James Madison observed that “government is instituted no less for the protection of the property than of the persons of individuals.” Mr. Madison understood that, of all property, what is most precious is one’s person: if government protects anything, it ought, above all, to protect our persons from the conquest of others, and from the conquest of government. Vigilance is vital because the contest for conquest continues today: for force, for unity, for unanimity, ideas claim man as a possession: whose is man?
Whose is man? Does he belong to the collective that is society?
Whose is man? Is he the property of a state?
Whose is man? Is he an asset of the economic order or organization in which he labors?
Whose is man? The stakes of this contest for possession are momentous. Wary or not, willful or not, our persons may end up as possessions.
Whose is man? This question is as old as man.
Whose is man? Does he belong to the collective that is society?
Whose is man? Is he the property of a state?
Whose is man? Is he an asset of the economic order or organization in which he labors?
Whose is man? The stakes of this contest for possession are momentous. Wary or not, willful or not, our persons may end up as possessions.
Whose is man? This question is as old as man.
Whose is man? “MINE!” cry the tyrants and demagogues from time immemorial.
Whose is man? “OURS!” cry executors of excess in law, tax, regulation, government, religion, technology, education, medicine, and commerce.
Whose is man? Is he the possession of a state, a monarch, and/or a church? Inquisitors affirmed. Then they stripped and extradited or tortured and burned their human refuse.
Whose is man? Can one man be the property of another--fungible for economic exchange? Slave-traders and slave-holders agreed. Then they entrapped, exported, and sold and bought their “chattel” into human bondage.
Whose is man? If man belongs to the collective that is society, or is the property of the state, or is an asset of the economic order or organization in which he labors, may he not then be acquired, used, and disposed of as dictated by the caprices of his master(s)? If we accept this conclusion, we must embrace all of the depravity that it will entail, including genocide.
Whose is man? If we reject the conclusion that man is a political or economic or social possession, we must reject all of its premises including ideas: a) that man is supreme—even in sums, b) that man is vile and must be coerced to goodness, c) that mortals can surmount self-interest for the sake of a more salutary society, d) that conscience, not natural consequence, constricts choice, and e) that all-embracing economic incentives and all-enjoining cultural customs will suffice to bring about permanent peace and prosperity. Otherwise, we are simply being seduced by hypocrisies and half-truths. Some say that glorious ends will justify repugnant means. But Nazi and Soviet history show that the means and the ends are indistinguishable.
Whose is man? This author is not nearly vain enough or egotistical enough or creative enough to propound an idea of his own that he believes others ought to be forever possessed by. Moreover, collective humanity has already plumbed the best ideas. His, then, is the task to attach his opinions to what is right and to detach his views from what is wrong; to popularize what is true and good and to denounce what is false and evil.
Whose is man? Are men, as the founders of the American Republic suggested “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights” including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (ie. property)—rights that are and ought to be above the conquest of man and state?
Whose is man? Essential freedoms, endorsed by the Constitution, including freedoms to speak, write, worship, and assemble, depend on our answer.
Whose is man? Is he a child of God--as Jesus declared (John 5:2)?
Whose is man? Is he the offspring of God (Acts 17:28-30) and heir of God (Romans 8:16-17) as the Apostle Paul declared?
Whose is man? Given the choice, will you choose to be ruled by the creature(s) or by the Creator, our Father, who gave us life, liberty, property, choice, conscience, family, long-suffering, and mercy through Jesus Christ? The choice is yours. It is this author’s opinion that those who seek to detach us from our dependence on God would cause us only error, servitude, and misery.
Whose is man? If crises come, if circumstances conspire, will we assent to the arbitrary disposition or confiscation of the property or persons of others for personal gain? Tacitly, didn’t we recently assent to an arbitrary disposition and/or confiscation of property to purportedly avert a financial crisis? Whose property was dispensed, after all, to the failing banks? And who owns the bailed-out banks now?
Whose is man? When virtually every public decision is now made or justified in the name of efficiency, productivity, and the Holy Economy, are we not all in danger of being deemed assets only? Would it be just or moral to dispose of such assets? Who is callous enough to decide of whom to dispose? Deemed assets, may the remainder then exercise free expression, worship what is non-economic, and assemble “unproductively”? Secular economics (ie. Keynesianism) might suggest only what is efficient, but will it accord with what is just or moral or Constitutional?
Whose is man? If our only unity is gain, if gain eludes us, will we sacrifice the property or persons of others (if only in extremity) to economy, or science, or ideology, or community, for personal or communal gain? What depravity would then ensue?
Rather, let us do what is just and observe the way of the Lord of life and liberty and trust in His divine purposes, protection, and provision. To Him, we are not possessions—we are His children. He loves us. He wants us to “possess…(our own) souls” in liberty (Luke 21: 19).
God bless you!
Whoseman
Whose is man? “OURS!” cry executors of excess in law, tax, regulation, government, religion, technology, education, medicine, and commerce.
Whose is man? Is he the possession of a state, a monarch, and/or a church? Inquisitors affirmed. Then they stripped and extradited or tortured and burned their human refuse.
Whose is man? Can one man be the property of another--fungible for economic exchange? Slave-traders and slave-holders agreed. Then they entrapped, exported, and sold and bought their “chattel” into human bondage.
Whose is man? If man belongs to the collective that is society, or is the property of the state, or is an asset of the economic order or organization in which he labors, may he not then be acquired, used, and disposed of as dictated by the caprices of his master(s)? If we accept this conclusion, we must embrace all of the depravity that it will entail, including genocide.
Whose is man? If we reject the conclusion that man is a political or economic or social possession, we must reject all of its premises including ideas: a) that man is supreme—even in sums, b) that man is vile and must be coerced to goodness, c) that mortals can surmount self-interest for the sake of a more salutary society, d) that conscience, not natural consequence, constricts choice, and e) that all-embracing economic incentives and all-enjoining cultural customs will suffice to bring about permanent peace and prosperity. Otherwise, we are simply being seduced by hypocrisies and half-truths. Some say that glorious ends will justify repugnant means. But Nazi and Soviet history show that the means and the ends are indistinguishable.
Whose is man? This author is not nearly vain enough or egotistical enough or creative enough to propound an idea of his own that he believes others ought to be forever possessed by. Moreover, collective humanity has already plumbed the best ideas. His, then, is the task to attach his opinions to what is right and to detach his views from what is wrong; to popularize what is true and good and to denounce what is false and evil.
Whose is man? Are men, as the founders of the American Republic suggested “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights” including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (ie. property)—rights that are and ought to be above the conquest of man and state?
Whose is man? Essential freedoms, endorsed by the Constitution, including freedoms to speak, write, worship, and assemble, depend on our answer.
Whose is man? Is he a child of God--as Jesus declared (John 5:2)?
Whose is man? Is he the offspring of God (Acts 17:28-30) and heir of God (Romans 8:16-17) as the Apostle Paul declared?
Whose is man? Given the choice, will you choose to be ruled by the creature(s) or by the Creator, our Father, who gave us life, liberty, property, choice, conscience, family, long-suffering, and mercy through Jesus Christ? The choice is yours. It is this author’s opinion that those who seek to detach us from our dependence on God would cause us only error, servitude, and misery.
Whose is man? If crises come, if circumstances conspire, will we assent to the arbitrary disposition or confiscation of the property or persons of others for personal gain? Tacitly, didn’t we recently assent to an arbitrary disposition and/or confiscation of property to purportedly avert a financial crisis? Whose property was dispensed, after all, to the failing banks? And who owns the bailed-out banks now?
Whose is man? When virtually every public decision is now made or justified in the name of efficiency, productivity, and the Holy Economy, are we not all in danger of being deemed assets only? Would it be just or moral to dispose of such assets? Who is callous enough to decide of whom to dispose? Deemed assets, may the remainder then exercise free expression, worship what is non-economic, and assemble “unproductively”? Secular economics (ie. Keynesianism) might suggest only what is efficient, but will it accord with what is just or moral or Constitutional?
Whose is man? If our only unity is gain, if gain eludes us, will we sacrifice the property or persons of others (if only in extremity) to economy, or science, or ideology, or community, for personal or communal gain? What depravity would then ensue?
Rather, let us do what is just and observe the way of the Lord of life and liberty and trust in His divine purposes, protection, and provision. To Him, we are not possessions—we are His children. He loves us. He wants us to “possess…(our own) souls” in liberty (Luke 21: 19).
God bless you!
Whoseman
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