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A R C H I V E S

JULY 2005

July 21, 2005
Summer Reading
A few comments on books we’re enjoying:

The Last Jew of Rotterdam, by Ernest Cassutto
“Ernie” Cassutto is a Dutch Jew and a believer in Jesus who survived the Holocaust. The incredible story of his spiritual salvation and physical survival is truly inspirational! I could say much more, but I don’t want to give away the surprises.  Available from Jews for Jesus.
 

Three Months Under the Snow, J.J. Porchat, editor
This little book was originally translated from French and published well over a century ago, but its lessons are as good as ever. This is the journal of a schoolboy who was literally trapped under the snow for three months in a chalet with his grandfather. The lessons of his Godly grandfather and the serious reflections of this boy in this difficult situation are combined with a fascinating day-by-day account of life under the snow.  Available from Inheritance Publications.

I found the above advertisement from 1948 inside a used, first-edition volume of Churchill.

The Gathering Storm and Their Finest Hour, by Winston Churchill
These are the first two volumes of Winston Churchill’s magnificent 6-volume series, The Second World War. This is the inside story of World War II, the big picture along with the personal stories, ideas, struggles, and insights of the most visionary statesman of the time. Not only is it great reading, but also there are many useful lessons to be learned in government, international relations, war, and human nature.

For example, in volume 1, Churchill discusses the errors made by the Allies of World War I, which set the stage for WWII. One of these was the attempt to impose a more “democratic” government on Germany, which took the form of the Weimer Republic. This was an error, in Churchill’s view, because Germany in its destabilized condition after the war needed to stay with the form of government that they could handle. Churchill would have liked to see the Allies allow Germany to keep their familiar imperial structure, and “reform” it into a constitutional monarchy style setup (closer to the British model instead of a total-power setup). This would have kept a strong head of state, which Germany needed. Instead the Allies forced an entirely new form of government on Germany, one which could not handle the postwar stresses (i.e., the economic collapse, hyperinflation and the like). The weakness of the government ultimately created the power vacuum into which Hitler would step.

The similarities between this scenario and the current situation in Iraq leaped out at me as I read. Now, I’m certainly not advocating putting in a pro-America version of Saddam. However, could a little more creativity (a constitutional monarchy?) do something to alleviate the pressures on the current, struggling democracy? Or will the presence of an American army be sufficient to keep the country together where Germany fell apart? Also, I realize that the nature of an Islamic society brings special challenges, so I’m not laying out a position paper here. But it would be a good subject for a paper sometime. Churchill wrote this down so we don’t have to repeat the mistakes of the past, if we can only learn from them.

| Posted by Lael Weinberger |
 

July 20, 2005
The Fourth
Despite the flaws that we can all see in the good old USA, we have so much to be grateful for here in America. Despite a little rain, God blessed us with a wonderful time of fellowship, games, music, and food on the 4th of July.
 

Our family playing patriotic, God-honoring songs.  (The fourth verse of the Star-Spangled Banner should be reread by all.)

The ICHE Photos
Did I ever mention that we still use film cameras? Yes, you read that right. No mega pixels for us – yet. I know I said I would put pictures from ICHE on this blog when we got them. Believe it or not, I have not forgotten – it just took this long before we got our pictures back!
 

The ICHE table.

The keynote session hall.

It was a blessing to hear Ken Ham's excellent messages, and talk with him afterwards!

| Posted by Lael Weinberger |

July 3, 2005
Independence!
It was on July 2 that the Continental Congress passed the resolution, “That these United Colonies are, and, of right, ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connexion between them, and the state of Great Britain, is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.” The Declaration of Independence was agreed to and signed on the 4th. In the interregnum, the members of Congress reflected on their momentous decisions.

Two hundred and twenty nine years ago today (July 3), John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail:

“But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

“You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. -- I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. -- Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.”

Source: Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776, Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive. Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/

| Posted by Lael Weinberger |