Evil An Opponent of Freedom

The History Channel's epic five part mini-series The Bible concluded on Easter Sunday, and I hope you had occasion to watch. It was, in a word, tremendous. Executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey preserved and did a fabulous job bringing these stories to life. Additionally, the cast from top to bottom was exemplary, particularly Diogo Morgado, who played the role of Jesus.
Morgado put in a brilliant performance, and is knocking the door to stardom down.

In part three, Satan made an appearance for the first time and a controversy was born.  Many thought the Satan character had a striking resemblance to a very familiar person, President Obama.  In the interest of full disclosure, I immediately saw Obama when Satan appeared.  The producers dismissed any connection between President Obama and the Satan character in the film. The actor who played the role looks nothing like Obama in real life and is appalled to think others saw Obama in his portrayal of the Satan character.  Downey commented she was almost heart broken that the conversation went in this direction as opposed to the actual story being presented.  Good point.

As the controversy emerged, the left went ballistic, wondering how sick someone must be to correlate Obama with Satan.  Among the leaders lowering the level of discourse is a familiar outlet, who finds racism at the core of this, and every, issue.

However, in a recent poll, approximately one in four Americans thought Obama may be the Anti-Christ.

Certainly, Obama is not Satan, or the anti-Christ.  But is it so far fetched to associate President Obama with evil? I contend it is not.

In his association with ACORN, Obama taught Saul Alinsky, which focuses on non civil approaches to achieve goals with the ends justifying the means, no matter whether they violate common moral guidelines.  In fact, Alinsky's book Rules For Radicals, the bible for leftist activists, is dedicated to Lucifer.

The policies enacted by President Obama, policies that restrict freedom and reduce incentives, offer a top down government aimed at controlling the masses through expansion of the welfare state, robbing the individual of free agency

Wealth transformation, simply stated as theft, oppresses those who do the necessary work to achieve greatness enabling those who do not offered in implementation by technocrats and government officials who think they know better.  These oppressive dictator style officials think they alone can dictate markets among the populous, picking winners through crony capitalism exhibiting no respect for the rule of law.

President Obama is set to release a budget this week, a budget that will include significant revenue increases, otherwise stated, tax increases.  Given that almost half of our citizenry pay no income taxes, this another effort at wealth transformation.  Basic economic theory is not a strong suit of this group, as when you increase taxation on something you get less of it.  Prosperity comes to mind.  The economic reality of the point is so simple, it can be written on a napkin. The Laffer Curve is quite illustrative.

Jesus was an opponent of oppressive tax collectors, knowing the government utilized the taxes to oppress the people.  In today's world, although a base of taxation for a limited government to provide basic services for it citizens is necessary, rarely have governments operated efficiently or exercised restraint in spending money the take from those they govern over.  As Lady Thatcher famously said, socialism is great until you run out of everyone elses money.

Governments run by technocrats and dictators who oppress their citizenry through suffocating taxation and regulation house the types of individuals and regimes that brought the wrath of our loving God.  Those in governance who implement restriction of freedom of the people in various forms of oppression are evil and have been since the beginning of time.  The story is told over and over again in the Bible.

Thankfully, The History Channel presented the work of Mark Brunett and Roma Downey in their epic mini series The Bible.  It is hoped that many who may never have had the opportunity can learn of the great news, and recognize that freedom is the key to a peaceful, moral existence in our journey on earth.