Laughs from Zenoferox

The following is a post on a blog by someone named Zenoferox. He is an atheist who tracked and wrote about the Gene Chapman Presidential campaign. More like, had fun with it. In any case, he has taken an interest in me and has begun writings regarding our various LibertyInLaw projects, specifically now, the YCLA. In the past few days the number of visits here has thus become quite astronomical. Thanks, Zeno! :-)

The really amazing part about reading this stuff is the high degree of emotional wording which he can generate. Ready, set,… dive in:

They grow up so fast

My in-box contained a new message from my friend PiD:

With 20 minutes to kill, I thought I'd look up our good friend Josiah. I found this on his blog. Pretty scary, no?

My curiosity was piqued, so I followed the provided link to R. Josiah Magnuson's thrilling announcement concerning the Young Christian Leaders' Alliance. The YCLA doesn't have a theme song by the Village People yet, but PiD is right about it being just a little scary (with maybe just a touch of déjà vu).

(At this point there is a sarcastically-posted picture. It portrays the despotic face of Hitler with a handsome German boy superimposed on him with a look of awe presumably for Der Furher and the Reich – do I have to be any more graphic? Suffice it to say it was a banner propagating government mind-control.) Well. *Cough.*

I don't even know what the "Village People" are… But let's read on.

Josiah is the diligent young creationist who likes to smite godless evolutionists and has twice won runner-up honors in the Answers in Genesis essay contest. He dallied with the quixotic presidential campaign of right-wing nut-case Gene Chapman, serving as the candidate's Intelligent Design advisor until Chapman dropped out. (Did you even know he was ever in?) Undeterred by the Chapman fiasco,

Let's just stop right there. :-D My! Yes, Zeno is correct that I was Advisor on ID to Mr. Chapman. I don't remember it being a fiasco, though! The point of the candidacy was to attempt to unite the pro-freedom Third Parties in an alliance under the battle-flag of anti-Communism. One of the main reasons Mr. Chapman asked me to be on his team was because I was the one who gave him the Third-Party-Alliance idea. I did not view him, however, as an ideal candidate to bring it about. The campaign is, for me, not so much something to add to one's credentials but something to have learned from. Nor did I ever view it as anything different.

Josiah has moved on to new political endeavors, including promulgating a new constitution for the YCLA. The signing ceremony on September 8 was a solemn occasion.

Upon putting down my signature for the Constitution, I got a peculiar feeling—like I was going to throw up, or cry for joy, or scream, or something like that. Whatever. No, though, I didn't do any of those. However, my face in the picture shows my feeling, if you can see it:

In the grand tradition of paramilitary organizations, brown-shirted Josiah

Actually it was a gray shirt with red epaulets

was accompanied by an armed honor guard. (The boys with the guns dug out their khakis, but apparently didn't have the right shirts to complete the earth-tone ensemble.)

And, of course, there was a flag-bearer.

(At this point there is another Nazi picture, giant size, emotional, with a red-haired teenager waving a giant German Austria swastika flag.)

OK. The deal with some people is that they find bizarre associations with Hitler in everything which opposes them. I am not that way, and I do not intend to become Hitler. If you think the principles of the Christian religion are neo-Nazi or despotic, I pity you, and pray that you will come to find God's liberty and complete forgiveness.

Josiah provides a convenient summary of the doctrines that lie at the core of the YCLA constitution:

1. God's Words are pure; KJV is the most accurate version. 2. The Members of the Trinity are distinct but act totally harmoniously. 3. Creation was by direct act of God. 4. Man is equal in humanity, responsibility, and rights. 5. Authorities are to be respected; must be obeyed when commands do not violate Scripture. 6. Individuals are naturally free to make decisions over their own consciences. 7. Death and suffering came by sin. 8. Man must have faith in Christ and His atonement to be saved from sin. 9. Baptism is correct and is by immersion. 10. Heaven and Hell are literal. 11. Christ will bodily return to Earth.

As anyone could clearly see, these doctrines ineluctably lead to some practical philosophical principles:

God the Creator has established unchangeable Laws for the universe. The Law for man is found in the Bible. Disobedience of God's Law is sin. Because the first man, Adam, sinned, everyone has inherited the same disposition. The only way to be freed, and escape sin's punishment (death), is to trust in Christ who died in place of us. Christ also rose again, went to Heaven, and will one day return to decimate His enemies. Until then, believers should continue to grow in their faith, and endeavor to maintain health and fitness so they can best serve God and proclaim His Truth. They should also strive to be humble, merciful, just, and loving towards those around them. Finally, they should work against the evil schemes of Satan, especially those perpetrated by apostate "churches" such as that of Catholicism, and ideas of secular Evolutionary society such as that of socialism.

Oh, oh. I think the YCLA is not well-disposed toward me. I'm definitely part of "secular Evolutionary society" and I support universal health care and public education, which I think makes me a socialist. I probably won't get any credit for having abandoned the Catholic church (although it's amusing to see the oldest form of Christianity described as "apostate").

You know, that's probably enough time spent browsing around on Josiah's YCLA blog. If it gets more interesting, I'm sure PiD will tip me off.

It wasn't my blog there were Nazi pictures on.

Thanks!

-R. Josiah Magnuson