The Georgia-Russia conflict
August 11th, 2008 | Published in War, Current Events, Links | 4 Comments
For those wanting more information on the Georgia-Russia conflict, the NY Times has an interesting article on the history of the situation.
It’s really sad that people kill each other over border disputes. I can see the appeal of a one-world government — imagine if the entire world was allied like the United States. We don’t go to war with different states, and I hope we never do.
I doubt a one-world government is possible — patriotism is too strong, fundamentalist Christians would oppose such a “beast,” and fundamentalist Muslims would only want it if was a theocracy and they were in charge.
Maybe it wouldn’t even solve things, but it could. What’s the other alternative? Certainly not everyone in the world is going to convert to Christianity or Islam and create a theocracy. We need a real-world, secular solution that people of all faiths and nations can support.
Any other ideas?
August 12th, 2008 at 12:05 am (#)
There isn’t one, in my opinion. There probably isn’t a secular solution. If religion were to disappear and pave the way for a secular world government, people would start killing each other because of something else, and destroy that government.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:05 am (#)
Hmm. How can you be so sure? I’ve heard it said that religion and patriotism are the two reasons for war. That seems to be the case from my understanding of history.
Maybe people would fight over something else (ideology that might as well be religion, for instance), but I wouldn’t know how to be sure about something like that. For all we know, it might work.
I hope something does.
August 17th, 2008 at 7:59 am (#)
There would still be fighting. If people can’t get along in their own houses, how can we expect the entire world to get along? There are other reasons for war: oil and economic influence are two big ones. I think it’s unreasonable to expect the entire world to become one utopia, as wonderful as it may be. The fundamentalists would never let it happen. There would be civil war in a one-world government.
September 12th, 2008 at 5:11 pm (#)
Josh, how can you say such things?
Any other ideas? What about radical, humble, other-serving, self-sacrificing peacemaking, one soul at a time, after the example of Jesus? The problem is sin, isn’t it? Do you mean to suggest that a secular one-world government is any kind of solution to man’s wicked sinfulness? Do you have zero appreciation for the value of self-government? No fear of concentrated power?
“We don’t go to war with different states…” It hasn’t been that long. And look how much harm and desacration has preceded from that conquest of unification over self-government. Is that no warning to us?
You should read the Founding Fathers, particularly the Virginians. I can’t necessarily defend their armed rebellion against England, but surely you can appreciate their motives for desiring self-government? Surely you can see the evil in tyranny of rulers that don’t share in the interests of the people under their rule. Do you really think our government is so in touch with the needs of the people that greater scale and further detachment from the people is the answer?
As for your proposed solution being “real-world,” it’s anything but; it’s far-out utopianism. What’s real-world is loving our neighbors, dealing with the sin in our own lives, etc. Read question and answer #135 and #136 of the Larger Catechism to the Westminster Confession, what are the duties required of the sixth commandment and the sins forbidden. Consider that included are even the “immoderate use of meat…labor…” Such is the root cause of wars.