Memorial Day
A few thoughts on Memorial Day... Bertrand Russell was not a Christian. He stated so in a lecture he entitled Why I Am Not A Christian. He was, however, considered one of the greatest logicians (one who views that mathematics is in some sense reducible to logic) of the 20th century, one of the founders of analytical philosophy, an essayist, a social critic, and a committed atheist and pacifist. To Bertrand Russell this life was all there was and all there ever would be, and anyone who thought otherwise was a fool in his estimation. His understanding was that humankind just crawled out from some mindless process, and that our lives had no ultimate purpose other than to be lived out in some noble way that would eventually present humanity a future of total enlightenment, whatever that means in a God-less society... such an eventuality seems pointless to me.
The eventuality of humanity’s future from Russell’s perspective seems more likely to lead us into despair rather than enlightenment. If you believe that this life is all there is to live for, I suppose despair can look like enlightenment. Russell seemed to have had this in mind when he expressed that war was such an evil, that we should do anything rather than have it, including surrender, which gave rise to the phrase, “Better Red (Communist) than dead.” Had he not been born a citizen of a free society, I wonder if he would have been as flippant with his observations.
For Russell, the loss of this life meant the loss of all things, something to be avoided at all cost… “Peace at any cost.” How contrasting an attitude compared to that of Patrick Henry. Patrick Henry was a Christian, who, unlike Bertrand Russell, believed that the end of this life was but the initiation of another everlasting and undying life with Christ. Faced with the decision of giving in to the torment of British tyranny, or to fight for the freedom that would ultimately set our country apart from all others, Patrick called on the same strength, courage, and conviction that Abraham had demonstrated four-millennium prior in the first recorded war in history (Genesis 14). With these powerful words spoken March 23, 1775 at St. John's Henrico Parish Church in Richmond, Virginia, Patrick Henry became a symbol of the American struggle for liberty and self-government: “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? (“Yes”, said Bertrand Russell, and “No”, said Patrick Henry!) Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” The thread of liberty weaves throughout the Bible, and peace will not be found without it.
The common sense of G. K. Chesterton comes to mind: “Unless a man become the enemy of evil, he will not even become its slave but rather its champion. God Himself will not help us to ignore it, but only to defy and defeat it.” God gives us the faith that steels the nerves of men to stand up to the tyrants of this world. There would be no liberty anywhere on Earth today without the sacrifice of those men and women whose strength of conviction would not allow them to cringe and hide when the critical moment came. Rather, they stood even as Abraham stood in faith to the One who is the Resurrection and the Life, and who has promised those who trust in Him that they will never truly die. May God restore to us all the faith to do all in our power to maintain peace throughout the world, and the assurance in Him to fight the well fought fight when peace can be found no other way.
Though unproven in actual combat, this U. S. Air Force F-22 Raptor, built with fifth-generation stealth technology, is the most advanced air superiority fighter in the skies today... no enemy pilot would welcome a confrontation of it. Yet, even for so formidable a deterrent as it is, the pilot understands that it is merely a tool of last resort to defend the free world against real and prevalent adversaries. War is a fearsome reality, even for these highly trained pilots... yet, they will put their lives on the line when the time comes. I fear that it may not be long before the Raptor becomes proven beyond performances such as this at an air show.
Remember a vet this Memorial Day... thanks to all the men and women who have served and still serve to preserve freedom the world over.
Memorial Day
A few thoughts on Memorial Day... Bertrand Russell was not a Christian. He stated so in a lecture he entitled Why I Am Not A Christian. He was, however, considered one of the greatest logicians (one who views that mathematics is in some sense reducible to logic) of the 20th century, one of the founders of analytical philosophy, an essayist, a social critic, and a committed atheist and pacifist. To Bertrand Russell this life was all there was and all there ever would be, and anyone who thought otherwise was a fool in his estimation. His understanding was that humankind just crawled out from some mindless process, and that our lives had no ultimate purpose other than to be lived out in some noble way that would eventually present humanity a future of total enlightenment, whatever that means in a God-less society... such an eventuality seems pointless to me.
The eventuality of humanity’s future from Russell’s perspective seems more likely to lead us into despair rather than enlightenment. If you believe that this life is all there is to live for, I suppose despair can look like enlightenment. Russell seemed to have had this in mind when he expressed that war was such an evil, that we should do anything rather than have it, including surrender, which gave rise to the phrase, “Better Red (Communist) than dead.” Had he not been born a citizen of a free society, I wonder if he would have been as flippant with his observations.
For Russell, the loss of this life meant the loss of all things, something to be avoided at all cost… “Peace at any cost.” How contrasting an attitude compared to that of Patrick Henry. Patrick Henry was a Christian, who, unlike Bertrand Russell, believed that the end of this life was but the initiation of another everlasting and undying life with Christ. Faced with the decision of giving in to the torment of British tyranny, or to fight for the freedom that would ultimately set our country apart from all others, Patrick called on the same strength, courage, and conviction that Abraham had demonstrated four-millennium prior in the first recorded war in history (Genesis 14). With these powerful words spoken March 23, 1775 at St. John's Henrico Parish Church in Richmond, Virginia, Patrick Henry became a symbol of the American struggle for liberty and self-government: “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? (“Yes”, said Bertrand Russell, and “No”, said Patrick Henry!) Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” The thread of liberty weaves throughout the Bible, and peace will not be found without it.
The common sense of G. K. Chesterton comes to mind: “Unless a man become the enemy of evil, he will not even become its slave but rather its champion. God Himself will not help us to ignore it, but only to defy and defeat it.” God gives us the faith that steels the nerves of men to stand up to the tyrants of this world. There would be no liberty anywhere on Earth today without the sacrifice of those men and women whose strength of conviction would not allow them to cringe and hide when the critical moment came. Rather, they stood even as Abraham stood in faith to the One who is the Resurrection and the Life, and who has promised those who trust in Him that they will never truly die. May God restore to us all the faith to do all in our power to maintain peace throughout the world, and the assurance in Him to fight the well fought fight when peace can be found no other way.
Though unproven in actual combat, this U. S. Air Force F-22 Raptor, built with fifth-generation stealth technology, is the most advanced air superiority fighter in the skies today... no enemy pilot would welcome a confrontation of it. Yet, even for so formidable a deterrent as it is, the pilot understands that it is merely a tool of last resort to defend the free world against real and prevalent adversaries. War is a fearsome reality, even for these highly trained pilots... yet, they will put their lives on the line when the time comes. I fear that it may not be long before the Raptor becomes proven beyond performances such as this at an air show.
Remember a vet this Memorial Day... thanks to all the men and women who have served and still serve to preserve freedom the world over.