April 7, 2013, WorldNetDaily.com. Also see:
Justin Elliott, How the feds fueled the militarization of police, Dec 24, 2011, Salon.com. Also see:
Kimberly Dvorak, Homeland Security increasingly lending drones to local police, Dec 10, 2012, WashingtonTimes.com. Also see:
Radley Balko, Overkill: The Latest Trend in Policing, Feb 5, 2006, WashingtonPost.com. Also see:
Rose Jones, Militarization of police endangers liberty, Mar 18, 2013, The Daily Utah Chronicle. [Back]

5 Staff, Chinese authorities arrest Beijing megachurch pastor, April 18, 2011, ChristianityToday.com. Also see:
Kenneth Chan, Vietnamese Christians arrested and deported from Cambodia, April 22, 2004. Also see:
Chuck Norris, Holy Week and holy war, Mar 24, 2013, WorldNetDaily.com. [Back]

6 Jack Minor, "Military warned 'evangelicals' No. 1 threat - Christians targeted ahead of Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaida, KKK, April 5, 2013. WorldnetDaily.com. Also see:
Arie Perliger, Challengers from the Sidelines Understanding America's Violent Far-Right, Nov 2012, The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Also see:
Eli Lake and Audrey Hudson, Federal agency warns of radicals on right, April 14, 2009, WashingtonTimes.com. Also see:
Extremism and Radicalization Branch, Homeland Environment Threat Analysis Division, Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment, April 7, 2009, US Dept of Homeland Security. [Back]

7 Canadian Parliament, "Section 318 - Hate Propaganda, April 2004, Canadian Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46). [Back]

8 Kurt Nimmo, "MSNBC Host: Your Kids Belong to the Collective, April 6, 2013, Infowars.com. Also see:
Michelle Hurni, Parental Rights Under Fire, July 4, 2010, Examiner.com. Also see:
Viktor Koslov, Bulgaria: 'Child Law' Bill Threatens the Family With Totalitarian Social Engineering, April 25, 2012, ChristianPost.com. [Back]

9 Victor Morton, "New Obama slogan has long ties to Marxism, socialism, April 30, 2012, WashingtonTimes.com Admin. for Children and Families, US DHHS. Also see:
Joel B Pollak, Forward, Comrades! A May Day Journey Through the History of Obama's Slogan, April 30, 2012, Breitbart.com. [Back]

10 Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, "Head Start Impact Study, Jan 2010, Admin. for Children and Families, US DHHS. Also see:
Michael Puma, et al, Third Grade Follow-up to the Head Start Impact Study Final Report, Oct 2012, Admin. for Children and Families, US DHHS. [Back]

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