By: T F Stern
T F Stern’s Rantings

I bet you thought I was referring to Afghanistan, and you might be right; however, the war that never ends started long before the foundations of our Earth. The War in Heaven is ongoing, sometimes with a spotlight on it during political gatherings with few noticing or aware that each day we decide which side to fight on.

Headlines this past week from a number of media outlets pointed out how the Democrat Party intentionally omitted God from their platform. Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, mirroring sentiments voiced by many, said it was a significant gesture, as recorded by Jeff Poor at The Daily Caller:

“The omission of God from the platform is something Krauthammer said was a product of President Barack Obama pushing his party further to the left.

“Platforms don’t really tell you what’s going to happen,” Krauthammer said. “But if you compare today with what people used to believe and used to say and used to proclaim, and you see these glaring changes — you know that something has changed within the party.”

“This is one place where Obama has led from in front and not from behind: moving the party, not just himself. And that I think is extremely politically significant.”

We pick which side we support each day as individuals… are we going to obey God’s laws and commandments, or are we going to follow some fraudulent substitution which leads us away from God? The Lord doesn’t force anyone to comply with His will or the commandments; however there are always consequences for our actions, either here in mortality, or on the other side of the veil and on through the eternities. If you don’t believe in God then I suppose you’ll have to settle for a point just this side of the grave. It’s of paramount importance to comprehend this difference when assessing the difference between socialism and God’s Plan of Happiness.

Please try not to reminisce or equate the current progressive movement which took over the Democrat Party with a fond memory of some former political group which your parents and grandparents were proud to be members of and were hard working union blue collar to the bone members. This new Democrat Party is in fact only a mask to disguise their true identity, the American Socialist Party and soon to be the American Communist Party.

Shocking… it can’t be true; my parents and grandparents would never… And you’d be right, your parents and grandparents would not approve of what is going on.

I didn’t write the next line; but it reads as if it sprang from my thoughts and so I’ll share it as if I had. (That which we appreciate, we appropriate.) This came from the preface to Prophets, Principles and National Survival; a book compiled by Jerreld Newquist and published in 1964:

“During the past number of years as I have studied the Gospel, with emphasis especially on the words of the latter-day Apostles and Prophets, I have been deeply impressed with the consistency of their message, as they have counseled us concerning various responsibilities of our life — religious, family, political, social, professional, etc. It has become more and more apparent to me that the Gospel is intended to be a “guide to conduct, a chart for life’s voyage, a set of ideals by which every proposition may be measured.”’

Newquist’s preface also included a reference to the War in Heaven as well as an interesting observation regarding members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, something which should be of at least mild importance during this particular election year. Substitute “anyone” in the next line where it reads “Mormons” and see if it doesn’t work just as well.

“When Mormons fully appreciate the significance of the War in Heaven, they immediately realize the similarity between the forced righteousness program of Lucifer and the program of the collectivists — or government interventionists — whether they are welfare staters, Fabians, socialists, fascists or communists. For the essence of the collectivist philosophy is that the majority of the people are not intelligent enough to do voluntarily what the collectivists feel should be done. To remedy this, the collectivists (who feel they are the intelligent ones) seek the power to force the rest of mankind to follow their so-called “enlightened” programs. And whether the ends of their human programs are intended to be good or bad — and they are often bad — the state planners must, like Lucifer, use the means of force to accomplish their ends. The collectivists do not like to hazard the possibility that if we had a choice we might reject what they, honestly or otherwise, claim is for our best welfare.

But even God, whose plan of happiness for mankind is the greatest program of all, does not compel compliance as does the collectivist. God lets men freely choose if they want to accept the plan of happiness, even though God knows that some of His children will freely choose the path that leads to misery and Hell.

Once one understands the great struggle over free agency that occurred in the War in Heaven, he has the key for understanding the greatest conflict of our age, which is now taking place. It is the struggle of free men against the all encompassing and supposedly all-wise state. This state needs compulsion to enforce its multitudinous, but supposedly all-wise directives — and eventually ends up becoming a dictatorship.

Mormons among all people should be the most dedicated fighters for freedom. They should be able to see that the War in Heaven is continuing to be fought out here on earth for the bodies and souls of men. Can any Mormon be true to his faith and support the coercive programs or the promoters of government collectivism and interventionism or designs leading in that direction?”

I’ve had good friends and associates attempt to keep religion and religious doctrine out of political conversation; call it general courtesy or perhaps even self imposed political correctness. In either case the two are truly inseparable; for “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he,” at least that’s how it’s been recorded throughout history.

If you were paying attention to the Democrat Convention this past week there were some interesting moments as they attempted to iron out their party’s platform.

“The initial 2012 platform language said this: “We gather to reclaim the basic bargain that built the largest middle class and the most prosperous nation on Earth — the simple principle that in America, hard work should pay off, responsibility should be rewarded, and each one of us should be able to go as far as our talent and drive take us.”’

There was a voice vote taken from the floor, lots of shouting from various interests which sounded about even; those wanting to change the wording and those wishing to avoid any change. After the third vote it was determined arbitrarily that the Democrat Party would include God back in their camp.

“In the section referencing God, the change effectively restored language that had been in the 2008 platform. It now says: “We need a government that stands up for the hopes, values and interests of working people, and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential.”’

For some reason a scripture came to mind, Matthew 15:8 which reads:

“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

There are far too many folks in positions of leadership within the Democrat Party who have chosen to go down a path which is contrary to the mind and will of the Lord. Their out right hostility toward individuals of Judeo-Christian faith, formally backing homosexual relations while at the same time attacking traditional marriage and family values, mandated government health care and other socialistic interventions on what should be individual decisions mark the future if we continue down this road.

The War in Heaven has yet to be completed; which side are you pulling for?

This article has been cross-posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government & The American Constitution.”