CRAIGforCONGRESS

Missouri's 7th District, U.S. House of Representatives

  
 

 

 

Congressional Issues 2014
DEFENSE POLICY
Peace



The goal of this campaign is not winning an insignificant political office as much as it is creating a global transformation leading to world peace.

Our Goal for the Planet:

The message of the angels to the shepherds on the first Christmas:

And this is the sign unto you: Ye shall find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest,
And
peace on earth
among men in whom He is well pleased.

Peace on Earth Begins with You.

Our Goal for You:

To be one in whom God is well pleased:

His lord said unto him, `Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.' Matthew 25:21

Our programs are designed to transform you into:

  • An Extraordinary American
  • An Extraordinary Christian
  • An Extraordinary Human Being

The Old Testament prophet Micah gave us a vision of world peace:

Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation will not lift up sword against nation
And never again will they train for war.
And each of them will sit under his
Vine and under his fig tree,
With no one to make them afraid.
For the L
ORD of hosts has spoken.
Micah 4:2-4

This "swords into plowshares" ideal is enshrined in a statue near the United Nations building.

But the U.N. has not brought world peace.

Why is it that such a universal ideal has not been realized?

Let's compare the vision of the prophet Micah with that of a contemporary "prophet," John Lennon:

John Lennon: "Imagine" The "Vine & Fig Tree" Ideal in the Bible
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
"Living for today" is a philosophy thousands of years old. When people disregard the future, they really have nothing to live for today. When we disregard heaven, and have no fear of hell (divine displeasure), it makes it easier to justify using violence against others to get what we want today. Micah's prophecy begins with an acknowledgement of the Creator and His Commandments.

George Washington said, "we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained"

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
I believe the elimination of arbitrary political borders imposed by military conquerors will help bring world peace.

But wherever an attempt has been made to eliminate religion (that is, Christianity, the true religion), mass death and destruction has been the result.

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
the world will be as one what? One collectivist ant hill? Germany was "united" under Hitler. The Chinese were as "one" under Mao. Unity was achieved only by destroying individuality. The conflict between the one and the many -- unity vs. diversity -- has plagued non-Christian philosophy for centuries.
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
Every time a society has been imposed with no possessions (private property), the result has been hunger leading to mass death.

In the first "brotherhood of man," Cain murdered his brother.

John Lennon died a millionaire with an army of lawyers who threatened anyone who played Lennon's music without copyright authorization.

The least-Christian societies have very little to share, whether they be primitive pagans or industrialized atheists under Stalin.

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one                      
Again, one what?
(Isaiah 9:6-7) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of peace. {7} Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

(Luke 2:8-14) And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them ... and the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will toward men.

(Luke 1:77-79) To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, {78} Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, {79} To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

(Matthew 5:9) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

(Luke 6:27-28) But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, {28} Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

(Hebrews 12:14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

(Leviticus 26:6) I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of [tyrants and those who seek to impose their will on others by force] and keep your enemies out of your land.

(Proverbs 16:7) When man's ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

(Hosea 2:18) And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the heavens, and with the creeping things of the ground; and I will break the bow and the sword and warfare out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

(1 Peter 3:9) Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called--that you might inherit a blessing.

(1 Peter 2:21-23) For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: {22} Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: {23} Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously:

(Romans 12:17-20) Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. {18} If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. {19} Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. {20} Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink:

(Psalm 34:14) Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

(Psalm 35:20) For they do not speak peace, but they conceive deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

(Psalm 37:11) But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

(Psalm 37:37) Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

(Psalm 72:7) In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

(Psalm 85:10) Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

(Psalm 119:165) Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

(Psalm 120:2-7) Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.{5} Woe is me, {6} My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. {7} I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.

(Psalm 122:6-8) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. {7} peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. {8} For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, peace be within thee.

(Proverbs 3:17) The ways of Wisdom are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

(Proverbs 12:20) Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.

(Isaiah 26:12) O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for indeed, all that we have done, you have done for us.

(Isaiah 32:17-18) And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. {18} And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;

(Isaiah 48:18) O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

(Isaiah 48:22) There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.

(Isaiah 52:7) How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

(Isaiah 54:13) And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

(Isaiah 55:12) For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

(Isaiah 57:19) I create the fruit of the lips; peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

(Ephesians 2:14-17) For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; {15} Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; {16} And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: {17} And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

(Isaiah 59:8) The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

(Isaiah 60:17) For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

(Isaiah 66:12) For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.

(Ezekiel 34:25) And I will make with them a covenant of peace

(Ezekiel 37:26) Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

(Daniel 4:1) Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; peace be multiplied unto you.

(Daniel 6:25) Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; peace be multiplied unto you.

(Nahum 1:15) Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

(Haggai 2:9) The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

(Zechariah 6:13) Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

(Zechariah 8:16) These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

(Zechariah 8:19) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.

(Zechariah 9:10) And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

(Malachi 2:5-6) My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. {6} The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

(Malachi 2:6) The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

(Romans 1:7) To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Romans 2:10) But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

(Romans 3:10-18) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: {11} There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. {12} They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. {13} Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: {14} Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: {15} Their feet are swift to shed blood: {16} Destruction and misery are in their ways: {17} And the way of peace have they not known: {18} There is no fear of God before their eyes.

(Romans 8:6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

(Romans 10:15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

(Romans 14:17-19) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. {18} For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. {19} Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

(Romans 15:33) Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

(Romans 16:20) And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

(1 Corinthians 1:3) Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 Corinthians 14:33) For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

(2 Corinthians 1:2) Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Corinthians 10:3-5) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: {4} (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) {5} Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

(2 Corinthians 13:11) Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

(Galatians 1:3) Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

(Galatians 5:22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

(Galatians 6:16) And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

(Ephesians 1:2) Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Ephesians 4:3) Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

(Ephesians 6:15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

(Ephesians 6:23) peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Philippians 1:2) Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Philippians 4:9) Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

(Colossians 1:2) To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Colossians 1:20) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

(Colossians 3:15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

(1 Thessalonians 1:1) Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 Thessalonians 5:23) And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Thessalonians 1:2) Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Thessalonians 3:16) Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

(1 Timothy 1:2) Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

(1 Timothy 2:2) For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

(2 Timothy 1:2) To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

(2 Timothy 2:22) Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

(Titus 1:4) To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

(Philemon 1:3) Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(James 3:17-18) But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. {18} And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

(Hebrews 13:20) Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

(1 Peter 1:2) Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

(1 Peter 3:11) Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

(1 Peter 5:14) Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

(2 Peter 1:2) Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

(2 Peter 3:14) Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

(2 John 1:3) Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

(3 John 1:14) But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

(Jude 1:2) Mercy unto you, and peace and love, be multiplied.

(Revelation 1:4) John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;


If you were to go through scripture and collect the passages that deal with peace, you would find it surprising how many such passages there are. Very clearly, peace is a central purpose of God's plan for man and the earth. Peace as scripture describes it is first and foremost peace with God. Then when man is at peace with God, there is peace between man and man, and man and nature.

Let us now look a little further into the doctrine of peace. Peace is a translation of a Hebrew word, Shalom. We have it in ‘Jerusalem’. Salem. It is the greeting in Hebrew. Instead of saying hello, it is: ‘Shalom’. Peace. Now, peace, shalom, in Hebrew, comes from the root ‘to be whole’ wholeness, soundness, health, well-being, prosperity, peace as opposed to war, concord as opposed to strife.

As a result the Biblical doctrine of peace is very closely related to the Biblical doctrine of salvation. This is why throughout the New Testament, as well as in Old Testament prophesy, the culmination of Christ’s work is peace. And Christ even in the midst of trouble and of strife and turmoil, gives us peace.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Peace, thus, is a present possession in Christ; and it is a future possession as Christ’s reign is extended throughout the world

Peace is thus, that order of peace and prosperity, a salvation of health, which flows out of our reconciliation to God in Jesus Christ, and our restoration to life under God. Life in Eden was a life of peace with God, therefore peace with yourself, peace with nature. The source of that peace is the primary relationship with God, and Christ having restored it, all other forms of peace shall flow out of that peace we have with God, in Jesus Christ.

Statist peace, on the other hand, is simply an absence of hostility. It means that war has ended. That there has been a suppression, perhaps, of criminal activity. The state cannot regenerate man. It cannot even establish the limited peace it aims at, because the power of the state is essentially the power of the sword. The state cannot order [compel] men to love one another, or to live in peace, and when it tries to do so it only aggravates the situation.

The state therefore can never bring about peace. As a matter of fact, the state, when it tries to make peace its goal, only destroys the peace of citizens and usurps God's peace and the free-man’s peace in Christ. The state can only be an instrument of peace when it ... acknowledges that peace can only come when man is redeemed by God in Christ.

Thus the doctrine of peace is a very important one in law, because it is first of all important in terms of the doctrine of salvation. The vine and the fig tree imagery are thus essential to scripture. They are God-centered doctrines, God-centered symbols, setting forth the peace, the salvation, the fulfillment of man in prosperity, in joy, and in wellbeing. In God through Christ.

There is no peace, no fulfillment for man in any other way.

R.J. Rushdoony

What is it that will lead to a planet where

Nation will not lift up sword against nation
And never again will they train for war.

Christmas is the answer. Before Christmas, the world was dominated by violence caused by false religions and despotic tyrannical empires. During that age, the prophet Daniel predicted that the Messiah would come during the Roman Empire, and put an end to the old world of superstition and violence. Before Christmas, an unimaginable percentage of human beings died a violent death. After Christmas, most human beings live and die in relative peace. Peace comes as the world is Christianized.

In the modern world, violence is perpetrated primarily by those who reject Christ as the Prince of Peace.

World peace comes only with global Christianization. Christ is a Priest and a King and He seeks to replace Church and State with His Royal Priesthood and Holy Nation. The key to world peace is not the "separation of church and state," but the elimination of church and state, and all those who believe they can use coercion and threats of violence to achieve their goals.

Modern Warfare is Anti-Christian

It may not have been the case 200 years ago, but in the 21st century, "war" necessarily and inescapably involves the intentional slaughter of thousands, if not millions, of innocent non-combatant civilian men, women and children. Modern warfare inescapably violates the criteria of a "just war." If you do not oppose war to such a degree that the Pentagon considers you an "extremist" or a "dangerous pacifist," then you are either not informed about the actions of the U.S. military, or you have lost a vital part of your humanity.

Kevin Craig is for Peace. As a Christian, he is a follower of "The Prince of Peace." He is passionately opposed to our national policy of "Mutually Assured Destruction," which contemplates using nuclear weapons to intentionally kill hundreds of millions of human beings. It is an insane and un-Christian policy. It is a toxic premeditation that pollutes all of our thinking about defense and security.

As a militaristic, atheistic empire, The United States is the enemy of peace, civilization, and humanity. The future is in places like China, Africa, and Latin America, where Christianity is multiplying because Christians there understand the issues better than entertainment-centered "Christians" in the United States.

From a Christian perspective, America's thinking about war and peace, "national security," and related issues, is completely off the mark.

Kevin Craig is the Founder of a non-profit educational organization called "Vine & Fig Tree." The name is taken from a prophecy of the Old Testament Prophet Micah, which defines the mark:

      Now it shall come to pass in the latter days
      That the mountain of the LORD’s house
      Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
      And shall be exalted above the hills;
      And peoples shall flow to it.
      Many nations shall come and say,
      “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
      To the house of the God of Jacob;
      He will teach us His ways,
      And we shall walk in His paths.”
      For out of Zion the law shall go forth,
      And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
      He shall judge between many peoples,
      And rebuke strong nations afar off;
      They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
      And their spears into pruning hooks;
      Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
      Neither shall they learn war anymore.
      But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree,
      And no one shall make them afraid;
      For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.
      Though all people walk each in the name of his god,
      We will walk in the name of the LORD our God
      Forever and ever.

Call Kevin Craig a "pacifist." Call him "anti-military." Call him a "hippie peace-nik." He says "bad publicity is better than no publicity at all." This webpage is not designed to provide bumper-stickers for voters or sound-bites for the press. War and Peace is a serious subject that deserves serious thought.

The federal government, through its military, is willing to sacrifice the lives of millions of innocent non-combatant civilians in order to protect its own political power. The U.S. federal government is responsible for the deaths of nearly two million people in Iraq alone since 1990. In 1996 then-UN Ambassador Madeleine Albright was asked by 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl, in reference to years of U.S.-led economic sanctions against Iraq, “We have heard that half a million children have died. I mean, that is more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?” To which Ambassador Albright responded, “I think that is a very hard choice, but the price, we think, the price is worth it.”

Let's think about this. "The price is worth it,” Albright said. "The price" is millions of deaths. But it is worth "it," she claims. What is "it?"

Was "it" the liberation of Kuwait? Was "it" the creation of an Islamic Theocracy in Iraq that leans toward Iran? Why should the United States have killed millions of people to replace a secular dictatorship with an Islamic Theocracy? Would America's Founding Fathers have felt that creation of an Islamic Theocracy was worth millions of deaths?

Kevin Craig believes that no U.S. war since 1776 (including the American Revolution itself) has been of net benefit to the world.

The idea of "Liberty Under God" advances civilization through peaceful commerce and patient endurance of the weaknesses of our fellow human beings. The idea of "Liberty Under God" should direct our thinking about military affairs, as well as economics, law, and society.

President Bush is said to be a Christian, "a man of faith" whose favorite philosopher is Jesus Christ. Congressman Blunt was a graduate and president of a Baptist University which claims to be "a Christ-centered, caring academic community preparing students to be servant leaders in a global society." Here are the two questions that need to be asked:

  1. Would Jesus drop a bomb on an Iraqi village, or would He approve of George Bush doing so? Would Jesus give a "thumbs-up" to Israel's directing a missile onto an apartment building in Lebanon?
  2. Should the answer to Question #1 have any effect whatsoever on modern military and political policy?

The answer to the first question is obviously "No." The answer to the second question reflects your "world-and-life view." Kevin Craig believes that the Bible must be the foundation of all public policy.

There is no evidence that the Republican Party "team" in Washington D.C. has a Christian world-and-life view, and that the Bible is the foundation of their military and geo-political strategies (Republicans controlled the executive, legislative and judicial branches, for the first six years of the Bush Administration, with seven of the current nine Justices of the Supreme Court appointed by Republican Presidents.)

Very few Christian voters have given serious thought to the question, "How should the Bible and the teachings of Christ shape America's defense policies?" Left-leaning Christians, many of whom are professional social-workers, have said that instead of the government confiscating money for war-making from Americans using government force and coercion, government should confiscate money for welfare appropriations, or for "the environment." But they don't really believe that the Bible is or should be a blueprint for U.S. foreign policy.

An argument for this position begins here.

Not a single person who signed the Constitution would approve of the war in Iraq, nor much of U.S. military and foreign policy in this "post-Christian" age. They had a more Christian world-and-life view than today's so-called Christian politicians.

Liberty and Security

Although the federal government spends hundreds of billions of dollars a year on "defense," few Americans feel as secure as they did 15 or 20 years ago. Even if we doubled that budget, we would not feel more secure. In fact, if we shipped more arms to foreign nations, doubled the number of soldiers wearing jungle camouflage in our airports, and increased the number of bombs that are capable of obliterating millions of non-combatant civilians, we would probably have an even greater feeling of insecurity. We would feel that our liberties were even more threatened.

Suppose that instead of increasing the defense budget, we radically slashed it. How would this affect our nation's security?

Surprisingly, the more we cut, the more secure we will be.

Even the most inexperienced political observer can guess that the 112th Congress will not cut the defense budget by much, if at all. We can only imagine the effect on Congress and upon the national debate if a Congressman boldly and articulately advocated the following:

There is only one way to bring "security." "Liberty Under God."

Other Platform Statements:

Ozarks Virtual Townhall


Privatization


How to Slash Defense Spending

Most Americans say they want to cut government spending, but for most Americans, and especially most conservatives, cutting defense spending is "off the table."

We need to put it back on the table, and slash drastically.

Too many people believe that war is "good for the economy." Statistically, this is false.

But it's also mistaken when one considers the long-term effects, or as Frederic Bastiat described it, "the seen and the unseen." We can see that a soldier was hired, or a defense contractor created jobs, but much greater benefit to the economy could have been obtained, which we cannot see. We can see the bombs creating "shock and awe," but not the jobs that money could have created. Spending a million dollars to send troops across the globe to blow up a building has the same effect on GDP as spending a million dollars to build a factory, school or hospital here at home, but both expenditures do not have the same effect on our standard of living. Blowing things up lowers our standard of living.

The federal government spends billions of dollars on weapons systems that cannot be used, would still be way overpriced if they were actually used, and continues to spend money on these systems long after these two facts become widely admitted.

Defense spending is riddled with corruption.

Thomas Woods has ably summarized these and other considerations in chapter 5 of his book, Rollback: Repealing Big Government Before the Coming Fiscal Collapse. If you're serious about being an informed American and not only discussing the issue of defense spending, but working intelligently to cut defense waste, you need to read that chapter.


Human beings are created in the Image of God. If you hate God, then you hate your neighbor.

Ultimately, peace on earth depends on human beings being reconciled to God.


The Biblical History of the Rise and Fall of Violence and the Coming of Peace on Earth

Biblical Pacifism is a comprehensive world-and-life-view. If you don't consider yourself to be a "Bible-believing Christian," or if you do but don't consider yourself to be a "Biblical pacifist," then the task is huge. It will take a year or more to convert you.

We have a program geared to do this: www.PeacemakerCoaching.org. We take you through the five most important works in the history of Western Civilization. You come out on the other end as a Christian pacifist.

The most important work in the history of America and Western Civilization, obviously, is the Bible.
George Washington read the Bible an hour every morning.
Then another hour in the evening.
America's Founding Fathers knew it well.
It takes 11 minutes a day to read the Bible
from cover to cover in one year.
Maybe you've already read the Bible --
but you read it as a religious book.
A "devotional" book.
A book to "inspire" you.
A book to help your "self-esteem."
 
We're going to read the Bible as
marching orders from General Headquarters.
We're going to read the Bible as a
textbook in political science and economics.
For example,
We're going to pay close attention to
what the Bible says about
inflation and fractional reserve banking,
which led the Framers of the Constitution to say
"No state shall make anything but gold or silver a tender in payment in of debts."
Americans in 1776 knew what the Bible said about economics, law, political science, and more.
Americans today do not.

Christianity is not just religious devotionals.

Christianity is a worldview that affects every area of life.

At left you can see a list of contemporary issues which the Bible addresses directly and clearly. During the next 365 days, you'll see these issues in the Bible like America's Founding Fathers did, and like you've never seen them before.
In addition, you're going to see the story of the Bible like you've never seen it before. Many Christians today believe the story of the Bible goes something like this:
  • God created planet earth;
  • God put man on earth to be a good steward;
  • Satan tempted man;
  • Man rebelled against God, choosing to be his own god instead,
  • Satan now controls the world.
  • Since Satan and man are not playing God's game by God's rules, God is soon going to take his cosmic football and go home.

In other words, Satan wins.

Pretty dismal story, isn't it?

Sure, God sent His Son, who died on the cross, so that some of the players can be forgiven for their rebellion and go home with God, but God's original purposes for man and the creation were thwarted by Satan, the ultimate victor.

The Bible doesn't teach this.

The Bible says our purpose as human beings is to turn a fallen wilderness into a Garden-City. The New Jerusalem is the "Vine & Fig Tree" society.

Hundreds of years before Christ, the prophet Daniel spoke of the first Christmas, the birth of the Messiah in the days of the Roman Empire. That barbaric, debauched empire was destroyed, and the Kingdom of Christ began growing like a mustard tree, like leaven, like a field (Matthew 13). The Emperor Justinian began Christianizing the Eastern Roman Empire, and in the West kings like Alfred and Ethelbert made the 10 Commandments the basis of new legal systems. The "Common Law" began, with a Christian foundation, and eventually found its way into the Constitution of the United States, "a Christian nation." Though there have been ups and downs, the progress of Christianity has been undeniable -- at least to those who have been taught the facts of history.

Most Americans in the 21st century have not.

If you enroll in the PeacemakerCoaching Program, you will learn the story of the "Vine & Fig Tree." You will learn that the Bible says the purpose of the first Christmas was that "the knowledge of the Lord should cover the earth as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14). This has been going on for 2,000 years now. This is a wonderful story that isn't being told.

Some people sincerely believe that the Bible says that everything is going to get worse and worse until God finally destroys everything and then starts over. (Why He would want to go through failure again is not disclosed.)

You will read a different story in the Bible when you enroll in the PeacemakerCoaching Program, and have a coach pointing out things in the Bible that you may have missed.

Perhaps you're reluctant to pay your tuition for a class that teaches something very different from what you've always heard. So we'll give you the entire year-long curriculum. We want to make it clear that simply reading the class outline in a week, or even a month, will not give you the same result as you will have if you enroll in the PeacemakerCoaching Program and study a little bit each day, think about it, study more the next day, pray about it, and take an entire year to complete your reading of the “Vine & Fig Tree” story. It just won't be the same.

But you wouldn't be a good shopper if you bought a product without knowing what it delivered. So if you're doubtful about our agenda, here are two ways to survey the story of the Bible that you'll learn in the year-long PeacemakerCoaching Program.

The first way is a 12-day study entitled "The 12 Days of Liberty." It's modeled after the "12 Days of Christmas, which take place from December 25 to January 6. You've never heard the Christmas message like this:

This study is obviously not a review of the entire Bible, though many other parts of the Bible are reviewed besides the Christmas narratives in the Gospels.

Here, then, is a review of the entire Bible. Again, it is no substitute for the Berean model of searching the Scriptures daily. And reading them all in an afternoon is not the same as reading one a day and thinking about it prayerfully over a period of time. But just so you can see an example of the worldview of the PeacemakerCoaching Program, here are 95 Bible Studies, patterned loosely after Martin Luther's "95 Theses," somewhat-humorously called “The 95 Days of Christmas”:

Welcome to “The 95 Days of Christmas” | Read
The Importance of Luther's 95 Theses | Read
The Origin of These 95 Theses | Read
Introduction: Taking the Bible Seriously | Read
Thesis 1: Christ the Word | Read
Thesis 2: Christ the Creator | Read
Thesis 3: Creation, not Evolution | Read
Thesis 4: Omniscience, Predestination, and Provide... | Read
Thesis 5: “Self-Evident Truths” | Read
A. “Vine & Fig TreeBEFORE THE FALL | Read
Thesis 6: The Biological Basis of Patriarchy | Read
Thesis 7: The Dominion Mandate | Read
Thesis 8: Patriarchy and “the Extended Family” | Read
Thesis 9: “Vine & Fig Tree” and the Sanctions of the Covenant | Read
Thesis 10: The Priority of Agrarianism | Read
Thesis 11: “Vine & Fig Tree” and the Mountain | Read
B. “Vine & Fig TreeBEFORE THE FLOOD | Read
Thesis 12: The Fall Of The Angels | Read
Thesis 13: The Fall of Man | Read
Thesis 14: The Purpose of Cain’s “Suspended Sentence” | Read
Thesis 15: Cain’s City: The Autonomy of the State | Read
Thesis 16: The Demonic Roots of Violent Tyranny | Read
C. “Vine & Fig TreeBEFORE SINAI | Read
Thesis 17: The Post-Flood Absence of The Institutional Church | Read
Thesis 18: The Patriarchal Power Of “Capital Punishment” | Read
Thesis 19: Nimrod: The First Politician (Post-Flood) | Read
Thesis 20: “Vine & Fig Tree” vs. Political Slavery | Read
Thesis 21: Demonic Activity At   Babel | Read
Thesis 22: The Division of The Nations | Read
Thesis 23: Evangelism In The Old Covenant | Read
Thesis 24: “Vine & Fig Tree,” “National Defense,” And Military Socialism | Read
Thesis 25: “Vine & Fig Tree” and “Sacraments”: Circumcision | Read
Thesis 27: “Vine & Fig Tree”, Precious Metals, and Money | Read
Thesis 26: The Myth of The “Separation Of Church And State” | Read
Thesis 28: Salvation is Political | Read
D. “Vine & Fig TreeUNDER MOSES | Read
Thesis 29: “Vine & Fig Tree” and Resistance to Tyranny in the Early Days of the Old Testament | Read
Thesis 30: As With All Angelic Activity, No State Action Is Coincidental or Random | Read
Thesis 31: Ceremony, Ritual, Liturgy, And The “Pedagogical Law” | Read
Thesis 32: “Vine & Fig Tree” and “Sacraments”: Passover | Read
Thesis 33: Patriarchs And “Elders” | Read
Thesis 34: The Need for a Pedagogical Legal Structure | Read
Thesis 35: Angels And The Pedagogical Legal Structure | Read
Thesis 36: The Promised Land | Read
Thesis 37: The Temporary Character of The First “Church Officers” | Read
Thesis 38: “Vine & Fig Tree” and the Temple  | Read
Thesis 39: Patriarchy and Education | Read
Thesis 40: “Vine & Fig Tree” and Oaths | Read
E. “Vine & Fig TreeAND THE RISE OF THE STATE | Read
Thesis 41: The Character of “gods” | Read
Thesis 42: National Security Without a State | Read
Thesis 43: The Prohibition of Monarchism | Read
Thesis 44: The State as the Answer to the Prayers of Rebels | Read
Thesis 45: The Inferiority of Old Covenant Typological Mediators | Read
F. “Vine & Fig TreeAND PROVIDENCE : THE STATE | Read
Thesis 46: Romans 8:28 and The State | Read
Thesis 47: God’s Sovereign Ordering of Every State | Read
Thesis 48: The State Serves God by Sinning | Read
Thesis 49: The State As Sanctified “Servant”/“Deacon”/”Minister” | Read
Thesis 50: The State Does Not Serve God Self-Consciously | Read
Thesis 51: Only One King Self-Consciously Serves God | Read
Thesis 52: Judgment of the State in Heaven and Earth | Read
Thesis 53: Moloch-Worship and the Nature of Idols | Read
Thesis 54: War, Capital Punishment, and “The Sword” | Read
Thesis 55: The Throne of David | Read
G. “Vine & Fig TreeAND THE MESSIAH | Read
Thesis 56: Statism At The Time Of Christ | Read
Thesis 57: Kingship, Citizenship, and The Gospel | Read
Thesis 58: The Civil Authority of The Pastor: Christ The Shepherd | Read
Thesis 59: Jewish Opposition To The Kingdom | Read
Thesis 60: Christ’s Binding of Satan | Read
Thesis 61: True Power vs. Political Power | Read
Thesis 62: Agrarianism As Environmentalism | Read
Thesis 63: Christ’s Ascension to the Throne of David | Read
Thesis 64: The Camaraderie of “Church” And State | Read
Thesis 65: Fox News and the Coming of the Kingdom | Read
Thesis 66: The Anointed King vs. Political Kings | Read
Thesis 67: Jesus The Nazarene | Read
H. “Vine & Fig TreeAND THE EARLY HOME-CHURCHES | Read
Thesis 68: Extremism Vs. Neutrality | Read
Thesis 69: Sons of God and Pedagogues | Read
Thesis 70: Judgment and the Church-Courts of Christ | Read
Thesis 71: The Apostolic Church and the Spread of Power | Read
Thesis 72: “Vine & Fig Tree” and the House-Church | Read
Thesis 73: “Vine & Fig Tree” and the “Sacraments”: Baptism | Read
Thesis 74: “Vine & Fig Tree” and the “Sacraments”: “The Lord’s Supper” | Read
Thesis 75: Self-Ordination | Read
Thesis 76: Salt and Statism | Read
Thesis 77: Political Authority and Kingdom Citizenship | Read
Thesis 78: “Vine & Fig Tree” and Resistance to Tyranny in the Last Days of the Old Covenant | Read
Thesis 79: Taxation, Kingdom Citizenship, and Overcoming Through Suffering | Read
Thesis 80: Violence | Read
Thesis 81: Vengeance | Read
Thesis 82: Creationist Anarcho-Socialism and Darwinian Archo-Socialism | Read
Thesis 83: Pedagogy and The Powers | Read
Thesis 84: The End of Archists: The Pedagogues Judged by the Church | Read
Thesis 85: The Last Days of the Old Covenant | Read
I. “Vine & Fig TreeINTHE MILLENNIUM” | Read
Thesis 86: “The Millennium” | Read
Thesis 87: “Ruling with Christ” | Read
Thesis 88: Salvation as Light and Social Healing | Read
Thesis 89: Edenic Restoration | Read
Thesis 90: The New Heavens and New Earth | Read
Thesis 91: The Unconverted In the “Millennium” | Read
Thesis 92: The Last Acts of Earthly Archists | Read
Thesis 93: The City of God | Read

You need to go through the entire year-long program to appreciate these studies. You do yourself a disservice if you try to judge any one of the studies without studying the entire series. Real change will take place when you work through the entire Bible systematically, daily, prayerfully, thoughtfully, over the course of a year. The change in your thinking -- the change in your worldview -- will not come about because we forced you or tricked you. You will experience those "Aha!' moments when the lightbulb goes on and you're never able to look at the Bible the same way again.

The significance of most of these studies will become clearer after you become acquainted with the four other works that we'll be covering in the PeacemakerCoaching Program.


Why Read the Bible?

Myth:
The Old Testament
advocates war, slavery, genocide, and vengeful retaliation.
Myth:
The Teachings of Jesus
are impractical, utopian, unrealistic, and should be relegated to the inner religious meditations of a Mother Theresa, but should be kept away from public policy, especially foreign affairs and military strategy.

Both sides of this coin are wrong.
We need to examine these myths.

Jesus quoted the Old Testament. The prophets spoke of a day when we would beat our swords into plowshares and everyone would dwell securely under his own Vine & Fig Tree -- not because his property was being taken from him to fund the "military-industrial complex," which "keeps us all safe," but because nobody was training for war any more. If we were to follow the teachings of Jesus in Washington D.C., we would experience security, peace, and economic prosperity. No war that the U.S. federal government has waged has ever made things better than they would have been without military intervention.
  • How did the Civil War make things better? It gave us complete domination by the federal government.
  • What future was improved for Poland and Czechoslovakia by World War II? They were rescued from Hitler and turned over to Stalin.
  • How did U.S. war help the people of Iraq? A westernized, secular nation was converted into an Islamic Theocracy that leans toward Iran. Hundreds of thousands of Christians were killed or made homeless. Infrastructure was destroyed.
  • Which improvements in the human condition were won by war?

Conclusion:

We should take both the Old Testament and the New Testament seriously.


Next Defense Issue: Reclaiming the War Power

Next Cabinet Level Department: Education

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Do you disagree with me?
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personally respond to your criticisms
email: comments@KevinCraig.US