NOT ABOUT COVID19

It’s a challenge to write about something other than COVID19, but I’ll give it a try. As the Bible often says, “It came to pass.” So, it didn’t come to stay, it came to “pass” – as will this worldwide pestilence, God willing.

I also don’t want to write about the election or politics or the liberal news media. Biden and Trump will be offering enough press up to November. And FOX vs CNN will keep us informed about such things.

Climate change has been covered by me several times in the past. The fear-mongering claims of the extremists will continue, and my meager attempt to counter the false claims of man-made global warming won’t have much effect on their opinions.

And why would I want to write about our nation’s enemies? China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, and others are constantly thinking of ways to rule us. We pray that God will protect us from their evil schemes to further harm us.

The financial woes brought on by the shutdown are temporary, we hope. As the country gets back to work, incomes and profits and taxes will return. Government overspending will probably continue as well, but who want to read about that?

So instead I’ll return to a couple of areas of my limited knowledge: the Bible, along with the sciences of chemistry and biology, which I studied in college. While staying at home and reading, we should remember to read the Bible along with other books. There is no better source for hope and peace and comfort.

The most difficult college course I took at the University of Akron was Biochemistry. Chemistry is a study of the physical properties of chemicals. Biology is a study of life forms and systems. Biochemistry combines the two and is essential for pharmacology.

This brings me back to the COVID19 virus. Biochemists are working feverishly to come up with a treatment and vaccine, and their success will alleviate our fear of this virus and others. God created the chemistry and biology of life, and thankfully, He will help scientists use their expertise to save many lives.

COPYRIGHT 2020 BY CARL E GUSTAFSON

MAINSPRING OF HUMAN PROGRESS

I was very impressed by this book (published in 1947) regarding the free enterprise success of the United States. In addition to the review below, a point that stood out to me was the author’s recognition of the importance of abundant fossil fuel resources for continued success. In the years since its writing we have indeed increased our available energy supplies, and have also added other sources of energy. Plus I appreciated his mention of the importance of a moral code, personified by the Christian faith.

Book Review: The Mainspring of Human Progress by Henry Grady Weaver

                                      By William H. Peterson                  1997

“There can be no progress except through the more effective use of our individual energies.”

The emblazonment of this quotation on the front cover of the new edition of Henry Grady Weaver’s classic is timely; for the thought gets to the heart of the concept of methodological individualism. This is a counterpoint to the macroeconomic approach that requires national planners in Washington to manage our economy, which ignores the role of creative, risk-taking individuals who are the mainspring of human progress.

Henry Grady Weaver (1889–1949), a General Motors marketing executive who made the cover of Time in 1938, saw the role of the individual as central in American business. That role can be highly constructive, cautioned Weaver, only if two conditions are met—limited government and people who adhered to an ethical code.

He hailed the concept of natural law and extolled the Founders’ political structure because it “unleashed the creative energies of millions of men and women by leaving them free to work out their own affairs—not under the lash of coercive authority, but through voluntary cooperation and moral responsibility.”

That record would not have been possible, Weaver argues, without the basic legal framework of private-property rights and tightly constrained government. Nor would it have been possible without a moral framework of respect for the rights of others. Freedom cannot be separated from personal accountability. The Ten Commandments and the biblical injunctions against covetousness, and to “love thy neighbor as thyself” go far to explain the triumph of laissez-faire capitalism.

As Weaver wrote: “Your natural freedom—your control over your own life-energy—was born in you along with life itself. It is a part of life itself. No one can give it to you, nor can you give it to someone else. Nor can you hold any other person responsible for your acts. Control simply can’t be separated from responsibility; control is responsibility.”

Weaver came out strongly for “unplanned planning” as the secret of American economic success. Free men and women have the opportunity to live their lives, plan their own activity, work with one another, and pursue their own happiness— all without any overriding forced authority of government. Unplanned planning worked.

But Weaver is writing about much more than just the United States. What makes this book so powerful is its historical sweep. Progress occurs whenever you have the ingredients previously mentioned. Freedom has always and everywhere been the mainspring of human progress.

HOW GOD USES PESTILENCE

When God created the earth and all life about 6,000 years ago, it was perfect. There was no disease, no pain, and no death. But when Adam sinned, the world was cursed and pestilence came into being.

So God has used this pestilence in six ways throughout history: 1. as a warning for obedience; 2. for judging disobedience; 3. as a demonstration of His power; 4. as an appeal for repentance; 5. to show protection and comfort; and 6. to prophesy Christ’s return.

To read the rest of this bog:

GO TO THE PAGE: HOW GOD USES PESTILENCE.