Government Power Rests on Violence and Coercion

Government Power Rests on Violence and Coercion - reason.com

Excerpt from this article;

“Ukrainian events have demonstrated,” writes Maria Snegovaya in The New Republic, 'that control of violence is still at the very essence of the state.' She says Vladimir Putin’s aggression proves that Max Weber’s definition of the state—an entity with a monopoly on the legitimate use of force—is still relevant, even though we in the West “tend to think of the ‘monopoly on violence’ as a metaphor.”
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Recommended sermon:

When Government Tries to Be God, by Dr. David P. Murray

Is it Time for Philadelphia to Change its Name?

Philadelphia - the 'City of Brotherly Love' - has been in the news a lot recently. With the mass murderer trial of Kermit Gosnel finally making the news (after the liberal press desperately tried to cover it up!), the residents of Philadelphia may want to choose a different name for their city.

 Here is another news-bite from Philadelphia:

Elderly Food Vendor Stabbed to Death in Southern Philadelphia - CBS Philly

Of course, what is going on in Philadelphia is no different than what is going on in the rest of America, or the world, for that matter. Our Lord Jesus said:

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure to the end shall be saved." - Matthew 24:12,13

Recommended listening:

A Silenced World, by Dr, David Murray

Remembering "The Cross and the Switchblade"

Scorsese Developing 'Gangs of New York' TV Series - Associate Press

I've never seen the move, 'Gangs of New York,' and I don't plan on watching the TV series based on this movie. But I have seen the movie 'The Cross and the Switchblade.' In fact, I've seen it many times. I used to play this movie over and over again when I worked as a chapel janitor in prison. And I wholeheartedly recommend this movie to everyone - but especially to young people who are involved in gangs.

The world is coming apart at the seams. America if facing economic disaster, wars on several fronts - including a civil war (see my posts, A Civil War is Brewing in America: Now 340 Sheriffs Refuse to Enforce Gun Control Laws, and White House to Sheriffs: Follow Law in Enforcing Gun Control Measures).

If you are young and invovled in a gang, before you lay down your life for your gang,  please watch this powerful movie:

The Cross and the Switchblade

And after you watch that movie, if you want more information on what life is really about, please listen to Dr. David Murray's sermon:

The Most Important Question and answer (or What Must I Do to Be Saved?)

Sticks & Stones Can Break Your Bones, But Words Can Increase Your Sentence!

I wish I could take credit for the title of this post, but I can't. I am borrowing it from an article I read several years back about hate crime legislation. Basically, the article I read said that if a person commits a crime, and it can be proven that the crime was motivated by 'hatred,' that person can be given a longer prison sentence.

I was reminded of this article today when I read the story about a 31 year old woman who pushed a man to his death in New York City because she thought the man was a Muslim (see Woman accused of murder as a hate crime in NYC Subway Push Death). This lady said that she pushed him off the train tracks "because I hate Hindus and Muslims ever since 2001 when they put down the Twin Towers..."

Hatred is in the eye of the beholder, and hate crime laws can act as a double edged sword.  People who commit crimes that are motivated by hatred may well face longer jail and prison terms. But hate crime laws can also be used to try to stop Christians from preaching the gospel.  If you disagree, take some time to listen to Dr. David Murray's important message:

What is a Hate Crime?

True Christians love their neighbors so much, they are willing to commit a hate crime just to try to keep their neighbors from going to hell.  My post, The Roman Road to Salvation, could be seen "criminal hate speech" in many parts of the world.  And the day may come here in America when you can go to prison just for telling your neighbor about our Lord Jesus, and that "there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12).

Listen to these words from that latter day Puritan, Charles Haddon Spurgeon:

"If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms around their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned or unprayed for."


You may also wish to check out my posts:


Be Ye Wise as a Serpent, and Harmless as a Dove -  Reflections on the Sandy Hook Massacre
Dear Jesus: Give Me the Heathen for Christmas in 2012 

 Mourn, God Might Hate You - John Reisinger Speaks on The Holiness of God

Hollywood Pushes Violence, Immorality & Gun Control!

‘Be bad, for goodness’ sake’ - "TV station celebrates 7 days of holiday sin"

When celebrities are not making movies glorifying murder, rape, adultery, burglury and assault,  they are making videos telling us we need to give up our guns. See their video Demand A Plan. Or better yet, check out Debbie Schlussel's recent post: Video: These Celebrities Want to Take Your Guns: Demand they STFU!

What Happens When Governments Disarm their Citizens?

What happens when governments disarm their citizens? The Warrior Times 

"Here’s a history of what happens after governments have disarmed their citizens:

1911 – Turkey disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1915 – 1917 they murdered 1.5 million Armenians.
1929 – Russia disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1929 – 1953 they murdered 20 million Russians.
1935 – China disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1948 – 1952 they murdered 20 million Chinese.
1938 – Germany disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1939 – 1945 they murdered 16 million Jews.
1956 – Cambodia disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1975 – 1977 they murdered 1 million Educated people.
1964 – Guatamala disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1964 – 1981 they murdered 100,000 Mayan Indians.
1970 – Uganda disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1971 – 1979 they murdered 300,000 Christians."

Recommended reading:

Video: These Celebrities Want to Take Your Guns: Demand they STFU!
A Coutry Boy Can Survive - With or Without a Gun!

Jamie Foxx: "Hollywood Deserves Some Blame for Violence" Oh, Please!

Jamie Foxx: Hollywood Deserves Some Blame for Violence (After Joking About Killing ‘All the White People’ Last Week) | TheBlaze.com:

Recommended reading (my posts):

Well Said, Christopher Hurt!
Actor Jamie Foxx: "Give Honor to God and Our Lord and Savior Barack Obama!"

Children and adults gunned down in Connecticut school massacre

Children and adults gunned down in Connecticut school massacre – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs:

Batman, Movies, and Murder!

Never listen to anyone who tells you, 'Do what I say and not what I do.' The Apostle Paul tells his readers, "Be ye followers of me, even as I follow Christ." (I Corinthians 11:1)

But if someone tells you they are struggling with a particular sin, and they want to warn you not to follow them, well, maybe you should listen to them.

Along with most of the people in America today, I am a child of the movies. I have not lived in a cave. I know who many of the movie stars of the past 50 years are. And I have watched way way too many movies. I'm not proud of that. And I'm not recommending you follow in my foot steps. But I want to be honest with you. I am striving to make a clean break with the television, and I have only went to 2 movies at a theater in the past 10 years. 

But I want to take this opportunity to point you to a couple of godly men whom I believe you would do well to follow (because they follow christ!):

Batman, Movies and Murder, part I, by Joey Faust

Batman, Movies and Murder, part II, by Joey Faust

Should Christians watch movies? by Dr. David Murray

Also, check out these two great poems:

The Devil's Vision                    The Holy Bible vs.  The TV Guide

Well Said, Christopher Hurt

HURT: An open letter to Christopher Nolan, Sean Penn and Warner Brothers - Washington Times:

"It is all so perfectly fitting that in the wake of a murderous rampage in which 70 people are shot —12 fatally, including a 6-year-old girl — and countless families are sacked with unspeakable grief, you would take the time to share with us your feelings. Because, really, at this moment, all that matters to most of us is what a bunch of smutty purveyors of violent fantasy, half-rate actors and an industry of sick narcissism is feeling at this moment."