Basic HTML Version
·ª
think that DEMOCRACY offers hope.
~
And so havc world leaders before
j
you believed their systems of gov–
" ernment offered olutions, from the
(!)
1
ancient Nimrod, on through Shal-
~
maneser. ebuchadnezzar. Alexan–
~
der the Great. Romulus. Julius.
i
Augustus. Nero and uch thinkers
:E
as Epictetus. Buddha. Solomon.
~
Socrates. Plato. Virgil. etc.
~
HBut
EVERYTHI G
is a matter of
~
cause and effect. For every effect
there had to be a CAUSE.
1
have so
far presented only the CAUSE which
has led to the EFFECT which we our–
selves wi tness in this world. But now
let me give you a different CAUSE
that
wi/1
lead toa different EFFECT."
Chairman Mao:
"So far. Mr.
Armstrong, you have brought me a
CAUSE - fancifu l or not - but which
1
must admit.
lF only
TRUE. would
explain the reason for a ll our
human woes. But this GOVERNMENT
of God you speak of - it has never
been tried. What have you to say to
that
?"
Myse!f:
' ' lndeed it has been lried.
Chairman Mao. bul there is no rec–
ord of it in profane hislory - only
references 10 il in the Bible. Yet
every Christian religion has glossed
right over it. and none ha revealed
it. so far as
1
know."
Chairman Mao:
"But you must
admit. Mr. Armslrong. that God's
experimenl at creating MAN - or. as
you pul it , reproducing Himself -
ended in FAILURE! The MAN God
reprod uced aftcr His own kind -
32
' 'You have brought me
a
cause - fanciful or not -
but which 1must admit,
if only true, would explain
the reason foral/ our human
woes. But this government
of God you speak of- it has
never been tried. What have
you to say to that?' '
after the 'God KIND' as you phrased
it - rejected God's government as
soon as Satan had a chance to
present his WAY of SELF-centered–
ness - of 'GET,' as you put it. MAN
made the same choice as Lucifer
did! So God's experimenl FAILED!"
Myself:
"But God was making no
experiment. So far. all proceeded as
God well knew it
miglrt.
Justa God
knew Lucifer might choose the 'GET'
way ins1ead of God's LA
w
of LOVE.
so. of necess i1y. He made man al o a
FREE MORAL AGENT - wilh MINO
th a t could think , reason. make
choices. God left that choice toMAN.
"True. God
explained
to Adam
His WAY. justas He had to Lucifer.
And God allowed Satan to try to
persuade the MAN with arguments.
But MAN had not ye t EXP ERIENCED
both Satan's WAY and God' WAY.
Adam made his choice purc ly from
explanations in words. And remem- ·
ber,
1
said CHARACTER must be
BUILT within one by EXPERIENCE."
Chairman Mao:
"Then why did
not He build that character into Lu–
cifer and the angels by leuing them
EXPERIENCE God's way after they
had experienced 1he 'GET' way?"
Myse/f:
" Bul perhaps you have
forgotten that God slarted out Luci–
fer and his angels under 1he GOV–
ERNMENT OF GOD - that they
did
experience the WAY of God's gov–
ernment. lived under it - we know
not HOW LONG. Even aftcr Lucifer
had himself decided on and turned
to the 'GET' way. it conceivably
cou ld have taken a million years to
convince all his angels so that they
would unitedly serve him in his MIL–
ITARY venture to attack and unseat
God. putting Lucifer on the throne
Of the UN IVERSE.
"While under God's government.
the angels EXPERIE CEO PERFECT
PEACE. happiness. joy! At 1hat time
1hey had not yet made their final
CHOICE Of REBELLLON against the
GOVERNMENT OF Goo. and each
had to choose for himself the WAY
he would live. Once SPIRIT BEINGS
made that final CHOICE. it was ir–
revocable. Spirit CANNOT CHANGE.
They had been li ving
condilionally
undcr Goo's GOVERNMENT. Havi ng
free moral agency to CHOOSE. their
decision was not SET within them
untiJ their choice was made.
" But God made MAN of MATTER.
A MAN, prior lO having the EXPERI–
ENCE of living under Goo's Gov–
ERNMENT. could decide from Satan's
argument and under his innuence 10
live the 'GET' way of Salan. Yet.
being MATTER which is ubjecl to
change. it is in Goo·s PLA
A:-iD
PURPOSE that man may REPEI'T -
CHANGE HIS
Ml
O - turn FROM
Satan's way and make a final
CHOICE lO accept Goo's GOVER:-l–
MENT."
Chairman Mao:
"Yes. but being
composed of matter. what is to pre–
vent MAN from changing right back
to Satan's ways after experiencing
Goo's way for a while?"
Myself'
"Now you are getting toa
part of God's MASTER PLAN
1
have
not yet come to. Mr. Chairman. So
lcl me explain: In the Garden of
Eden. Adam was forced to make a
CHOICE. Before him were the two
trees. as
1
previously explained. He
could have taken from the tree of
life immediately. But he chose the
tree of death. In so doing both
Adam and his wife OISBELIEVEO
what God SAlO. They REJECTEO
God's LOVE. His LIFE. His GOVERN–
ME T (for the tree of LIFE would
ha ve given them lhe love of God -
divine LOVE - which alone can ful–
fill God's LA
w -
the law of God's
GOVERNMENT). They REJECTED the
GOVERNMENT OF Goo aod chose to
decide for themselves good from
cvil and what GOVERNMENT they
would follow. Thus they CUT THEM–
SELVES ANO THEIR PROGENY OFF
The
PLAIN TRUTH March 1977