If It Flies It Dies:
"Religion, in any form, is not the reason for our greatness, capitalism is. The nearly certain knowledge that with hard work and sacrifice and just a bit of luck we and our children will have it better and easier than our parents did is a driving force. "
I enjoy reading your posts because they provoke me to thought, and seeing how you come from the great and good state of Texas I tip my hat, but obviously I disagree with your post and I submit for your consideration:
George Washington at the battle of Brooklyn Heights, (i think I got that title correct) attributed his escape from the British with his entire army intact to the "Providence of God" The fog came down and covered all the troop movements in the boats. But for that fog the Brits could have destroyed the entire Colonial Army.
And what about the battle of Midway? Our planes were inferior to the Japs, our pilots more inexperienced, and our torpedoes sucked. Almost all the torpedo squadrons were destroyed one after another after another. Then at the very right moment, at the very right set of conditions those dive bombers "happened" upon the japs with their proverbial pants down. I knew a saintly old woman from my church who had a husband there, floating in the water for hours on end before his rescue and she told me the Lord impressed upon her to pray for him during this exact time... Point being- Americans prayed through that war.
These two incidents are just two- many more could be discussed. Things have many times just gone our way as Americans over and over again, at just the right time...
I attribute it all to Providential Grace.
I lived in India for a while, they are a democracy and they have capitalism, but it has not worked out for them very well. When I was there for a little over a year it was obvious and common knowledge that the whole societal structure ran on bribes; from the police to the building inspector. After I left the BombayStock Market several years later totally collapesed... internal corruption.
I believe that free market capitialism only works among the honest and the godly. You have to have some honor and honesty and justice worked into the fabric of the society if folks will trust one another, make loans, pay them back, etc. You can see our system coming undone every day as we see our moral decline.
I know I annoy some folks here, I understand that, sorry if I do as a lot of nice interesting folks come here and I guess I have worn out my welcome with a few of them. I like the counter argument, it makes me think, but for what it is worth I believe not only that God's grace made us great, but I think his withdrawal of his Providential Grace will be our total undoing. And I think it will be sooner rather than later. Towel head nuke, (God forbid)
