Ten days symposium: Questionable Patriotism.Day 9

Ten days symposium: Questionable Patriotism.Day 9

06/11/20

By Tarisai P Ziyambi

"The first point in this inquiry is, What is patriotism in any country? What is patriotism in itself? Patriotism is usually defined, in brief; as love of country; but love of country is more than the love of the mountains and hills, the plains, valleys, rivers, and rills, of which the country is composed.More fully defined, patriotism is the spirit which prompts obedience to the laws of one’s country, and to the support and defense of its existence, rights, and institutions. Thus, love of country is really love of the institutions and the principles which make a country what it is in all respects. If love of country were simply love of the mountains and hills, valleys and plains, rivers and rills,—the landscape,—of which the country is composed, there could never be any such thing as civil war; for plainly there could never be any dispute over that, among people inhabiting the same territory. It is evident, therefore, that patriotism in truth lies in love of the principles and institutions which make a country what it is in all respects it is loyalty to those specific principles and institutions. Hence, the patriot is correctly defined as “any defender of liberty, civil or religious.” A.T Jones [ What is Patriotism in the United States].

This is the third morning after the US2020 elections, the results of this acrimonious competition for the White House are nearly decided but it looks like it's going to be President-elect Biden (D). Around the world many have been waiting with anticipation the outcome of this race from the nation that prides itself in "democracy". The reason why politicians get so determined to hold public office is always intriguing to me, maybe it's their exercise of patriotism but if it is, why hate fellow patriot who may have differing views but yet love the institutions of that state? I believe that the desire to WIN at all costs to obtain public office which is easily a corruptible crown (1 Corinthians 9:25) stems from the self exaltation and selfish spirit.The desire to be first is our inherited tendency to sin which if cultivated will become a beast which thrives on hatred for anything or anyone who opposes or hinders our "survival of the fittest ideology". This self serving spirit which fills stadiums and profit the media is from the bottomless pit and is the root cause of decay in society. The determined efforts to destroy the opponent  is also manifested in religious bigotry which we see murdering the opponent other in the streets of Vienna. We are heading to a period where US will be ungovernable and the anarchist's motive for sweeping away the whole System for selfish gratification is to lead to the demise similar to that experienced by France during the revolution [1789-1799]. We are watching the gradual end of the sixth head of Bible prophecy the United States (see Revelation 17), when Protestant and Republican wing clasp hands with Popery and self exaltation spirit, national apostasy will be followed by national ruin. The political tribalism will not be archived by calls for unity or triumph of President elect Biden over lame duck President Trump, both sides have so much pulled apart that violence and bitterness may not be avoided. It's always the case with the spirit of self exaltation, the great controversy between Truth and Error. The great controversy between Christ and Satan began with the jealousy and self exaltation of Lucifer in heaven and his desire to be first above all the Stars (Angels), through falsehoods he managed to deceive the angelic host to unite with him and his intention to sweep away the law and order of heaven. Shall therefore expect the institutions of men immune from corruption and ruin?

"Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy" Luke 12:1. The United States has been going around the world promoting democracy with their regime change agenda yet they themselves fail to conduct "free and fair" elections. President Maduro of Venezuela scornfully compared Venezuela smoothly run elections to the shenanigans in Philadelphia, Michigan and Georgia. US was once a beacon of civil liberties framed by its founding fathers who had escaped from the tyranny of Church State rule in Europe." Calvinism has also had profound effects upon the development of Western Law,and especially upon American law. The Puritans carried forward the Lutheran concept of the sanctity of individual conscience and also, in law, the sanctity of individual will be as reflected in property and contract rights... Seventeenth century Puritans, including men like John Hampden, John Lilburne, Walter Udall, William Penn and others, by their disobedience to English law, laid the foundations for the English and American law of civil rights and civil liberties as expressed in our respective constitutions: freedom of speech and press, free exercise of religion, the privilege against self-incrimination, the independence of the jury from judicial dictation, the right not to be imprisoned without cause, and many other such rights and freedoms. We also owe to Calvinist congregationalism the religious basis of our concepts of social contract and government by consent of the governed" Berman, The Interaction of Law and Religion, 66-67 in Robbins Ecclesiastical Megalomania Pg 22-23.

By embracing Papal ideology, USA would have fully given up it's lamb-like character and rein of tyranny will follow. Just like the self exalting Vatican, America will also"... speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws..." Daniel 7:25

The so-called Christian world is to be the theater of great and decisive actions. Men in authority will enact laws controlling the conscience, after the example of the papacy. Babylon will make all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Every nation will be involved. Of this time John the Revelator declares: [Revelation 18:3-7; 17:13, 14, quoted]. “These have one mind.” There will be a universal bond of union, one great harmony, a confederacy of Satan’s forces. “And shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” Thus is manifested the same arbitrary, oppressive power against religious liberty—freedom to worship God according to the dictates of conscience—as was manifested by the papacy, when in the past it persecuted those who dared to refuse to conform with the religious rites and ceremonies of Romanism.—Selected Messages 3:392 (1891). - LDE 136.4

"God calls upon us to show a hallowed patriotism, to reveal the attributes of the Saviour in the home and in the church, to deny self that we may have to give to the work in the fields afar off. Let all seek to manifest the benevolence of Christ. He gave His life to save a fallen world, and shall Christians, those who claim to be His representatives on the earth, be unwilling to deny self? Shall they remain weak and inefficient because they are too selfish to make sacrifices for Him who gave His life as a sacrifice for them? - ST August 21, 1901