“What’s Chuck Smoking?” and a Word or Two about Politics
Our friend Floyd recently wrote about something stupid that Chuck Baldwin, the CP candidate for President, said about oil. Its worth reading.
Now, pointing out something stupid that Baldwin said will get me in trouble with his supporters for sure. Saying something stupid does not disqualify him from being president, but staying in the CONstitution Party after everything he knows happened there the past few years just about destroys any support I could have given him. For those who don’t know, I used to be active in the CP and had high hopes for it. The preamble at the time recognized Jesus Christ as the Ruler of the nations and a good number of people like myself joined up thinking they really meant it. I worked to promote Peroutka (who ran for pres) and actually met him in Ithaca NY. It was during that election year that I first ran into the Mormon Baby Killer wing of the party, the Nevada party. It became clear after a long battle to save the CP from becoming another Pluralist God mocking party that they we were going to lose. After refusing to enforce its own platform and its own rules, a group of states layed it all on the table (NY being one of them) that if they did not disaffiliate the Nevada party and its leadership then we would disaffiliate ourselves. They chose to become the “big tent” party and chose to be Covenant Breakers. They wanted to be a “Christian party” in name but allow fellowship within the party of any crazy cult of or heretic. The “no religious test” clause proved fatal. I have not had anything to do with them since and pray that God breaks them into little pieces with a rod of iron! Peroutka left the party the same time I did. Mr. Baldwin stayed. Thats one reason why I just can’t get up any enthusiasm for his run.
Now why is it that everyone gets so exited about Presidential elections anyway. The agrarians have the answer, Decentralization and localism. We could turn this country upside down if we worked in our Local areas first! We need an army of “lesser magistrates” that could actually force the issue with the Federal Leviathan. When you hear the word Government these days everyone automatically thinks of the Federal Government. Christians should not do this. The Bible teaches us about the many forms of Government, most of which we have great control over. First the individual self government of the Christian, second the family, third the church, and Last the state. If we paid attention to applying the Word (Law) of God in these first three spheres, the the last would be easy. But no, the “modern antinomian statist christian” just wants to ignore the first three and “change the world” with the last. Come on folks, lets stick with God’s plan.
August 17th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Hey Scott,
I appreciate your synopsis of what has happened to the Constitutional Party.
I agree that the best and most legitimate government is local. Unfortunately, when it comes to many things on the local level, the state or federal agencies hand down various laws and regulations for the small rural towns to rubber stamp, and that is exactly what they do. As a town board member, I resent these entities telling my town what it must do, and I typically raise objections. Then I vote no. But I am always the lone dissenter. Small towns are recipients of state money for roads, and many also have received funds from FEMA, for a variety of reasons. The threat of not getting the yearly road money, or future money from FEMA is enough to get the rubber stamp. Similar extortion is practiced by Homeland Security. They dole out money to fire departments and police departments but there are strings attached. The expectations of these agencies are often small and seemingly innocent, but it rubs me the wrong way.
August 17th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Hi Herrick
Your right, but what if we had a local town board that had a majority of Christian agrarians on it? Then we could tell the Feds and State gov’ts that we just were not going along anymore. Keep your money! No we won’t enforce these zoning laws! Fight them in the courts over it. Not something we could do right away, but something long term we could work towards. Before we could ever do it we would have to get the people behind us. Breaking up the little cartels that run the local townships won’t be easy, most are addicted the power and money just like their big brothers in Washington.
Another thought. It would not be wise to destroy the nanny state without first restoring the family and church. Until we are willing to put our faith into deeds and take care of our own and the poor in our neighborhoods we should not be surprised that the state moves in to fill the void. Its the churches fault at the end of the day. We have not done our duty for a long time.
Good to hear from you Herrick. Keep voting NO
August 18th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Brethren,
Just found ya’ll via a google convenantal agrarianism search. Once active with CP but out of the loop several years (after my ammendment to the Platform for the right of States [lesser mags] to secede was voted down after Herb Titus spoke against it.
Since I’ve grown more Ecclesiocentric and think Reformation and Kingdom building more cultural. Indeed, the thread above on Localism and Decentralism is wonderful! We also need to combine that with Intentional Agrarian Communitarianism that models before the watching world a sacrificial willingness to serve the world. Joyful Christian communities that modeld a better life (than the dependent-proletariatism of todays Cities/Towns) which champion service and generousity is our strategy. Joining the consumerist/materialist status-quo’s fight for political power is a lost cause.
In His Tender Mercies,
David Rockett
agsteward@juno.com
theagrarianfoundation.com
August 18th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Greetings Mr. Rockett
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! I’ve enjoyed your writings at the Agrarian Foundation and have a copy of your A Christian Agrarian Critique of Modern Capitalism, which I’ve passed around. I agree that we must champion service and generousity as our strategy. “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary; use words.”
August 18th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
“have a copy of your A Christian Agrarian Critique of Modern Capitalism, which I’ve passed around.”
How’s about passing me a copy? Where do you get them?
August 20th, 2008 at 5:27 am
Scott,
Thanks so much for posting this. I had no idea that all of this went on in the CP! This was eye-opening!
Blessings,
Cheri
August 20th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Hi Floyd
I think I must have got it from David when I ordered some back copies of the Agrarian Steward a year or so ago. Email him and see if he still sells them. If I can locate my copy I could send it your via the US Mail. Let me know.
Hi Jim
Boy, do I know what your talking about! Every time I ever mentioned something as simple as requiring people to say they believed in the Trinity I was attacked as an “extremist”. I could go on for hours, but I won’t. Praying for you all down there, as always. Tell Art I found a tanning book I’ll send to him if he wants.
Cheri
Your welcome. I just hope people will not make the mistake that Jim and I and a lot of other people made. The leadership of the CP is corrupted beyond your wildest dreams. It was a sad day for me when I finally realized it. I had a lot of time and emotion tied up in that sinking ship.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Scott, I also thank you for the eye opener!
August 25th, 2008 at 5:23 am
Hi Scott,
Sorry to be so completely off topic here (although I have learnt a great deal about the CP, something I knew nothing about before, so thank you) but I run a blog (completely and entirely non-commercial) called Farm Blogs from Around the World (www.farmblogs.blogspot.com)
At Farm Blogs I am trying to gather in one place the very best of global blogging about farms, farming and rural life.
You can find the blog roll, sorted by country (and a General Interest section) in the right hand column on the blog.
My posts are made up of the blog recommendations from other farm bloggers and I also post regular stories about world farming.
All blogs have been recommended to me by other bloggers or identified by me during my occassional browsing.
You were recommended by Marci at Amazing Graze Farms and I’ve posted about you at the link below.
http://farmblogs.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html#6585756369068587140
(If you’d just like to see recommendations please use the label ‘Recommendations’.)
I have a pretty broad definition of farming - if you’re producing food, you’re a farmer, to my mind at least.
So blogs range from ranches to part-time smallholders, and resources for them.
Once recommended, I add them to the blogroll and then contact the bloggers (just as I am contacting you), asking them to send me a few words about their farm/small-holding and their blog and, critically, to recommend their favourite farm/farming blogs (just as Amazing Graze Farm recommended you).
And so it goes and grows.
So, I’ve added you to my blog roll and I would very much appreciate it if you could please consider:
a) writing to me with a brief description of your blog along with permission for a once off only use of a couple of photos from your blog, so that I can make a posting about you;
b) writing to me with your favourite farming/rural blogs recommendations;
c) add a link on your blog, if that’s possible, to http://www.farmblogs.blogspot.com; and if you can find a moment even make a posting about http://www.farmblogs.blogspot.com and how this blog is growing organically accross the world from other farming bloggers.
d) please feel free to send me the odd photo, both now and on an on-going basis. The blog tries to pick up different seasonal activities in different parts of the world at different times, so any photos would be much appreciated - they also help drive traffic to your site.
Very much hoping to hear from you,
With kind regards,
Ian
http://www.farmblogs.blogspot.com
http://www.aplaceintheauvergne.blogspot.com
http://www.ianwalthew.com
September 1st, 2008 at 4:53 pm
I found your blog through a search of Christian agrarian blogs. We are about to leave the suburban life behind and move to an Amish farm in Kentucky. We have absolutely no idea what we are doing so it should be interesting!
I am dismayed to hear this about the Constitution Party! I had no idea. Now who do we vote for?
September 1st, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Lady Why
That’s a good question. For the record, I’m not telling anyone not to vote for Baldwin. Out of all the men running he is the only one that a Christian could vote for. I might vote for him, but I might also just stay home. One thing I won’t do anymore is take part in promoting the CP as some kind of alternative. At the end of the day, it wasn’t the Mormons and their Pro-Death leadership that killed the CP. It was the overwhelming majority of Christians who have no understanding of Christ’s Lordship that killed the party.
Congrats on moving to a Kentucky farm. You’ll be happy you did, I’m sure. Best wishes and we will be Praying for you and your family.
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Amen. Amen. Amen. A good blog entry and lots of good comments. The internet is a blessing because of times like this, and except when it keeps me from needed gardening.
And where can I get a copy of “A Christian Agrarian Critique of Modern Capitalism”?