Sea of ignorance

And the Leader said: "We stretch our hands over the sea of ignorance."

We the people of the congregation responded: "Divide it and walk with us on the ground of unity."

Our connectional church is celebrating combining our former Nebraska Conference with what used to be the Kansas Conference. It is great to gain the efficiency of downsizing overhead administrative expenses but it also points to decreasing membership which is sad. The above quotes were from a "Litany of Unity" to celebrate that new combined administration.

The "sea of ignorance" bit rankled me but then there is Christianity and there are preachers! Reminded me of how our government elites think of us here in "flyover country" as they commute from Washington D.C. to the enlightened West Coast!

We are the rubes, the unenlightened country folk that cling to our guns and religion not really appreciating how smart they are with their Ivy League education that have been chosen to lead us.

Well every once in awhile an email comes predicting doom for our country; our wonderful old USofA. It goes something like this:

"Rarely have democracies survived beyond 200 years. Why do democracies fail? Two of the major reasons are: 1) democracies generally progress through an initial period from bondage to spiritual faith escalating to the point where citizens become totally dependent on the government to where they eventually revert back to bondage and: 2) once the democracy shows signs of prosperity, the citizens vote themselves generous bounties from the public treasury. Does this not sound familiar?" apatheticvoter.com/Article_DownfallDemocracies.htm

The author(s) goes on to note that the U.S. is over two hundred years old and that something like 47 percent, it ranges to just shy of 50 percent, of our people are now living on a handout from the government. The thought is that once that 50 percent threshold is reached the majority of voters will vote themselves increasing amounts of largess from the U.S. Treasury, the country will go financially bust and we will all be doomed.

Could be but I wouldn't bet a whole lot on it!

Another author, Charles Krauthammer, recently released a book amalgamating many of the columns he has written over the years. Charles talks about societies, such as Saudi Arabia, that are rich in oil. The government, of course, owns all the oil hence all the oil revenue. Those in charge have power as they distribute whatever funds they desire to the people making most of their subjects totally dependent on the government. Their leaders, positions inherited not voted by the people, of course love the position of power and will do anything to stay. Morals? What morals? They make all the rules!

Democracies, especially Democratic Republics like ours, have to furnish money to the government through taxes. If the governing elite are perceived to be spending too much, the taxpayers tend to become fractious and enforce a little fiscal discipline on the governing few. Elections have consequences and the governing elite know and fear those consequences.

So it goes in the U.S. today. In 1932, President Roosevelt dipped into the Treasury, contrary to the Constitution, in the belief that giving out money in his New Deal programs would bring the economy back from a depression. It seemed like a great idea at the time and most presidents since have figured out ways of increasing spending from the Treasury. Only problem is that little thought was given to paying back the debts incurred. Our current president is the new champion at deficit spending and yes we taxpayers are getting a little tired of it.

At the moment in this country morality and sense of self-reliance brought to us through spiritual faith as been sadly decreasing. If this were a pure democracy then the sick lame and lazy could amass enough votes to completely raid the U.S. Treasury. Fortunately though the founding fathers created a Democratic Republic where we the people elect representatives to do government on our behalf. I have faith that enlightened voters will vote only for the candidates who will practice sound fiscal policy.

The ruling elite, and some Christian preachers, may look down on us in the heartland as a "sea of ignorance" but I have faith that we will choose representatives that will put our country back on an even financial keel. Our grandchildren's future depends on it.

That is how I saw it.

Dick Trail