More than a
dozen members of the community attended multiple meetings to object to a peace
pole being installed on public library property. During the most recent library
board meeting one board member summarized her view of the objectors, “It is
what I would call religious fundamentalists who perceive the peace pole as a
religious symbol… [and] a threat to God and the constitution.” I have to laugh
at the absurdity of anything being a threat to God. A psalm of David, “The
earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters” (Psalm
24:1-2 NIV).
1 comment:
Gail;
-----The lady rather knew her stuff, though. It’s hard to say whether or not the objectors were only religious fundamentalists. But they probably were for the most part. And although it is absurd to think anything can be a threat to God, our society has been destroyed by multitudes of threats to the public perception of God. For those were more than just threats. The public perception of God today is far different than it was fifty years ago. Then the perception was rather a public expectation of belief. Today it is rather an expectation of disbelief. The raising of this “peace pole” itself is another effort to effect public perception. And the fact it did not obviously portray the true God as the source or primary mover of the desired peace made its erection a scam from the outset. For without God recognized in the truth that He is, oppression is palmed off as peace.
-----Worse than that, the erection of a pole as a call to peace is a subliminal affront to God, maybe even an intended affront. King Hezekiah went through all Judah pulling down the poles that had been erected not just because he didn’t like poles. From Canaan to the British Isles to the America’s, poles have been erected to the worship of idols. And as subliminal as this part of the library’s precious peace pole might be, it is effective. Palestine is a good example of that effectiveness. When the Simon Bar Kokhba revolt of AD135 was put down, the Romans gave the land of Israel a new name which was the Latin form of “Philistine”, Israel’s long time nemesis. Moreover, it’s new name well represented Judah’s disobedience to God in not eliminating all inhabitants of the land by God’s might, which would have included the elimination of the very thought of the Philistines from public knowledge. Now, instead of that, the Jewish holy land has suffered the two thousand year misnomer of “Palestine”. How effective can such an affront be upon public perception? How much international sympathy would the Palestinians be enjoying today had that area been exclusively referred to as “Judea” for these past two thousand years? How much sympathy would brew up for an “Judean resistance” to the new state of Israel? Yes, a peace pole is erected instead of a peace cross. I guess it could have been worse. They could have broken the arms of the cross and turned it upside down within a circle.
-----The truth is slightly digital. If a representation does not match it, the representation is false, end of analysis. The truth is, only oppression is had where ever God is not. So the truth be told, the library’s “peace pole” is really an “oppression pole”, stirring up even more public resistance and animosity towards the truth about God and His Holy Bible. Yet, as you so well pointed out, God is not one to be oppressed. Therefore, I see this lady’s precious peace pole as just another slat in the great wine press wherein the grapes of wrath will be soon trodden. Go ahead, lady, make my day! You build it, and He will come.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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