Basic HTML Version
GOVERNMENT
(Continued from page 6)
of the law and never reaching any
higher fails to take advantage of
the full range of human possibili–
ties.' '
Even the ancients deeply pon–
dered the question of right govern–
ment. Writing sorne three centuries
befare the birth of Jesus, the Greek
philosopher Aristot le said, "Our
purpose is to consider what form of
política! community is best."
Do you know what he con–
cluded? After painstaking, careful
analysis, Aristotle finally a r rived at
the conclusion that a ll human gov–
ernment is a patchwork of flaws,
capab le of
devastating
failure:
"The perversions [of human gov–
ernment] are as follows:- of royal–
ty, tyranny; of a r is tocracy, oligar–
chy; of constitutional government,
democracy. For tyranny is a kind of
monarchy which has in view the
interest of the monarch only; oli–
garchy has in view the interest of
the wealthy; democracy, of the nee–
dy: none of the common good of
al
l."
Note his further comment: " We
maintain," wrote Aristotle, "that
the true forms of government are
three, and that the best must be
that which is administered by the
best, and in which there is one man
[monarchy], ora whole family [oli–
garchy], or many persons [democ–
racy],
excelling al/ others together
in virtue...
."
What government today could
be thought of as
that virtuous?
The
Bible, a reliable record centuries
more ancient than Aristotle, put it
in these plain words: " The God of
Israel said ... He that ruleth over
men
must be just,
ruling in the fear
of God"
( 11
Sam.
23:3).
But what
did this same ancient record
authoritat ively declare the human
condition would be in this present
age? "No one calls for j ustice, nor
does any plead for truth. They trust
in empty words and speak lies ..."
( l sa. 59:4, R ev ised Authorized
Yersion).
The result? "So justice is driven
back.... Truth is nowhere to be
found" (verses 14-15, New Jnter–
national Yersion).
The Bible often refers to "the
heart" when it speaks of humani-
April 1984
ty's underlying motivation. What
does the Bible reveal about human–
ity's basic motivation? "The [hu–
man] heart is deceitful above all
things, and it is
exceeding weak–
who can know it?" (Jer.
17:9,
Jew–
ish Publication Society trans.)
The Answer ls Splrl tual
Ma n, it seems, has not realized that
the cause of his social, economic
and political problems is
spiritual
in nature. But philosophers, politi–
cians and social scientists do not
understand spiritual matters-they
understand only the intellectual
and material. And even this world's
religions have failed to grasp these
spiritual principies.
Mr. Schell concluded his book
The Fate of the Earth
by stating:
" Two paths líe before us. One leads
to death, the other to life." He con–
cluded with a plea for dísarma-
m
ent.
But we're
PAST
the time when
disarmament would be of help.
himself críes:
" 1
call heaven and
ear th as wítnesses today against
you, that 1 have set befare you lífe
and death, blessíng and cursing;
THEREFORE CHOOSE LI FE,
that both
you and your descendants may
live" (Deut.
30:19,
RA
V).
What
is
this way of life? lt's the
way of life soon to engulf this
earth- a way of life that Jesus
Christ carne to earth as a human
being to annou]lce. lt 's the way of
life known as the
KINGDOM O F
Goo-a litera l world-ruling gov–
ernment headed by none other than
Jesus himself!
M ythologic fantasy? Hardly.
lt
was here before humanity was
c r eated. And it will soon be
restored
to this earth (Acts 3:
19-
21 ).
( I f you'd like an authoritative
account explaining who first pul
the government of God on this
earth and what happened to it,
write immedíately for a free copy
of
Never Before Understood-Why
Humanity Cannot So/ve lts Evils.
Misguided nationalism rears its ugly head during 1983 triba l riots in Sri Lanka
(left) and in the continuing vioJence in Northern Ireland (right).
Human disarmament, in the long
run, only opens the door for anoth–
er dictator armed with a number of
nuclear devices to enslave the
world. There's no way to stuff the
nuclear genie back in the bottle.
But humanity
is
at the cross–
roads-there are but two choices
open to man. They were set before
the first two created human beíngs.
They were set before the ancient
nation Israel. And today, in your
síght , they are set befare
you!
God
See inside cover for addresses.)
Humanit y could never fully
establish a world-ruling govern–
ment without incredible violence.
And even if it were established, it
would soon break up from national–
ism (see accompanying box).
You cannot vote the kingdom of
God into political power.
lt
will be
establíshed regardless of whether
humans approve or dísapprove.
One major U.S. newsmagazine
recognized the only real solutíon a
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