Newsgroups: bit.listserv.politics
Date:         Sun, 6 Sep 1992 17:50:14 EST
From:         Kerry Stephenson <KSTE@PURCCVM.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: Bosnia conflict

Hi:

Joe says something more or less along the lines of why should we have
prayer in schools if we aren't pursuing a moral foreign policy?

Thing is, the international world is a state of nature situation.  It
could be argued that the nations have entered into something of a social
contract by virtue of signing the UN charter, but if so it is a
contract that is weak and unenforceable to which the nation/citizens
of the world pay little attention except when it is convenient.  The
paradigm that obtains is still largely a war of all against all, with
alliances formed primarily on the basis of individual state interests
and not much concern for the required giving over of those interests
to the larger community.  If we were to pursue a Christian (truly
Christian) foreign policy, we would empty the treasury to send
humanitarian aid (like the widow at the poor box), without concern
for whether that would leave us anything with which to feed ourselves
(not to mention funding the arts, building nifty new government
buildings, paying for education, or balancing the budget).  Then
we would send missionaries with this humanitarian aid to spread the
gospel to the lost and to tend to the wounded, the downtrodden,
and the outcast.  We would also have to equally tend the needs of
the Bosnians and the Serbs (for the Lord is Lord of all and came
to save sinners, not the righteous.)
  We would probably go bankrupt, but if we were a Christian nation,
we would rely on the Lord to provide for our needs and consider becoming
a second- third- or fourth-rate nation to be the price we have to pay
for both our former arrogance and our current service to the Lord.
Those in this country who lost all their government-provided goodies
would have to rely on the Christian compassion of their neighbors and
would band together for support with joy and thanksgiving for the
opportunity to give to those more needy than themselves (which,
no matter how bad things are in Florida or in the economy in general,
is most of the rest of the world's population).
  The world *might* value such a sacrifice, might be impressed with
its sincerity, might seek the Lord we serve with such dignity and
such selflessness.  More likely, the world (being, after all "the
world") would laugh in our faces, let the Bosnian massacre continued
unabated, and take advantage of our poverty and defenselessness to
carve up the vast resources of the American continent and split up
the proceeds (though there might be a few wars over that.)
  Any candidate that would suggest such action would probably only
get one vote--mine.
  International politics is about power, not morality.
  If we choose to be a moral nation in the international realm, we
choose to relinquish our political and economic might for something
far more valuable.  For what doth it profit a man that he should gain
the whole world and lose his soul?
  In this world, there aren't many who would opt for the soul of a
nation.  Too bad.  Cause, to be frank, the world ain't worth it.

--Missy P 2 B
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