Mark Shepard
A nation without a conscience
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By Mark Shepard
October 20, 2023

We are now engaged in two wars, supplying massive military equipment, intelligence and support. Thousands upon thousands of people have been killed, with millions displaced and others kidnapped. Did these wars have to happen? How much did American foreign policies of pushing for Ukraine to join NATO and enriching Iran and the anti-Israeli Palestinian groups help bring these wars about? In both cases the Biden administration was warned repeatedly. Understanding the mindset of those who disagree with you, even if they are an enemy, is very important to avoiding war. To be sure, there are times war is the only reasonable option. Sadly, Ukraine and Israel are now at such a place.

Many Americans are still working hard to recover from the government’s handling of COVID, with massive mandates that harmed hundreds of millions of Americans, including the forcing of a novel "vaccine" that neither protected people from spreading nor acquiring COVID. Meanwhile less costly and less risky remedies were greatly thwarted. I hope we citizens learned from that failure, because we can be sure that those who profited handsomely from it will welcome another such bonanza.

There is another war being waged that is not well understood, but has far reaching consequences. If waging war on fossil fuels ever get their way, likely half of the planet’s population would soon die of starvation. Alex Epstein makes that case in his book Fossil Future, as well as that we owe the cleanliness and livability of our planet to fossil fuels.

While it is clear that solar and wind energy cannot deliver affordable energy, due to their intermittent nature and limited capacity, the anti-fossil fuel fanatics are not at all engaged in advocating for more wind and solar, and they even oppose nuclear. So their war is not simply against fossil fuels, but rather is truly against abundant affordable energy. Why?

Consider who gets scarce resources; it is always those with money and power, which is still the West. Meanwhile, the populations in Africa, Asia and South America will be decimated. The anti-fossil fuel advocates also push for population control, especially in the less-developed world. With human capitol being the greatest resource for making a strong nation, how is this effort anything but a means for the powerful people in the West to eliminate possible rivals.

Now, I am not against the West being the dominant world power, but that depends on what ideas are guiding the West and, by extension, what it is that makes the West the dominant world power. There are two ways to greatness: either push others down or embrace ideas that encourage individual achievement and moral fortitude.

Whether we are dealing with international flash-points, how a virus is handled or the sources of energy we use, we must recognize that situations that impact millions, or even billions, of people have great potential to shift wealth and power. To prevent harm and horrors, a strong understanding of and commitment to right and wrong – a conscience – is needed.

A nation without a conscience is left to be run by political expediency and fraudulent ideologies and should expect bad ideas to prevail. For centuries, the conscience of the West has been the Christian Church. While still capable of being lured by the lust for pleasure/comfort, wealth and/or power, the church also has had a self-correcting aspect from men and women who stirred by their faith took courageous stands against evil within the church and pointed the church back to its calling to be a great force for right in society.

It was and is a Christian idea that every individual human has value. It was Christians who stood against slavery, first in Europe, then in America. It was Christianity that raised the value of women to be equal to men. Christians, like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was executed for standing against Hitler, have given their lives standing against evil. Christians have been at the front lines when it comes to protecting children, both against executing children in the womb and against abuse from the insane gender confusion craze.

But sadly, with few exceptions, the Christian Church in America and Europe today desires comfort above truth and has chosen to be largely disengaged from its calling to shape society, doing little to nothing to influence nations toward good. While some may pray, few understand that God’s answer to their prayers is the Church, not pagan leaders. The Church is called to get in the ring and bring truth into the debates of our day. Expecting those who embrace lies to lead by truth is beyond foolish.

What we are witnessing has been repeated many times through history. It happens every time a nation has power without a conscience. Liberty is not being able to do whatever we want. Liberty is power controlled by a conscience that knows right from wrong. That is the recipe for a free and prosperous society.

It is our duty as citizens, who have a voice in directing our government, to do what we can to shape our government for the betterment of mankind. We are not called to sit back while those consumed with power become super rich and powerful. As Americans, citizens of the most powerful nation in the world with everything our government does impacting people all around the globe only increases our individual civic duty.

We should be in churches that teach us about our God-ordained moral duty to our fellow man and intentionally works to raise up truly honorable people to serve in government. No longer can comfort be more valued that standing for truth. No longer can we accept leaders in churches if they are silent about children in their churches being sent to pagan institutions to be discipled in ungodly ways.

There is no other answer. The Church was and still is God’s solution. There is always hope with God, but we must join together in churches that are serious about loving God and loving their neighbor – being a force for good in society – for that hope to be realized.

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

© Mark Shepard

 

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Mark Shepard

Mark Shepard served two terms in the Vermont Senate (2003-2006) and ran for Congress in the 2006 Republican Primary. (Click here for more.)

For a number of reasons, not the least of which is its small size, Vermont has been targeted as a key beachhead by those desiring to move America away from its liberty-based birth – where the laws of nature and nature's God were supreme – and toward socialism, where the state (man's wisdom) is supreme. It was in that environment that Mark ran and served in elected politics... (more)

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