Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) is often regarded as a pivotal figure in Christian theology, particularly concerning doctrines like justification by faith. His works frequently discuss salvation, grace, and faith, and many of his writings align with the concept of justification by faith alone—even if the term itself was not explicitly used in his time. Below are 10 citations from Augustine’s writings that support the doctrine of justification by faith alone:
1. On the Spirit and the Letter (c. 412 AD)
“For what is the righteousness of God, except that by which we are justified, not by works of the law, but by faith in Christ? For the law is not of faith, but the promise is of faith, that it might be by grace.” (On the Spirit and the Letter, 22.41)
2. The Enchiridion (c. 420 AD)
“For it is by the grace of God that we are justified, and through faith, not by works. We are therefore justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Enchiridion, 102)
3. On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins (c. 411 AD)
“If justification comes from works, the free gift of grace is no more. But it is through faith that we are justified, by grace, through the blood of Christ.” (On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, 1.2)
4. City of God (c. 426 AD)
“We are justified by faith in Christ and not by the deeds of the law. For, as the Apostle says, ‘A man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.’” (City of God, 16.9)
5. On the Gospel of John (c. 416 AD)
“But faith is the means by which we receive justification, not by the works of the law, for by grace are we saved through faith.” (Expositions on the Gospel of John, 8.4)
6. On the Predestination of the Saints (c. 428 AD)
“It is not by our own works, but by the grace of God that we are justified, for the grace of God is freely given and received by faith.” (On the Predestination of the Saints, 19.1)
7. On the Grace of Christ (c. 427 AD)
“Our works are not the cause of our justification, but the grace of God which justifies by faith. For what else is it that justifies, except the grace of God through Jesus Christ?” (On the Grace of Christ, 3.8)
8. Against the Donatists (c. 400 AD)
“It is not the law that justifies us, but the grace of God received through faith. For the law can only point to sin, but grace, through faith, brings salvation.” (Against the Donatists, 5.20)
9. On the Nature of the Good (c. 400 AD)
“Therefore, it is by faith alone that we are justified before God, and not by any works that we perform. For the good that we do comes from the grace of God.” (On the Nature of the Good, 12.15)
10. Sermons (Sermon 212)
“What else is it that saves a man, except the grace of God received through faith? Works can never justify us before God; it is faith that justifies, not works.” (Sermons, 212.2)
Summary Table
Source
Citation
Focus
On the Spirit and the Letter (22.41)
Justification by faith, not works of the law.
Faith as the means of justification
The Enchiridion (102)
Justified by grace through faith in Christ.
Grace and faith over works
On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins (1.2)
Justification by faith and grace, not works.
Grace and faith for salvation
City of God (16.9)
Justification by faith apart from works of the law.
Faith over law-based justification
On the Gospel of John (8.4)
Faith is the means of receiving justification.
Faith over works
On the Predestination of the Saints (19.1)
Justification by grace, through faith, not by works.
Predestination and faith
On the Grace of Christ (3.8)
Grace justifies us by faith, not works.
Grace alone
Against the Donatists (5.20)
Justification through grace and faith, not by the law.
Grace and faith vs. the law
On the Nature of the Good (12.15)
Justification is by faith alone, not works.
Faith alone
Sermons (212.2)
Salvation by grace through faith, not works.
Faith as the means of salvation
Conclusion
Augustine was deeply concerned with salvation by God’s grace, and his writings frequently emphasize that justification is by faith alone, a concept rooted in God’s grace and the work of Christ, rather than human effort or adherence to the law. These citations reflect Augustine’s understanding that faith, not works, is the key to justification before God.
I heard that a famous singer recently was divorced by his wife. This young man was a poor, working class, guy. He struck it rich with a country song. As men, we work our tails off trying to give what we can to our families. We don’t withhold what we can responsibly give to the wife, and kids. Money has a strange effect on people. His wife left him, and took half of everything with her, while also trying to get 60% of all of his future earnings. This seems evil to me. So, he wrote another song about a scornful woman. Ladies, my wife heard about this, and rightly wondered, “Why leave? You can stay, and share all the money, and the good times together.” She knows, from experience, that the money I made over the years was never, “my money.” I always told her it is our money. This didn’t mean she could just go spend money on whatever she felt like. We had 4 kids, bills, and responsibilities. Thinking to yourself, “I want mine!” is a very childish, selfish, and immature mindset. We are not rich. We never were rich. We started out in a low-income apartment, with furniture given to us from our families. We didn’t have a television. All we had for entertainment was a boombox. After a year or so, my Father-in-law gave us a small portable black, and white TV. On paydays, I would go to the video store, and rent a VCR, a cartoon video tape, and a movie for us. Keep in mind, this is before internet. This was a good time for us. After a few years of hard work, we finally got a small house. It was about 1000sq/ft with one bathroom. My parents were poor. My in-laws were poor as well. They were never able to help much. I remember not being able to buy hamburger for my kids to have dinner one night. We were out of cash. I broke down, and cried. I felt like a failure. The only thing I could do to get the kids dinner that night was call my dad, and ask for help. He went to Albertson’s, and bought us a package of hamburger, and Hamburger Helper. As the years went by, the family grew up, and moved out. I finally got old enough to retire from Corrections, and get my pension. We’ve never been able to go on a fancy vacation, and I don’t think we ever will be. I sacrificed every material want for the good of my family. My wife did the same. We are a team. We were not perfect. We made mistakes, but as we go older we got better. I had a good chunk of change in a retirement account. My wife encouraged me to use some to get a car that I’ve wanted for a long time. I did. I bought her some nice furniture, and then Biden’s inflation got the rest. I never thought about the money as, “my money.” My wife never wanted, “her fair share.” It is our retirement. Please stop being selfish, immature, entitled, people. You are breaking up your families for sinful reasons. Understand that even the best person is still a sinner who deserves death, and hell. Stop making your marriage a competition of suffering, and virtue. You are not the victim. It isn’t 50%-50% in marriage. It is all for one, and one for all. You are not the virtuous victim as a stay at home mom. You get to raise up your children, and spend all day with them. By the time dad gets off work, he is exhausted, and even though he would love to spend time with the kids doing fun things, he has to get cleaned up, and get ready for the next day. Work for a man isn’t just an 8 hour shift. He wakes up early to get ready for work, and fight traffic. When he gets done with work, he may have errands to do, and still fight traffic to come home. His work never ends. Women claim they never get a break like he does. It is ridiculous. What? Dad gets to stop being dad when he gets off work? Don’t be foolish. Stop thinking of your life as some tedious competition of misery. Start seeing the blessings you have. Read your Bible. Go to Church. Pray to God. Give thanks. Decide to be content, and happy with your lot in life. The modern feminists have sold you all a bunch of lies. Those lies, and your behavior has destroyed more marriages than I can count. Back to the famous singer. His wife could have had it all. She did have it all, but she must have convinced herself that life would be better if she had half of the money, and half of the family. It is disgusting. Marriage is a holy covenant between the husband, wife, and God. We have secularized marriage. We have commercialized divorce. We have marginalized children, and we wonder why our society is going down the tubes. Young women, please turn to God. Trust Jesus. Stay with your husbands. Work it out. You think life is hard now? Try it as a single mother, who has never fixed her flaws, and brings them into every new relationship. No matter where you go, there you are. You’ll go from man to man, bringing more baggage each time. It is better to stay with your man, and kids. It is better to have it all, and be together, than to split it, and be a fractured person. Marriage is the union of two into one. The Bible says that the two become one in flesh, and spirit. Think about this the next time you start getting selfish, and want to believe the lies of the world.
I’ll be 54 this month. I retired from Corrections when I turned 51. I put in 26 years. If I would have stayed working until I was 56, I could have retired with an additional $1000 on my monthly pension, but I would have lost these years of living life with my wife. These past 3 years have been a wonderful time of refreshing, and healing. Working as an Officer isn’t necessarily hard, but it is a stressful profession. My body was, and is a wreck. My mind is still stuck in some ways at the prison. The culture leaves its mark on you. I have had a hard time finding another job where I fit in.
People say that 50 is middle aged. Well, I don’t know that many 100 year old people. The ones I do know, are the exception, and they cannot get around very well. If you are in your 50’s you need to see what you can do about prioritizing more time with your spouse, and more time with your Savior. If you can get by on less, maybe you should.
I’m the oldest living Snyder in my family. None of the men made it past 76. Usually the last 5 years of their lives are filled with suffering, and dying. My Father was disabled at about 51 with a major heart attack that killed off about 2/3’s of his heart. He loved fishing, but now that he wasn’t working, he couldn’t go fishing. He couldn’t walk the short distance from his old beat up little pickup to his favorite fishing spot. He had a surgery a year for 20 years before he died.
None of us know how much time we have. If you are fortunate enough to have longevity in your family, thank God, but don’t count on it. If you are fortunate enough to have a profession with a decent pension, use it. You can always get another job. You can’t get back that time living life with your wife. Even if you aren’t taking big fancy vacations, just living with her at home, is a blessing from God.
If you are one of those people who is in a marriage to a person you don’t necessarily like, change your mind. In other words, repent. Love your wife. Get to know her all over again. 50 isn’t middle aged. You have entered the last 3rd of your life, where you are getting ready to die. If you have neglected your relationship with your wife, I would venture a guess that you have also neglected Jesus as well.
You know that you have sinned. You might suppress that knowledge, but deep down, you know you are a sinner. How do you plan on dealing with your crimes against God on judgment day? Are you just going to hope that it goes well for you? I encourage you today to repent of all your sins. See them as ugly, vile, causes of Christ’s suffering. Love Jesus more than your own self, and flesh. Trust His work on the cross to justify you to God. Be made whole, and eternally healthy, in Christ. Have peace with God. Be at rest, every moment of the rest of your life, and into eternity in Christ. Do it right now. You never know how much more time you have left.
Some people claim that the doctrines of predestination, and election, are products of Reformation era heretics. These people are wrong. These doctrines are as old as the One True Faith. They reach back into eternity past. They are of God. The early Church believed them. The Bible teaches them. Only a biblically ignorant person, or self-righteous Pelagians would deny them.
In Augustine’s On the Predestination of the Saints, Book I, he articulates a doctrine of God’s sovereign election, emphasizing that God’s grace is bestowed not according to human merit but according to His own will. Augustine writes:
“That the salvation of this religion has never been lacking to him who was worthy of it, and that he to whom it was lacking was not worthy… we say, by divine grace or predestination.” New Advent
This passage underscores Augustine’s belief that God’s predestination precedes human worthiness, affirming the doctrine of sovereign election.
Additionally, in Book II, Augustine further elaborates on the nature of God’s grace and predestination:
“It is therefore settled that God’s grace is not given according to the deserts of the recipients, but according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise and glory of His own grace.”
This statement reinforces the idea that God’s election is based on His sovereign will, not on any foreseen merit or action by individuals.
These writings by Augustine provide a foundational understanding of the doctrine of God’s sovereign election, emphasizing that salvation is a result of God’s gracious choice rather than human effort or worthiness.
God’s Eternal Decree of Election and Reprobation Calvin asserts that God, by His eternal and unchangeable plan, has predestined some individuals to salvation and others to destruction. This distinction is not based on human merit but solely on God’s sovereign will. He writes: “We assert that, with respect to the elect, this plan was founded upon his freely given mercy, without regard to human worth; but by his just and irreprehensible but incomprehensible judgment he has barred the door of life to those whom he has given over to damnation.”
1. Election Not Based on Foreseen Merit
Calvin emphasizes that God’s choice to save individuals is not based on any foreseen merit or actions but is grounded in God’s sovereign will. He states: “God could foresee nothing good in man except what he had already determined to bestow by the benefit of his election.”
2. Holiness as the Result of Election
Calvin explains that the holiness of believers is a consequence of God’s election, not the cause of it. He argues that if election were based on foreseen holiness, it would contradict the biblical teaching that holiness is the result of God’s election. He writes: “If he elected us that we might be holy, he did not elect us because he foresaw that we would be holy.”
These passages illustrate Calvin’s doctrine of sovereign election, emphasizing that God’s choice to save individuals is based solely on His will and not on any merit or foreseen actions of the individuals.
1. Clement of Rome (c. 96 AD) In his epistle, Clement emphasizes that God’s elect are called to salvation through Jesus Christ, highlighting the divine initiative in their calling:
“Day and night you were anxious for the whole brotherhood, that the number of God’s elect might be saved with mercy and a good conscience.” — 1 Clement 59:2(Ante-Nicene Christianity)
This passage underscores the belief in a divinely chosen group of believers. (Ante-Nicene Christianity)
2. Hermas (c. 70 AD) Hermas speaks of God’s elect being prepared for eternal life, indicating a divine selection:(Ante-Nicene Christianity)
“But the white portion is the coming age, in which the elect of God shall dwell; because the elect of God shall be without spot and pure unto life eternal.” — The Shepherd of Hermas, Vision 4(Ante-Nicene Christianity)
This reflects the concept of a predestined group set apart for salvation.
3. Irenaeus (c. 180 AD) Irenaeus discusses the predetermined number of the elect, suggesting a sovereign divine plan:(Ante-Nicene Christianity)
“When the number is completed that He had predetermined in His own counsel, all those who have been enrolled for life will rise again.” — Against Heresies, Book V, Chapter 36(Ante-Nicene Christianity)
This indicates a set number of individuals chosen by God for salvation. (Ante-Nicene Christianity)
4. Clement of Alexandria (c. 195 AD) Clement notes that while all are called, only those who respond are considered the “called,” implying a selective calling:(Ante-Nicene Christianity)
“Therefore, all having been called, those who are willing to obey have been named ‘the called.'” — Stromata, Book VI(Ante-Nicene Christianity)
This suggests that the effective calling is reserved for those whom God has chosen.
5. Tertullian (c. 200 AD) Tertullian argues that if some are made by nature bad and others good, the latter would not be deserving of praise for being good, for such were they created; nor would the former be reprehensible, for thus they were made [originally]. But since all men are of the same nature, able both to hold fast and to do what is good; and, on the other hand, having also the power to cast it from them and not to do it, some do justly receive praise even among men who are under the control of good laws (and much more from God), and obtain deserved testimony of their choice of good in general, and of persevering therein; but the others are blamed, and receive a just condemnation, because of their rejection of what is fair and good. And therefore the prophets used to exhort men to what was good, to act justly and to work righteousness, as I have so largely demonstrated, because it is in our power so to do, and because by excessive negligence we might become forgetful, and thus stand in need of that good counsel which the good God has given us to know by means of the prophets.
This passage emphasizes human responsibility and the capacity to choose good or evil, suggesting that divine election is not arbitrary but based on God’s justice.
6. Augustine of Hippo (c. 428 AD) In his treatise, Augustine addresses the Pelagian view that God elected individuals because of their foreseen holiness, asserting that God’s choice is the cause of holiness:
“Therefore, we were to be such for the reason that He has chosen us, predestinating us to be such by His grace.” — On the Predestination of the Saints, Book I, Chapter 35
This clearly supports the doctrine of sovereign election, where God’s will precedes human merit.
These citations from early Christian writings illustrate the belief in God’s sovereign election of believers, a theme that is consistent across various Church Fathers.
In Luke, Chapter 10, just after the 70 who were sent out return, and testified to the things they had done in Christ’s name, Jesus says an interesting thing. He said, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.” The word He used(Ἐθεώρουν) is a verb that is imperfect, indicative, active, and first person, singular. As the eternal Son, He was witnessing the fall of satan, but as the incarnate Son, and Word, He is recalling this activity to the men who had just returned. They were amazed at the things they had done, like casting out demons. To get them focused on the right idea, He tells them about it. Then he tells them about the authority He had given them over demons. It is obvious by the context that the serpents, and scorpions, are representing these demonic forces. It is also obvious from the context that this ability is not something that was applied to us, as we were not there as part of the 70, we were not commissioned to do what they did, and it wasn’t carried forward to us to continue doing. They had to be reminded to not rejoice in the fact that Jesus had subjected the spirits to them, but instead to rejoice in the fact that their names are recorded in heaven. For those whacky folks out there binding up satan, and casting out demons every Sunday, you need to stop. You are making fools of yourselves. You are focused on the wrong things. You should be focused on Jesus, not demons. You should be focused on what He did to justify you to God, and atone for your sins. If you are in the right spirit, you will be preaching the good news of Jesus, and rejoicing in what He has done.
Luke 10:17-24 (LSB Strong’s) The Joyful Results 17 Now the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” 21 At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 22 All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” 23 And turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, 24 for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”
A Christian nation says, “There is not enough food for our people. How can we produce more food?” A godless communist nation says, “There are too many people to feed. How can we reduce the population?” Mao Zedong killed approximately 55 million of his own countrymen during the communist revolution, and the so called, great leap forward. He killed millions by starving them to death, while he got fat, and exported the people’s food.
Citation from the Heritage Foundation.
“Can you name the greatest mass murderer of the 20th century? No, it wasn’t Hitler or Stalin. It was Mao Zedong. According to the authoritative “Black Book of Communism,” an estimated 65 million Chinese died as a result of Mao’s repeated, merciless attempts to create a new “socialist” China. Anyone who got in his way was done away with—by execution, imprisonment or forced famine.
For Mao, the No. 1 enemy was the intellectual. The so-called Great Helmsman reveled in his blood-letting, boasting, “What’s so unusual about Emperor Shih Huang of the China Dynasty? He had buried alive 460 scholars only, but we have buried alive 46,000 scholars.” Mao was referring to a major “accomplishment” of the Great Cultural Revolution, which from 1966-1976 transformed China into a great House of Fear.
The most inhumane example of Mao’s contempt for human life came when he ordered the collectivization of China’s agriculture under the ironic slogan, the “Great Leap Forward.” A deadly combination of lies about grain production, disastrous farming methods (profitable tea plantations, for example, were turned into rice fields), and misdistribution of food produced the worse famine in human history.
Deaths from hunger reached more than 50 percent in some Chinese villages. The total number of dead from 1959 to 1961 was between 30 million and 40 million—the population of California.
Rounding up enemies
Only five years later, when he sensed that revolutionary fervor in China was waning, Mao proclaimed the Cultural Revolution. Gangs of Red Guards—young men and women between 14 and 21—roamed the cities targeting revisionists and other enemies of the state, especially teachers.
Professors were dressed in grotesque clothes and dunce caps, their faces smeared with ink. They were then forced to get down on all fours and bark like dogs. Some were beaten to death, some even eaten—all for the promulgation of Maoism. A reluctant Mao finally called in the Red Army to put down the marauding Red Guards when they began attacking Communist Party members, but not before 1 million Chinese died.
All the while, Mao kept expanding the laogai, a system of 1,000 forced labor camps throughout China. Harry Wu, who spent 19 years in labor camps, has estimated that from the 1950s through the 1980s, 50 million Chinese passed through the Chinese version of the Soviet gulag. Twenty million died as a result of the primitive living conditions and 14-hour work days.
Such calculated cruelty exemplified his Al Capone philosophy: “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”
And yet Mao Zedong remains the most honored figure in the Chinese Communist Party. At one end of historic Tiananmen Square is Mao’s mausoleum, visited daily by large, respectful crowds. At the other end of the square is a giant portrait of Mao above the entrance to the Forbidden City, the favorite site of visitors, Chinese and foreign.
Repression continues
In the spirit of Mao, China’s present rulers continue to oppress intellectuals and other dissidents such as human-rights activist Liu Xiaobo. He was sentenced last month to 11 years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power.” His offense: signing Charter 08, which calls on the government to respect basic civil and human rights within a democratic framework. .
China presents itself as a vast market for U.S. companies and investors. But some U.S. companies are taking a second look at doing business in a country which considers Mao Zedong its patron saint. Google has said it is reconsidering its operations in China after discovering a sophisticated cyber attack on its e-mail which the government must have initiated or approved.
Google has revealed what many in the Internet world have known for some time—China routinely hacks into U.S. and Western Web sites for national security and other valuable information. Mao would have enthusiastically applauded this intellectual rape.
I wonder: would President Obama be so ready to kowtow to China if in the middle of Beijing there was a mausoleum of Hitler and, hanging from the gate to the Forbidden City, a giant swastika?
First Appeared in Vindy.com” Can you name the greatest mass murderer of the 20th century? No, it wasn’t Hitler or Stalin. It was Mao Zedong.
According to the authoritative “Black Book of Communism,” an estimated 65 million Chinese died as a result of Mao’s repeated, merciless attempts to create a new “socialist” China. Anyone who got in his way was done away with—by execution, imprisonment or forced famine.
For Mao, the No. 1 enemy was the intellectual. The so-called Great Helmsman reveled in his blood-letting, boasting, “What’s so unusual about Emperor Shih Huang of the China Dynasty? He had buried alive 460 scholars only, but we have buried alive 46,000 scholars.” Mao was referring to a major “accomplishment” of the Great Cultural Revolution, which from 1966-1976 transformed China into a great House of Fear.
The most inhumane example of Mao’s contempt for human life came when he ordered the collectivization of China’s agriculture under the ironic slogan, the “Great Leap Forward.” A deadly combination of lies about grain production, disastrous farming methods (profitable tea plantations, for example, were turned into rice fields), and misdistribution of food produced the worse famine in human history.
Deaths from hunger reached more than 50 percent in some Chinese villages. The total number of dead from 1959 to 1961 was between 30 million and 40 million—the population of California.
Rounding up enemies
Only five years later, when he sensed that revolutionary fervor in China was waning, Mao proclaimed the Cultural Revolution. Gangs of Red Guards—young men and women between 14 and 21—roamed the cities targeting revisionists and other enemies of the state, especially teachers.
Professors were dressed in grotesque clothes and dunce caps, their faces smeared with ink. They were then forced to get down on all fours and bark like dogs. Some were beaten to death, some even eaten—all for the promulgation of Maoism. A reluctant Mao finally called in the Red Army to put down the marauding Red Guards when they began attacking Communist Party members, but not before 1 million Chinese died.
All the while, Mao kept expanding the laogai, a system of 1,000 forced labor camps throughout China. Harry Wu, who spent 19 years in labor camps, has estimated that from the 1950s through the 1980s, 50 million Chinese passed through the Chinese version of the Soviet gulag. Twenty million died as a result of the primitive living conditions and 14-hour work days.
Such calculated cruelty exemplified his Al Capone philosophy: “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”
And yet Mao Zedong remains the most honored figure in the Chinese Communist Party. At one end of historic Tiananmen Square is Mao’s mausoleum, visited daily by large, respectful crowds. At the other end of the square is a giant portrait of Mao above the entrance to the Forbidden City, the favorite site of visitors, Chinese and foreign.
Repression continues
In the spirit of Mao, China’s present rulers continue to oppress intellectuals and other dissidents such as human-rights activist Liu Xiaobo. He was sentenced last month to 11 years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power.” His offense: signing Charter 08, which calls on the government to respect basic civil and human rights within a democratic framework. .
China presents itself as a vast market for U.S. companies and investors. But some U.S. companies are taking a second look at doing business in a country which considers Mao Zedong its patron saint. Google has said it is reconsidering its operations in China after discovering a sophisticated cyber attack on its e-mail which the government must have initiated or approved.
Google has revealed what many in the Internet world have known for some time—China routinely hacks into U.S. and Western Web sites for national security and other valuable information. Mao would have enthusiastically applauded this intellectual rape.
I wonder: would President Obama be so ready to kowtow to China if in the middle of Beijing there was a mausoleum of Hitler and, hanging from the gate to the Forbidden City, a giant swastika?
First Appeared in Vindy.com Can you name the greatest mass murderer of the 20th century? No, it wasn’t Hitler or Stalin. It was Mao Zedong.
According to the authoritative “Black Book of Communism,” an estimated 65 million Chinese died as a result of Mao’s repeated, merciless attempts to create a new “socialist” China. Anyone who got in his way was done away with—by execution, imprisonment or forced famine.
For Mao, the No. 1 enemy was the intellectual. The so-called Great Helmsman reveled in his blood-letting, boasting, “What’s so unusual about Emperor Shih Huang of the China Dynasty? He had buried alive 460 scholars only, but we have buried alive 46,000 scholars.” Mao was referring to a major “accomplishment” of the Great Cultural Revolution, which from 1966-1976 transformed China into a great House of Fear.
The most inhumane example of Mao’s contempt for human life came when he ordered the collectivization of China’s agriculture under the ironic slogan, the “Great Leap Forward.” A deadly combination of lies about grain production, disastrous farming methods (profitable tea plantations, for example, were turned into rice fields), and misdistribution of food produced the worse famine in human history.
Deaths from hunger reached more than 50 percent in some Chinese villages. The total number of dead from 1959 to 1961 was between 30 million and 40 million—the population of California.
Rounding up enemies
Only five years later, when he sensed that revolutionary fervor in China was waning, Mao proclaimed the Cultural Revolution. Gangs of Red Guards—young men and women between 14 and 21—roamed the cities targeting revisionists and other enemies of the state, especially teachers.
Professors were dressed in grotesque clothes and dunce caps, their faces smeared with ink. They were then forced to get down on all fours and bark like dogs. Some were beaten to death, some even eaten—all for the promulgation of Maoism. A reluctant Mao finally called in the Red Army to put down the marauding Red Guards when they began attacking Communist Party members, but not before 1 million Chinese died.
All the while, Mao kept expanding the laogai, a system of 1,000 forced labor camps throughout China. Harry Wu, who spent 19 years in labor camps, has estimated that from the 1950s through the 1980s, 50 million Chinese passed through the Chinese version of the Soviet gulag. Twenty million died as a result of the primitive living conditions and 14-hour work days.
Such calculated cruelty exemplified his Al Capone philosophy: “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”
And yet Mao Zedong remains the most honored figure in the Chinese Communist Party. At one end of historic Tiananmen Square is Mao’s mausoleum, visited daily by large, respectful crowds. At the other end of the square is a giant portrait of Mao above the entrance to the Forbidden City, the favorite site of visitors, Chinese and foreign.
Repression continues
In the spirit of Mao, China’s present rulers continue to oppress intellectuals and other dissidents such as human-rights activist Liu Xiaobo. He was sentenced last month to 11 years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power.” His offense: signing Charter 08, which calls on the government to respect basic civil and human rights within a democratic framework. .
China presents itself as a vast market for U.S. companies and investors. But some U.S. companies are taking a second look at doing business in a country which considers Mao Zedong its patron saint. Google has said it is reconsidering its operations in China after discovering a sophisticated cyber attack on its e-mail which the government must have initiated or approved.
Google has revealed what many in the Internet world have known for some time—China routinely hacks into U.S. and Western Web sites for national security and other valuable information. Mao would have enthusiastically applauded this intellectual rape.
I wonder: would President Obama be so ready to kowtow to China if in the middle of Beijing there was a mausoleum of Hitler and, hanging from the gate to the Forbidden City, a giant swastika?
First Appeared in Vindy.com Can you name the greatest mass murderer of the 20th century? No, it wasn’t Hitler or Stalin. It was Mao Zedong.
According to the authoritative “Black Book of Communism,” an estimated 65 million Chinese died as a result of Mao’s repeated, merciless attempts to create a new “socialist” China. Anyone who got in his way was done away with—by execution, imprisonment or forced famine.
For Mao, the No. 1 enemy was the intellectual. The so-called Great Helmsman reveled in his blood-letting, boasting, “What’s so unusual about Emperor Shih Huang of the China Dynasty? He had buried alive 460 scholars only, but we have buried alive 46,000 scholars.” Mao was referring to a major “accomplishment” of the Great Cultural Revolution, which from 1966-1976 transformed China into a great House of Fear.
The most inhumane example of Mao’s contempt for human life came when he ordered the collectivization of China’s agriculture under the ironic slogan, the “Great Leap Forward.” A deadly combination of lies about grain production, disastrous farming methods (profitable tea plantations, for example, were turned into rice fields), and misdistribution of food produced the worse famine in human history.
Deaths from hunger reached more than 50 percent in some Chinese villages. The total number of dead from 1959 to 1961 was between 30 million and 40 million—the population of California.
Rounding up enemies
Only five years later, when he sensed that revolutionary fervor in China was waning, Mao proclaimed the Cultural Revolution. Gangs of Red Guards—young men and women between 14 and 21—roamed the cities targeting revisionists and other enemies of the state, especially teachers.
Professors were dressed in grotesque clothes and dunce caps, their faces smeared with ink. They were then forced to get down on all fours and bark like dogs. Some were beaten to death, some even eaten—all for the promulgation of Maoism. A reluctant Mao finally called in the Red Army to put down the marauding Red Guards when they began attacking Communist Party members, but not before 1 million Chinese died.
All the while, Mao kept expanding the laogai, a system of 1,000 forced labor camps throughout China. Harry Wu, who spent 19 years in labor camps, has estimated that from the 1950s through the 1980s, 50 million Chinese passed through the Chinese version of the Soviet gulag. Twenty million died as a result of the primitive living conditions and 14-hour work days.
Such calculated cruelty exemplified his Al Capone philosophy: “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”
And yet Mao Zedong remains the most honored figure in the Chinese Communist Party. At one end of historic Tiananmen Square is Mao’s mausoleum, visited daily by large, respectful crowds. At the other end of the square is a giant portrait of Mao above the entrance to the Forbidden City, the favorite site of visitors, Chinese and foreign.
Repression continues
In the spirit of Mao, China’s present rulers continue to oppress intellectuals and other dissidents such as human-rights activist Liu Xiaobo. He was sentenced last month to 11 years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power.” His offense: signing Charter 08, which calls on the government to respect basic civil and human rights within a democratic framework. .
China presents itself as a vast market for U.S. companies and investors. But some U.S. companies are taking a second look at doing business in a country which considers Mao Zedong its patron saint. Google has said it is reconsidering its operations in China after discovering a sophisticated cyber attack on its e-mail which the government must have initiated or approved.
Google has revealed what many in the Internet world have known for some time—China routinely hacks into U.S. and Western Web sites for national security and other valuable information. Mao would have enthusiastically applauded this intellectual rape.
I wonder: would President Obama be so ready to kowtow to China if in the middle of Beijing there was a mausoleum of Hitler and, hanging from the gate to the Forbidden City, a giant swastika?
First Appeared in Vindy.com” Lee Edwards, Ph.D. @LeeWEdwards Former Distinguished Fellow in Conservative Thought Lee Edwards is a leading historian of American conservatism and the author or editor of 25 books.
For those of you who are confused, and need instruction in objective truth, a female of any mammalian creature by nature has XX chromosomes, ovaries, a womb, can conceive offspring via sexual intercourse with the male of the species, and can feed the offspring via milk naturally produced by lactation, none of which requires surgical modification, unless the female was born with a birth defect, or was injured during the course of their existence. There is no such thing as a transwoman. It is sin. It is deceit, and perversion.
A male has XY chromosomes, and is born with a penis, testicles, and a different musculoskeletal system. The endocrine system is also very different. The adult male produces sperm cells in his testicles which combine with the ovum produced in the female ovaries when the two engage in coitus.
Up until about a decade ago this was all settled science. In fact, in 1972 we sent a space exploration spacecraft into space with a plaque on it that had a graphical representation of the two human genders. Yes, gender is inseparable from sex.
“The Pioneer plaque was sent into space on March 2, 1972, with the launch of the Pioneer 10 spacecraft. It was designed to communicate information about Earth and humanity to any extraterrestrial life that might encounter the spacecraft. A second plaque was launched with the Pioneer 11 spacecraft on April 5, 1973.”
It is only in this era of postmodern, antichrist, world, that we would forget, the truth, and superimpose a lie on all mankind.
Genesis 5:1-2(LSB) 1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created.
Numerous times I’ve read that Christianity came from Judaism, or Protestantism came from Roman Catholicism. Some even go as far to say that muslims, roman catholics, jews, mormons, and jehovah’s witnesses, all worship the same God. Well they don’t, and that is why I didn’t capitalize them. They are all cults. None of them have the true God. Only the one true faith has the one true, and living God. That one true faith has been known by different names throughout history.
At the moment God created a creature that could have faith in Him as their Creator, and Savior, there was the one true faith. That creature is man. Adam, and Eve knew God in the garden, but that knowledge was from knowing Him face to face. They talked with the preincarnate Jesus, who is the eternal Son. When they sinned, and were cursed by God, He cursed the serpent by saying that Eve’s seed would crush the head of the serpent. Whether you believe it is necessarily a reference to a singular seed, representing the protoevangelium, or that seed being the collective of elect individuals representing humanity up to the incarnation, with Christ being the culmination, and fulfillment of the protoevangelium, you still end up with the faith of antediluvian people being in the coming Savior who would set things right, and deal with their sin.
We know that Noah found favor in the eyes of the God because of his faith. How do we know he had faith? He built the ark. God in the Old Testament was followed, and worshipped by the Patriarchs. These men truly believed. People who followed them, may not have, but we know the one true faith existed in those times. It has never ceased. We follow this true faith in God, and His telling of a coming of the specific Messiah through the Old Testament. We read of Abraham, Isaack, Aaron, Jacob who became Israel, the people of Israel, and so on. Inside of the works righteousness, self-righteous, oppressive religious system the jews developed, there was always a group of them who truly believed the scriptures, and the prophecies. They were waiting for their Savior.
When the eternal Son condescended from the majesty of Heaven, deigned to put on human flesh, and live among His sinful creatures, it was to finally deal with sin, and cleanse for Himself a bride, for the glory of God. Jesus said to Thomas in John 14:6 (LSB) “6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.” According to Acts 4:12 (LSB) “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
The Jew says the Savior has not come yet, even in light of the fact that the first Christians were the Jews from Jerusalem. He loves his self-righteousness, his laws, his ceremonies, and detests the true Savior. They seek to save themselves. The muslims are the same. Of course they are. They plagiarized the Old Testament, and added all the demonic doctrines of Moo Ham Head their satanic prophet. He was nothing like Jesus. Moo Ham Head was a murderous, thieving, lying, slave owning, pervert, pedophile who died, and went straight to Hell. Jesus is alive! Jesus is thrice holy, righteous, good, true, just, and loving. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (LSB) “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Our God sacrificed Himself, His only Son, the second person of the Trinity, to justify us to Himself, for His glory, and our good! Moo Ham Head never did that. He never dealt with sin. Romans 5:8 (LSB) “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Jesus never taught that baptism into the Roman cult saves a person. He never taught that you must be baptized to be saved, or that it has any actual efficacious results on our justification at all. His word never teaches that either. It is one of two sacraments we have as Christians. It is for the public profession of your conversion. We identify with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Rome, the Eastern churches, the Mormons, and many other cults, mandate a work of man, like the observance of a sacrament, to attain justification, or maintain it.
Roman Catholics make a blasphemous mockery of Christ’s atoning work on the cross with their mass. It is one of the most blatantly satanic, antichrist, man made doctrines, I’ve ever learned about. Read Romans for crying out loud. I don’t know how anyone, even a lost person, can read the book of Romans, and decide that salvation is partially caused by the works of the person claiming to be Christian. It is the most deceitful reading of the text. The text, over and over again, obviously argues for salvation being by faith alone. Works are a product of being born again, and justified by God. They are the product, not the cause. That kind of self-righteousness is disgusting, and only equaled by the other cults like mormonism, and the JW’s.
The hubris of man to think he can merit God’s favor by the work of his filthy hands. This is the pride, and self righteousness, on display for all to see. Why, they don’t even really need a Savior… They could just obey, and earn their way… Not! God says in Romans 6:23 (LSB) “For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” All men are sinners. How are you going to deal with your sins? Are you going to try to make yourself as holy, and righteous as God? Because that is His standard of good. You’d have to be as good as God, which means you’d have to be God. You can’t!
In Christ you can have His goodness as God, imputed to you by faith in Him, and His grace. Turn from these false religions that cannot save you! They cannot deal with your sins! Only Jesus laid down His life to take the hell that you deserve. He took the punishment that His people deserve on Himself, on the cross of His crucifixion! Moo Ham Head didn’t! Joseph Smith didn’t. None of the Popes did! Marry didn’t! The watchtower didn’t! Buddha didn’t! Repent, and put your faith in the singular seed from God who finally, and thoroughly dealt with sin! You can start living eternal life today. Don’t wait for tomorrow!
Christianity is the modern name of the one true faith. It does not find it’s origins in any other religion. It is the continuance of the one true faith founded at the creation. Many people have co-opted it, renamed it, made up their own doctrines, made up their own gods to fit their needs, but nonetheless, it is apart from all the lies. The ancient self righteous jews didn’t wait for the Savior. The ones who had the true faith were already putting their faith in Him for their eternal peace. Roman Catholicism came out of the Holy Roman Empire. It co-opted Jesus from the true faith, and built a self-righteous, works righteousness system around Him. The muslims co-opted Jesus but reduced Him to be simply a profit. They too made a works righteousness system. The same is true of all the other systems that claim the name of Jesus, but make man responsible for his own justification in part, or in whole.
I was handed a copy of this by my friend, brother in Christ, and local coffee shop owner, Eric Poulson. We were talking one slow day about some issues we’ve experienced over the years. He told me, “Hold on a sec.” Got up. Went behind the counter, and retrieved a copy of this book. He knows that I do book, and Bible reviews. I usually get books from the publishers to read, and review. I also buy them on occasion. This time was a bit different.
After reading this short book of 107 pages, counting the Conclusion, I determined that it would have been much more helpful to me about 20 years ago when I was raising kids. Not to say that it isn’t helpful now. At this point in my life, most of the thoughts the author Joe Rigney brings up in the book are thoughts that I had to work through without this precise, and concise work. It took a lot of Bible distilling to get things figured out. Rigney accomplished most of that work in this little book. If you are a young father, husband, and Christian, I highly recommend this book.
It is broken down into 6 chapters; 1 A Shakespearean Powder Keg, 2 Be Sober-Minded or Else, 3 Sabotage is Coming, 4 Courage in the Home, 5 Courage in the Church, 6 Courage in the World, and the Conclusion. In the first chapter he introduces the idea of degree. He gets this idea from a Shakespeare play, “Troilus, and Cressida.” He defines degree as, “the principle of cultural order or rule or hierarchy.
I found the 4th chapter to be the most helpful for young married couples, and would recommend since this is such a short book, they read it through together in a week. If they read a chapter a night, they’ll be done in 6 days. It will be helpful. I promise. One of my main considerations on recommending a book purchase is its helpfulness. After that, I consider if it is something that can be re-read over, and over again as a refresher. It should also be a book you can hand out to others. This book is all of that. Go out and buy a few copies! Here is an amazon link for you.
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