Borders

Someone told me long ago, you don't take down an old fence without finding out why it was put up in the first place. Ever since rural America has become less important, populations have moved into the cities, we have forgotten the importance of boundaries, borders, and property lines. I have not forgotten the day that my father took me through many hundreds of acres of land, showing me stakes which marked the property lines of his farms. He knew, that he was the only who knew where they were and that as the oldest child, I should have some familiarity with the land which had been in the family for many generations. Now, the old deeds are very confusing because often the surveyor would not sufficiently mark the property lines, there were no cans of spray paint in the early centuries of this country. I have the survey map of the first family farm outside Morristown, NJ, signed by Adjoniah Peacock, famed surveyor of the 1700's. Our forefathers, who had paid such a tremendous price for their land, in blood, sweat and tears, were more attached to the land than apartment house dwellers or the people who live in housing projects.

I remember very well, everyone else has probably forgotten it, that one of my cousins who owned considerable property next to my father, went across the property line and cut down one of my father's trees. Now I doubt if my cousin or any of his folks knew anything about this, it was probably a tenant or someone hired to do some work. But, it did cause a ruckus in the church, because my father asked him to stay away from the Lord's table until he had repaid him for his tree. This is the way things were done back then; if there were ill feelings in the church, you were not 'worthy' to take the Lord's supper. In this day, when lines of any kind mean little to most people, property, moral, ancestry, business, etc., it is good to know that God always established lines; and you stepped across them at your own risk.

This week, a helicopter was shot down on the Pakistani border. In warfare, such as the 2,000 mile border between Pakistan and Afghanistan and the 900 mile border between Afghanistan and Iran, the commanders in the field must be very careful about borders. Were it only so for our own 2,000 mile border between Mexico and the USA. As one who has traveled the world, (passport stamped in 157 different countries) I am very aware of borders, lines, etc. when it comes to national border entry, immunizations, and other national requirements whereby you visit another country.

For years, the motion picture, radio and now television, pushed the lines as far as they could insofar as decency was concerned. But, a national organization was founded which tempered the extent to which pornography could go in entertainment. (CDL-Citizens for decency through law; National Legion of Decency; etc.) You can be sure that if there were no lines to cross, there would be more pornography than we have now in every area of entertainment. You can be sure, that if there were no lines to cross, our food would be less safe, our medicines would be more poisonous, and every piece of equipment used would be dangerous.

Good parents learn early, to set up certain guidelines because, rearing children is an exercise in training. I have known people who would pay large amounts of money to teach their dog discipline, but their children seemed to have no lines of discipline at all. Prisons are full of young men, who were once children, where no lines were set controlling their behavior. Just one example, and we all know the problem, the gap between educational achievements between black and white students continues to get larger, particularly in the area of reading. If many of these children, most from single parent homes, spent time with books instead of the 'demon' television (which brings every form of demonic trash right into your home), this education problem would be solved. We are all drinking from the well that has been poisoned by inattention to the discipline of all children; black, white, rich, poor. Satan is no respecter of persons either.

Most nations are willing to defend their borders; most fathers are willing to defend their homes. The greatest epidemic we have in American society is not Swine Flu (H1N1) or diabetes (diabetes usually starts in the church, from too much 'sugar' in the pulpit), but the pacifist, sissy, 'mealy mouthed' fathers who will no longer defend borders, no longer set up demarcations, no longer show the leadership required in their home. It was Christian men who defended this country. On their way to the church house, they carried not only their bible, but also a musket. George Washington, father of our country, is said to have prayed, on his knees, always with a sword at his side.

“Almighty God, we make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government”- George Washington- Valley Forge Prayer

The heritage of our country is that, at the battles of Concord, Lexington, the Minute Men were REAL MEN, not only of courage but of Christian faith. They had sought a new land of integrity and virtue, and were willing to draw lines of defense.

I'm sorry to report, that some of my family, some of my friends, believe that Democrats can vote for a pro-abortion President, simply because Democrats may be right on some other things. With warning and sincerity, if Democrats OR YOU, are not right on the matter of abortion, you are not right on anything. A Christian can not vote the Democrat ticket; you must be willing to draw that line. The country's population is 25% Catholic, with only 30% who call themselves Catholic practicing. Fifty-four percent of these Catholics voted for the present administration; THEY elected President Obama.

When will the populous discover that 30-50% of our meat products are being shipped in from abroad? (50% of all hamburger meat comes from foreign countries) When will the unions, dominated by the Democrat party, discover that the automobile business has left this country forever? China now manufactures more cars than the USA, their production increases 30% each year. One city, Chang Chun, employs millions of people, living in dormitories, who do nothing but turn out cars for world consumption. Go to a local store and see how much you can find that is actually manufactured in this country. Beef can be produced in Latin America and Australia for 35 cents per pound. In Brazil, two crops are grown each season. The family farm, the 'backbone' of the USA, has disappeared. Recently, it was announced that in order to keep another another Katrina disaster from happening, millions of dollars would be sent to counties in preparation for any type of disaster. When asked, if food had been stored for the homeless, in every case, according to reports, officials were told that “caterers would be called in to handle the food.”

It is time to draw the line about survival. Earthquakes are increasing every year, we still have hurricanes and tornadoes, and the ever present threat of nuclear disaster is on the front lines of your newspaper. Civil preparedness should be stressed in every community, should be taught in every school and church. The stocking of food, water, medical supplies, a process for handling body elimination, and the defense of your home, is more important than any television or political campaign.

Our test of Christian action is yet to come. If your neighbors, who really don't care about anything, know you have food, and you are prepared for the inevitable, will you be willing to share or defend or will you draw a line, lock your doors, load your weapons, and just turn the other cheek. OR, will you, like the famous football player, known for his Christian preparedness, when a Utopian, simplistic, artist, came up and slapped him and he said, “Now you are supposed to turn the other cheek.” He turned the other cheek, he was slapped, then the player said to the intruder, “This is as far as my instructions go.”