Francis & McAtee on the Necessity of Being Counter-Revolutionaries

“The first thing we have to learn about fighting and winning a cultural war is that we are not fighting to “conserve” something; we are fighting to overthrow something. Obviously, we do want to conserve something—our culture, our way of life, the set of institutions and beliefs that distinguish us as Americans. But we must understand clearly and firmly that the dominant authorities in the United States—in the federal government and often in state and local government as well, in the two major political parties, the major foundations, the media, the schools, the universities, big business, and most of the system of organized culture, including the arts and entertainment—not only do nothing to conserve what most of us regard as our traditional way of life but actually seek its destruction or are indifferent to its survival. If our culture is going to be conserved, then, we need to dethrone the dominant authorities that threaten it.”

Samuel Francis
“Culture and Power: Winning the Culture War”

A few observations;

1.) Being in a culture war implies a war that is even much larger than that. Indeed, it might be more accurate to say that we are in a cultural battle being fought in the context of a Theological war. The combatants in this battle own different theologies, believe in different God(s), and practice religions that are in contradiction and because of that there is, what is commonly called, a culture war that continues.

2.) Because of #1 being true — because we are in a theological war — now more than ever we need to be epistemologically self-conscious about what we believe and why we believe it and what we don’t believe and why we don’t believe it. We must understand our theology. We must understand the God we serve. We must know our undoubted catholic Christian faith. If we do not know our theology we will be defeated in this cultural battle. What’s more we will see our children become enslaved by the victors of this theological war/cultural battle if we do not become epistemologically self conscious. There is no fighting against our opponents unless we understand what beliefs makes them, “them” and what contrary beliefs make us, “us.”

3.) If all this is true then we who are opposing Trashworld must begin to see ourselves as “counter-Revolutionaries.” It is not the case, as Francis rightly notes, that we are merely seeking to preserve and conserve. No, rather it is the case that we are seeking to overthrow principalities and powers in high places. We are seeking to overthrow Satan’s magistrates. We are seeking to overthrow wickedness. There will be no conserving without becoming fighting counter-Revolutionaries swearing oaths of allegiance to our great Liege-Lord, Jesus Christ.

This must be done wisely and without a foolish rashness, but the fight must be engaged in on a host of fronts. Many in the church could begin by getting their children out of government schools and getting themselves out of churches that aren’t interested in being counter-Revolutionary.

There are many places to go from there, but we will never win this cultural battle and theological war unless we abandon the churches and schools of the enemy.

 

 

Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him.

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