The Deception is the Body of Death
When Paul spoke about the body of death from which Christ freed him, it was clear that deception was woven through his turmoil. He essentially declared, "I do what I know I shouldn't." Christ is the one who gives power to do that which is authentic, or, that which is not deception.
From this perspective I can't help but mention a number of news items that amplify the truth of the body of death that reigns in the World. Sure this could be an interminably long list, as it could every day in exposing the World's affairs. There are so many. But I'll just address these for now, and point out how little people see that which truly murders them in each story.
Item: Bush claims the CIA doesn't use torture. Apparently a couple of internal memos were intercepted that said government interrogators use torture to get information. Democrats in Congress have vowed to pass an anti-torture bill.
The Anti-Deception: The Agency of Cain has used, does use, and will use torture no matter how much George Bush tells us they don't or Congress enacts meaningless laws against it. Furthermore, all the bluster the more liberal dissenters spew about it is just as worthless. Rome enforces the law against sinners. That's its job. It will do it with impunity, ruthlessly, and covered with sweet vanilla frosting.
In fact, you yourself are tortured with psychological weapons of warfare all the time. Are you told things like "All there is, is nature" and do you believe those things? Your soul is under assault when convinced that there is no hope for love or receiving that love into eternity.
Item: Olympic star Marion Jones admits to using performance enhancing substances even after countless assurances that she didn't. With cameras rolling and microphones shoved in her face, she tearfully apologizes to everyone and everything.
The Anti-Deception: What on earth were you expecting? When you give your undivided devotion to fallible human beings you will always be disappointed. We shrug off the idea that there are such things as sports idols, but when this kind of thing happens I can only think of the extent to which news coverage is given to such an individual has to be proportional to the amount of idolatry involved.
Think about it, what do people say when these people sink like this? They say "Marion, I believed you." Jesus humbly said, "Believe on me."
Item: Washington state's supreme court ruled against a state law that prohibited a candidate from deliberately lying about his opponent. Huh? You mean now it is okay for a candidate to lie about someone else in a campaign ad?
The Anti-Deception: Funny, the big scandal now in Britain is about a BBC video clip of the Queen appearing to storm off in anger over a photographer's objection to the way the crown was on her head. Turns out the clip was of the Queen briskly walking to the session. Heads are rolling over that one, fortunately for them, not literally.
The Washington state incident involved a candidate who said something to the effect of, "My opponent voted down this really really good thing! Bad, bad legislator." Turns out the guy actually voted for the good thing that didn't pass but it was claimed by some that he didn't do enough to get it passed. Ahh, the intricacies of the body of death.
The key thing to ask about the banned anti-lying law is: "If it were in force, who exactly would say what a lie was in order to truly enforce the law?" Since sinners lie by habit, and government must be run by such individuals, you would have liars trying to stop lies that must be a part of governmenet activity anyway. So in a very twisted way, the ban is an affirmation that lies must be a part of government activity for it to do its job.
Item: Ed and Elaine Brown are finally arrested when U.S. marshalls pretended to be supportors (there you go: government using lying as one of its chief tools), were given entrance into their home-compound, and took the two tax-evaders into custody peacefully. The "peacefully" remark must be added because a grip of weapons were discovered with the Browns.
The Anti-Deception: The essence of the Brown's deception is in their patented creed, one spouted by all anti-tax people the World-round: "Show me the law!" While the Browns certainly thought this was their ticket to freedom, it is actually their undoing, for such insistence on trusting the law will get you precisely what you ask for: summary condemnation.
They claimed that ordinary labor is not taxable, but they simply don't get that Caesar must take tribute-- and is fully entitled to it-- whenever someone asks for the privilege of receiving some service offered by Caesar. Anyone who does work expects wages to be paid. When Caesar does work for you, he'll expect his pay as well. Why do so many including the Browns think otherwise?
Yes, it is true that if you don't ask for a privilege from Caesar, you don't have to pay taxes on that privilege. Don't buy a product, don't pay for the product. But the fact is so many people live their lives without Christ that they must seek the myriad services that Caesar offers. When Elaine Brown proudly cited $1.9 million of income before Caesar's eyes, she was herself officially consenting to Caesar's just claim to his due payment. When she and her husband refused to make that proper payment, they were arrested, and will face prison time of over five years each.
And now we're surely going to hear all the vehement screeching from the anti-tax-militia about how unjust this all was and how poorly the Browns were treated and how mean the government is-- like we haven't heard that before. Oh yes, the government is mean. But, ahem, it's supposed to be. What of it. The more you holler about government this and government that, the more you are giving it power over your affairs. They actually feed off it. Quite the body of death indeed.
Item: Some kind of a record was set when Hannah Montana concert tickets sold out in minutes. Then some people were paying thousands of dollars for $50 tickets. Young teenage girls were distraught when they couldn't get them.
The Anti-Deception: After talking about this with my students and wondering what the deal is with Hannah Montana-- really, what is the attraction?-- I found out that Hannah Montana is not even a real person. She's a fictional character played by the daughter of Achy-Breaky Heart guy Billy Ray Cyrus.
Give me a break. Talk about a body of death. Can't get much more of that than with a particularly grand Walt Disney simulation.
Kind of like the World.
From this perspective I can't help but mention a number of news items that amplify the truth of the body of death that reigns in the World. Sure this could be an interminably long list, as it could every day in exposing the World's affairs. There are so many. But I'll just address these for now, and point out how little people see that which truly murders them in each story.
Item: Bush claims the CIA doesn't use torture. Apparently a couple of internal memos were intercepted that said government interrogators use torture to get information. Democrats in Congress have vowed to pass an anti-torture bill.
The Anti-Deception: The Agency of Cain has used, does use, and will use torture no matter how much George Bush tells us they don't or Congress enacts meaningless laws against it. Furthermore, all the bluster the more liberal dissenters spew about it is just as worthless. Rome enforces the law against sinners. That's its job. It will do it with impunity, ruthlessly, and covered with sweet vanilla frosting.
In fact, you yourself are tortured with psychological weapons of warfare all the time. Are you told things like "All there is, is nature" and do you believe those things? Your soul is under assault when convinced that there is no hope for love or receiving that love into eternity.
Item: Olympic star Marion Jones admits to using performance enhancing substances even after countless assurances that she didn't. With cameras rolling and microphones shoved in her face, she tearfully apologizes to everyone and everything.
The Anti-Deception: What on earth were you expecting? When you give your undivided devotion to fallible human beings you will always be disappointed. We shrug off the idea that there are such things as sports idols, but when this kind of thing happens I can only think of the extent to which news coverage is given to such an individual has to be proportional to the amount of idolatry involved.
Think about it, what do people say when these people sink like this? They say "Marion, I believed you." Jesus humbly said, "Believe on me."
Item: Washington state's supreme court ruled against a state law that prohibited a candidate from deliberately lying about his opponent. Huh? You mean now it is okay for a candidate to lie about someone else in a campaign ad?
The Anti-Deception: Funny, the big scandal now in Britain is about a BBC video clip of the Queen appearing to storm off in anger over a photographer's objection to the way the crown was on her head. Turns out the clip was of the Queen briskly walking to the session. Heads are rolling over that one, fortunately for them, not literally.
The Washington state incident involved a candidate who said something to the effect of, "My opponent voted down this really really good thing! Bad, bad legislator." Turns out the guy actually voted for the good thing that didn't pass but it was claimed by some that he didn't do enough to get it passed. Ahh, the intricacies of the body of death.
The key thing to ask about the banned anti-lying law is: "If it were in force, who exactly would say what a lie was in order to truly enforce the law?" Since sinners lie by habit, and government must be run by such individuals, you would have liars trying to stop lies that must be a part of governmenet activity anyway. So in a very twisted way, the ban is an affirmation that lies must be a part of government activity for it to do its job.
Item: Ed and Elaine Brown are finally arrested when U.S. marshalls pretended to be supportors (there you go: government using lying as one of its chief tools), were given entrance into their home-compound, and took the two tax-evaders into custody peacefully. The "peacefully" remark must be added because a grip of weapons were discovered with the Browns.
The Anti-Deception: The essence of the Brown's deception is in their patented creed, one spouted by all anti-tax people the World-round: "Show me the law!" While the Browns certainly thought this was their ticket to freedom, it is actually their undoing, for such insistence on trusting the law will get you precisely what you ask for: summary condemnation.
They claimed that ordinary labor is not taxable, but they simply don't get that Caesar must take tribute-- and is fully entitled to it-- whenever someone asks for the privilege of receiving some service offered by Caesar. Anyone who does work expects wages to be paid. When Caesar does work for you, he'll expect his pay as well. Why do so many including the Browns think otherwise?
Yes, it is true that if you don't ask for a privilege from Caesar, you don't have to pay taxes on that privilege. Don't buy a product, don't pay for the product. But the fact is so many people live their lives without Christ that they must seek the myriad services that Caesar offers. When Elaine Brown proudly cited $1.9 million of income before Caesar's eyes, she was herself officially consenting to Caesar's just claim to his due payment. When she and her husband refused to make that proper payment, they were arrested, and will face prison time of over five years each.
And now we're surely going to hear all the vehement screeching from the anti-tax-militia about how unjust this all was and how poorly the Browns were treated and how mean the government is-- like we haven't heard that before. Oh yes, the government is mean. But, ahem, it's supposed to be. What of it. The more you holler about government this and government that, the more you are giving it power over your affairs. They actually feed off it. Quite the body of death indeed.
Item: Some kind of a record was set when Hannah Montana concert tickets sold out in minutes. Then some people were paying thousands of dollars for $50 tickets. Young teenage girls were distraught when they couldn't get them.
The Anti-Deception: After talking about this with my students and wondering what the deal is with Hannah Montana-- really, what is the attraction?-- I found out that Hannah Montana is not even a real person. She's a fictional character played by the daughter of Achy-Breaky Heart guy Billy Ray Cyrus.
Give me a break. Talk about a body of death. Can't get much more of that than with a particularly grand Walt Disney simulation.
Kind of like the World.
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