By Anna Von Reitz
We are familiar with the debate set
off by the publication of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, but for well over a
hundred years prior to that and continuing to the present, there was another
such debate raging.
off by the publication of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, but for well over a
hundred years prior to that and continuing to the present, there was another
such debate raging.
This Other Great Debate arose in the
wreckage of the English Civil War, but unlike the debate over Darwinism which
was (and is) a very public discourse, this earlier Great Debate was a different
kind of ecclesiastical fistacuffs, touching areas that we were not deemed to be
sufficiently interested to engage in public debate.
wreckage of the English Civil War, but unlike the debate over Darwinism which
was (and is) a very public discourse, this earlier Great Debate was a different
kind of ecclesiastical fistacuffs, touching areas that we were not deemed to be
sufficiently interested to engage in public debate.
Listen and decide for yourselves if
you are sufficiently interested.
you are sufficiently interested.
This Other Great Debate centered on
the existence of poverty. If God loves us, why does he show so little concern
for the millions of impoverished, stunted, and miserable people on this planet?
Is God a Deadbeat Dad? Or is there some other hidden meaning or benefit to
poverty?
the existence of poverty. If God loves us, why does he show so little concern
for the millions of impoverished, stunted, and miserable people on this planet?
Is God a Deadbeat Dad? Or is there some other hidden meaning or benefit to
poverty?
The Creationists (not the same
Creationists who have disagreed with the conclusions of Darwin, but a name
attached to the proponents in this prior debate, too) looked around at the
abundance of the Earth and took the stance that if we were impoverished, it was
because of our own bone-headed refusal to do the job that our Creator assigned
to Adam. If we would act as better caretakers of God's abundant gifts, and share
with each other as Jesus commanded us, then all would be well. Poverty as a
systemic problem would disappear. Naturally.
Creationists who have disagreed with the conclusions of Darwin, but a name
attached to the proponents in this prior debate, too) looked around at the
abundance of the Earth and took the stance that if we were impoverished, it was
because of our own bone-headed refusal to do the job that our Creator assigned
to Adam. If we would act as better caretakers of God's abundant gifts, and share
with each other as Jesus commanded us, then all would be well. Poverty as a
systemic problem would disappear. Naturally.
Ben Franklin's irreverent reply is
still part of modern culture: "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to
be happy."
still part of modern culture: "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to
be happy."
The Opposition, mainly clergy of the
Roman Catholic Church, said, but, wait a minute. Our Lord and his Disciples were
all mendicants, traveling from town to town, depending on the kindness of others
to give them shelter and food. Is this not proof that poverty engenders virtue
and is virtuous?
Roman Catholic Church, said, but, wait a minute. Our Lord and his Disciples were
all mendicants, traveling from town to town, depending on the kindness of others
to give them shelter and food. Is this not proof that poverty engenders virtue
and is virtuous?
Oddly, after going a few rounds, one
discovers that both sides of this argument center around one word: freedom.
discovers that both sides of this argument center around one word: freedom.
There are two ways in which a man can
be free. Either he has everything sufficient to support himself and his life and
functions in a state of abundance, or, he has nothing, and so, is set free of
worldly attachments and concerns.
be free. Either he has everything sufficient to support himself and his life and
functions in a state of abundance, or, he has nothing, and so, is set free of
worldly attachments and concerns.
The Founding Fathers stood with the
Creationists and upheld the belief that if we accept "Adam's burdens" and
care-taking responsibilities, everything is already divinely set up and ready to
produce all the abundance anyone could wish for, and more than enough to provide
every man, woman, and child with what they need to live happy and productive
lives.
Creationists and upheld the belief that if we accept "Adam's burdens" and
care-taking responsibilities, everything is already divinely set up and ready to
produce all the abundance anyone could wish for, and more than enough to provide
every man, woman, and child with what they need to live happy and productive
lives.
The Roman Catholic Church (and their
Holy Roman Empire) took the other tack and adopted "The Doctrine of
Scarcity"---attempting to end poverty by deliberately fostering more of it.
Their answer to the Other Great Debate was that poverty is virtuous and leads to
freedom from worldly cares, so the more poverty, the better.
Holy Roman Empire) took the other tack and adopted "The Doctrine of
Scarcity"---attempting to end poverty by deliberately fostering more of it.
Their answer to the Other Great Debate was that poverty is virtuous and leads to
freedom from worldly cares, so the more poverty, the better.
Are you "burdened down" with your
wealth, tired of managing your stock portfolio, yearning to be free of such
responsibilities? The Church will take that burden from you, in exchange for
food, shelter, and basic medical care.
wealth, tired of managing your stock portfolio, yearning to be free of such
responsibilities? The Church will take that burden from you, in exchange for
food, shelter, and basic medical care.
Enter the modern welfare system and
the schmarmy dark world of "social engineering".
the schmarmy dark world of "social engineering".
In the process of relieving millions
upon millions of people of their worldly goods, the Church has become
unimaginably wealthy, has created the modern welfare state, and wittingly or
unwittingly, also created a system of enslavement to the Church--- because when
people are dependent upon you for food, shelter, and medical aid, not to
mention, supposedly, the fate of their eternal souls, you exercise immense
coercive power over them.
upon millions of people of their worldly goods, the Church has become
unimaginably wealthy, has created the modern welfare state, and wittingly or
unwittingly, also created a system of enslavement to the Church--- because when
people are dependent upon you for food, shelter, and medical aid, not to
mention, supposedly, the fate of their eternal souls, you exercise immense
coercive power over them.
As usual, what started out as good
intentions and scripture-based logic on the part of Catholic clergy three
centuries ago, has led straight to Hell. While the Doctrine of Scarcity has led
to social welfare via a different route than communism, it has had much the same
result---- deprivation, suppression of individual motivation and initiative, and
misuse of coercive power.
intentions and scripture-based logic on the part of Catholic clergy three
centuries ago, has led straight to Hell. While the Doctrine of Scarcity has led
to social welfare via a different route than communism, it has had much the same
result---- deprivation, suppression of individual motivation and initiative, and
misuse of coercive power.
What of the other side of the
argument?
argument?
We have mixed results. The Founding
Fathers were correct that the Earth is more than abundant enough to support us
all and provide abundance for everyone. Unfortunately, the moral and educational
basis behind their original concept was never brought forward into the popular
consciousness. Instead, the opportunity they created was seized upon by Robber
Barons.
Fathers were correct that the Earth is more than abundant enough to support us
all and provide abundance for everyone. Unfortunately, the moral and educational
basis behind their original concept was never brought forward into the popular
consciousness. Instead, the opportunity they created was seized upon by Robber
Barons.
These men did not embrace the concept
of Adam's care-taking role, much less did they embrace Jesus's concept of
sharing the benefit of mutually owned resources; instead, these Robber Barons
sought possession and control of natural resources for their own profit -- the
more exclusive the control and the more monopolized, the better.
of Adam's care-taking role, much less did they embrace Jesus's concept of
sharing the benefit of mutually owned resources; instead, these Robber Barons
sought possession and control of natural resources for their own profit -- the
more exclusive the control and the more monopolized, the better.
Thus we have the specter of giant
mining operations in which resources belonging to the entire nation are stripped
and used to profit a few, transportation that is controlled and monopolized for
profit-taking, electrical and water and waste management utilities that are
similarly monopolized for exercise of coercive power and the profit of a few,
medical and pharmaceutical industries that are centered on profit instead of
health, and so on.
mining operations in which resources belonging to the entire nation are stripped
and used to profit a few, transportation that is controlled and monopolized for
profit-taking, electrical and water and waste management utilities that are
similarly monopolized for exercise of coercive power and the profit of a few,
medical and pharmaceutical industries that are centered on profit instead of
health, and so on.
As the only goal of these men and
their corporations was profit for themselves and their shareholders, society has
suffered as a whole and the Earth has suffered, too.
their corporations was profit for themselves and their shareholders, society has
suffered as a whole and the Earth has suffered, too.
The Founders were right about our
ability to create abundance, but the moral imperative for doing so --- and the
envisioned end result, freedom, was lost in the shuffle.
ability to create abundance, but the moral imperative for doing so --- and the
envisioned end result, freedom, was lost in the shuffle.
Nobody on the street understood that
freedom was the goal and that the creation of abundance was merely a mechanism
to create freedom via abundance for Mankind as a whole.
freedom was the goal and that the creation of abundance was merely a mechanism
to create freedom via abundance for Mankind as a whole.
The other part of the Founder's
vision was that we could, with sufficient initiative, easily provide ourselves
with ample largess, enabling us to support the weak, the old, the sick, the
mentally infirm, orphans, and others unable to support themselves -- not with
coercive institutionalized welfare, but with love.
vision was that we could, with sufficient initiative, easily provide ourselves
with ample largess, enabling us to support the weak, the old, the sick, the
mentally infirm, orphans, and others unable to support themselves -- not with
coercive institutionalized welfare, but with love.
In a world of abundance, there is no
need to feel burdened by the poor, the young, the old, or the sick. Rather, once
set free of the hard-scrabble, we are also set free to open our hearts and to
care for those in need in our communities on a private basis.
need to feel burdened by the poor, the young, the old, or the sick. Rather, once
set free of the hard-scrabble, we are also set free to open our hearts and to
care for those in need in our communities on a private basis.
The Founders took it for granted that
from whatever religious or ethnic or racial background we came from, we would at
least have the moral and ethical motivation to take care of our own and share
our resources within our own communities. Our republican form of government
supports and expedites this outcome, by allowing us to marshal both our public
and private resources in pursuit of the Public Good.
from whatever religious or ethnic or racial background we came from, we would at
least have the moral and ethical motivation to take care of our own and share
our resources within our own communities. Our republican form of government
supports and expedites this outcome, by allowing us to marshal both our public
and private resources in pursuit of the Public Good.
After 350 years, the results are in
and have yet to be tabulated.
and have yet to be tabulated.
Contestant Number One, the Roman
Catholic Church through its secular institutions, including the United Nations
and its megalomaniac UN CORP, standing for institutionalized poverty, cradle to
grave welfare state, the end of private property, universal pauperism, coercive
power wielded by the Church using forced dependency and control of access to
food, water, shelter, money, and other resources to compel obedience to whatever
the Church aka UN planners want.
Catholic Church through its secular institutions, including the United Nations
and its megalomaniac UN CORP, standing for institutionalized poverty, cradle to
grave welfare state, the end of private property, universal pauperism, coercive
power wielded by the Church using forced dependency and control of access to
food, water, shelter, money, and other resources to compel obedience to whatever
the Church aka UN planners want.
Contestant Number Two, the American
Dream Team, through their individual efforts, vision of freedom through
abundance, community spirit, and common sense and enterprise ---- salted down
with much-needed control over corporations and a refurbishing of corporate goals
and management objectives worldwide. Continuance of private property and private
enterprise, community-based welfare, local control of natural resources, and
self-governance.
Dream Team, through their individual efforts, vision of freedom through
abundance, community spirit, and common sense and enterprise ---- salted down
with much-needed control over corporations and a refurbishing of corporate goals
and management objectives worldwide. Continuance of private property and private
enterprise, community-based welfare, local control of natural resources, and
self-governance.
You are the judges. You get to decide
the outcome of the Other Great Debate.
the outcome of the Other Great Debate.
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