I am including the entire article from afa.net (found in my links) because I had some problems with a link to the article.
Written by Dr. Jerry Newcombe.
Writing about it for space.com (1/9/14), Tanya Lewis said, “The hand might look like an X-ray from the doctor’s office, but it is actually a cloud of material ejected from a star that exploded.”
She began her piece, noting, “Religion and astronomy may not overlap often, but a new NASA X-ray image captures a celestial object that resembles the ‘Hand of God.’”
But I think religion and astronomy have indeed overlapped far more than people realize. And not just astronomy, but science in general.
There is often a perceived incompatibility between religion and science. I think that is especially true after the rise and acceptance of Darwinism in the late 19th century.
However, it’s interesting to note that essentially modern science was born in a Christian milieu about 500 years ago—with early contributions from the ancient Greeks.
All the great leading scientists initially were Bible-believing Christians. They believed that they were—in the words of astronomer Johannes Kepler—“thinking God’s thoughts after Him.”
They understood that a rational God had made a rational universe, and it was their job as scientists to discover those laws that the Creator had impressed into His creation.
Kepler (1571-1630) wrote, “Since we astronomers are priests of the highest God in regard to the book of nature, it befits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory of our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God.” The scientists were thus God’s priests, in Kepler’s view.
To the consternation of some unbelievers, Sir Isaac Newton, perhaps the greatest scientist who ever lived, wrote more on Christian theology than he did on science.
Newton saw God’s powerful hand in His creation. He once said, “Atheism is so senseless. When I look at the solar system, I see the earth at the right distance from the sun to receive the proper amounts of heat and light. This did not happen by chance.”
Sir Francis Bacon is credited with having been the inventor of the scientific method—that combination of induction and deduction, of hypothesis and proof (empirical proof). Bacon was a devout Christian.
Bacon noted, “There are two books laid before us to study, to prevent our falling into error; first, the volume of the Scriptures, which reveal the will of God; then the volume of the Creatures, which express His power.”
In 1660, the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge was founded. This prestigious organization, still in existence today, is the oldest such institution still in operation.
James Moore of the Open University in England notes it was founded in a Puritan college (Gresham), and virtually all its early members were Puritans—at a time when Puritans were a small minority. He said that Protestantism “encouraged the birth of modern science.”
I had the privilege of doing some TV interviews at the Royal Society (for our special on “What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?”—hosted by the late D. James Kennedy).
One of those I interviewed was physicist Sir Alan Cook. He said, “One of the implications of the incarnation is that Christ took human form upon Him, including the power of thinking about things and observing things. It seems to me that an implication of the incarnation is that we, those of us who are able to, have a Christian obligation to study the world as God’s creation.”
I’ve had the privilege of interviewing on several occasions for my radio show Dr. Stephen Meyer, who earned his Ph.D. in the philosophy of science at Cambridge. Dr. Meyer, a fellow at the Discovery Institute, is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, Darwin’s Doubt.
I asked Dr. Meyer for a statement for this particular article. He wrote me: “Far from conflicting, the overwhelming scientific evidence of design in life and in the universe—in the digital code stored in DNA and in the fine tuning of the laws of physics, for example—clearly shows that science can—and does—provide support for a theistic view of reality.”
So it comes as no shock to me to see the reported “Hand of God” in the heavens. I believe we see the “Hand of God” even in the study of the heavens, and of the earth.
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Dr. Jerry Newcombe is a key archivist of the D. James Kennedy Legacy Library, a spokesman and cohost of Kennedy Classics. He has also written or co-written 23 books, including (with Dr. Kennedy) What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? and (with Peter Lillback), George Washington’s Sacred Fire.
My comment:
“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth…” Photos like this one give us a glimpse of the majesty of our great and almighty God.
Before I begin to try and give an answer to this difficult question, I need to make a few things clear. I am not trying to pick on Catholics here. This question was raised by a Muslim friend online (His online name is Vladek and lives in California).
Matthew 7:1 is clear. It states:
“Judge not, that ye be not judged,” or “Do not judge lest ye be judged yourselves.”
I believe this verse is referring to salvation. Does it mean that I cannot judge what is right or wrong? If this were the case, why has God given us the 10 commandments?
I will not judge another person’s soul; God alone is in that position. I will judge another belief system to see if it lines up with the truth of scripture.
I have Catholic and Muslim friends. I am always curious to listen to what they have to say. One of my Catholic friends summed up the difference between Catholics and Protestants nicely. It is quite simple. Protestants believe in salvation by faith alone through grace (Eph. 2:8-9). Catholics believe that works and faith are necessary for salvation. It is quite a difference and caused a huge split called the Reformation.
The objects of prophecy may also be viewed in respect to humanknowledge:
when an event may be beyond the possible natural knowledge of the prophet, but may be within the range of humanknowledge and known to others who witness the occurrence, as, for instance, the result of the battle of Lepanto revealed to St. Pius V.
On the day of the Battle of Lepanto, 7 Oct., 1571, he was working with the cardinals, when, suddenly, interrupting his work opening the window and looking at the sky, he cried out, “A truce to business; our great task at present is to thank God for the victory which He has just given the Christian army”. He burst into tears when he heard of the victory, which dealt the Turkish power a blow from which it never recovered. In memory of this triumph he instituted for the first Sunday of October the feast of the Rosary, and added to the Litany of Loreto the supplication “Help of Christians“. He was hoping to put an end to the power of Islam by forming a general alliance of the Italian cities Poland, France, and all ChristianEurope, and had begun negotiations for this purpose when he died of gravel, repeating “O Lord, increase my sufferings and my patience!” He left the memory of a rare virtue and an unfailing and inflexible integrity. He was beatified by Clement X in 1672, and canonized by Clement XI in 1712.
Does this example make the Pope a false prophet?
I don’t think it does, and I can’t find an example where a Pope could be called a false prophet. If anyone can find such an instance, please comment.
There are other examples of prominent Catholics who are identified as prophets. Three examples are listed HERE. None of them are Popes as far as I can tell.
I found more than a few articles, the first from a Catholic source that states that the Pope is not a prophet.
Re: Is the Pope a Prophet?
Here’s a definition of the term for purposes of this discussion:
PROPHET The biblical term “nabi” means one who spoke, acted, or wrote under the extraordinary influence of god to make known the divine counsels and will. Yet commonly associated with this primary function to proclaim the word of God, a prophet also prophesied by foretelling future events. His role, then, was to both proclaim and to make the proclamation credible. From www.catholicreference.net: All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon’s Modern Catholic Dictionary
“When the pope speaks ex cathedra on matters of faith and morals–then he is speaking with the divine guarantee that his words will be error-free. This is rather a negative guarantee–he will speak no error–than a positive guarantee–that he will speak all truth.
I don’t see this as quite fitting with the definition of prophet. Further, we don’t refer to the pope as prophet.”
(I will be referring to this statement later. – CR)
THIS LINK is a bit outdated and mentions Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, or Benedict XVIwho was born in Germany. I found the link interesting but inconclusive.
“Actually, any Pope is already an antichrist and a false prophet. It goes with the job description.”HERE
To quote this last source:
“The new Pope is Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina. He is a son of Italian parents so some think that qualifies him as being a Roman. This Pope took on the name Francis after St. Francis of Assisi who some say was once named Francesco di Pietro (Peter) di Bernardone. They see some significance in that. I do not.”
This fits with this next link:
Here is a link on the so-called “Prophecy of the Popes.” This is a popular view among many evangelicals and I may be wrong, but I disagree with St. Malady.
A rough but interesting conversation can be seen HERE.
If you Google “Is the Pope a false Prophet?”, you will get many links like these. To be fair, Here is a link, complete with the 4 things you will need in the last days, that says that Pope Francis is NOT the Antichrist.
So, What do I think for what it’s worth?
I don’t think a good case has been made that any Pope is a false prophet. I do, however, believe that many popes have been false teachers.
I go back to a quote earlier in this post:
From Fr. John Hardon’s Modern Catholic Dictionary:
“When the pope speaks ex cathedra on matters of faith and morals–then he is speaking with the divine guarantee that his words will be error-free. This is rather a negative guarantee–he will speak no error–than a positive guarantee–that he will speak all truth.”
Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, in virtue of the promise of Jesus to Peter, the Pope is preserved from the possibility of error[1] “when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church“.[2]
This doctrine was defined dogmatically in the First Vatican Council of 1869–1870, but had been defended before that, appearing already in medieval tradition and becoming the majority opinion at the time of the Counter-Reformation.[3]
The Counter-Reformation (also the Catholic Revival[1] or Catholic Reformation) was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) and ending at the close of the Thirty Years’ War (1648), which is sometimes considered a response to the Protestant Reformation.
So, sometime in the mid-16 century Papal Infallibility was the majority position.
1.^“We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff”.
I believe this is false teaching because it can be found nowhere in scripture.
Therefore, false teaching had entered the Church at least as early as 1302.
What the Bible says
“These things I am writing to you that you may know that you have eternal life…” (1 John 5:13)
What the Bible does NOT say
“These things I am writing to you that when you obtain the infallible interpretations thereof you may know that you have eternal life…”
Clicking on the LINK above will show you a chart with more of what the Bible does and does not say.
THIS LINK discusses the dangers of false teaching and Bible verses related to it.
2 Peter 2:1 states:
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.”
Is this verse, and verses like it, limited to the Catholic Church? It is not. There are false teachers in Protestant churches as well as in the many false religions of the world.
Have I stated that no Catholics will be in heaven? That would be a huge presumption; the same as if I believed that all Protestants are saved. I believe I know Catholics whom I will see in heaven. I also think that I have met Protestants who may not be there. Again, I am in no position to make God’s judgments as stated above.
This has not been an exhaustive study. One could spend their life on this question alone. I am not up to that task, but I wanted to answer my Muslim friend. He now has my opinion.
May God bless all who study His Word in an effort to discover the truth.
Chris Reimers
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1 ^“infallibility means more than exemption from actual error; it means exemption from the possibility of error”, P. J. Toner, Infallibility, Catholic Encyclopedia, 1910
17 “For a command came to me by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’ 18 He said to him, ‘I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord…'”
As I was reading a passage from God’s Holy Word, the verses above leapt off of the page. How many say they speak “by the word of the Lord,” or say that an angel spoke something of importance to them.
Muhammad is the most followed false prophet in our day.
“The above pic shows Mohammed receiving his first revelation from the angel Gabriel. Miniature illustration on vellum from the book Jami’ al-Tawarikh (literally ‘Compendium of Chronicles’ but often referred to as The Universal History or History of the World), by Rashid al-Din, published in Tabriz, Persia, 1307 A.D. Now in the collection of the Edinburgh University Library, Scotland.” (Wikimedia Commons)
“When Islam’s defenders challenge Christianity and other faiths, their dialogue is based upon their assumption that Muhammad was the ‘Seal of the Prophets.’ According to them, this would give him the authority to supersede and refute the teachings in the Bible with his writings in the Koran.” (1)
I hope you get a chance to watch the video at footnote 1 below. It quotes Islāmic texts (including the Koran), and clearly identifies Muhammad as a false prophet. I love my Muslim friends, but the truth must be told.
Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church, is another. Joseph Smith said . . .
(Regarding Joseph Smith’s alleged first vision where celestial personages appeared to him.) . . .) “My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right — and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight: that those professors were all corrupt . . .” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 1, p. 5-6).
“What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world,” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, p. 270.)
(In questions directed to Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism. . .) First — “Do you believe the Bible?” If we do, we are the only people under heaven that do, for there are none of the religious sects of the day that do.” Third — “Will everybody be damned, but Mormons?” Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness.” (Teachings, page 119.) (2)
In one of Joseph Smith’s stories, it was the angel moroni.
HERE is an interesting list of modern-day false prophets and teachers.
(There are quotes for the NLT in a few of these sites. It is not my favorite translation because of its treatment of John 6:37. I find its treatment unbalanced compared to the KJV or the NASB. Check it out if you wish. The NLT is not a bad translation for a new believer who hasn’t dealt with the free will/predestination issue.
Since I’m a rabbit trail guy, I’ll quote the verses now.
John 6:37
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
John 6:37
King James Version (KJV)
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
John 6:37
New Living Translation (NLT)
37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.
There is a subtle difference in the NLT translation.)
Let me get back on track…
Another modern-day false prophet was L. Ron Hubbard.
He is the founder of scientology and as THIS ARTICLE states:
“The Scripture warns that ‘many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.’ L. Ron Hubbard was such a false prophet. And the Godless ‘religion’ he created truly has deceived many.”
The article linked to above also states:
“The creepy part of Scientology is its teaching that we are all, everyone, descendants of Thetans brought to Earth 75 million years ago by Xenu, the tyrant ruler of the ‘Galactic Confederacy.’”
THE ARTICLE also mentions celebrities who believe the lies, and shows Mr. Hubbard’s hand-written description of Xenu.
THIS POST lists a number of modern-day false prophets. Some would disagree with one or more of the editor’s choices, but the majority listed leave no question.
Jim Jones was another who is not listed anywhere I looked. In 1965, Jones claimed that the world would be engulfed in a nuclear war on July 15, 1967, that would then create a new socialist Eden on earth.” Manny has also put up a post with A LINK to a slide show about this false prophet.
And here’s the scripture that started this little study:
1 Kings 13: 11-30
11 Now an old prophet was living in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken to the king, these also they related to their father. 12 Their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” Now his sons had seen the way which the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it. 14 So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16 He said, “I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 For a command came to me by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’” 18 He said to him, “I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him. 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water. 20 Now it came about, as they were sitting down at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back; 21 and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have disobeyed the command of the Lord, and have not observed the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, 22 but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water”; your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers.’” 23 It came about after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 Now when he had gone, a lion met him on the way and killed him, and his body was thrown on the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion also was standing beside the body. 25 And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown on the road, and the lion standing beside the body; so they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived. 26 Now when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God, who disobeyed the command of the Lord; therefore the Lord has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to him.” 27 Then he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it. 28 He went and found his body thrown on the road with the donkey and the lion standing beside the body; the lion had not eaten the body nor torn the donkey. 29 So the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back, and he came to the city of the old prophet to mourn and to bury him. 30 He laid his body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!”
False prophets are nothing new. As this Biblical narrative describes the deception of a “prophet” and its consequences, we must ask God for discernment regarding those who claim special revelation from God.
“Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.”
Luke 6:26 KJV
“For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
Mark 13:22 KJV
“For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
Matthew 24:24 KJV
“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”
Matthew 24:11 KJV
“[ You Will Know Them by Their Fruits ] “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
Matthew 7:15 KJV
“Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD had not spoken.”
Ezekiel 22:28 KJV
“Your prophets have seen for you False and deceptive visions; They have not uncovered your iniquity, To bring back your captives, But have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions.”
Lamentations 2:14 KJV
“[ False Prophets and Empty Oracles ] My heart within me is broken Because of the prophets; All my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, And like a man whom wine has overcome, Because of the LORD, And because of His holy words.”
Jeremiah 23:9 KJV
“And the LORD said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.”
Jeremiah 14:14 KJV
“The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?”
This is an article which I posted on Feb 14th, 2010 on the Wings of the Wind News Blog. I thought it was interesting enough to repost. I found it quite amazing how many folks would defend this kind of stuff. This is a display of how sad and angry many Americans are in our day. It is, indeed, a sign of the times.
The evolution of animated features, running parallel with the devolution of traditional, Judeo-Christian values in American society, has sunk to an all-time low as exemplified by the Cartoon Network’s series “Moral Orel,” created by Dino Stamatopoulos, also known for contributions to The Ben Stiller Show and Mr. Show.
“Orel,” named for its main character, Orel Puppington, a young boy from a monumentally dysfunctional family, dishes on the claymation “Davey and Goliath” motif, sans the faithful canine companion. But this stop-action cartoon is, mildly putting it, the antithesis of its Lutheran Church produced counterpart.
The new matrix of the popular 1950’s & 60’s children’s television series has a “moral” message to be sure. But where Davey’s adventures delivered perhaps a watered-down, sometimes oversimplified, yet interminably positive dramatization of Christian teachings, “Orel” is a dark descent into animated hyper-sexuality, violence, and most of all, blasphemy. The type of which must surely have Art Clokey, (1921-2009) creator of Davey and Goliath and pop culture phenomenon “Gumby,” spinning in his grave. The IMBD (Internet Movie Database) website dilutes the anti-Christian negativity of “Orel” by describing it as, “a parody of past religious geared animated shows starring Orel, an optimistic God fearing young boy in a world of cynicism.” While the show is indeed a parody, “Orel” is anything but optimistic or God fearing.
“Orel,” whose main character is voiced by Carolyn Lawrence of Sandy (the squirrel) Cheeks, SpongeBob Squarepants fame, pushes poor taste and religious vitriol to unfathomable depths. For example, included in Orel’s “God fearing” repertoire is a special song he wrote for a school pageant – and which his church’s congregation joyfully sings – called “I hate you Jesus,” with “inspiring” lyrics that go like this:
I hate you Jesus You rotten little fink Your sermon never pleases And your parables all stink
Your eyes are beady Nose is weird A goofy basket case I’d like to take your stupid beard And rip it off your face
Prancing gaily on the water A long-haired scrawny clod You may be someone’s daughter but You sure ain’t the son of God…
I hate you Jesus With your boring miracles You smell like a hunk of cheese That’s been shoved right up… my nose
This little ditty “playfully” opens the “Innocence” episode of Moral Orel, originally aired October 17, 2008, but rerun as recently as February 11, 2010. Difficult to comprehend the downward spiral from Davey and Goliath’s theme song, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” to its polar opposite “Orel” and “I hate you Jesus.”
Despite the outrageous desecration of the single most sacrosanct person in Christianity, there are many who think the show has intrinsic worth. A blogger on the haha music website writes, “‘Moral Orel’ is fantastically funny, dirty, and meaningful while still maintaining a complete respect and even reverence for religion and spirituality. It’s clear that the creator of the show doesn’t hate religion, just what some people do with it.”
“A COMPLETE RESPECT AND EVEN REVERENCE FOR RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY?” Wow! One might debate the wisdom of providing internet access to insane asylums, but it would definitely be wise to up the dosage on this individual’s thorazine.
A boycott of Cartoon Network’s Moral Orel sponsors including Quiznos and Burger King may very well be in the offing for the egregious lack of propriety in airing such repugnant programming. After all, Christians, by and large, protest such nonsense peacefully, but meaningfully. By contrast, if this was a show/song about Allah or Mohammed (also Muhammad), radical Islamists could well have long ago ordered a Fatwa calling for the death of Stamatopoulos and his co-conspirators.
If one examines the dramatic difference in the way religions deal with critics, as this column will do in the near future, the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates an enormous gulf between Christianity and Islam in this respect.
For now, the focus is upon Cartoon Network for unapologetically broadcasting this manner of compost, yet hypocritically scrubbing the more offensive episodes like “Innocence” from its “Adult Swim” website and YouTube, presumably to avoid citations in an exposé like this one.
I believe you may be intentionally misleading your audience with this critique. Your single, cherry-picked example of The Judas Song involves 2 episodes, first The School Pageant, and second Innocence. The song was written by a bitter ex member of a Christian folk band for a play he was producing for the school. Orel tries out, wishing to play Jesus, but is instead cast as Judas. He is then pressured by the writer/producer to sing this part, which Orel is very uncomfortable with, but then acquiesces and plays the part, which becomes a runaway hit with the town. In Innocence, Orel opens the episode after the song is sung by the church by addressing to the Reverend that the song should not have ever become popular and is blasphemous. The Reverend, realizing the mistake, gathers everyone back into the church, and proceeds to blame the whole event on Orel, along with many others.
The show’s main premise is of Orel’s innocence and good nature constantly pointing to true moral north, until it is perverted by his elders and their poor interpretation of what Christianity should be. The longest running joke of the show, Clay’s “65 Lost 10 Commandments”, are the best example of this. They speak on matters promoting racism, xenophobia, and excessive prudishness that do not appear in The Bible, but are seen far too often in the “Christian” culture found in 1950’s to present day America.
The show Moral Orel does not speak against Christianity in general or good Christians, just to the perversion of the Word that has developed in our culture. The creator of the show even offers his interpretation of the finale as God’s message to Orel that his life will get better. Yes, many points of the show feature blasphemy as shock value, but this is to point out the flaws in the people, not Christianity itself.
I have to admit that I get basic cable and do not see the cartoon network. After reading the words of the song, I don’t see how they would be allowed to be broadcast on a network for children no matter what the context. The content that you describe can be understood by children in a number of unhealthy ways.
I have talked to a few adults who have seen the show. I have yet to get a positive review. One informed me that the episode that he saw was late in the evening when children would be less likely to see it. He mentioned something called “Adultswim,” I believe. Correct me if I am wrong, but Adultswim programs consist of cartoons with adult content.
My question is, “What are the chances that these episodes will be viewed by children in the current time slots, and what guarantee is there that re-runs won’t show up when many children are watching?” The definition of blasphemy has nothing to do with people. Secondly, a young child cannot process the intentions that you refer to in your last sentence.
The words of “The Judas Song” will cause most Christians to shut the show off.
I will attempt to watch some of the show via the internet so that I am able to make a more personal evaluation. The Wings of the Wind does not endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article posted on this site. It does, however, encourage a healthy and friendly debate on the issues of our day. In this case, with what I know, I’d side with the viewpoint of the article to which you responded. We don’t see American shows treat other religions in a similar way. You won’t see a show with a song in it that says:
I hate you (name any God other than the one defined in the Bible) You rotten little fink Your sermon never pleases And your parables all stink
As a Christian, I would vigorously oppose this hateful oratory.
It is not surprising that Christianity is the target these days. A reading of 1st John makes it clear that this is to be expected.
You comment, “The show’s main premise is of Orel’s innocence and good nature constantly pointing to true moral north, until it is perverted by his elders and their poor interpretation of what Christianity should be.” If the premise is the truth, why not attempt a straightforward program relating your version of true Christianity.
Lastly, It appears that someone has gone to the trouble to create this “form letter” to be sent to anyone who is offended by Moral Orel, or worse than that, to anyone concerned about how a youngster might be affected spiritually by the show.
I only wish that your energies could be put to more productive purposes.
March 1, 2010,
After watching a little of this show on YouTube, I hardly think I was cherry-picking. It is a bad show.
First, let me say that I agree with sbf2009’s post above, and secondly, I respect you very much for your well thought-out reply to it. I also appreciate your concern for the impressionable minds of children.
I can assure you that there are other shows on Cartoon Network’s late-night Adultswim block that are easily just as likely to give children wrong ideas if not more so than Moral Orel. I can also say that CN is very good about never showing any signs at all of the late night shows during daylight hours.
On a more general note, it’s true that Christianity is almost exclusively targeted in many American critiques of religion, with others such as Islam or Hinduism or Judaism only mentioned in certainly smaller doses. Christianity is a dominating force in American culture and everyone in the United States, be them Christians themselves, Atheists, Muslims, or people of other faiths, experience its influence in some way or another. I think it’s safe to say that, in a perspective of pure numbers, the practices of the various followers of Christ are most likely to be criticized. I’ll admit though that, especially on an international scale and in places like Sweden (where Lars Vilks’ 2007 cartoon drawing of Mohamed is still a hotbed of controversy) many tread with extra caution when dealing with Islam.
Anyway, back to the show. Moral Orel is an example of satire, and sometimes this genre can be more effective at convincing people than “a straightforward program relating” the beliefs of an author, for sure it has more opportunity to be comical (a trait most Adultswim programs try to pull off). The creator, Stamatopoulos, is presenting a caricature of the kind of people and behavior he strongly opposes, in order to ultimately present his opinion that while there are honest Christians in America, the religion can be corrupted to serve other, more secular, malignant motives.
And it’s fair to call it a bad show, you are entitled to your opinion, especially on matters of taste in entertainment.
I’ve received many comments about my thoughts on Morel Orel. I’ve printed 95% of reader comments until responses to this issue. People who’ve identified themselves as Christians have called me names that I didn’t want to repeat. It is nice that someone wrote back in a civil manner. I must admit that I still haven’t seen an entire episode of the show. I’ve only seen short bits on You Tube. After the little I saw, I really don’t want to watch any more. If I get a chance, because of your civil tone, I’ll give it another look. I grew up in an era when cartoons didn’t have an agenda. Cartoons were made for kids. Many adults watched them to get a short break from the issues of everyday life. I don’t read the Sunday Comics anymore because they are filled with political speech. (Family members will show me those that are worth reading.) We are in absolute agreement that religion can be “corrupted to serve other, more secular, malignant motives.” Last night, I watched a 90 minute “teaching” by a lady who is currently in great demand as a speaker by Christian churches nationwide. Of the five Bible verses that were used in the lecture, given to a mostly female audience in a large church, only one was used properly. The other four were twisted to teach a concept that the Bible opposes. “Heresy” would be the term for much of the speech in days of old. I am very critical of many current teachings being spread within church walls. My example comes from Jesus Christ. His harshest words were directed at “religious” leaders. sbf2009 stated that “many points of the show feature blasphemy as shock value.” The little that I saw proved sbf2009 correct. I was very uncomfortable with several things that I saw and heard. I understand why many Christians have an unfavorable view. Although we disagree about the show, I appreciate your friendly manner.
It is true that Christians make mistakes when they don’t do simple things like read a scripture in context. An example would be taking a verse out of the 10th chapter of Hebrews and making it means something it doesn’t. Generally, however, one can read the previous chapter to determine the meaning of the text. One doesn’t have to read the entire book of Hebrews, although that would be best. The best way to view any scripture, or course, in in light of the entire Bible. Since I don’t get the Cartoon Network, I’ll make you a deal. If you email me a complete episode, or a link to a complete episode, I will watch it. Please don’t send me to the tamest episode, nor to the brashest. It would be better if you sent me three episodes. If you could do that, I will watch them and be better able to make an assessment.
Moral Orel is supposed to be offensive. Everything on Adult Swim is. Deal with it. I might have a bit of sympathy for you all if it weren’t for the fact that I know many Christians that act so much like the characters on Moral Orel.
This “newsblog” is compiled by one person. My name is Chris Reimers. I have not asked for sympathy from anyone. My concern is that a child might see such a program and be influenced by it. Young children are not developed enough to understand this type of material. The “Judas song” is not something to which children should be exposed. I now know that Adult Swim is aired late in the evenings. For that I am thankful. I am saddened, however, that there is so much anger directed towards those you call Christians. The Bible identifies Christians as those who display love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control. These are fruits of the Holy Spirit. Obviously, Morel Orel focuses on folks who don’t seem to have these qualities. God will be the final judge when it comes to salvation (something I believe is based on grace), but the Bible says that we will know a person by their fruits. If the fruits aren’t evident, how can there be true belief? I know many people who display the fruits upon which the Bible elaborates. None of them are perfect. Many of them would be shocked if they heard the “Judas Song” no matter what its purpose. That’s the truth and I suppose we are forced to deal with it. My experience with those whose lives have been changed by Jesus Christ is that they make every effort to be kind. There are times when they must stand for issues that they believe are based on Biblical principles no matter what the cost.
If a parent lets their child watch this, then the show is not to blame, the parents are. Honestly, if I was a parent I would have better control of my children and what they watched, since the show airs at 1:00am.
Content with sexual scenes, more violence and blood than what’s shown in this show play earlier, and at times where kids can get to it, but no one says a thing about it until it hits Christianity.
Free speech is free speech, and Christianity is something that the writer of this show is close to. How better to show the problems of people within a religion than to know them yourself.
The writer of this article was not very nice at all, since any view that disagrees with his own is considered crazy:
‘“A COMPLETE RESPECT AND EVEN REVERENCE FOR RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY?” Wow! One might debate the wisdom of providing internet access to insane asylums, but it would definitely be wise to up the dosage on this individual’s thorazine.’
Only parts of the show were looked at, not all of it together. The show has been taken out of context, just like how people take parts of the bible out of context to use it for their own selfish propaganda. The people that listen and blindly follow it without getting any real evidence are just that, blind followers, and I think a large majority of people know enough symbolism to at least figure that one out.
I approved your comment a few hours ago. My program unapproved it. I have been working on a couple of things and my response to your comment. I just found that your comment had been unapproved and have re-approved it. It should stay since I am now posting a reply.
I agree with much of what you’ve written. Your first sentence is particularly true. Your comment about sexual content and violence on television can’t be overstated. The things that we are seeing on television at all hours of the day are a reflection of the culture in which we now live. We no longer live in a Christian nation. I base this statement on the fact that, in 100% of public school science classrooms nationwide, our kids are taught one religious view about their origins. That we came from God is not a possibility. A second reason I believe we no longer live in a Christian nation – How can a Bible believing nation allow millions of the most defenseless, the unborn, to be killed every year? These are just two of the many reasons that I believe that our nation is faltering. How can God bless a nation that has turned its back on Him? Many Americans are Christians in spite of these facts. I agree with you that the author of the article was irresponsible with his “dosage on this individual’s thorazine” quote. After watching several more clips of the show, I can’t say that the entire show was “bad.” I think that the “Judas Song” was a huge mistake. As I have written before, we don’t see other religions treated similarly, even sarcastically. You won’t see a show with a song in it that says: I hate you (name any God other than the one defined in the Bible) You rotten little fink Your sermon never pleases And your parables all stink As a Christian, I would vigorously oppose this hateful oratory. There are limits to free speech. On this issue, one of the 10 commandments is a good place to start. Even though I can’t say the entire show was bad, every clip that I saw was very sad. Why would anyone stay up until 1:00 in the morning to watch such sadness? I watched the end of episode 31 (the final show) and thought it was heartbreaking. These were the words as I heard them: “ …and I hope I never get sober. And I hope of when you think of me years down the line, you can’t find one good thing to say. And I hope if I had the strength to walk out, you stay the h___ out of my way.” The song stops and there’s the conversation between Orel and his Mom about Dad’s drinking. Then the song continues…“I am drowning. There is no sight of land. You are coming down with me… Hand in unlovable hand, and I hope you die. I hope we both die.” From my point of view this is a good illustration of our hopelessness apart from Christ. The only problem is, as far as I know, the show never makes this point. The short bits that I did watch seemed to be more critical of an alcoholic father than Christianity; but the “Judas Song” really is indefensible. Maybe people watch the show because they grew up in homes like the one portrayed in the show. Every day I talk with people who grew up in homes like Orel’s. They have anger issues that go back decades. Forgiveness is the only answer for those who have been hurt by a father like Orel’s. Hate and bitterness are not answers. I know many who have been set free from these controlling emotions by asking God to help them to forgive. The show seems to illuminate a great deal of hurt and pain. It doesn’t seem to have any answers.
Well, on of the other sad parts about the show is that it wasn’t supposed to end on such a hopeless note, it was canceled, so the show will just air in reruns.
I think it was supposed to have a more light hearted ending if it had continued. The people were supposed to grow and change and the town was supposed to really be moral in the end.
However, while we all like to think on the bright side, there are sad things in life that should be brought to people’s attention. I think the show does a good job of that after drawing people in from the more comedic beginning season. Though, even all throughout the comedy, there was always that slight hint of sadness.
I watched the show with a friend and even as the episodes ended, we realized that there was a sort of deeper meaning than what it showed on the surface. It shows an innocent boy changed, for better or for worse. I believe for better, by some parts of the end as he moves past the conflicts that never should have been and has a happy life.
I do think that instead of the article being written in a way that completely trashes the show, that there could have been some sort of silver lining. Maybe going into how the young character tries to be good and Christian at heart, but has some problems along the way, like.. many young Christians, I’d think.
There are people who use the Gods of different religions in ways that other people wouldn’t like, but Christianity is still a large religion that people think has a large majority race in. Especially if you are of that race or religion, people accept it more than if you used satire on a religion or race that you aren’t apart of. The political correctness…. even if some of it doesn’t make too much sense
I also must say that you actually watching the entire show is a feat. That’s the least most people ask and you had an open mind going into it, or at least coming out of it. I commend you for that.
I also hope this came out making sense this early in the morning.
Your thoughts on how you saw the show playing out are telling. I hope you are right. I also know about the sad things of which you write.
You’re quote about being “good and Christian at heart” says to me that you do have an understanding about what it means to be a Christian. As Christians grow they can relate more to this Bible verse: “And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” We continue to have a sinful nature until we die, but the fruits of the Holy Spirit become more a part of our lives as we read His Word.
I’m glad you shared that the first season had some comedy in it. Every clip that I saw was very depressing and must have come from other seasons. You Tube classified the show as a comedy. I didn’t agree with this classification after the parts that I saw.
I never did get to see an entire episode. I don’t get the Cartoon Network, so I had to rely on bits and pieces from You Tube.
I use to be like you. Religious. Dogmatic. Legalistic. Like the Apostle Paul.
Then God showed me something. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. It was His love. The love that God has for all people. And it allowed me to see things in a much different light than how you are seeing things now.
Yes, Moral Orel is graphic. It is profane, but only because it speaks of the most profane thing in our existance. The warping of God’s image. Which leads people like yourself astray.
If you had the eyes to see God’s truth, you would see it quite blatantly in this show. But because you are blind, because you only see the surface of things, you cannot see the heart. And that brother is where you find the love of God.
I reccomend you read scripture. Read, brother, of David’s relationship with Absalom. Read what the wise woman says in 2 Samuel 14: 14 of God’s way, the love by which God moves. And understand that this relationshp between Father and prodigal son is thee example by which God chases after us. Even when we go against God, God loves us and seeks to save us.
When you have realized the depths of this love, it will change you. It will save you. It will transform you. It’s not magic and superstition. Its real, and its powerful. And I promise you, it will change the way you see people. Like the creators of this show.
You will stop your reckless judging of others and have compassion and mercy that is real and true, not just because it is commanded to us by Christ in the Gospel to love one another, but because you will actually love others.
May God’s Wisdom find you. And like His love, may it overwhelm you.
I fully know how the world works. When I person tries to express the love of God, the “devil” tries to steal the seed. I know what I wrote might be too much for you. Pride may get in your way. And the lies that fill your head, about my beloved savior Christ Jesus and God our Father… the warped image that keeps you from knowing God’s love, I know it will be hard to read, let alone understand.
But I pray, brother, you will at least read the message once and see if God will speak to your heart. Please. Read Scripture with open eyes and and open heart, and let the Word sink in.
Here is my post, one more time. Please try to read it this time:
Wow, Chris,
You have no idea how dilluded you sound.
I use to be like you. Religious. Dogmatic. Legalistic. Like the Apostle Paul.
Then God showed me something. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. It was His love. The love that God has for all people. And it allowed me to see things in a much different light than how you are seeing things now.
Yes, Moral Orel is graphic. It is profane, but only because it speaks of the most profane thing in our existance. The warping of God’s image. Which leads people like yourself astray.
If you had the eyes to see God’s truth, you would see it quite blatantly in this show. But because you are blind, because you only see the surface of things, you cannot see the heart. And that brother is where you find the love of God.
I reccomend you read scripture. Read, brother, of David’s relationship with Absalom. Read what the wise woman says in 2 Samuel 14: 14 of God’s way, the love by which God moves. And understand that this relationshp between Father and prodigal son is thee example by which God chases after us. Even when we go against God, God loves us and seeks to save us.
When you have realized the depths of this love, it will change you. It will save you. It will transform you. It’s not magic and superstition. Its real, and its powerful. And I promise you, it will change the way you see people. Like the creators of this show.
You will stop your reckless judging of others and have compassion and mercy that is real and true, not just because it is commanded to us by Christ in the Gospel to love one another, but because you will actually love others.
May God’s Wisdom find you. And like His love, may it overwhelm you.
You are very wrong. I could only wish to be like the Apostle Paul. I am not. You call me deluded and then compare me to the Apostle Paul. In my mind, this comparison would be the highest compliment.
I really don’t understand.
You say, “I used to be like you…Then God showed me something. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. It was His love. The love that God has for all people. And it allowed me to see things in a much different light than how you are seeing things now.”
Would you explain how God showed you this? I would also like to know how the Apostle Paul was legalistic.
As to my reckless judgment of others, I’m not concerned about your assessment after your strange comments. If you don’t accept the words of the Apostle Paul, what part of the New Testament is from God?
I appreciate your complementary close. I wish you the same.
God’s blessings,
Chris
Also: I usually only check the blog a few times a day. If I don’t get to you within a certain time, it doesn’t mean that I am ignoring you. I reply to comments as time allows. The comments that I won’t print are the ones that I find crude or offensive to others. This blog will go off-line on April 1. I hope you feel free to comment at my new site https://chrisreimersblog.wordpress.com
Lastly: I have read the verse from 2 Samuel. You may not agree with what the Apostle Paul says, but I think he understood the love of God as well as anyone. An example from Ephesians 3:
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
You do know that the show was canceled ages ago and all that’s airing is reruns and it comes on at around 1 or 2 in the AM? So boycotting sponsors, not going ot work.
And one could say that one of the core themes in the show is striving to keep one’s faith and morals IN SPITE of the people you look up to or suppose to be your leader corrupting them and using them and telling that YOU are wrong when they’re the ones ignoring the message.
Yes, I know about the cancellation. The portions of the show that I saw never articulated the core theme that you are describing. I have been told that Orel represents the type of person to which you refer. I can only speak of the parts of the show that I have seen. Anyone who keeps their faith in spite of persecution or poor influences is a person to be respected.
Jeeze, and religious people wonder why they get made fun of so hard by everyone who dosent believe in their every way. When you overact about a show like this you only cause more people to think your just like most of the annoying versions of religious people, stuck up, shallow minded, and judgemental. It’s a show, if kids young enpugh to be persuaded by a tv show are watching adult swim, then that’s their own fault for watching something they shouldent. It’s all just a joke, the creators never said they hate jesus, so just get over it, don’t watch it, and leave the people who made it, air it, and watch it alone.
I have to say I am struggling with this. As a non-Christian with a large amount of respect for both Jesus and the core tenets of the religion as I see them (mostly the ‘love thy neighbor’ tune), I get a lot of sidelong responses when I try to speak honestly with Christians about… well, much of anything.
So, since you sincerely admit to knowing next to nothing about the show, I will offer two things. One is advice not to write articles on things you know nothing about (not the classiest move, btw). The other is a brief synopsis of the show and why I think it’s respectful of your faith (if not all of its followers).
Moral Orel follows the backwards capers of Orel Puppington, the only (or pretty close to it) moral character in the twisted, sad town of Moralton. While Orel tries desperately to follow the spirit of the teachings of Christianity and considers himself “Jesus’s #1 Fan!” in an innocent, childlike way, the adults of his town give either incomplete or completely backwards advice which leads him blithely- heck, EAGERLY- tromping down the wrong path.
By far, the worst perpetrator of misleading Orel is his own father, Clay Puppington. He punishes Orel for the utterly wrong things (laughably spanking Orel for using dirty slang instead of illicit drugs which lead him to use the slang in the first place) and insists on misquoting God’s Word by adding a backwards lesson at the end of many episodes in the form of The Lost Commandments (“Thou Shalt Be Ashamed of Thy Natural Anatomy”, “Thou Shalt Not Bastardize the American Language”, “Thou shalt only have sex face-to-face, man on top”, and other things). Over the course of the series, Clay is proven to be, despite his glib and confident mistellings of… everything, to be a loveless, hateful alcoholic with no responsibility over his own doings, much less ownership of the traumas he inflicts on his innocent son.
Most fans will maintain that, though your average Evangelical will shy away from it, Moral Orel doesn’t satirize Christianity in and of itself (though it happily uses such as a vehicle), but hypocrisy. The citizens of Moralton, almost to a citizen, are utterly miserable. They deny any human urges, stay in loveless, toxic relationships out of a desire to “look good” and the tyrannical “matriarch” Ms. Censordoll even browbeats young ladies into picketing their own weddings as “sinful affairs”. The only thing tying them all together is a hypocritical sneer at all behaviors deemed “unfit” paired with a moral cowardice. This is shared by just about every member of the cast (a few exceptions) except for Orel. I sincerely believe this is why -he’s- the happy one.
I even posited in a conversation the other day that we could see the show as having God’s Will as a potent force within its continuity. Every good person gets good things (a sweet lady who cares warmly for Orel gets in touch with her estranged father and forms a meaningful bond with him; Orel’s story ends happily; and Clay and Bloberta’s toxic relationship could be seen as retribution for them both hurting those in their lives meaninglessly, refusing to do -any-thing to fix it and, in fact, building the gallows for their own misery themselves).
I hope this helped. Trust me, Moral Orel is not anti-Christian. I could even argue that Orel himself is an example of what many modern Christians try to be.
I can understand if you have an issue with me posting something that I didn’t know much about. As I didn’t write the article, I don’t think you can hold me responsible for the article itself. I have posted many articles that contain information with which I’m not completely familiar. I have always thought that dialogue like this would follow if I missed something. In this case, I’m satisfied because not only have I learned something, I have had folks like you write to me who would not have otherwise. The more I read the original article, the more I can see that the author may have overlooked some of the underlying messages in the show. I also understand how any appearance of blasphemy would bother any Christian. I would have liked more than one article on Christian sites relating to the show. I’m glad I ran into this one though since I would never have been aware of Orel otherwise. Thanks for your take on the show. Sadly, it sounds like the world we live in today. I know that you think that Moral Orel is not anti-Christian. Nevertheless, we Christians (I include myself here) need to take a very hard look in the mirror. We have to start reading our Bibles again. Entire denominations are walking away from what used to be considered simple truth. I think I have received many comments on this post because, unfortunately, many can relate to Orel. It’s a “look out for #1″ world. As a Christian, this is no surprise; 1 John chapter 5, among many other passages, gives us a good sense that things would be this way. Yes, your effort was helpful. When you put together your own blog, please send me the address. I particularly find truth in your comment about how people who treat others badly are only building their own gallows. There is a scripture that articulates this: “You reap what you sow.” This blog will be moving to https://chrisreimersblog.wordpress.com beginning April 1st. I hope you can check in occasionally.
This was a four-part series that was published in the original Wings of the Wind News Blog around Veteran’s Day in 2009. I thought it fitting, again, for this year’s Memorial Day observances. The last time I saw Mr. Broniarczyk was at a local laundrymat that I no longer use. He was doing well except for a knee that gave him some trouble.
About 18 months ago, I received a phone call from a complete stranger. He asked if I was the guy who had interviewed Mr. Broniarczyk. He informed me that he had the uniform pictured in this narrative and that he had bought it at a Goodwill store. I was sad. I brightened when the caller told me the reason for his purchase. He wanted a part of history to share with his son so that his son wouldn’t forget the sacrifices made by a past generation. He was thankful that he had found this article on the internet. So was I.
CR ***************************
On this Veteran’s Day, there is no way to adequately thank those who have given so much to defend the Constitution of the United States of America. An interview with a former soldier is the way the Wings of the Wind chooses, this year, to honor all of those who have fought in wars to defend this nation. Our deepest gratitude is offered to those who have put on a uniform to help protect our freedoms.
The Wings of the Wind called and requested an interview with World War II Veteran, Mr. Anton Broniarczyk. When his wife asked him if it was O.K., Mr. Broniarczyk declined. She told the Wings of the Wind representative something already known; Mr. Broniarczyk was a modest man. I explained that the story needed to be told. It is important for our young people to know stories like this one. It is important that we understand the sacrifices that many living among us have made. It is important to hear about those who didn’t come home. After Mrs. Broniarczyk shared this opinion, Mr. Broniarczyk approved. The interview took place the next day. It will be printed in parts.
Q: Did you enlist?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes.
Q: Mr. Broniarczyk, were you born and raised in America?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes, I was born and raised in Cicero, Illinois. I grew up during the depression. (It was) tough.
Q: What does the pin on the jacket stand for?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Flight engineer, B-29. I graduated from Lowery field near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Broniarczyk then started the story from the beginning.
Mr. Broniarczyk: I didn’t have a job. My mother was a heart patient. My father had tuberculosis. We were in really bad shape. I bought a bag of cookies and I sat on the bench in Grant Park trying to decide what to do. So I thought, “I’ll join the military if they’ll take me.” You had to be a high school graduate. I went to the recruiting outfit; they gave me a physical, and six choices of where I wanted to be sent. (Mr. Bronarchik went on to name 4 of the 6 that he could remember. One that he remembered was Hickam Field next to Pearl Harbor. HickamField, adjacent to PearlHarbor U.S. Naval Base, was established in 1935 as Hawaii’s principal army airfield and bomber base.) I’d never been to Texas, so I choose Kelly Field in San Antonio.
They fixed me up with railroad tickets and I took the train. I had four dollars in my pocket and a new blue sweater. I’d never been any place in my life. I got on the train, made it to San Antonio, and asked, “Where’s Kelly Field?” I took a bus to the airfield because it was a few miles outside of the city limits. I asked the bus driver, “Who’s the commanding officer?” I was supposed to report to the commanding officer. There was a wooden bungalow in the middle of the field. I knocked on the door with my envelope and a lady came up and asked what I wanted. I told her that I needed to report to the commanding officer. She said, “I’ll take the envelope.” I said, “No, I’ve got to give it to him personally.
Q: Who had told you that you had to personally give your reporting papers to the commanding officer?
Mr. Broniarczyk: They told me that at the recruiting center. She did some checking and I was allowed in to see the commander. He was a small man and he was reading the newspaper. He was barefooted and he laughed when I gave him my papers. His name was Lackland. A base is named after him.
Mr. Broniarczyk had crossed paths with a man who became well known. The Wings of the Wind checked the Arlington Cemetery website and got this information:
Born on September 13, 1884, in Faurquier County, Virginia, he died on April 27, 1943 in Washington, D.C. While Lackland Air Force Base is named for him, the research continues. He is buried in Section 4 of Arlington National Cemetery.
Lackland AFB — The base is known as the “Gateway to the Air Force,” as it’s the site of basic training for all Air Force enlisted personnel. It’s also home to the Military Training Center, the Air Force Security Police training program, the Defense Language Institute and Wilford Hall Medical Center. It’s named for Gen. Frank D. Lackland, the pioneer commander at what’s now Kelly AFB. Originally, the area now occupied by Lackland AFB was a bombing range for fliers from Kelly. During World War II, it became the San Antonio Cadet Center. It became Lackland in 1947.
GENERAL LACKLAND, 58, IN ARMY 31 YEARS Air Forces Officer, the Head of March Field First Wing at Retirement Last June, Dies
WASHINGTON, April 28, 1943 – Brigadier General Frank D. Lackland, an Army officer for thirty-one years at his retirement last June, died yesterday at Walter Reed Hospital, the War Department announced today. His age was 58.
General Lackland, who was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, was commanding officer of the First Wing at March Field, California, when he retired. Previously he had served as commandant of the Air Forces advanced flying school at Kelly Field, Texas, and as air officer for the Eighth Corps Area at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
He entered the Army as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in 1911 after serving in the District of Columbia National Guard for six years. He transferred to the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps during the First World War and, after completing his training as an air officer was executive officer at Kelley Field and the School of Aerial Gunnery, Selfridge Field, Michigan.
___________Interview continues…
Q: What was his rank at that time?
Mr. Broniarczyk: At that time he was a colonel. He made a phone call and a pickup truck came over and took me to the 61stSchool Squadron. They took me to the orderly room there, and the First Sergeant said, “Are you hungry fella?” It was about 5 in the afternoon and I answered, “yes.” I remember the Mess Sergeant’s name was Kasmyrick. He fixed up a plate for me. I looked at it and I saw grapefruit. I’d never seen grapefruit in my life. Remember this is still peacetime.
Q: What year did this take place?
Mr. Broniarczyk: It was 1939.
Q: Did you have a feeling at that time that there would be a war?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Poland had been invaded on September 1st of 1939.
They took me to a six-man tent and that’s where I slept. The next morning, I reported back to the orderly room to a Sergeant Reynolds. He interviewed me and asked me about my experience with airplanes.
German troops parade through Warsaw after the surrender of Poland in late September of 1939
Q: I bet he found out that you knew nothing about airplanes.
Mr. Broniarczyk: That’s right. Sergeant Reynolds said, “We’re going to make different outfits. Some are going to Alaska, and some are going to the 24thAirbase in Puerto Rico.”
They began our preparation by drilling us. Corporal Britten, an ex-infantry man, gave us the drills; up and down and up and down. Now, this was in civilian clothes. Lieutenant Bernard, a West Pointer, measured me up for clothes. Two weeks later I got my uniform. That’s how unprepared we were.
After recruit drill, they assigned me to an airplane. It was #19, a BC-1. BC stood for “basic combat.” We were at a training center for fliers. I was a helper for a Sergeant Walski. He was a Polish fellow, too. He was a big, husky man. We got along real well right off the bat. He was a good friend of the mess sergeant. They were buddies.
Q: You got good food then?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes, Walski, would say, “Come on Bronarchic, we’re going to have some nice rolls.” He’d even say that when it wasn’t meal time.
Q: He took good care of you, huh?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes, I stayed with that one airplane, the BC-1 for a while.
Q: You trained on that airplane?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes, I was trained on that airplane.
Q: What was your job?
Mr. Broniarczyk: We were raw recruits. We shined the airplane, changed the oil…
Q: Basic stuff, huh?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes, minor stuff. I asked the first sergeant if I could try out for the baseball team. “Sure,” he said. “You know anything about baseball?” he asked me. I said, “Sure.”
I played second base. After three months, there was an announcement that we were to be sent to one of the two air bases in Alaska or Puerto Rico. I was in the 61st squadron.
I got up real early the next day and sat on the stairs of the orderly room, waiting for the first sergeant. In those days, it was difficult to know who had a higher standing, the first sergeant or God. I sat there and waited to talk to the first sergeant.
Q: What was the orderly room?
Mr. Broniarczyk: That is where all of the paperwork was done. I was there before it was open. The first sergeant came and I said, “I realize, Sergeant Reynolds (a nice guy) that I’m a new man and that I’m bound to be transferred. I’d like to request to be sent to Alaska in lieu of Puerto Rico. He said, “You’re not going anywhere. You are a ball player.”
Q: You got to play for the team?
Mr. Broniarczyk: The other guys got transferred to Alaska and Puerto Rico. In order to keep me at Kelly Field, he said, “I’m going to send you to school. It’ll save you. They won’t be able to take you.”
I went to mechanic school for six months.
Q: This is because you could play ball?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Sports was a big thing.
Q: It’s still a big thing, except the guys get paid a lot more today than they used to.
Mr. Broniarczyk: I’ll tell you about my military pay in a while.
So, I went to school. I was sent to Chanute Field in Rantoul, Illinois. It’s not there anymore. When I finished school, I was sent back to Kelly field. They gave me an exam at Kelly Field and I passed the exam. They made me an Air Mechanic, First Class.
Q: Is that what’s represented by the pin on your uniform?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes. I received $84 a month. It was the same pay as a five-striper. I had no stripes. My rating, Air Mechanic – First Class, determined my pay. There was a Second Class for those who didn’t go to school. They got $72 a month.
Q: At Eighty-four dollars, you’re pay was as much as the pay of someone who had five stripes? What is five stripes?
Mr. Broniarczyk: That’s a Tech Sergeant. Anybody without stripes was eligible for KP duty. We got two weeks of KP.
Q: Peeling potatoes, is that what it was?
Mr. Broniarczyk: It was everything from peeling potatoes to washing windows.
Captain Schultz was the head of the squadron. I remember that he walked in between two airplanes; one was taxiing, and he lost his arm.
Sergeant Reynolds had requested a transfer to Panama and it had been granted. The new Sergeant put me on KP. Remember, I was Mechanic First Class but I had no stripes. I was on KP for a couple of days.
Every Saturday, the crew chief of the airplane had to stand by the plane. The squadron commander was a man named Ives. Major Ives was the commanding officer of the 61st Squadron.
Q: How many men were in that squadron?
Mr. Broniarczyk: There were about 75.
Q: That would represent how many planes?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Approximately 20 planes were in the squadron.
Q: These were small aircraft?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes, it was the BC-1, a basic combat trainer. It was a fine airplane that was made in North America.
Every Saturday morning, the commanding officer would go through with the first sergeant, carrying clipboards, and thoroughly check the airplanes. If the plane was dirty, it was noted.
I had been put on KP by the first sergeant.
I had two helpers who were supposed to help with the plane. They were both boozers. Half of the time they were gone, and when they were there they were in the way.
Saturday came and I was on KP. There was no man standing by the aircraft. Major Ives said, “Where’s the crew chief?” The first sergeant replied, “He’s on KP.” Major Ives asked the first sergeant, “He’s on KP? What’s his rank?” The first sergeant said, “He’s a private.” Major Ives asked, “What’s his pay scale?” The first lieutenant answered, “Eighty-four dollars a month.” Major Ives responded: “What the XXXX is an eighty-four dollar a month man doing on KP? Get his XXX off KP right now.” I heard this story from one of my buddies.
I got out there and I said to the first sergeant, “Didn’t I tell you, you couldn’t put me on KP?” Legally he could put me on KP because I didn’t have any stripes, but I was responsible for that airplane.
They took me off of air mechanic first class and gave me four stripes. Four stripes took me down to $72 dollars a month but, they put me on flying pay.
Q: So, you ended up being paid more than the $84 dollars that your monthly salary was previously?
Mr. Bronairczyk: Yes. One day, in August of the following year…
Q: This was 1940?
Mr. Bronairczyk: Yes. They sent be back to Chanute Field to get trained as an ignition specialist. Afterwards, I would also be considered an electrical specialist. Then they sent me back to Kelly Field. One day a phone call came through. There were 5 hangers at Kelly Field. One hanger was designated “Engine Change” and the others were 1,2,3,and 4. I was on airplane #19 in hanger 4. The phone call was clear, “Sergeant Bronairczyk, report to Colonel Bond’s office.” Colonel Bond was one of the top officers at Kelly Field. He had come from West Point.
Everyone said to me, “What did you do Sarge? What did you do?” Colonel Bond had a reputation as a mean man. He was a full Colonel. He was not a Lieutenant Colonel; He was known as a “Bird Colonel.” I hurried back to the barracks and put my clean coveralls on and I went to his office. His first sergeant asked me to state my business. “Colonel Bond wants to see me,” I said. I didn’t have any idea why I was called by the colonel.
Arriving to see Colonel Bond, I saluted and said, “Sergeant Bronairczyk reporting as ordered sir.” “Take a chair,” the colonel repeated. When he said to take the chair I thought, “Oh, this is no bawling out.” He wouldn’t offer a chair if I was in trouble.
When I became a sergeant, I had my clothes made to order.
Q: You wanted them to fit perfectly?
Mr. Bronairczyk: Yes. Colonel Bond said to me, “I’ve selected you to assist me in building a new field. Here are the tickets. You’re taking a train. You’re being transferred to Lake Charles, Louisiana. He said, “I’m coming over there and we’re going to build a field there.” It was to be called Chennault Field. I ran to the library to see what Lake Charles looked like. I was thinking about the fishing.
Note: Chennault Field was closed in 1963
When I arrived there, I had to wear civilian clothing. The infantry were involved in maneuvers. They were put in one of two armies, the white army or the red army. This is why I had to wear civilian clothes.
Q: They were having war games?
Mr. Bronairczyk: Yes. Since I wasn’t part of that, I looked around and found a boarding house. I got a room with two meals for a dollar a day. As soon as I got settled, I went to where they were planning on building the field. There was one runway at the site. A civilian was giving flying lessons when I arrived. The runway was made of ground up oyster shells, tar, and oil.
They had a government run weather station there. I approached the airport manager and said, “We’re going to build a field here.” The airport manager was aware that he had to give up the field.
I waited a few days and Colonel Bond came in with an airplane. I stayed there about six months while they were building the field. Colonel Bond and I would fly from Lake Charles to San Antonio and Randolph Field where all of the paperwork was being done for this new field. Colonel Bond was a man about 60 years old. We’d take off from this ground up oyster shell, tar, and oil runway. After we were at a certain altitude, Colonel Bond would put up his hands and say, “Sergeant, you’ve got it now.” I put the airplane on the correct heading, and I would fly the airplane. I would fly over Houston. The WAC was running the tower there.
Mr. Bronairczyk: A WAC was a woman. I think it stands for the Women’s Army Corp. “Elington Field calling…Elington Field…Army 111433,” she would say over the radio. The plane I was flying was a volte (?), a low winged airplane with non-retractable wheels. It was a good airplane with a big dihedral (that’s the wings).
When I saw the large tower at Randolph from a distance, I’d shake the stick and wake up Colonel Bond. If they found out I was doing the flying, there might be trouble. Colonel Bond would take control and land the plane.
Q: How long was the trip from Lake Charles to Randolph Field?
Mr. Bronairczyk: It took us between 1 1/1 to 2 hours. He’d take care of business with the contractors and I’d be on my own. I was personally responsible for Colonel Bond’s plane. I would work on the airplane.
After the manager at Lake Charles left, only Colonel Bond, the airplane, and I remained.
Q: So no trainers were there yet.
Mr. Bronairczyk: No, there was no hanger at the time.
Q: Did the airplane you were in charge of have a single propeller?
Mr. Bronairczyk: Yes. It was my job to tie the airplane down and to take care of it. About every third or fourth day we would fly to Randolph. Up and back. So, I got a lot of flying experience. While in San Antonio, I had the opportunity to go to town. I met some friends there. I had all of my uniforms tailor-made. I’d go back to Kelly and see my envious buddies there.
Q: They’d give you a hard time about your clothes, huh?
Mr. Bronairczyk: Yes. They treated me pretty good. When I was at Lake Charles in 1940-1941, I remember we were preparing for a trip to San Antonio. Readying for the trip, I would always get the weather at the government station. Someone said, “Hey, Sarge, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.” I said, “That’s bologna. That’s fake.” I didn’t believe him. I walked into the weather station and looked at the teletype. It was December 7th, 1941. I saw that the man who told me about the Japanese attack was telling the truth.
They brought a G.I. in from Camp Polk, an infantry base, to guard the airplane. I was unaware that they put a guard there. When I arrived to check the plane, the guy from Polk pointed his rifle at me. I said, “Come on. That’s my airplane.” I had to call the Colonel. He came and explained everything to the G.I.
Mrs. Broniarczyk: (who had been listening to the interview) He was going to shoot him.
Mr. Broniarczyk: He thought I was trying to steal the airplane. I don’t blame the kid because I was wearing civilian clothes.
Sergeant Broniarczyk’s Stripes
“He thought I was trying to steal the airplane. I don’t blame the kid because I was wearing civilian clothes.”
-Sergeant
Anton Broniarczyk
When the field was built, Colonel Bond called me in and he gave me one more stripe. I had four stripes previously and was a staff sergeant. The last stripe made me a tech sergeant. One bottom stripe represents a staff sergeant. Two bottom stripes meant a tech sergeant. Three stripes means a master sergeant.
The hangers at Lake Charles were built and about five squadrons were stationed there. I was put in charge of inspection.
Q: What type of aircraft were you inspecting?
Mr. Bronairczyk: The BC-1 came into Lake Charles. Then they changed to AT-6, advanced trainers. After learning on the AT-6, a pilot graduated at Lake Charles.
AT-6 Formation
Q: Were these planes designed for pilots who were going to be flying fighters or bombers?
Mr. Bronarczyk: The flyers could go either way. At that time the government had a B-10 bomber. It was a pitiful machine. It also had a B-18. It was just as bad. Those were the only two bombers we had at the time. They were terrible. If they hit 200 MPH, they were really straining.
Q: Did we have any good fighter planes at that point?
Mr. Bronarczyk: No. They came in with one fighter. It was a P-35. It was sent to Lake Charles accidentally. I took care of the P-35. I remember the major who flew it to Suffix Field in Detroit where it should have been. I think he was drunk. The pursuit pilots in those days had to be drunk to fly those things. Anyway, he flew it away.
Curtiss P-36 “Hawk”
The P-36 became our top fighter. I was there for a while and then a new field was constructed in Victoria, Texas.
They called me in one day and said, “They say you’ve got some flying time.” They needed a pilot for tow target operations. The tow target pilot would pull a long rope that had a sleeve at the end of it. The cadets would dive at the sleeve and shoot it for practice.
I told them I didn’t have a pilot’s license. The Colonel who interviewed me said, “We need somebody, and you’re the only one that can do it. Fly around the field within gliding distance. I had no paperwork, but I flew with a corporal.
I told you how unprepared we were for the war. We had a rope with the sleeve way out there for them to shoot at and we didn’t have a winch to bring the sleeve back into the airplane.
Q: How did you get it back to the plane?
Mr. Bronarczyk: This is a fact. He had a hunting knife. I would tell him when to cut. He’d cut the rope and it would float to the ground. We’d re-tie it and go up again. That’s how bad things were. We didn’t even have a winch. Imagine.
They took me off of tow operations as more pilots became available. They came up with a restriction that you had to be a college graduate to be a pilot. That eliminated me.
Victoria, Texas is a nice town.
Note: The WWII Air Base in Victoria was named Foster Field. Today, it is the Victoria Regional Airport.
They started talking about the B-29. They were building B-29s. None were flying yet. They sent me to school at Lowery Field. I took six more months of schooling while the B-29s were being built. We had B-17s. We flew in B-17s and B-24s. The B-24 was a good airplane. They had lots of room in them. They weren’t much better than the B-17, the airplane on which I received my training. We graduated from school at Lowery Field and we were still waiting for the B-29s. They sent me to Lincoln, Nebraska to get a crew. I got on a crew led by Captain Black. Nice guy! A real nice guy! Our crew got shipped to McCook, Nebraska. Cold! Cold!! Man, it was cold there!!!
Q: Approximately what year was this?
Mr. Broniarczyk: I think it was the winter of 1942. He let me have his golf clubs. I liked him. He was a nice guy. He had different hobbies. He never played golf and I used his golf clubs. The golf happened, of course, when the weather was warmer. We got our training in B-17s because there were no B-29s yet. Boy, that was some rough flying. It was so cold, that we’d, start the engines, move the airplane forward a little, and I’d have to get out of the airplane and see how much rubber we left behind. The Japanese had the rubber. Our tires were mostly synthetic. They’d adhere to the ice. If we left too much rubber behind, we’d cancel the mission.
Q: The tires would freeze to the runway?
Mr. Broniarczyk: The synthetic rubber would adhere to the concrete.
Q: There were times when you got out of the airplane that you saw the tires left behind on the ice?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes. It was very cold. I was the engineer. I would inspect the airplane and the rest of the crew would go out to eat. They’d bring me sandwiches. I remember one time I checked the wing tanks. Each tank cap had a gasket. The gaskets were wearing out so I told Captain Black that they needed to be replaced. “The gaskets are pretty bad,” I said. “We should get new gaskets before we take off.” “That’s alright,” Captain Black said, “We’re not going to go very far.”
As soon as we took off, the caps flew off.
Q: Both of them?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes. A lot of people are under the impression that the air lifts the airplane up. This is not altogether true. A vacuum is what pulls the airplane up. A vacuum is formed on top of the wings. When those caps flew off, the vacuum was pulling the gasoline out of the tanks. That and the combination of a red hot engine made me sweat. We turned around and landed as quickly as possible. I said, “Did I tell you Captain? We should have had new gaskets.” “I know,” Captain Black said. “You told me.” He was a good guy.
Q: Everyone got back O.K.?
Mr. Broniarczyk: We were very fortunate, that’s all. Very fortunate. That was one of the times that I remember escaping a close call. All it would have taken was a little spark and…boom!
Q: How many men were on that plane?
Mr. Broniarczyk: This was a B-17. The B-17 had at least six men: the navigator, bombardier, pilot, co-pilot, engineer, and radio man.
_____________________________________
Note: Mr. Broniarczyk probably trained on a B-17F. The B-17G came a bit later. The Famous “Memphis Belle” was a B-17F. The gunners were obviously not a part of flight training.
The B-17F, with its frameless Plexiglas nose and other improvements was the first mark to be built in significant numbers (over 3400 were built by Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed Vega). However, the definitive Flying Fortress, bristling with thirteen .5in Browning machine guns, was the B-17G, with its distinctive chin turret to deter head-on fighter attacks. By war’s end, 8,680 G’s were built. Usually left unpainted to save weight and material, these later marks, now escorted by long-range fighters right to the heart of Germany, finally came close to fulfilling the late 30’s doctrine espoused by the Air Corps.
Crews in early daylight missions had a one-in-three chance of not returning. But even during the last six months of the war, there were often desperate battles, with the “Mighty 8th” armadas facing a host of new weapons and tactics including the rocket-powered Me 163 Komet and the Me 262 jet flown by the Luftwaffe’s best. By the end of the war, Fortresses had dropped a full two fifths of all ordinance delivered to the Reich by the US Army Air Corps and Air Force. A high price was paid. Casualties were severe. The 8th Air Force alone suffered 18,000 wounded, 28,000 POW’s and 26,000 killed in action.
AF B-17 BOMBER CREW COMPOSITION
Prior to 01 April 1944 – Original Crews – 10 Crewmen
Flexible Gunners had one .50 Caliber Machine Gun. Chin, Top, Ball and Tail Turrets had two .50 Caliber Machine Guns. Some B-17F models had chin turrets. B-24 Crews had similar crews and guns.
Mr. Broniarczyk continues: I was on Tinian. It was three miles away from Saipan. You could see it off in the distance. The 73rd was at Saipan. I was in the 9th Bomb Group, 1st Squadron, 313th Wing, 20th Air Force. We were sent out to bomb Truk (See http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/truk.html). I remember the 12th mission. We came in and Colonel Hoagland, in charge of the 1st Squadron, made an announcement to “Report to the orderly room.” So the whole crew went there thinking we were in trouble. The colonel told us that new, inexperienced crews were coming in and he wanted crews to be intermingled. This would put experienced men with those who had little or no experience. The colonel said, “We’re taking only one man out of your crew,” and he pointed at me.
Captain Black didn’t like that. We were buddies. The colonel pulled me off and put me on Lieutenant Chippen’s crew. I didn’t like it either, but Chippen was a nice guy. His father owned a hosiery mill in Pennsylvania. He was a college graduate and a real nice guy. I flew with him.
In March of 1945, I was put on Chippen’s crew. In June of 1945, Captain Black and his entire crew got killed.
Q: How did that happen?
Mr. Broniarczyk: They got hit by anti-aircraft as they were laying magnetic mines with a B-29. A magnetic mine would be dropped in the water, sink down, and the first metal thing that passed over would arm the mine.
Q: Where you on a B-29 in Lieutenant Chippen’s crew?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes. The B-29 had 11 men. (Mr. Broniarczyk showed the interviewer where he sat in a diagram of he B-29.) The engineer sat in very close quarters. There was a long tunnel through the bomb bays and the wings. A gunner might say to me, “Number two is smoking.” I’d have to crawl through that tunnel. Before I did that, I would have to remove my chute. I always feared that I would be in the center of that tube when we got hit. I could see the engine from the gunner’s position. (Mr. Broniarczyk was probably referring to the top gunner’s position. See the diagram and #22)
Flight Engineer Broniarczyk’s position in the B-29 (21)
Q: When the gunner said “Number two,” was he was referring to the second of four engines?
Mr. Broniarczyk: That’s right.
Q: What kind of engines were on the aircraft?
Mr. Broniarczyk: It was a Wright 3350. A pile of junk.
Note: Early versions of the R-3350 were equipped with carburetors, though it was the poorly designed elbow, or entrance to the supercharger that led to serious problems with inconsistent fuel/air distribution. Near the end of World War II, in late 1944, the system was changed to use direct injection where fuel was injected directly into the combustion chamber. This change improved engine reliability immediately. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_R-3350.
Q: Did they ever outfit the plane with a different engine?
Mr. Broniarczyk: When they came out with fuel injection, the engine improved.
Q: (Mr. Broniarczyk had a newspaper clipping telling the story of a bombing run in which he had taken part.) In this bombing run over Tokyo on March 9th, the one you were involved in, you were in one of these B-29s that had engines that weren’t so good?
An informative news article printed long after the war
Mr. Broniarczyk: That’s right. We lost a lot of airplanes because of engines. When we took off, it was the engineer’s duty to call out the high cylinder head temperature. We had overheating problems.
Q: You had gauges that showed the temperature of each engine?
Mr. Broniarczyk: All of the engine instruments were mine.
Q: How did you communicate with the other crew members? Were you connected by radio to everyone on the plane?
Mr. Broniarczyk: No. The airplane was pressurized. Oxygen was flowing all of the time. It was very comfortable and you could talk to others. The engineer was very near to the pilots.
Q: Who communicated to the bombardier?
Mr. Broniarczyk: (He pointed to the diagram.) They were close to the front.
Q: It looks like the tail-gunner was by himself.
Mr. Broniarczyk: He wouldn’t be at the far back for take-off. Once he was told to take his position, he was in the only unpressurized section of the plane. He had to wear an oxygen mask.
Q: How many missions did you fly?
Mr. Broniarczyk: I don’t remember the total of all of the missions I flew, but I think it was four missions over Japan. Fortunately, I was on what was called a “Pathfinder Mission.” The Japanese didn’t think much of one airplane flying over. The Pathfinder had the top navigator and top bombardier. The rest of the planes would follow after the Pathfinder.
Q: Did we lose our bombers due to anti-aircraft guns or fighters or a combination?
Mr. Broniarczyk: It was a combination. At this point, they didn’t have many fighters remaining.
Q: Did you have escort fighters?
Mr. Broniarczyk: We had P-51s. It was a lot safer at this point in the war because Iwo was behind us. We had to land at Iwo once because our engines weren’t synchronized. Some stray shrapnel hit the prop and knocked it out of balance. I couldn’t control the prop. I cut the engine off and feathered the prop. By “feathering,” I mean that you shape it as an air foil. We landed at Iwo and put on a new prop.
Q: Iwo was taken when you landed there?
P-51 Mustang
Mr. Broniarczyk: It wasn’t taken yet. The marines were fighting there. An airplane from our outfit, Number 8 – “Dynamite” – was the first airplane to land at Iwo. When it landed, it hit a pole and dented the wing but everyone was O.K.
That was about the time I got both of my eardrums busted.
Q: How did that happen?
Mr. Broniarczyk: We had a leak in the pressurization system and we dropped 6,000 feet very quickly.
Q: This picture of you with the Enola Gay, how did you get this?
Mr. Broniarczyk: This was taken in August of 1945. The picture was taken on the island of Tinian. A fella came to me and said, “Hey Sarge, the 509th dropped a bomb and wrecked a whole city. I said, “Ah, bologna.” I didn’t believe it. The next day I went over and had this picture taken.
Sergeant Broniarczyk and the Enola Gay, August 7th, 1945
Mr. Broniarczyk: At this time, I was relieved from duty because I had 111 points. This represented a lot of time.
Q: Did you say this picture was taken the day after the bomb was dropped?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes, it was taken the day after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.
Q: How old were you in this picture?
Mr. Broniarczyk: I was born in 1914. I was around 30 years old.
Q: After you completed your time, did you head back to the states?
Mr. Broniarczyk: They didn’t have the planes or the ships to take me back. Naturally, officers got preference. So, they sent me to Saipan to await a ship. They organized us into groups according to our region of the country. They put me in charge of 90 guys going to Chicago.
C130A Cargo Plane
“They put me in charge of 90 guys going to Chicago.”
-Mr. Anton Broniarczyk
Part III
Q: You were the baby sitter.
Mr. Broniarczyk: I had help. I chose a huge African-American sergeant whose name was Mac. I said, “Mac, you’re in charge of the African-Americans. We played baseball and I would assign some of the guys certain duties, but not many. When the ship finally arrived, it was a “Liberty Ship.” It was a scowl. I remember that I was checking the guys off and I asked the minister, “How long will it take to get back to the states?” He said, “If you’re lucky, 23 days. I thought that was a bit long. Our ship arrived at Oakland, California faster than he thought it would. We took a train to Chicago. It took us 21 days to get to Fort Sheridan, which was north of Chicago.
Q: Did you have to keep track of those guys all the way to Chicago?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes. We came into Fort Sheridan and the officer got up and said, “Now you’re going to get everything that you didn’t get on the island.” He was talking about the food. They gave us steaks and everything. The German prisoners were there and they were the ones doing the tailor work.
Q: Let’s go back to the B-29s. How many were in the crew and what were their jobs?
Mr. Broniarczyk: There was a crew of 11: the pilot, the co-pilot, the navigator, the bombardier, the engineer, the right gunner, the left gunner, the CFC gunner, tail gunner, and radar operator. If a gunner got shot, the CFC gunner could control any gun on the ship. CFC stood for Central Fire Control.
Q: You were the only man taken off of Captain Black’s crew?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes. I was the only person. The guy who replaced me; he haunts me at night. His name was Balecek.
Q: He had a name that was similar in origin to yours.
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes, he was a short, stocky guy. I picture them coming down. You just can’t get out of the airplane. Centrifugal force holds you in that airplane.
Q: Did they have parachutes?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes, the difficulty of getting out depended on where you were hit. You had your choice. When you were in trouble, you could either parachute into the civilians and they’d kill you, or you could try to get captured. The other possibility was a landing in the ocean. Then there was a good chance the sharks would get you.
Q: Not a lot of good choices.
Mr. Broniarczyk: No. If you landed in the water with that B-29, it would stay afloat maybe ½ hour.
Q: Did anyone survive such a landing.
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes. I took part in what was called a “Dumbo Mission.” It was a mission where the sole purpose was to look for survivors. You were confined to a certain area. That was rough because the flights were 16 to 18 hour flights.
Q: I’m still curious about the number of missions you flew. I know you were in the air quite a lot. I know it had to have been more than 12 missions.
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes, the Enewetak or Truk flights weren’t considered missions.
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Note: The interviewer forgot to ask what Enewetak was so it was researched.
Truk Lagoon is part of the Federated States of Micronesian, and consists of 11 major islands and many smaller islets within a 40 mile wide lagoon surrounded by a protective reef. Moen is Truk’s capital.
History Truk was the Japanese “Gibraltar of the Pacific” the seemingly impregnable base for its combined and Fourth Fleets. It was also used as a ferry point for aircraft from factories in Japan to theaters of operation in New Guinea and the Solomons. Five wartime airstrips and seaplane bases were built during the war. For Japanese aircraft, it was an important way point for flights from Japan to other South Seas bases. Aircraft carriers occasionally ferried planes through the Truk strips.
Atoll Defenses Heavily defended Truk’s defenses were bolstered with additional sub and torpedo nets placed in the water along with more mines and even rocket launchers from Japan. There were over eighty 25mm guns and 12cm guns in emplacements along with many smaller guns. Kaiten units of manned suicide torpedoes were assembled to the outer islands and Daihatsu landing craft were converted into torpedo boats. Mine fields in the passes and lagoon along with beach defenses were the main defenses against possible American invasion.
Surprise Attack: Operation Hailstone On the morning of February 17, 1944 a surprise United States Navy air attack code named “Operation Hailstone” caught a fleet of Japanese Merchant vessels and warships by surprise in Truk Lagoon. 400 tons of bombs and torpedo rained down on the lightly defended base. After a day of attacks, forty ships and thousands of men went to the bottom. Ten weeks later, a second successful raid added a score more ship to the bottom. For more than two years after the war, oil from the sunken ships covered the beaches and reefs. Truk was strategically bypassed and neutralized by encirclement, island hopping and aerial attack by the USN, 13th AF and 7th AF.
Enewetak Atoll (or Eniwetok Atoll) is an atoll in the Marshall Islands of the central Pacific Ocean. Its land consists of about 40 small islets totaling less than 6 km², surrounding a lagoon, 80 km (50 mi) in circumference. It is located at 11°30′N 162°20′E / 11.5°N 162.333°E / 11.5; 162.333, making it the second westernmost atoll of the Ralik Chain. It was the site of U.S. atomic tests from 1948 to 1954.
U.S. Military planes were constantly working to keep shipping lanes in this area clear.
We found an example of a Marine bombing squadron patrolling the Enewetok (Alternate spellings include Enewetok or Eniwetok) area in July of 1945. See: http://www.vmb613.com/july_1945.htm.
Q: Did you ever count up your total hours in the air?
Mr. Broniarczyk: No.
Q: From where did you leave, and how long did it take to get to Tokyo?
Mr. Broniarczyk: We took off at Tinian, and the trip took about 12 hours.
Q: How long were you stationed at Tinian?
Mr. Broniarczyk: We stayed until November of 1945.
Q: Did any other family members serve in the war?
Mr. Broniarczyk: One brother was in the Combat Engineers over in Europe and Japan. My youngest brother was on convoy duty.
Q: They survived the war?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes. Here’s another indication of how unprepared we were. (Mr. Broniardzyk showed the diploma with the word “Army” at the top.)
Q: What did you do when you got out?
Mr. Broniarczyk: I was undecided whether to re-enlist or not. I thought that I might need to take care of my parents.
Q: Did you find a job right away?
Mr. Broniarczyk: No. I jumped around. I worked for my brother. One day I took the day off and went to the Main Post Office in Chicago, looked on the board, and there was a notice that read, “Jet Engine Inspectors Wanted.” The jet engine was new. I was interviewed by a captain and a civilian. “What engines are you familiar with?” they asked. I said, “The 3350, 2800, and the 985. I have no jet engine experience.” They said, “We haven’t any ourselves. Can you start tomorrow?”
I ended up helping to manufacture jet engines; the J-65 in particular. I worked in LaGrange, Illinois on the Wright J-65.
Wright J-65 Jet Engine
Mr. Broniarczyk: Buick. Half of the plant was making cars and half was making engines. These engines were made for military aircraft. GM’s contract ran out and the jet engine side of the plant dwindled down to just a few of us. I think I was the last guy left working there for the government. I had been there about three years.
I wrote up my resume and sent it to Boeing in Seattle. They accepted me. I also sent my resume to Lockheed in Marietta, Georgia. They were making the C-130. I figured that was closer to home. They accepted me so I went down there. I liked it there. I liked the people there. I think at the time it was the largest aircraft plant in the world. I was an engine inspector. Do you know the size of a C-130?
Q: Yes. (See picture at the top of this Part.)
Mr. Broniarczyk: It’s huge. I bet they’re still flying some of the ones we made. It’s the best airplane they ever built. I was there through models A, B, C, and D, etc. There were many modifications through the years. I liked it there. The plant was all government owned. I’d get a whole meal for 50 cents.
Q: It sounds like they took good care of you.
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes. I was eventually transferred to O’Hare Airport in Chicago. I went to school and became a cost analyst. I worked there until I retired.
Q: At the time of retirement, were you still working for the government or for a privately owned company?
Mr. Broniarczyk: I worked for the government. Most of my work was on items that were paid for by government contracts. A cost analyst dealt with airplane parts, etc.
Q: When did you retire?
Mr. Broniarczyk: It was sometime in the late 1960’s.
Q: We live in a completely different world today.
Mr. Broniarczyk: You’re tellin’ me.
Q: What happened?
Mr. Broniarczyk: People take liberty for granted. They take freedom for granted. That’s what it is. My father used to tell me, “They don’t know what freedom really means.” He lived under German and Russian rule.
Q: From where did your Father immigrate?
Mr. Broniarczyk: He came from Poland. At the time, what is now Poland was divided into Austria, Germany, and Russia.
The World that Mr. Broniarczyk’s Father Knew as a Child
Q: He was raised in a communist country?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes.
Q: How old was he when he came to America?
Mr. Broniarczyk: I think he was about 22. He said good-bye to his mother and swam across the river. The Russians and Germans patrolled the river. The Warta River was the dividing line between the two countries.
Mrs. Broniarczyk: Please print this. (She handed the “Wings” reporter a small piece of paper that contained a statement.)
Mrs. Broniarczyk’s Note
Mrs. Broniarczyk: In 1899, my father joined the American forces and fought in the Spanish/American War. He went to the Philippines. He was a member of the cavalry.
Q: He was with Teddy Roosevelt?
Mrs. Broniarczyk: Yes. When they came they back, they were greeted by the father of General McArthur. In 1958, I took my two grand nephews to the Presidio in San Francisco. We drove all the way to California. I took my father back to see the place where he had returned from the war. He joined because he came to the United States at the age of 8.
Q: From where did he come?
Mrs. Broniarczyk: Poland.
Q: Both of your families are from Poland?
Mrs. Broniarczyk: Yes.My father was eight years old when his step-mother brought him over with his brother. It wasn’t until 1926 that he became a citizen of the U.S.
Q: Why did it take so long?
Mrs. Broniarczyk: I don’t know. He never went to school.
Q: Mr. Broniarczyk, did your grandmother make your father swim that river?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes. The Russians had a man on horseback patrolling the border. The Germans patrolled the other side. The Germans didn’t care if the Polish crossed the river because the Poles were good workers and they needed workers at the time. The Russians, however, subjugated the Poles.
Q: How did your father make it to America?
Mr. Broniarczyk: He had some relatives in Germany. He stayed with them until he had enough money to come to this country. The story that I heard was that it took the freighter 18 days to get here.
Q: Did he come through Ellis Island?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes. When he arrived, he had a lot of cold sores and he was afraid he wouldn’t be accepted.
Ellis Island Around the Time Mr. Broniarczyk’s Father Arrived
Q: I know that many names got changed or shortened at Ellis Island. Yours didn’t. Why?
Mr. Broniarczyk: The original Polish name was Bronis.
Mrs. Broniarczyk: In Poland they changed their names so that the Russians wouldn’t take their kids into the service.
Q: They wanted the names to look more Polish?
Mr. Broniarczyk: There was no Poland. We lived under Russian rule. The area eventually became Poland.
Q: You mentioned that when you joined the service that your parents had it rough. Your father had tuberculosis. How did he make his living?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Heworked in an enamel factory.
Q: Your mom was a homemaker?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Yes.
Q: How many children were in the family?
Mr. Broniarczyk: There were four of us: my sister, me, my brother Frank, and my brother Eddie.
Q: What was your sister’s name?
Mr. Broniarczyk: Her name was Cecelia. My father married an American and she taught him English.
(At this point, the 2 hour limit on the recorder ran out. The remainder of the interview is taken from notes.)
Q: What do some of the symbols on your uniform represent?
Tech Sergeant Broniarczyk’s WWII Uniform
Mr. Broniarczyk: The stripes mean that I eventually earned Tech Sergeant. The wings mean that I was a flight engineer. The two bars on the lower left sleeve mean that I was in for two 3-year hitches. I was in for a total of six years and ten days.
Q: What would your father say about Americans today?
Mr. Broniarczyk: He would say that the average American hasn’t the slightest idea of what freedom is.
Q: Thank you for spending so much time with me.
Mr. Broniarczyk: You’re welcome.
A VETERAN SPEAKS – PART VI
Q: What would your father say about Americans today?
Mr. Broniarczyk (pronounced Brawn-r-chick): He would say that the average American hasn’t the slightest idea of what freedom is.
This statement, by a man who is almost twice my age, made me think. I could never appreciate freedom like Mr. Broniarczyk’s father, because I’ve never experienced what he did as a young man in Russia in the late 19th century. I am thankful for my freedoms and I don’t respect Mr. Broniarczyk just because he’s older than I.
Honestly, I’ve come to understand that there are many of my elders who lack wisdom. An example: Mr. Dingell standing up in the House of Representatives and making a statement defending a document that is socialistic in nature. He was the final speaker used in an attempt to prop up a health care plan that would make us less free. Mr. Dingell is representative of many of today’s “elders.”
I was taught to respect my elders, but I hope I would have the strength to do the same thing that Mr. Broniarczyk’s father did, if necessary. I hope that I could run from misguided elders because of an opportunity at freedoms never experienced, even if it meant that I would probably never see my mother again. This would take courage and, probably, prompting. My life is more than half over. I will face other challenges.
Anyone who read this three part series, or any part of it, should be able to sense my love of history. I like history because it is the story of how people react in situations. It’s about real world reactions. It’s tells of valor, and it displays the sinful nature of man. It is a reflection of the best and the worst. In it are lessons to be learned. I’ve come to understand that without experience, it is difficult to learn lessons. Nevertheless, the lessons are there. In the end, history is about people, not just a bunch of dates on a piece of paper.
Besides being “living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart,” the Word of God is history. In it is found the most important historic event. It is a deed that presents redemption to mankind. The Word of God or “manual for life,” as Dr. Baugh would call it, is being removed from every area upon which daylight falls. This is a story in itself. It’s a lesson in history, if you will, and a sad one at that.
I know very little about Mr. Broniarczyk’s father. I know more about Mr. Dingell’s father thanks to the internet. Some may say that I can’t make a good comparison due to a lack of equal information. After reading a short summary of John Dingell Sr., I can only make a judgment based on the information at hand. Some may question, “I thought we were not supposed to judge others?” You may look at this blog out of curiosity or you may like a certain thing you find here. There are many reasons that people join a choir.
I am acutely aware of the scripture, “Do not judge, lest you be judged yourselves (Matthew 7:1).” This scripture is found in one of my best loved sections of God’s Word. It is the greatest sermon ever preached in the history of the world. It is called The Sermon on the Mount. It would do well for all to learn the verses that follow the first verse of Matthew, chapter 7. At the root is the real question: Are we right with God? Before we can truly make perfect judgments, we have to perfectly understand God’s Word. Who can claim they have such understanding? Yet, we daily make, and must make, judgments about small and large things. I believe “apart from God we can do nothing.” These are the words of Jesus, not the words of a faulty man among the masses. We are going to be judged and we must make judgments. Jesus said, “in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it shall be measured to you.” The question that is at the heart of God’s Word is: “Are we right with God?”
The answer can only be given in the affirmative if there is an understanding of a simple truth. Jesus said that “unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” He said this when, the disciples, of all people, were arguing over who was the “greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
The simple truth is reflected throughout the Word of God. It is the truth of unconditional love. God loves us in spite of ourselves. He is waiting with open arms. All we have to do is surrender. Our culture has trained us that this surrender can happen in one night, at one crusade, in one prayer. The Bible shows the opposite. Peter is a great example. In Matthew 16:16, Peter recognizes Jesus as the Christ, and receives one of the highest compliments a human is ever given. It must be noted that Peter doesn’t get the credit, however. “Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven,” Jesus explained.
It is only seven verses later (Matthew 16:23) that Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
What’s the point? Christianity is a lifelong, learning, Holy Spirit induced experience. It’s not a one-night whammy, where all is made right in a single moment and we are at the height of our experience with God at that moment. This belief is what has had such a negative impact on faith in our culture. Thousands of people have marched to an alter and have been told that all is well. They are told that they are at the end instead of at the beginning. They are told that their sins are forgiven, a truth for the moment if they are sincere. There is another side to the coin, as the good pastor Mark Cain would say. This acknowledgement of sin doesn’t end with one prayer.
If we are aware of our true condition, we know that we are no better than Peter. How can we be? Jesus said of Peter, “upon this rock I will build my church.” After we say the first prayer of repentance, we are going to find out that we really haven’t changed that much. It is only because of God’s patience with us, the fact that he will never leave us or forsake us, that we begin to stumble in the correct direction. The reason is an unconditional love that we will never completely understand this side of heaven. Our eyes come off of Him, and we sink over and over.
The Christian’s experience is no different than Peter’s or Moses’. We fail again and again. The thing that keeps us on the narrow path is the same thing that saves us. It is the work of God, the shed blood of the perfect Lamb, not our works. This is what sets Christianity apart from all other “religions.” Others must earn their salvation. Ours is by grace.
We must say that first prayer. It is a big moment. Many remember the moment as I do. It is only a big moment because it is the first moment. We start as a lump of clay. That’s where we are at the first prayer. Between our first and last prayers there is a greater understanding of how much of a lump we are. That’s how the pot is formed.
So, what does all of this have to do with Mr. Broniarczyk’s father and John Dingell Sr.? I think it has a lot to do with them. The key word is freedom. Mr. Broniarczyk’s father understood freedom because it was something he didn’t have and hoped to gain. Isn’t this really what all humans are looking for…true freedom? A Christian understands that true freedom can be found in Christ alone.
Martin Luther’s understanding of this truth started a reformation.
Why has America’s experience been, arguably, the greatest occurrence of freedom since the creation of the universe? The answer lies in the beliefs of those who put this experiment together. Yes, a few of the smart ones were Deists. One of them was egotistical enough to write his own version of the Bible. He took out the miracles, among other things. He must have thought them not possible.
The majority, however, understood something of the grace of God. They understood the importance of the Word of God. Read their letters. Read their speeches. Note their actions. You could easily compile a complete Bible from their words. They would be embarrassed if they had twice read their Bibles. The embarrassment wouldn’t come from the admission of such a deed to a secular world. The embarrassment would come from the admission of lack of study to a group of men who knew the Word of God well.
______________________
“In January 1995, John Dingell, Jr. became the Dean, or the longest-serving member of the House and, as of 2009, the father and son together have 76 consecutive years of service in Congress.
A hallmark of their service has been a proposal for a national health insurance system, first introduced by John, Sr. in 1933 and re-introduced since at every Congress by the father and then the son.
John David Dingell, Sr. (February 2, 1894, Detroit, Michigan – September 19, 1955, Washington, D.C.) was an American politician who represented Michigan’s 15th congressional district from 1933 to 1955.
Dingell was born in Detroit and worked as a newsboy, printer and newspaperman. He had also engaged in the construction of natural gas pipelines, was a wholesale dealer in beef and pork products and an organizer and trustee of Colorado Springs Labor College.”
____________________________
This entry is from Wikipedia. Personally, I wouldn’t have used the word “hallmark.” Nonetheless, the fact that Mr. Dingell worked in the news business makes me think kindly of him. On the other hand, I know enough about the media of the past and the present to know that an affiliation with “news” doesn’t give one a “get out of jail free” card. The majority of Today’s media is untrustworthy.
I will not judge the destiny of any soul. This is God’s job. I do know that Mr. Dingell’s internment at the Holy Sepulcher Mausoleum in Southfield, Michigan will not guarantee his salvation.
I do not hold an unfavorable view of John Dingell Sr. because of the following additional excerpt from Wikipedia:
“Reflecting the prevailing prejudices of the period, a memorable letter from Dingell to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 18, 1941 suggested that ten thousand Japanese-Hawaiian Americans be incarcerated in order to ensure ‘good behavior’ from Japan.”
I think God would be as forgiving as the Wikipedia entry if an acknowledgement of error had been issued. I’d guess that Mr. Dingell made such an concession.
Anyone who started as a newsboy deserves a good look. It denotes a work ethic. This is a good thing. From where does the “Protestant Work Ethic” come? It comes from the scriptures. If you don’t work, you don’t eat. An atheist would argue that many well-fed folks don’t work a lick. I would reply that their food is that of the worldly kind.
Why pick on the Dingells? I’m very limited on what I can write about the father. But the son is pushing a law that would give a huge amount of power to a man who has not been placed in office by the people. The man I’m referring to is the one created in the health care legislation that is heading for the Senate of the United States of America. One man, some call him a Czar, would make important decisions about the nation’s health care. The man would be appointed by the President.
I do not want one man, Republican, Democrat, or otherwise, deciding for me if I am to live or die. That is God’s job. To give an unelected official that kind of power goes against every intention of our Constitution. The godly men who framed our Constitution understood the sinfulness of man. Thus, the checks and balances between the branches of government. To give one, unelected man this kind of power takes freedom from the people. It seems that there are a great number of Americans who don’t understand this. I think that Mr. Broniarczyk’s father was right. He was right because most of us have not experienced the oppression of a socialist regime.
It is not surprising to me that our country is considering laws that are socialistic in nature. Socialism is based in godlessness. As our laws force us to remove the words that made this country great from the walls of our important buildings, including our schools, we will continue to decline in every way. The words that made this country great were God’s words. The words that made this land the most blessed experience in freedom are being put away.
We can blame our leaders and politicians. They aren’t the problem. The problem is with the “Christians.” When churches accept or remain silent on subjects that are clearly defined as sin, then the church has ceased to be salt and light. Whose fault was it that prayer was removed from our schools? Whose fault was it that abortion was legalized? Whose fault is it the homosexuality is becoming an acceptable lifestyle? It wouldn’t have taken 100%. It wouldn’t have taken 90%. It wouldn’t have taken 80%. Honestly, I don’t know the percent required, but if those who call themselves “Christian” had taken a stand on issues like these, God’s laws wouldn’t be coming off of our walls. It started when the commandments of God started coming off of church walls.
If you are this far into the ride, I’m going to now try and express my thoughts about a main subject in this series: war. It must be stated at the start that I will never understand a man like General Patton. I’ve read that he loved war. Supposedly, the historians write, he was restless unless he was in the heat of battle. It is obvious that God can use a man like Patton. Many German leaders didn’t fear God but they feared Patton. Another example of an unlikely warrior who was used of God is Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.
I must admit that I am not like these men. I am near the opposite end. I have generally tried to avoid conflict.
How is a Christian supposed to view war? There have been thick books written on the subject. I’ll try to do it in less than a page so that you don’t decide to do what most do with those lengthy books.
I’ll start with a Pixar film.
Some of you have seen the animated movie entitled “The Incredibles.” If you haven’t, I want to share one scene with you. Here’s a quick set-up:
Mr. Incredible and the other superheroes, called “supers,” are no longer allowed to use their abilities to stop crimes. Why? Well, Mr. Incredible saved a man who tried to commit suicide. In stopping the man’s leap off of a high building, Mr. Incredible supposedly injured the man’s neck. Instead of the warranted appreciation for saving the man’s life, Mr. Incredible was sued. He hadn’t allowed the man to end his pain. The government is involved in the situation and shuts down the supers.
Here’s the scene. Mr. Incredible has become an insurance salesman. He hates his job. Picture a huge guy standing in an office with a tiny boss screaming at him for being honest, hurting the company’s bottom line as a result. While the boss is jumping up and down, Mr. Incredible spots a mugging going on outside. Every impulse in him wants to help the person in need. The boss threatens to fire him if he leaves to help. The mugger gets away. Those of you who have seen the entertaining movie know that Mr. Incredible doesn’t handle the fact that he’s been scared by his boss very well.
The right thing to do is to help those in need. When we see others mistreated, we should help. We often don’t because it is inconvenient, time consuming, or costly. We aren’t God and we have limitations. There are times, however, when we are capable of intervening and for whatever reason, we don’t.
In 1939, Germany invaded Poland. For a short synopsis, see: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?ModuleId=10005070. The last time I walked through a public school, there were signs in strategic places that said, “No bullying allowed!” Hitler was the bully on the block in 1939. Some folks had seen it coming, but few did anything to stop him. Hitler had planned it all very well. The poor Poles didn’t fight because they knew they would be massacred. Those who had promised help were nowhere to be found.
I asked a veteran of the Vietnam War about WWII. Interestingly, I just met him today. “What would have happened if we hadn’t responded by bombing Pearl Harbor?” I asked. “We would be speaking another language,” was his answer.
I haven’t agreed with certain things our military has done over the years. But, I have the same question that my new friend asked me today. Did Japan ever pay money to the families of those who died at Pearl Harbor? The United States helped rebuild Europe and helped spread the ideas of Freedom in the post WWII years and now people are asking us to make payments to the families of civilians that were killed.
I hate war. I don’t like it one bit when civilians are killed. War is necessary for the same reason that the Constitutional balances of powers are necessary: if bullies are not restrained, there will be tyrannical rule and, in today’s world, the possibility of something much worse.
I know the Sermon on the Mount well. I know the “turn the other cheek” verse. I am also aware of the story of the Good Samaritan and the anticipated return of Jesus Christ. The first was an illustration to teach us what to do when others are in need. The second is not going to be a peaceful event. The scriptures are in perfect balance. For each verse, there is a counter verse. To rightly divide the Word of God involves study. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know the only living document (in spite of what they say about our country’s founding statements) as well as I should.
The Revolutionary War was supported and fought by men who had prayed for years for a peaceful resolution to tyranny. The bully kept turning up the heat.
There is a situation in the world today that is much worse than the one those in the colonies faced in the late 18th century. There is a free nation in the Middle East that has been threatened with extinction. It is a nation that has existed since 1948. Actually, it’s the oldest nation on earth. It was scattered for centuries. A nearby “neighbor” is working on a bomb that can destroy the little nation that espouses freedom. The bully is very close to having the devastating weapon. What is the little nation to do? If it does nothing, there is a chance that everyone in the country will die. Other nations have put pressure on the bully. The bully continues to plot the destruction of the little country. If it was your family, and you had the capability to stop the bully from the inevitable, what would you do? Wouldn’t it be better for even the folks in the bully’s own nation if he were stopped before bombs started falling?
I do have some good news. The bully will not kill all of the people in the small country. How do I know this? Prophets who have thus far been correct 100% of the time have written so.
“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-
A time to give birth, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to tear down, and a time to build up.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance.”
The interview with Mr. Broniarczyk was a wonderful experience. The memory of the 95 year old gentleman was impressive. Granted, some of the subject matter wasn’t pleasant. War is not a pleasant thing. I’ve found that most men who’ve experienced true war don’t want to talk about it. As I talked with Mr. Broniarczyk, he smiled a lot. He wasn’t smiling about the war. He was smiling about the fond memories of the dedicated and humble people he had met during his war experience. He spoke mostly of the people he met. He mentioned dropping bombs once that I can recall, and he did so with caution.
War is a horrible thing. We should teach this to our children. We should also teach our children about the price that’s been paid for the freedoms that we enjoy. They should know about the people who have paid that price. If we don’t teach them, who will? We can’t leave it to the schools. There are things in our history books that would make the most hardened soldier angry.
Does the average American citizen know the difference between self-determination and despotism? I would have to agree with Mr. Broniarczyk’s father. We’ve been living in a dream too long. If we don’t wake up soon, we’ll be living in a society similar to the one from which Mr. Broniarczyk’s father ran.
I recently stumbled on THIS ARTICLE and found it very interesting. The article took me to ANOTHER ARTICLE that I found equally educational. Here is one quote from the latter:
“…we see new forms of ‘Christianity’ rising all around us — flexible, evolving models shaped to fit both the global quest for connectedness and the personal quest for ‘feel-good’ experiences. Naturally, the same process is also squeezing witchcraft, Buddhism, moderate (not militant) Islam, and even Satanism into its universal mold.”
When I joined a church a few years ago, I was asked about my favorite Bible verse. It changes from time to time. As a youth it was Matt. 6:33. The pastor read my verse to the church:
“…we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God,that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”Ephesians 6:10-12
I was going through a very trying ordeal at the time and felt that much of it had to do with the powers to which this verse refers. I can still remember the reaction to the verse as it was read. Maybe it was what I was going through, but I got a sense of “That’s his favorite verse?”
Thankfully, I don’t feel the principalities I thought I was sensing then. However, I believe the world is becoming a darker place every day.
And thankfully, I have read the last three chapters in the Bible.
“…this we commanded you that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:10
Here is an item that a Facebook friend shared with me. It was written by the former governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee:
“Last month, the Senate Budget Committee reports that in fiscal year 2011, between food stamps, housing support, child care, Medicaid and other benefits, the average US household below the poverty line received $168 a day in government support. What’s the problem with that much support? Well, the median household income in America is just over $50,000, which averages out to $137.13 a day. To put it another way, being on welfare now pays the equivalent of $30 an hour for a 40-hour week, while the average job pays $25 an hour. And the person who works also has to pay taxes, which drops his pay to $21 an hour. It’s no wonder that welfare is now the biggest part of the budget, more than Social Security or defense. And why would anyone want to get off welfare when working pays $9 an hour it another way, being on welfare now pays the equivalent of $30 per hour for a 40 hour work week, while the average job pays $25 dollars an hour. And the person who works also has to pay taxes, which drops his pay to $21 per hour. It’s no wonder that welfare is now the biggest part of the budget, more than social security or defense. And why would anyone want to get off of welfare when working pays $9 an hour.”
Let me “say” that anyone who is truly disabled in America should be helped. In an ideal world, it is the Church that should be assisting those who can’t assist themselves. “Government” should deal with other issues.
Well, we don’t live in an ideal world and the “Church” is becoming more like the one in Germany prior to WWII.
Why was it that a young Dietrich Bonhoeffer could see so clearly what his elders couldn’t?
Here is an example of how Hitler charmed those he planned to dominate. It is from an email that I received recently from Joseph Burba.
It is about a young, 10-year-old girl named Kitty Werthmann who lived in Austria during Hitler’s madness. As you can see, Kitty made this statement recently.
December 22, 2012 –
“What I am about to tell you is something you’ve probably never heard or read in history books,” she likes to tell audiences.
“I am a witness to history.
“I cannot tell you that Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history.
“If you remember the plot of the Sound of Music, the Von Trapp family escaped over the Alps rather than submit to the Nazis. Kitty wasn’t so lucky. Her family chose to stay in her native Austria. She was 10 years old, but bright and aware. And she was watching.
“We elected him by a landslide – 98 percent of the vote,” she recalls.
She wasn’t old enough to vote in 1938 – approaching her 11th birthday. But she remembers.
“Everyone thinks that Hitler just rolled in with his tanks and took Austria by force.”
Not so.
“In 1938, Austria was in deep Depression. Nearly one-third of our workforce was unemployed. We had 25 percent inflation and 25 percent bank loan interest rates.
“Farmers and business people were declaring bankruptcy daily. Young people were going from house to house begging for food. Not that they didn’t want to work; there simply weren’t any jobs.
“My mother was a Christian woman and believed in helping people in need. Every day we cooked a big kettle of soup and baked bread to feed those poor, hungry people – about 30 daily.
“We looked to our neighbor on the north, Germany, where Hitler had been in power since 1933.” she recalls. “We had been told that they didn’t have unemployment or crime, and they had a high standard of living.
(Austrian girls welcome Hitler)
“Nothing was ever said about persecution of any group – Jewish or otherwise. We were led to believe that everyone in Germany was happy. We wanted the same way of life in Austria. We were promised that a vote for Hitler would mean the end of unemployment and help for the family. Hitler also said that businesses would be assisted, and farmers would get their farms back.
“Ninety-eight percent of the population voted to annex Austria to Germany and have Hitler for our ruler.
“We were overjoyed,” remembers Kitty, “and for three days we danced in the streets and had candlelight parades. The new government opened up big field kitchens and everyone was fed.
(Austrians saluting)
“After the election, German officials were appointed, and like a miracle, we suddenly had law and order. Three or four weeks later, everyone was employed. The government made sure that a lot of work was created through the Public Work Service.
“Hitler decided we should have equal rights for women. Before this, it was a custom that married Austrian women did not work outside the home. An able-bodied husband would be looked down on if he couldn’t support his family. Many women in the teaching profession were elated that they could retain the jobs they previously had been required to give up for marriage.
“Then we lost religious education for kids.
“Our education was nationalized. I attended a very good public school. The population was predominantly Catholic, so we had religion in our schools. The day we elected Hitler (March 13, 1938), I walked into my schoolroom to find the crucifix replaced by Hitler’s picture hanging next to a Nazi flag. Our teacher, a very devout woman, stood up and told the class we wouldn’t pray or have religion anymore. Instead, we sang ‘Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles,’ and had physical education.
“Sunday became National Youth Day with compulsory attendance. Parents were not pleased about the sudden change in curriculum. They were told that if they did not send us, they would receive a stiff letter of warning the first time. The second time they would be fined the equivalent of $300, and the third time they would be subject to jail.”
(And then things got worse)
“The first two hours consisted of political indoctrination. The rest of the day we had sports. As time went along, we loved it. Oh, we had so much fun and got our sports equipment free.
“We would go home and gleefully tell our parents about the wonderful time we had.
“My mother was very unhappy,” remembers Kitty. “When the next term started, she took me out of public school and put me in a convent. I told her she couldn’t do that and she told me that someday when I grew up, I would be grateful. There was a very good curriculum, but hardly any fun – no sports, and no political indoctrination.
“I hated it at first but felt I could tolerate it. Every once in a while, on holidays, I went home. I would go back to my old friends and ask what was going on and what they were doing.
“Their loose lifestyle was very alarming to me. They lived without religion. By that time, unwed mothers were glorified for having a baby for Hitler.
“It seemed strange to me that our society changed so suddenly. As time went along, I realized what a great deed my mother did so that I wasn’t exposed to that kind of humanistic philosophy.
“In 1939, the war started and a food bank was established. All food was rationed and could only be purchased using food stamps. At the same time, a full-employment law was passed which meant if you didn’t work, you didn’t get a ration card, and if you didn’t have a card, you starved to death.
“Women who stayed home to raise their families didn’t have any marketable skills and often had to take jobs more suited for men.
“Soon after this, the draft was implemented.
“It was compulsory for young people, male and female, to give one year to the labor corps,” remembers Kitty. During the day, the girls worked on the farms, and at night they returned to their barracks for military training just like the boys.
“They were trained to be anti-aircraft gunners and participated in the signal corps. After the labor corps, they were not discharged but were used in the front lines.
“When I go back to Austria to visit my family and friends, most of these women are emotional cripples because they just were not equipped to handle the horrors of combat.
“Three months before I turned 18, I was severely injured in an air raid attack. I nearly had a leg amputated, so I was spared having to go into the labor corps and into military service.
“When the mothers had to go out into the work force, the government immediately established child care centers.
“You could take your children ages four weeks old to school age and leave them there around-the-clock, seven days a week, under the total care of the government.
“The state raised a whole generation of children. There were no motherly women to take care of the children, just people highly trained in child psychology. By this time, no one talked about equal rights. We knew we had been had.
“Before Hitler, we had very good medical care. Many American doctors trained at the University of Vienna.
“After Hitler, health care was socialized, free for everyone. Doctors were salaried by the government. The problem was, since it was free, the people were going to the doctors for everything.
“When the good doctor arrived at his office at 8 a.m., 40 people were already waiting and, at the same time, the hospitals were full.
“If you needed elective surgery, you had to wait a year or two for your turn. There was no money for research as it was poured into socialized medicine. Research at the medical schools literally stopped, so the best doctors left Austria and immigrated to other countries.
“As for healthcare, our tax rates went up to 80 percent of our income. Newlyweds immediately received a $1,000 loan from the government to establish a household. We had big programs for families.
“All day care and education were free. High schools were taken over by the government and college tuition was subsidized. Everyone was entitled to free handouts, such as food stamps, clothing, and housing.
“We had another agency designed to monitor business. My brother-in-law owned a restaurant that had square tables.
“Government officials told him he had to replace them with round tables because people might bump themselves on the corners. Then they said he had to have additional bathroom facilities. It was just a small dairy business with a snack bar.
“He couldn’t meet all the demands.
“Soon, he went out of business. If the government owned the large businesses and not many small ones existed, it could be in control.
“We had consumer protection, too…
“We were told how to shop and what to buy. Free enterprise was essentially abolished. We had a planning agency specially designed for farmers. The agents would go to the farms, count the live-stock, and then tell the farmers what to produce, and how to produce it.
“In 1944, I was a student teacher in a small village in the Alps. The villagers were surrounded by mountain passes which, in the winter, were closed off with snow, causing people to be isolated.
“So people intermarried and offspring were sometimes retarded. When I arrived, I was told there were 15 mentally retarded adults, but they were all useful and did good manual work.
“I knew one, named Vincent, very well. He was a janitor of the school. One day I looked out the window and saw Vincent and others getting into a van.
“I asked my superior where they were going. She said to an institution where the State Health Department would teach them a trade, and to read and write. The families were required to sign papers with a little clause that they could not visit for 6 months.
“They were told visits would interfere with the program and might cause homesickness.
“As time passed, letters started to dribble back saying these people died a natural, merciful death. The villagers were not fooled. We suspected what was happening. Those people left in excellent physical health and all died within 6 months. We called this euthanasia.
“Next came gun registration. People were getting injured by guns. Hitler said that the real way to catch criminals (we still had a few) was by matching serial numbers on guns. Most citizens were law abiding and dutifully marched to the police station to register their firearms. Not long afterwards, the police said that it was best for everyone to turn in their guns. The authorities already knew who had them, so it was futile not to comply voluntarily.
“No more freedom of speech. Anyone who said something against the government was taken away. We knew many people who were arrested, not only Jews, but also priests and ministers who spoke up.
“Totalitarianism didn’t come quickly; it took 5 years from 1938 until 1943, to realize full dictatorship in Austria. Had it happened overnight, my countrymen would have fought to the last breath. Instead, we had creeping gradualism. Now, our only weapons were broom handles. The whole idea sounds almost unbelievable that the state, little by little eroded our freedom.”
“This is my eye-witness account.
“It’s true. Those of us who sailed past the Statue of Liberty came to a country of unbelievable freedom and opportunity.
“America is truly is the greatest country in the world. Don’t let freedom slip away.
“After America, there is no place to go.”
Kitty Werthmann
The recent statements of Mike Huckabee and Kitty Werthmann help me to see what is happening in America in 2013. As I read the book “Bonhoeffer,” I was surprised that many highly educated Christians had no idea what was coming to Germany when they made Hitler their leader. Obviously, it was the same in Austria.
One could argue that things are worse in America today than they were in Germany before Hitler. The people in Germany and Austria were good workers. Most kids in Germany and Austria were living with their Dad and their Mom.
Can the same be said of Americans today?
It is true that Americans may still take or send their Children to Church on Sunday. It has not become a National Youth Day with compulsory attendance. But it is also true that Americans are relying on the government more than ever.
How many American kids get a free breakfast and a free lunch at school while their parents drive around in high-priced vehicles? This has been going on for years. Kitty called it “creeping gradualism.”
We are becoming used to our government’s principles and have gotten away from God’s principles.
I start 2013 with the question I have asked continually on this blog:
“How can God bless a nation that has turned its back on Him?”
The results of the election are not surprising, given the polls and predictions in advance. However, they are nonetheless shocking and sobering. Voters have chosen to confirm an Administration in Washington, D.C. that has undertaken the greatest expansion of abortion since Roe vs. Wade forty years ago.
It is heartbreaking and distressing to see that our nation will continue being driven down this path for another four years; a decision that will, of course, drive the rest of the world more deeply into a culture of death.
This “choice” means that more babies will be killed through abortion and abortifacients, more mothers and fathers will suffer harm, more families will be destroyed, and our nation will slip further away (in national policy matters) from our Christian roots and founding principles—especially the principle that we are endowed with unalienable rights, the first of which is the right to life; and the principle, enshrined as the first right in our Bill of Rights, of freedom of religion.
It is a frightening time. But, as Christians, we know that the Lord has won victory over death. We know that the Lord is still with us, and that He can do mighty deeds! We never give up hope, never despair.
Today and going forward, Heartbeat International continues to start, strengthen, defend, and support pregnancy help ministries all over the world.
Today and going forward, Heartbeat continues to answer the call at Option Line®, 24/7, via the phone (800 712 HELP), internet (OptionLine.org), live chat, and email, connecting those in need to life-saving help in their own community.
Everything we do saves lives and advances a culture of life. We continue to do what God is calling us to do.
One of my favorite reminders from Holy Scripture is Psalm 20:7, “Some put their hope in horses and chariots, but we put our hope in the Lord our God.” How seemingly “old-fashioned” to put hope in horse and chariots when we now have atomic weapons and spaceships that explore outer space! Yet, at one point in the history of the world, horses and chariots were the most powerful war implements imaginable. The things of this world are ever-changing, including technology and political power. But God does not change. He can always bring life from death.
We will continue full speed ahead! We know the Lord will bring many fruits from our labors, as He always has. We are willing to bear any burden to assert our right, as a Christian organization, to do what we are called to do, even in an increasingly anti-Christian atmosphere. We will continue the fight for LIFE, armed with His love and empowered by His grace. We covet your continued prayers for courage, wisdom, protection, and success.
You make all of this possible with your support, prayers, and partnership. Thank you!
In Christ,
Margaret Hartshorn, Ph.D., President
Margaret Hartshorn is the President of Heartbeat International. Heartbeat International works to inspire and equip Christian communities worldwide to rescue women and couples from abortion through the development of neighborhood pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and adoption services. These ministries provide life-saving help in a truly life-changing way by assisting women who are at risk for abortion with the life-affirming, practical support they need to choose life, then prepare them to parent or to place for adoption. Heartbeat serves as the leadership supply line for the Pregnancy HELP Movement worldwide.
I work at one of the help centers mentioned at the Heartbeat website. Without exception, those whom I saw today who work to save lives felt as if they had the wind knocked out of them after last night’s election results. As I have repeatedly asked on this blog site, “How can God bless a nation that has turned its back on Him?” The only thing that will save the United States of America is a return to the God of the Bible. I have thought for a long time that this return will not happen. Sadly, last night’s decision confirmed my beliefs.
Yes, I have Muslim friends. They think I am lost and I think they are lost. Volumes have been written on the differences in Muslim and Christian beliefs. I am going to focus on a major difference. It is a distinction that has implications that affect our world today.
First, I believe that many Muslims are peaceful. If it were not true, how could it be that so many live among the Jews in Israel?
Second, they are not saved. Their view of Jesus is too different from the Biblical view.
Third, there are many fanatics in all belief systems. Unfortunately, Muslim fanatics are becoming a larger segment of the religion’s population. I wouldn’t be offended if someone called me a “fanatic for Jesus.” At the same time, I have no desire to kill anyone because of what they believe. It is simply not compatible with Biblical teachings.
Many Muslim fanatics are very violent. A large number want to see the Jewish people wiped from the face of the earth. This brings me to the subject of this post.
Who did Abraham take into the “land of Moriah” to offer up as a sacrifice as God commanded?
According to the Bible, Abraham took Isaac (Gen. 22:2). According to Islam, Abraham took Ishmael.
This difference is one reason for the turmoil in the Middle East.
You may see a Muslim view of the Abrahamic story here.
You may see a Christian view of the Abrahamic story here.
Today is the last day of the pilgrimage to Mecca in 2012 (Hajj). This is why I am covering this subject. If you are a Christian, please pray for the Muslims. They need the true Savior.
With less than four months left before the election, I guess it’s time to state my opinion. Anyone who reads this blog knows how I have to vote. Do I think it is an important election? All elections are important. Every Christian is responsible to know who to vote for not only in the highest office, but in the lowest as well. What is happening to America is not only caused by incidents in the highest office in the land. I lay the largest blame on our demise at the feet of the “Christian” church in America. Most of us call ourselves “Christians,” don’t we?
I must digress a tad. Dietrich Bonhoeffer visited America twice (Note your spell check and his name is spelled incorrectly in Word). He was a leading German Christian several decades ago living in a time much like today. The last time Mr. Bonhoeffer visited Americas was in 1939 for 26 days. If you have never heard of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I highly recommend the latest biography written by Eric Metaxas. Mr. Bonhoeffer understood what was happening years before the tragedy of WWII. America is headed down a road not untraveled.
Here is what Mr. Bonhoeffer wrote after hearing a famous, nationally known, American radio preacher before he left America on his final visit:
“The Americans speak so much about freedom in their sermons. Freedom as a possession is a doubtful thing for a church; freedom must be won under the compulsion of a necessity. Freedom for the church comes from the necessity of the Word of God. Otherwise it becomes arbitrariness and ends in a great many new ties. Whether the church in America is really ‘free,’ I doubt. They are lonely Sundays over here. Only the Word makes a true community.” (1)
On his first trip to America, Mr. Bonhoeffer arrived on Sept. 12. 1930. He had come to study at Union Theological Seminary in New York City.
“Bonhoeffer had no idea what he was walking into at Union, but the bloody battle royale between the liberals and fundamentalists was in full swing in 1930.” (2)
My point is that the spiritual ruin causing all of our other national problems was underway long before 1930.
“(Harry Emerson) Fosdick had been the pastor at New York’s First Presbyterian Church when in 1922 he preached an infamous sermon titled ‘Shall the Fundamentalists Win?’ In it he had laid out a kind of Apostate’s Creed in which he expressed his serious doubts about…the virgin birth, the resurrection, the divinity of Christ, the atonement, miracles, and the Bible as the Word of God.” (3)
By 1930, John D. Rockefeller had built Riverside Church very near Union Theological Seminary. Mr. Rockefeller handpicked the pastor, of course. It was Mr. Fosdick who was “the most famous liberal preacher in America.” (4)
America was already in trouble in 1922.
Our situation is much worse today. Look at the presidential candidates we have to choose from. One we know very little about (the one in office) and the other one is a Mormon. Mormons have a developing Jesus. In fact, they believe that “As man is God once was. As God is, man may become.” (5) Does that statement sound familiar?
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall surely not die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (6)
This is one of many reasons that Mormonism is considered a cult.
Romney was a Mormon Bishop. (7) To get such a position, an oath of obedience to the latest Mormon Prophet running the Mormon Church is necessary.
At least we can say that we know Mr. Romney’s past.
When Mr. Obama’s “official” birth certificate was posted on the White House website, a brilliant 16 year old who, I’ve heard, has made alot of money because of an app he created, tore it to shreds as a fake. One can see the video of him doing so here. (8) If you think the young man lacks credibility, you can watch this. (9) This video is less than 3 minutes (earphones may be needed) and features Mara Zebest, an Adobe expert. I have heard extensive interviews with Mara and they are quite impressive.
Thus, here are our two choices:
A man who has no problem lying to us, and
A man who has had a high position in a cult
As a Christian, what should I do?
Psalm 32:12 states:
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…”
So, as the t-shirt says: “My faith and my politics can not be separated.”
Before I go any farther, I would like to share an email with you that I received this week. It is from a man who has been published in our local newspaper several times. I think he makes some good points. I have edited only a few things. You are reading it as it was intended to be understood.
Dear Editor,
With the great anticipated National election soon approaching, I would like to remind all readers some of the “accomplishments” this President has done during his term thus far.
#1.
He was able to convince some of the American public that his designed health care system was beneficial and that government control was needed. You are aware that there will be an increased health insurance fee for medical effectiveness research. Major insurers were already doing their own research, but according to the Obama administration, it lacked the credibility of government sponsored studies. So what if government becomes judge and jury.
#2.
He expanded programs that increased the national debt to an unbelievable level and continues to do so. It now has increased almost 33% since he came into office. That is more than 27 times faster than during the rest of the nation’s history. One way of looking at this is; if you are driving at 65 MPH and a car passes you going 27 times faster, that car would be going 7,555 MPH!! It doesn’t matter that future generations will be saddled with the debt.
#3.
He showed allegiance when he bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia, but never wore an American flag pin and folded his hands at waist level when the National Anthem was played.
#4.
He appointed White House cabinet posts to Cass Sunstein, Anita Dunn, Valarie Jarrett, Carol Browner and Van Jones. Even though Mao Tse Tung was a favorite of one, many admitted being avowed Socialists. And then there was:
#5.
Obama and his administration tried to shut down all oil drilling and exploration in the Gulf. Fortunately he was not as successful as he would have liked, but he did manage to curtail drilling and exploration by his permitorium cutting production to a loss of 375,000 barrels per day. I wonder if he realizes that Offshore drilling is vital to U.S. energy security and supports more than 242,000 jobs. By the way, food stamp recipients have increased over 35% and all unemployment has increased 24%, among minorities it has increased 25%. To make matters even worse, America approved an investment in Petrobas, helping Brazil to become one of the largest oil exporters in the world. We lend them money so that we can buy the oil they produce with the money we lend them. Wow, what a deal!! Mr. Obama spoke of the desire of the U.S. to secure even more oil from Brazil in the future after his talks with President Dilma Rouseff in Brasilia earlier in 2011. Are we right to wonder why Mr. Obama is happy that Brazil is doing what he won’t allow at home? Oh, and the pipeline that would increase jobs and oil refinery here in the U.S; the Keystone XL pipeline? Mr. Obama was against it until… Yep, you guessed it, election time in 2012! That pipeline would have delivered an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 barrels of oil per day! By allowing the industry to produce at capacity it could generate $44 billion in U.S.GDP, reduce by $15 million the amount we send to foreign governments and create 190,000 new jobs. It would help ensure a supply of energy that cannot be manipulated by hostile governments. What a President. What a catastrophe! And to think that he was able to do these things and more, even though he had absolutely no experience at anything except community organizing. Speaking of community organizing, Obama has a long history of wanting to change social structure and behavior thru community organizing in Chicago. He has credited it by citing public housing being renovated, parks refurbished and city crime and drug problems curtailed. Ask anyone living in Chicago if any of this exists. Mr. Obama talks a lot but it is only blather. I hope this letter reminded you of another reason or two for not giving Obama your vote in November. We can no longer afford him.
Sincerely,
Joseph Burba
I would like to thank Mr. Burba for his contribution.
As a Christian, there is the problem of Mr. Obama’s stand on abortion and homosexuality. If the scales weren’t slanted greatly in favor of Mr. Romney before these issues, they become so.
It is going to be hard to vote in November. However, it is my duty as a Christian to vote for the person who is the closest thing to a real Christian. If our leader is separated from the God of the Bible, how can our nation be blessed? Our leader is a reflection of the people.
The only man I felt comfortable voting for in the primary was Rick Santorum. Yes, I threw my vote away. I went to vote because of a local man I wanted to help make it past the primary. He did, thankfully.
I will be voting for Mitt Romney in November. It is not a vote I want to make but I have no choice. I hope you vote. I hope you check out the lesser candidates and choose those who best line up with Godly views.
God’s blessings…
Chris Reimers
“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
—————————————————————
Notes:
(1) “Bonhoeffer” by Eric Metaxas – pgs. 342-343.
(2) Ibid. pg. 101
(3) Ibid. pg. 102
(4) Ibid. pg. 101
(5) http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon140.htm By the way, the Elder Marion G. Romney who is quoted as saying, “As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become” is Mitt’s second cousin.
You have searched the Wings of the Wind blog archives for ‘one world religion’. If you are unable to find anything in these search results, you can try one of these links.
Born Again
Beth is a born again Christian who lives in Canada. She believes that Jesus is the the way, the truth, and the life and she also believes that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. She blogs on a variety of topics.
excatholic4christ
Tom has a loving heart for Catholics and his blog is an attempt to help those in Catholic churches understand that we are saved by grace alone. He blogs on a variety of topics.
Heavenly Raindrops
God-inspired words and images to bring blessings like rain
m'Kayla's korner
Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. Luke 11:35
Mrs. Acuna's Blog
If you have a teenager or anyone close to being one, this is a must read
The Domain for Truth
Slimjim’s “about” states: “(Jim Lee) is a pastor. He is a faithful servant of the church and his Saviour. Although young in age he is trying to be an apologist for the faith. “
The Hope Blog
Former Christian Talk Show Host, Ingrid Schlueter’s blog
The Narrowing Path
A blog to help Christians in Australia connect the dots…(it’s helped me here in the “good” ole U.S.A.)
Posted by Chris 
Wings of the Wind 
“HAND OF GOD?” JUST ASK MR. NEWTON
January 20, 2014I am including the entire article from afa.net (found in my links) because I had some problems with a link to the article.
Written by Dr. Jerry Newcombe.
Writing about it for space.com (1/9/14), Tanya Lewis said, “The hand might look like an X-ray from the doctor’s office, but it is actually a cloud of material ejected from a star that exploded.”
She began her piece, noting, “Religion and astronomy may not overlap often, but a new NASA X-ray image captures a celestial object that resembles the ‘Hand of God.’”
But I think religion and astronomy have indeed overlapped far more than people realize. And not just astronomy, but science in general.
There is often a perceived incompatibility between religion and science. I think that is especially true after the rise and acceptance of Darwinism in the late 19th century.
However, it’s interesting to note that essentially modern science was born in a Christian milieu about 500 years ago—with early contributions from the ancient Greeks.
All the great leading scientists initially were Bible-believing Christians. They believed that they were—in the words of astronomer Johannes Kepler—“thinking God’s thoughts after Him.”
They understood that a rational God had made a rational universe, and it was their job as scientists to discover those laws that the Creator had impressed into His creation.
Kepler (1571-1630) wrote, “Since we astronomers are priests of the highest God in regard to the book of nature, it befits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory of our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God.” The scientists were thus God’s priests, in Kepler’s view.
To the consternation of some unbelievers, Sir Isaac Newton, perhaps the greatest scientist who ever lived, wrote more on Christian theology than he did on science.
Newton saw God’s powerful hand in His creation. He once said, “Atheism is so senseless. When I look at the solar system, I see the earth at the right distance from the sun to receive the proper amounts of heat and light. This did not happen by chance.”
Sir Francis Bacon is credited with having been the inventor of the scientific method—that combination of induction and deduction, of hypothesis and proof (empirical proof). Bacon was a devout Christian.
Bacon noted, “There are two books laid before us to study, to prevent our falling into error; first, the volume of the Scriptures, which reveal the will of God; then the volume of the Creatures, which express His power.”
In 1660, the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge was founded. This prestigious organization, still in existence today, is the oldest such institution still in operation.
James Moore of the Open University in England notes it was founded in a Puritan college (Gresham), and virtually all its early members were Puritans—at a time when Puritans were a small minority. He said that Protestantism “encouraged the birth of modern science.”
I had the privilege of doing some TV interviews at the Royal Society (for our special on “What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?”—hosted by the late D. James Kennedy).
One of those I interviewed was physicist Sir Alan Cook. He said, “One of the implications of the incarnation is that Christ took human form upon Him, including the power of thinking about things and observing things. It seems to me that an implication of the incarnation is that we, those of us who are able to, have a Christian obligation to study the world as God’s creation.”
I’ve had the privilege of interviewing on several occasions for my radio show Dr. Stephen Meyer, who earned his Ph.D. in the philosophy of science at Cambridge. Dr. Meyer, a fellow at the Discovery Institute, is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, Darwin’s Doubt.
I asked Dr. Meyer for a statement for this particular article. He wrote me: “Far from conflicting, the overwhelming scientific evidence of design in life and in the universe—in the digital code stored in DNA and in the fine tuning of the laws of physics, for example—clearly shows that science can—and does—provide support for a theistic view of reality.”
So it comes as no shock to me to see the reported “Hand of God” in the heavens. I believe we see the “Hand of God” even in the study of the heavens, and of the earth.
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Dr. Jerry Newcombe is a key archivist of the D. James Kennedy Legacy Library, a spokesman and cohost of Kennedy Classics. He has also written or co-written 23 books, including (with Dr. Kennedy) What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? and (with Peter Lillback), George Washington’s Sacred Fire.
My comment:
“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth…” Photos like this one give us a glimpse of the majesty of our great and almighty God.
CR
PHOTO SOURCE
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