“Do it for Mandela” and man worship

This past Monday, 18 July 2011, was Nelson Mandela’s 93^rd birthday. The U.seless N.ations have declared that day an international day, Nelson Mandela Day, on which e are supposed to do at least 67 minutes of good deeds for our fellow human beings. These 67 minutes are to commemorate the 67 years he gave to the struggle for social justice.

The world idolises the man to the point of nausea! It is as if he is the son of the virgin Mary, obviously to whom he is no comparison! They forget, that “saint” Mandela committed many atrocities and ordered the bombings of places where many civilians died. This is the man who did not have the backbone, the moral fortitude to stop the ANC’s juggernaut of immorality and perversions, who signed into law evils like abortion and pornography.

I have written against Mandela before, so I won’t rehash all of that, so rather than writing about it again, you could watch the following two videos by Dr. Peter Hammond, from Frontline Fellowship, who met and spoke to Mandela.

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The Battle for the mind in the news media

Dr. Peter Hammond from Africa Christian Action has written a thought provoking article on the reporting abilities of the MSM. I have said for a long time that the modern MSM has lost its ability to report without being biased one way or another. Pick up a newspaper or watch the news or some so-called investigative TV news programme, and you will soon realize that it is not the truth that matters, but the point they are trying to make. Please, don't let the story be obscured by facts and truth!

Read Dr. Hammond's article below. Remember, the news you read or watch, is not all that it seems to be.

THE BATTLE FOR THE MIND IN THE NEWS MEDIA Without Fear or Favour “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbour…” Ephesians 4:25 While claiming to be neutral, newspaper journalists and TV presenters often report the news from an anti-Christian point of view. At one time, especially in the 19th century, most leading newspapers were Christian. However, there has been a major shift in the news media on what is covered and how it is covered. Is There an Agenda? Instead of the wide-angle lens of context, all too often the zoom lens of selective focus has predominated. Is there an agenda? Or are we dealing merely with bias and prejudice? Misinformation on Mozambique My first mission field was Marxist Mozambique. Many asked why the mass media accounts of what was happening in Mozambique differed so radically from Frontline Fellowship reports. My answer was that there simply was no freedom of speech, freedom of movement or freedom of the press in Mozambique at that time. Most press accounts in Mozambique came from Frelimo’s Agency Information Mozambique (AIM). These press releases were distributed by telex and the wire services of SAPA-Reuter and others. Most articles in the print media and items on radio and TV originated with AIM, a Marxist, state-owned propaganda agency – hardly renowned for honesty and lack of bias. During the 1980’s very few journalists actually visited Mozambique, and those who did were normally restricted to the five-star Polana Hotel in Maputo. Their main sources of information were briefings by Frelimo officials, or guided tours and stage-managed interviews – all hosted by Marxist officials and translators. In a country with a history of concentration camps, torture, public floggings and mass executions, it was easy to find co-operative villagers and pastors who would espouse the desired party line. Those gullible and naïve journalists who then readily parroted the standard stock phrases, parrot cries and clichés no doubt received Frelimo’s approval, and further invitations to return for another propaganda exercise some other day. By way of contrast, our missionaries had continual contact with the people on the ground, in the rural areas. We got the feel of the country by personal experience, over long periods of time, and as the villagers unburdened their hearts to us and related what they had suffered. “An ounce of experience is worth a ton of theory.” Disinformation in Rwanda The ease with which the orchestrators of the genocide in Rwanda confused international journalists and abused their national media to mobilize the unprecedented concentration of carnage, raised uncomfortable questions. In it’s 1200 page report on the genocide in Rwanda, African Rights concluded that: “The response to the aftermath of the genocide was almost as shocking as the response to the genocide itself…Progress towards justice has been negligible. On the contrary, there is a concentrated attempt to distort or deny what has happened. The survivors of the genocide are not the beneficiaries of national and international compassion and support, rather they are almost wholly forgotten, while displaced people and refugees receive massive and indiscriminate assistance…The refusal to face the reality of what is one of the very worst crimes against humanity since the foundation of the United Nations…” The AR report found that the killings were meticulously organised in advance. The French-trained Presidential Guard, the Army, the Gendarmes and Civil Administrators were willing instruments in the genocide. The killings in Rwanda were no spontaneous outburst, but followed instructions from the highest level. African Rights condemned the gullibility of the international media for accepting the MRND party line that the killings were merely “tribal anarchy” and “uncontrollable tribal killing.” By portraying the genocide as “tribalism” and as a result of “the war” they provided a smokescreen of confusion, which allowed the killers to proceed with their diabolical plans. Central to the Hutu MRND government strategy was to sow confusion so that no one knew what was happening. They isolated their victims by imposing a news blackout, cutting telephone links, establishing a dense network of roadblocks, and imposing a nationwide curfew. These measures kept people in their homes and prevented most people from fleeing. By cutting communications and restricting travel they isolated their victims and sought to stifle the flow of news. When the genocide was launched on 6 April 1994, most African correspondents were in South Africa for the elections. There were, actually, only two international journalists in Rwanda at that time – and they were in Kigali, cut off from what was going on in the rural areas Following the assassination of the president the MRND government launched a campaign of disinformation. They portrayed the killings as a spontaneous outbreak of “tribal violence.” They sought to confuse the mass killings of defenseless peoples with “the war” and insisted that a ceasefire was the pre-condition for involvement. Thirdly they played “the humanitarian card” by pleading for emergency aid. All this deflected attention from the central issue of the genocide. The tenancy [sic] of most journalists to label every conflict in Africa as “tribalism” has become absurd. Many foreign aid workers fuelled this tendency with ill-informed comments such as: “Everyone is killing everyone!”; “It’s uncontrollable violence”; “the Hutus and Tutsis are killing one another again!” Having killed opposition politicians, Rwandese journalists, human rights activists and others who might present an accurate report on the bloodshed, the MRND government then pursued their second strategy of disinformation to confuse the issue with self-serving false reports. They portrayed the violence as “spontaneous rage” in response to the assassination of the president, even though it was the MRND government and military who were responsible for the assassination of the President themselves. In the first days, international attention generally focused on the plight of foreigners. Camera crews were, understandably, only prepared to travel with international troops – whose mission was to evacuate foreigners. This naturally led to a slanted and incomplete picture being portrayed to the world. The strategy of disinformation and terror so callously and effectively orchestrated by the MRND Hutu government in Rwanda was spectacularly successful. With most international attention focused on South Africa’s volatile elections, there were no journalists in the rural areas of Rwanda reporting on the massacres there. The rural genocide was effectively hidden from the outside world for almost three weeks. Aaron Makuba, whose whole family was wiped out complained: “The world persists in characterizing the bloodshed as ethnic clashes. We who have lost our families, relatives, colleagues and neighbours regard this as unfair, unjust and a source of immense pain.” “People should stop describing Rwanda to us as tribes who are in the process of killing one another,” Dr Jean Herve Bradol of MSF – France concluded, “I think it is really the final insult to the victims, to present the matters in this way. And I believe that this way of presenting things is not altogether incidental, perhaps in order to justify the passivity of various parties…” Focusing on Darfur and Ignoring the Nuba It is quite remarkable that such a vast amount of media attention has recently been focused on the suffering of Muslims in Darfur, while completely ignoring the vastly greater and much longer tragedy of Islamic Jihad against the Christians of Southern Sudan and the Nuba Mountains. Approximately 2 million people, most of these Christians, died in the 50 years Jihad against the Christians in Southern Sudan. Yet, the news media showed little interest and the UN and Western governments did comparatively little for the Christian victims of Jihad in Southern Sudan. However, for some reason, the five years of low intensity conflict in Western Sudan in Darfur has received enormous worldwide media and government attention. As a result it is has also received disproportionately more Church attention and aid. Darfur is a 99% Muslim area in Western Sudan. What had been going on in Darfur is Muslim-on- Muslim violence. It is typical Arab banditry that has been going on for centuries. In this case Muslim Arabs are fighting against Muslim Blacks. The Christians that we serve in Southern Sudan, Northern Nigeria and other parts of Africa, are somewhat cynical about this, pointing out that it seems the West is only concerned for Muslims and never Christians. The West was tremendously concerned for Muslims in Bosnia, Muslims in Kuwait, Muslims in Somalia, Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq and Muslims in Darfur. However, the West stood by while hundreds of thousands of Christians were slaughtered in Rwanda and in Southern Sudan and the Nuba Mountains. The point made is that it would seem that the world media, and the UN, would only mobilize international campaigns to support Muslim victims, never Christians. Another point worth noting is that the Black Muslims of Darfur have traditionally been some of the worst slave raiders, guilty of many of the worst atrocities committed against Christians in Bar-el-Ghazal, and the Nuba Mountains. When General Charles Gordon travelled to Sudan in the 19 th century, he saw that the worst slave raids came from the Darfur Muslims. At that time he noted that 7 out of every 8 Black people in Sudan were slaves. Villifying the Victims and Justifying the Villains Over the last 26 years that I have been serving as missionary to the persecuted in Africa, I could not help but notice how frequently the mass media chose to target those targeted by international communism. Is it just coincidental that during the Rhodesian War, the Border war in South West Africa/Namibia, the riots in South Africa, the Killing fields of Mozambique, the civil war in Angola, the massacre of Matebele tribesmen in Zimbabwe, the Red Terror in Ethiopia, the holocaust in Rwanda, the Jihad in Sudan, the wave of church burning in Northern Nigeria, or any other of the many calamities and conflicts in Africa, most of the mass media have chosen to confuse the issues, avoid the heart of the matter, villify the victims and whitewash the villains? Pro-Abortion Journalism After one interview with a journalist from The Argus concerning our work in Sudan, I asked: “Why is it that The Argus continually publishes Pro-Abortion articles, and ignores Pro-Life events such as the Life Chains and the National Day of Repentance?” The answer was astounding: “Well, we’re pro-choice.” “Yes, I understand that, but surely it is your intention to report events and present the facts, without fear or favour, from both sides?” She smiled and shrugged her shoulders: “Well, I’m pro-choice. Every journalist that I know is pro-choice. And, well, I guess we’re just biased!” she grinned broadly. That was a remarkable honest statement, but there is no doubt that most of the print media in South Africa is pro-abortion and pro-homosexuality. Selective Focus Although most journalists and editors will claim that they are objective, even the most objective journalist has to admit that they collect far more facts than they publish. There is the judgment on what to cover, how to cover it, and what facts, opinions or viewpoints that they have come across to include in the story and which to discard. Secondly the reporter or editor decides which of the facts should be included in the first paragraph of the story and thereby emphasized above the others. Thirdly the editor will decide whether the story is placed on page one, or page sixteen. On page one it will attract far more attention than it would on any other page. Spiking the Spiritual Although at one time, particularly in the early part of the 19th century, journalism emphasized God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility, most modern journalists choose to spike the Spiritual. At one time newspaper articles pointed out that kings who disobeyed God were exposed and deposed. Those who engaged in duels were without true honour because they sought esteem amongst men more than following God’s commands. Lightning storms were seen to demonstrate Spiritual lessons. Lack of repentance was shown to have murderous consequences. “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:50 To read the rest of this article, click here. The above article was published in the Christian Action magazine, 2009, Volume 2. Subscribe for only R60 a year. Published quarterly. Dr. Peter Hammond Africa Christian Action PO Box 23632 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689 4481 E-mail: info@christianaction.org.za Web: www.christianaction.org.za   Some recommended Christian Media : Christian News from Christians for Truth: mail@cft.org.za Frontline Fellowship News: P.O. Box 74, Newlands, 7725, Cape Town, South Africa, admin@frontline.org.za. Gospel Defence League: P.O. Box 832, Milnerton, 7435, Cape Town, dscarborough@mweb.co.za. JOY! Magazine: P.O. Box 2990, Somerset West, 7130, Cape Town, South Africa, E-mail: info@joymag.co.za, Web: www.joymag.co.za The Revivalist: 356-376 Ravenhill Road, Belfast, BT6 8GL, Northern Ireland Movieguide: 2510 G, Las Posas Road 502, Camarillo, CA 93010, USA, Web: www.movieguide.org World Magazine: P.O. Box 20002, Ashville, NC 28802-9998, USA, Web: www.worldmag.com Focus on the Family Monthly Magazine: Private Bag X1023, Hillcrest, 3650, Cape Town, South Africa, E-mail: correspondence@fotf.co.za, Web: www.safamily.org.za

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Poverty – Its Causes and Cure

Dr. Peter Hammond has sent out an insightful newsletter from Africa Christian Action on Fri 17 April 2009, on the causes and cure of poverty.

This analysis also shows how myths pertaining to poverty simply do not hold water.

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POVERTY- ITS CAUSES AND CURE From the squatter camps, to the rundown ghettos, to the refugee camps, Christians are struggling to respond to suffering with practical love. The difference of productivity and income per person in the Western world compared to the so called "developing" or "third" world was 2 to 1 last century. Now it is 70 to 1. This escalating disparity, along with the impact of natural and man-made disasters, has greatly increased the flow of refugees and "illegal aliens" into Western nations. It has also greatly aggravated the spread of diseases, environmental degradation, the escalation of crime and the possibilities of conflict. One of the main responses of the industrial nations has been to supply generous amounts of foreign aid to the poorer nations. However, foreign aid has been accused of denying the poorer nations the chance to develop their economies to viability. Most aid does not encourage self sufficiency and growth. The dumping of food-surplus aid has damaged local agriculture in the long term. It is hard for farmers to sell what is being given away. While we must most certainly love our neighbour, especially the deserving poor, we need to be wise and discerning in our aid so as to encourage responsibility and rehabilitation. The Abuse of Relief Aid Since 1954 the USA has shipped millions of tonnes of food aid to India - to the Indian government (not private businesses or agencies). Rats have consumed more than half of this food at the docks and storage facilities! Because of Hinduism's belief in reincarnation, rats and sacred cows may not be killed! It would take a train 3000 miles long to haul the grain eaten by Indian rats in a single year! Also, the sacred cows in India eat enough food to feed most of Asia! And the Hindu temples contain a vast fortune of gold, rubies, sapphires and other precious stones in their statues - which are worshipped as idols. It is actually Hinduism's re-incarnation beliefs, its' sacred cows, protected rats, idols made of gold and jewels, wasted resources and superstition that are causing the poverty and starvation in India. Ethiopia in the 1980's was a classic example of a man-made famine. Socialism, confiscations and nationalisations, the abolishment of incentive, the punishment of productivity and subsidising of irresponsibility caused the starvation in what used to be called "the breadbasket of Africa." The "Red Terror" mass executions, forced removals of millions of people and destruction of crops by the government further aggravated the famine. The corruption and abuse of the relief aid in Ethiopia was the ultimate scandal: 100% import tax was charged on all free relief aid! Brand new Mercedes Benz trucks were required with 100% import tax imposed on all these trucks for transporting the food. All these trucks had to be signed over to the marxist government of Ethiopia! (And all this while US$70 million was spent on the "Anniversary of the Revolution" celebrations in 1984 - ½ for alcohol!). In fact, much of the relief aid and food was used for the many Cuban, Soviet and East German military who were involved in causing the famine. Some of the food was actually exported in payment for weapons! In the 1980's Mozambique was another example of a man-made famine in a country which used to export food. After the marxist revolution of 1975 a socialist economy was imposed upon the people. Farms were confiscated. Factories were nationalised. Hundreds of thousands of people were incarcerated in concentrated camps. Over 75000 people were accused of being "black marketeers", "reactionaries" and "counter revolutionaries" and publically executed. Food was exported to the Soviet bloc in exchange for weapons. A scorched earth policy was later launched to starve out the resistance to the Frelimo government by burning down crops and villages. Bureaucratic wastage and corruption became a growth industry. Economic poverty and social chaos resulted. However, in Mozambique it was not only marxism that caused the starvation but also animism. The widespread practise of ancestoral worship led many poor families to sacrifice their last goat or chicken to appease the "ancestoral spirits"! In Albania and Romania I have come across Gypsies deliberately starving their babies and then laying these malnourished infants out on sidewalks with a hat next to them to beg for money. Any money received was used for cigarettes and alcohol. In India some street people have actually maimed or mutilated their own children to make them more pitiful, and therefore effective, in begging. In South Africa, having spent many months on the streets of Hillbrow and Durban doing street evangelism, I have seen professional beggars at work. I have seen "cripples" letting down their strapped leg and stretching and walking unaided without their crutches; and I've seen the "blind" lift up their dark glasses to count the money in their hat. Some street children have told me that they can make an average of R200 a day from begging! In all too many cases our casual and spontaneous handing over of some coins to strangers begging on the streets does more harm than good. Giving to beggars on the streets often goes to subsidising drunkenness, smoking, drugs, prostitution and gambling. Some of the beggars are child prostitutes and thieves using begging as a cover while looking for opportunities. Then there are the "religious" con-men who know the terminology and can deceive and manipulate the unsuspecting into handing over large quantities of cash for spurious causes. I have also been one of those deceived by professional "converts" who let themselves be counselled to Christ only to "borrow" money from the well meaning evangelist. Multiple millions of rands are squandered by guilt-manipulated Christians giving to beggars at traffic lights, at their front door and on the streets. At the same time good ministries like the Salvation Army, the Docks Mission, the Ark, Cape Town City Mission, Love in Action and others are struggling for lack of support. There is a desperate need for good stewardship of our limited resources. It would be more responsible to channel our compassion to supporting Christian ministries which have proven their effectiveness in reaching out in love to help the poor. Biblical charity does not subsidise sin nor should it encourage irresponsibility. So before we get down to practical strategies to care for the poor, and to eradicate poverty, let us define poverty and consider what causes poverty. What Causes Poverty? A definition of poverty could be: "an insufficiency of the material necessities of life." The poor could be described as: "Persons who do not have, and are unable to obtain, the means for sustaining life. If they are to survive they are thus dependant upon the resources of other people." The Biblical definition of the poor could be: "Those who cannot sustain themselves because they are too old, too young or too handicapped to work." There are four broad categories under which all causes of poverty could be grouped: Personal sacrifice, slothfulness, calamity (earthquakes, floods, wars, etc.), or exploitation. Self-imposed Poverty The lazy and indolent (slothful) inevitably suffer the consequences of their sin: "He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great destroyer" Proverbs 18:9. "How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep - so shall your poverty come on you like a robber . . ." Proverbs 6:9-11. "Because of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands, the house leaks . . ." Eccl 10:18. It is a disgrace to be lazy (Prov 10:5). Lazy people always find excuses not to work. (Prov 15:19; 26:13-16). Those who love sleep will grow poor (Prov 19:15; 20:13). "If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat." 2Thess 3:10 Moral poverty often dooms its people to ongoing material poverty. Selfishness, greed, laziness, immorality, short-sightedness, gambling, alcohol abuse, addiction to pornography, indulging in prostitution, drug abuse and other sins are symptoms of rebellion against the Law of God. Such evils inevitably lead to poverty. Victims of self imposed poverty need the Gospel and discipleship to free them from their lifestyle of sin. Imposed Poverty The main causes of imposed poverty are: oppression and religious error. Oppression consists in governments or individuals violating others' God given rights' to life, property and liberty. This takes the forms of fraud, theft and violence. (Inflation/unbacked currencies/counterfeiting; socialism; excessive taxation; corruption; wastage; inefficiency; etc.). UnBiblical worldviews underlie the poverty of the third world. The fatalism and re-incarnation beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism, where the material world is not perceived as real and difficulties are understood as a result of the deeds of a previous life ("my Karma is bad") are paralysing to progress. The Animist worldview which sees man at the mercy of outside forces - the spirits - lead people to be shackled by superstition and fear. The fatalism of Islam is also not conducive to productive planning and innovation. The poor-by-exploitation need both direct charity to meet immediate needs and justice in the form of restitution from those who exploited them, and freedom from false religions. The poor-by-calamity (victims of floods, earthquakes, wars, etc.) are the most appropriate recipients of charity - though the aim is always to help them become self-supporting again. Poverty in History The key question when faced by the disparity between rich and poor individuals and societies is not "How did this man/society become poor?" Poverty is the natural condition of man. The question is: "How did anyone become rich?" Poverty is a consequence of the Fall (Gen 3:17-19). Famines were commonplace before the Industrial Revolution. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, England suffered famines an average of 7 times per century. A third of the population died in the province of Bengal in the great Indian famine of 1769-1770. Similar losses were experienced in India in 1783 and 1790-1792. India suffered a further 8 famines from 1838 to 1901 with well over 9 million dying of starvation. In a single famine in North China from 1877 to 1878 over 9,5 million died. Only the Christian work ethic and the resultant industrial revolution brought the West out of the recurring horror of famine. A wooden plough drawn by oxen can provide food for one large family. By the 18th Century, the new iron plough drawn by a horse could provide food for 3 families. By the 1940's a tractor pulling a plough could feed 14 families. Now advanced tractors, tools and techniques can enable one farmer to produce enough food for 60 families. It is an observable fact that the most efficient economies in the world are based upon private ownership of property, honest money, free enterprise and a Christian work ethic. Is Colonialism Responsible? Much of the Third World is definitely in a shocking mess. One-party dictatorships, economic chaos, malnutrition, famines, civil wars, massacres and abject poverty are the norm in most of Africa. But who is responsible? The notion that colonialism is the major cause of world poverty was popularised by Vladimir Lenin, and his disciples have faithfully repeated it ever since. However, contrary to the ahistorical mumblings of the coloniphobics, some of the most poverty-stricken and backward lands imaginable - Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nepal, Tibet and Liberia - never fell under Western colonial control. Some colonies - like Hong Kong - became very prosperous. And some of the richest and most advanced Western lands, such as Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, never controlled any colonies. Other advanced countries such as the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Canada were themselves colonies. Actually, contact with the West brought far more benefits than disadvantages. Tea and rubber trees, for example, were foreign to Asia, as was mealie meal in Africa. Such blessings were the results of colonialism. Some of the main "Scars of Colonialism" include roads, railways, schools, hospitals, the wheel, written languages, the Bible and churches. The ancestor-worshipping and idolatrous religions have rendered whole civilisations powerless in the face of "nature". "Unquestioning acceptance of nature and its vagaries is widespread in Africa", declares Bishop Bududira of Burundi, who maintains that local cultures obstruct material progress by wrong mental attitudes, seeing themselves as suffering history rather than in making it. He concludes that: "The message of Christ frees people from the shackles of tribal thinking, and leads to a greater sense of personal responsibility." - Reality and Rhetoric, Lord Bauer The tribalistic philosophies inhibit productivity, penalise accomplishment and confiscate what little is produced. Animism teaches its adherents to regard themselves as helpless in the face of their surroundings - assuming "that the opportunities and the resources for the economic advance of oneself or one's family have to be provided by someone else - by the state, by one's superiors, by richer people, or from abroad. This attitude is in turn an aspect of the belief of the efficacy of external forces over one's destiny . . . It is an attitude plainly unfavourable to material progress." - Dissent on Development, P. T. Bauer "The idea that it is evil to make personal economic progress takes hold of the people and fear of being envied prohibits growth and encourages poverty." - Productive Christians in an Age of Guilt Manipulators, David Chilton "One of the decisive factors in understanding development or non-development is the `envy barrier' or institutionalised envy among the population." - Envy: A Theory of Social Behaviour, Helmut Schoeck Into this unhealthy situation comes Foreign Aid, which only increases dependence, corruption and greed, rather than developing responsibility. The problems in the Third World are not primarily political or economic. The problem is false religion and the resultant pagan philosophies/worldview. The solution is therefore also primarily religious - the world needs to be converted to and discipled in the Christian Faith. Church and mission based relief would not only be more efficient but would inspire greater personal responsibility and economic productivity. Is Socialism Biblical? Despite exhaustive and imaginative efforts by so-called "Christian Socialists" to promote socialism as "true Christian love and sharing" - the Ten Commandments still stand: "Thou shalt not steal" and "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods." Socialism is legalised theft. It is institutionalised envy. It is the use of envy and guilt to manipulate productive Christians into committing economic suicide. The socialist doctrine of economic equality requires the stealing of property and the prohibition of economic freedoms. - Productive Christians in an Age of Guilt Manipulators - David Chilton "Socialism is not the pioneer of a better and finer world, but the spoiler of what thousands of years of civilisation have created. It does not build; it destroys. For destruction is the essence of it. It produces nothing, it only consumes what the social order based on private ownership of the means of production has created . . ." - Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis - Ludwig von Mises To almost every problem in the world, Socialism advocates state intervention. In this way socialists insist on unBiblical powers for the government to interfere with, or control, prices, markets, wages, jobs, profits, population control, education, movement, etc. The inevitable end of increasing government intervention is the erosion of personal freedom. Socialism destroys incentive, initiative and productivity. Socialists are parasites who consume what others have earned by hard work and ingenuity. Socialists try to cut up "the pie" to the advantage of their supporters, free enterprise just makes more pies for everyone. Price controls create an imbalanced, chaotic market, minimum wage laws result in unemployment, profit restrictions increase consumer costs, enforced economic equality leads to stagnation, destruction of initiative and more poverty. Concern for the poor has long been used as a justification for all sorts of crime - Judas Iscariot, who was a thief, is a prime example (John 12:4-6). Envy is the greatest disease of our age. Envy is the feeling that because someone else has something he is to blame for my not having it! The main motive behind envy is not so much to take as to destroy. Envy and malice are inseparable. "Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer." Proverbs 14:30 "Rather than wealth causing poverty, it is far more true to say that what causes poverty is the widespread belief that wealth does!" - Wealth and Poverty - George Gilder If we have needs, the Bible commands us to: Pray (Phil 4:6-7), to Work (1 Thess 4:11), to Trust God (Phil 4:19) and to Be Content (Phil 4:12). The only thing Socialism has ever been able to provide its adherents with is the "guaranteed income" of Romans 6:23: "The wages of sin is death." Biblical Principles for Economics 1. HONEST MONEY. Throughout the Bible money is spoken of by weight. God's Law requires that financial transactions be made in terms of honest measures. God hates and forbids unjust weights and measures, inflation, fractional reserve banking, unbacked currencies, and multiple indebtedness (Lev 19:35-36; Prov 11:1;20:10; 20:23; Amos 8:5-7; Micah 6:11-12). In 1982 you could post a letter in South Africa for 4 cents. In 1970 you could buy a new car for R1000. The devastating impact of unbacked currency/inflation on pensions and savings is criminal. Biblical Law requires honest money backed up by real constant value. 2. FREE ENTERPRISE. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods. God blesses productivity, incentive, initiative and hard work (Ex 20:15-17; 30:14-15; Lev 19:15; 1 Sam 8:10-18; 1 Kings 21:3; Ezra 7:23-24; Prov 10:2-4; 12:24; 13:4,11). Private ownership of property and of the means of production is Biblical. It is also foundational for freedom and prosperity. 3. LIMITED (CONSTITUTIONAL) GOVERNMENT. Any taxation of 10% or higher is defined in the Bible as oppression. And any taxation of property or inheritance is strictly forbidden. Institutions and individuals involved in the fulltime service of the Lord may not be taxed. All their income comes from free will offerings made unto the Lord by people who have already paid tax on their incomes (Ezra 7:23-24). Less government means more freedom and more personal responsibility (1 Pet 2:13-14; Rom 13:3-4; Eccl 8:11; Ps 19:7-9; Prov 14:34; Ps 9:17). 4. GOD HONOURING CHARITY. The Biblical principle is that we are responsible to care for our family first and then through the church, community and missionary organisations express love for our neighbour in action. Person to person, church to church, mission to community direct aid based upon evangelism and discipleship. All this is aimed to encourage responsibility and productivity. It is short term aid aimed at long term (eternal) benefits. The goal is to help the victims of poverty back onto their own two feet - where they can, in turn, help others (Isaiah 58:7; James 1:27). Matthew 25:35-36 and Ezekiel 34:2-4teach us to: Strengthen the weak, bind up the injured, care for the sick, share your food with the hungry, clothe the naked, invite in the stranger and look after widows and orphans. The Christian Foundations for prosperity are laid with these basic principles: Christians must respect one another's property, never steal or cheat, always abide by contracts, be industrious in earning money, be disciplined in saving money, be wise in investing money, be obedient to God in tithing to Christian ministries, be discerning in sharing with those in need. Work all you can, earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. Biblical charity is to be primarily directed to widows, orphans and the handicapped - the deserving poor (1Tim 5:3-16). Biblical methods of charity include: gleaning, lending, labour and tithes through the local church. Are you supporting a Biblical ministry to the poor? We are our brother's keeper (Genesis 4:9). Don't just give food or money - also give of your time to share the love and Gospel of Christ personally. Love is something you do, not just something you feel. Regardless of what the government does, regardless of what the church does, families and individuals have a responsibility to obey God. Since charity is primarily a function of the Christian family, working in concert with other Christian families, it is essential that each of those Christian families begin to implement the love of God practically. Charity begins at home: educating children, caring for the helpless, and strengthening the weak. It begins as we encourage others, co-ordinate resources, network with existing programs, and spearhead new efforts - Bringing in the Sheaves, George Grant. The South African one cent coin had the sparrows to remind us that God cares for the very least (Matthew 10:29). And every Rand coin has inscribed: Soli Deo Gloria - every Rand we spend should be to the glory of God alone! God cares about every cent. Every rand we spend must be to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Pray (Phil 4:6-7), Work (1 Thess 4:11), Trust God (Phil 4:19), Be content (Phil 4:12), Be generous (2 Cor 9:6-12). "God loves a cheerful giver, and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Cor 9:7-8 Peter Hammond For further reading on this subject I recommend that you obtain: Bringing in the Sheaves - Transforming Poverty into Productivity by George Grant and The Samaritan Strategy by Colonel Doner. BIBLE VERSES TO MEDITATE ON "If there is a poor man among your brothers at any of the towns in the land that the Lord your God has given you, do not be hardhearted or tight-fisted toward your poor brother." Deuteronomy15.7 "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble." Psalm 41:1 "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed." Psalm 82:3 "He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? declares the Lord." Jeremiah 22:16 "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done." Proverbs 19:11 "If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." Psalm 21:13 "If the king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure." Psalm 29:14 "Is it not to share your food with the hungry, and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" Isaiah 58:7 "I was a stranger and you did not invite Me in. I needed clothes and you did not clothe Me. I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me." Matthew 25:43 "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: `It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:34 "He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him... Go and do likewise." Luke 10:34-37 "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the Law of Christ." Galatians 6:2 "Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." Hebrews 13:3 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep yourself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27 Africa Christian Action PO Box 23632 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689 4481 E-mail: info@christianaction.org.za Web: www.christianaction.org.za

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Over A Million Reasons Why I Will Not Be Voting ANC

Dr. Peter Hammond has sent his latest newsletter to day and I agree wholeheartedly with him on the 2009 elections coming next week, 22 April.

South Africans need to stand against the evil of the ruling party, and not only against the ruling party, but against all parties that stand for evil. See the SA Voters Guide.

Without further ado, here is Peter Hammond's latest newsletter.

Over A Million Reasons Why I Will Not Be Voting ANC There are over a million reasons why I will not be voting for the African National Congress (ANC) in the upcoming elections on 22 April 2009: 1. Over 800, 000 babies have been killed by abortion in South Africa – officially, legally, often with tax payer’s money - since the ANC legalized abortion on demand, 1 February 1997. 2. Over 350, 000 people have been murdered in South Africa since 1994 – under the ANC government – yet the ANC has steadfastly refused to consider re-instating the death penalty for murder. Nor have they been willing to put the matter to a referendum. 3. Over 750, 000 women and children have been raped in the 15 years of ANC rule – while pornography has been legalized. Less than 7% of reported rapes result in convictions. 4. The ANC is soft on the criminals and hard on the victims of crime. Rather than fight crime effectively the ANC have worked to disarm the potential victims of crime, denying firearm licenses to tens of thousands of law abiding citizens, claiming that self-defense is not a legitimate reason for owning a firearm! Rather than support community initiatives to fight crime the ANC have frustrated communities by demanding that security barriers be removed from crime afflicted suburbs. "Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice." Isaiah 1:16-17 5. The ANC’s Ministry of Education has evidenced a consistent hostility to Christianity, insensitivity to the concerns of parents and prejudice against the Bible. Kadar Asmal’s anti-Christian policies and the unworkable curriculum 2005 Outcomes Based Education dumbed down education and has turned government schools into recruitment centers for radical homosexual groups. 6. The ANC’s affirmative action and blind support for Mugabe’s racist and tyrannical policies have chased away investors and cost the South African economy over 2 million jobs. According to the JSE, the net worth of South Africa over the first 10 years of ANC rule shrunk by over 30%. And the Rand under the ANC has plummeted from R2 to the US dollar to R10 to $1. 7. Rates and taxes are higher and government services are lower. Despite increased rates and taxes the filthy, litter strewn, graffiti vandalized communities testify to the incompetence of government. "You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting..." Daniel 5:27 8. Corruption has flourished under the ANC to such an extent that the ANC is being referred to in the streets as the Abortion, Nepotism and Corruption party. "They claim to know God but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good." Titus 1:16 9. The endless propaganda and pornographic programmes on the state TV – which is supported by compulsory “licences”. 10. The arrogance of so many in the ANC and the arbitrary manner in which they ride roughshod over the concerns and freedoms of others – such as the Minister of Health refusing to meet over a thousand concerned doctors; and how their ICASA has attempted to close down 9 Christian and community radio stations in South Africa. The Bible instructs us to “select capable men from all the people - men who fear God,trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain - and appoint them as officials..." Exodus 18:21 Evidently the ANC candidates fail to qualify on Biblical grounds. Dr. Peter Hammond Africa Christian Action PO Box 23632 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689 4481 E-mail: info@christianaction.org.za Web: www.christianaction.org.za

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The Value of Christian Education

Dr. Peter Hammond of Africa Christian Action and the South African Reformation Society sent out the following today:

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THE VALUE OF A CHRISTIAN EDUCATION A truly Christian education is invaluable. It will create an environment of respect for God, for His Word and for authority. It will lay foundations of discipline, moral values and a work ethic that will prepare a student for life. Christianity is a tremendous force for education. Most of the world’s languages were first set to writing by Christian missionaries. The first book in most languages of the world has been the Bible. Christianity has been the greatest force for promoting literacy worldwide throughout history. Christianity revolutionised education by making it available to all classes and to both genders. Christians were the first to advocate universal education. The very name, universities, confirms their Christian origin. Uni Veritas means ‘one truth’. It was the Christian monks and missionaries who discipled Europe who established the first universities in Paris, Oxford and Cambridge. The greatest invention in the field of human learning, the printing press, by Johannes Gutenberg was also a fruit of the Christian faith. The first book to be printed off Gutenberg’s press was the Bible. Education for the deaf was pioneered by Christians. Education for the blind was pioneered by Christians. The Braille alphabet was developed by a dedicated Christian, Louis Braille, in order to enable blind people to read with their fingers. It is therefore ironic that so many in education today are so hostile towards Christianity. Perhaps they are ignorant of the Christian roots of universal education for all classes and both genders, and the incomparable contribution of Christianity toward worldwide literacy, graded education and higher education. It certainly is time that teachers, lecturers and professors took an in-depth look at the greatest teacher the world has ever known, Jesus Christ, the greatest Book ever produced, the Bible, and the Christian faith that inspired and pioneered every major branch of education. A Battleground However, education has become a battleground. Anyone who believes that education can be neutral is mistaken. Ideas have consequences. Actions flow from thought patterns. Parents are not faced with the choice between sending their children to a religious school or to a non-religious school. All schools are religious. Parents must choose which religion will be taught to their children. Will it be Christianity? Islam? Humanism? Or something else? The point is that education is inherently religious because it presents a certain perspective and selection of history, values and practices, and it prescribes a worldview. “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” Colossians 2:8 The Responsibility of Parents Parents can delegate the task, but not the responsibility, for the education of their children. Children do not belong to the state. They belong to God and are entrusted by Him to parents to: “Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 Parents are responsible under God to oversee the teachers, textbooks and syllabi that will shape and fill their children’s minds for the 15,000 hours of schooling. Christian parents should be involved in the Parent Teachers Association and school governing body of their local school. Parents need to take an active role in the education of their young, according to Biblical principles. The control of education should be in the hands of parents, and the content of education must be Bible-based. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Psalm 111:10 Wide Gates to Hell Nearly five hundred years ago, the great German Reformer Martin Luther warned: “I am much afraid that schools will prove to be wide gates to hell unless they diligently labour in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them on the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not constantly occupied with the Word of God must become corrupt.” The theory of evolution is often propagated in state school textbooks. Evolution is an attempt to abort God retroactively. Evolution destroys all meaning, purpose, direction, justice and hope in life. “You came from nothing, you are going nowhere, life is meaningless!” The Bible says: “The fool says in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, their deeds are vile, there is no one who does good.” Psalm 14:1 Secular humanist education attempts to kill God by eradicating Him from the classroom and from the minds of the next generation. By eliminating the Bible as the basis for all knowledge, humanists remove the very foundation of Truth. They prohibit the only objective standard by which reality can be evaluated. Raising God Fearing Children The Bible tells us that God seeks “godly offspring…” Malachi 2:15. As a parent, one of my greatest desires and priorities is to bring up my children “in the training and instruction of the Lord”, to “train a child in the way he should go…” Proverbs 22:6. My greatest concern is that my children grow up to love the Lord with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their mind, and with all their strength. I pray that my children will grow to love, trust, obey, worship and serve God more consistently and effectively than I have done. We are to “tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power and the wonders He has done…so that the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn will tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands. They would not be…stubborn and rebellious…whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to Him.” Psalm 78:4-8 God’s Word makes clear what our greatest priority is: “These are the commands, decrees and Laws the Lord your God directed me teach you to observe…so that you, your children, and their children after them, may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all His decrees and commandments that I give you, and so that you may enjoy a long life…love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your heart. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind their on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates…fear the Lord your God, serve Him only.” Deuteronomy 6:1-13 The education and discipleship of the next generation is given as the very first application of God’s Law and the highest priority of God’s people in this passage. We are not merely to teach a head knowledge, but a wholehearted love for God. Wholeheartedly - with all our soul and with all of our strength. Body, mind and spirit, and in every aspect of our lives, we are to radiate and reflect our love for the Lord. In the Light of God’s Law The Lord’s commandments should be discussed, morning, noon and night. From the very first thing in the morning to the last thing at night. God’s Word is to be such an integral part of our lives that everything we do with our hands and everything that we think with our minds is to be guided and governed by Scripture. Our homes should also reflect the Lordship of Christ in all areas of life and everything within our gates, even our gardens. People should be able to tell the difference Christ makes in our lives. They should see that we love the Lord and that the Bible governs every aspect of our lives. The Scripture warns us: “Do not be misled; bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33. Worldly friends, worldly fashions, worldly music, pagan magazines, TV, newspapers, state schools and the Internet can corrupt and conquer our children. We need to be aware of negative peer pressure and bullies. Our children need to have the Spiritual backbone and the courage to stand up for their convictions and fight for the Faith. Temptations and traps of the devil surround and press in on young people today demanding their attention and allegiance: Hollywood stars, rock idols, sports heroes, political leaders, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, hip hop, rap, rebellion and rock and roll, gangster pimp music, fashions and worldly friends. “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong…” Exodus 23:2 Our time is so limited. We need to make great efforts to protect our families’ time. We need to schedule family priorities into our diary. We need to focus on God’s priorities. “Only one life, it will soon be passed – only what’s done for Christ will last.” The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. We must put most of our efforts into that which really matters the most. I want my children to learn to be brave, to be dependable, faithful, disciplined Christians of integrity, people of their word who can be depended upon to honour their commitments. They need to learn to be unselfish, to always put personal feelings and interest aside in order to do what is right, to care for the weak and needy and for the lonely. To rescue stray animals, to help those who are in greatest need, and to serve the Lord sacrificially. For me to teach this to my children, they need to see these priorities and principles at work in my life, consistently. As a father I have a God-given duty to provide for and protect my children, and to be an example to them as I disciple them and train them to be God-fearing Christians who will love and serve God, His people and His creatures wholeheartedly. “Know therefore, that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His Covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His Commandments.” Deuteronomy 7:9 Dr Peter Hammond Dr. Peter Hammond is a home schooling father of four children, and a co-author, with his wife Lenora, of Reforming Our Families. www.ReformationSA.org Africa Christian Action PO Box 23632 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689 4481 E-mail: info@christianaction.org.za Web: www.christianaction.org.za

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