To declare the many economic changes to early America as “truly revolutionary” would be to establish that America somehow “invented” success through capitalism. Many people today like to think of America as the foundational creator of evil corporate capitalism. That would in fact be misleading, as capitalism has been around since the medieval times. Historian Gilje and Fernand Braudel, both recognized and acknowledged from a communal standpoint that “the emergence of western capitalism to the development of city states at the end of the medieval period.”[1]

America refined successful economics that brought her the success she earned. The issues lie within the secular paradigm that is overwhelmingly present in America. It seems that it was secularism that high-jacked America’s traditional prosperity and punctually drove it off a cliff.[2] Secularism puts God completely out of the equation when it comes to ethics and morals.

Secularists hold the view that “religious considerations should be excluded from civil affairs or public education. Also, that “exclusive attention to the present life and its duties, and the relegation of all considerations regarding a future life to a secondary place; the system of the secularists; the ignoring or exclusion of religious duties, instruction, or considerations.”[3]

An Honest Wealth of Nations
Historian Lamoreaux mentions, “Henretta has ‘acknowledged the existence of capitalist values and activities among a portion of the rural population,’ but he used the numerical subordination of that portion to justify his emphasis on ‘a rather different worldview among the majority of farm families.’ It is important to note, however, that many historians do not accept this characterization for farmers in the middle Atlantic and southern regions, whom they regard as much more oriented toward market production than farmers elsewhere.”[4]

I find that the heart of economic success lies in a culture’s religion. Thus, the primary reason that world nations are in poverty is due to a lack of spiritual resources and truth. When you compare the factors of production in Christian and secular societies, it clearly shows you why some countries are successful and other fail. Historian Wolfe writes, “While men and women in every country try to multiply their human energies with the help of tools in order to transform natural resources into useful goods and services, Christian free societies generally do it more efficiently than others.”[5]

A research study made by Dr. Browning of the different income ratios of differing nations and people groups reinforces this observation. He wrote that “between protestant and catholic groups it was noted consistently that the protestant countries had higher per capita income than the catholic countries. But those who were not Christian had no income or low incomes or were starving to death.”[6]

Sure nations like Japan are successful, but the only reason they even made it there in the first place is because “they have simply imitated the principles and techniques on which America’s original prosperity was built.”[7] These are principles which actually grew out of our Christian-American society (and which have been seemingly abandoned today).

Profit Motives
Man’s material welfare increases in a Christian Society because Christian faith and character assist to “enlarge, vitalize, and improve” the key factors of economic production. Once again, Historian Wolfe writes, “The economic incentives of freedom are also important. To find and process natural resources such as oil and minerals is extremely costly. So is the protracted process of researching, developing and producing new and more efficient power tools. The profit motive provides individuals with the needed incentive in a Christian free economy based on individual enterprise.”

“History shows that in a Christian free economy… men tend to invent more and better tools, invest more in producing those tools, and use those tools more efficiently than in a secular society with limited economic freedom.”[8]

If you look at the historical record of current events, there are many nations that have operated on a communistic style of economic principle. This kills off profit motive. As a reaction, these governments have slowly opened to allow more individual enterprise because it allows people to be more successful. China and Russia are two great examples here. Russia, in recent years, has begun to let “each farming family 2-3 acres of ground to operate privately and sell its produce in the local market. These tiny private farm plots produce more meat, vegetables and fruit than all of the huge government farms combined.”[9]

So ultimately, communal farming with absolutely zero incentive and doesn’t work for Christians who all have common visions, goals, and purposes. I mean look, the Pilgrims offered up a great example with the first couple years in America. They were bound to a communal contract with their financial backers over in England. It was the lack of incentive to work resulted in such poor crops, they almost starved off. Once Governor Bradford switched over to private enterprise, everyone was able to live abundantly off the land.[10]
 


Daniel L. Smith,
ComplexAmerica.org



Resources:
[1] Gilje, Paul A. "The Rise of Capitalism in the Early Republic." Journal of the Early Republic 16, no. 2 (1996): 159-81. Accessed September 28, 2020. doi:10.2307/3124244.
[2] How to Understand the Purpose behind Humanism, 7. Booklet published by Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts, 1983.
[3] "Secularism." In The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2018.
[4] Lamoreaux, Naomi R. 2003. "Rethinking the Transition to Capitalism in the Early American Northeast." The Journal of American History 90 (2) (09): 437-461. https://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fdocview%2F224892264%3Faccountid%3D3783.
[5] Wolfe, Charles H., and James B. Rose. "The Principle Approach to American Christian Economics." In A Guide to American Christian Education for the Home and School, the Principle Approach, 398. Palo Cedro, CA: American Christian History Institute, 1983.
[6] Anthony, Greg. Biblical Economics, 13. 1988.
[7] Wolfe, 398.
[8] Ibid, 403.
[9] Skousen, Leon. Study Guide to the Making of America.
[10] Bradford, William. Bradford's History "Of Plimoth Plantation": From the Original Manuscript; with a Report of the Proceedings Incident to the Return of the Manuscript to Massachusetts, 162. 1898.

Some call this a spectacular historical example of God’s Providence. Others challenge it as pure luck.  The North American Indian is vital in the grand design for the world’s history. Their history plays an equally important role in the larger story in how history continues to be laid out for humanity. Their culture takes part in the same human history that God has had for all of humankind since the Creation and Adam and Eve.

Now, Providence is not just the name of a city in Rhode Island. Providence is a word that is generally defined as God’s omnipresent and active role in the world’s history. That means at any given time He may, or may not, intervene on humanity’s behalf. Providence is also seen as historical proof through linking current events, the historical past, and Christianity.

“After many trials and many sufferings, [we] came in sight of a splendid pueblo. We gave it the name of’ ‘San Juan,’ adding ‘de los Caballeros’ in memory of those noble sons who first raised in these barbarous regions the bloody tree upon which Christ perished for the redemption of mankind.”[1] The task of desert exploration was no easy job. And the idea of “trials and many sufferings” shouldn’t be taken out of context either. They were literally surviving.

It was mentioned: “These men are forced at times to subsist on unsavory roots and unknown seeds, and even on the flesh of dogs, horses, and other animals whose flesh is most abhorrent to all civilized people. Through the snowy passes they blaze their way as a plow cuts a furrow through the soil. Often in the mountain fastnesses they escape in snowdrifts only by clinging to the tails of their horses…”

Upon making it to the Indian village, “The natives of this pueblo came forth and gladly shared their homes with us. Here the entire army made camp. One day, while the general was taking his meal, the savages began to raise such a frightful wail that we all thought the final day of judgment had arrived, when we would be called before the judgment seat of God to give our final accounting.”

“Astonished and confused, we inquired the cause of such dreadful lamentations. The people answered that for a long time they had been praying to their gods for rain; that despite their prayers not a single cloud appeared to darken the heavens, and that unless the drought were broken all their hopes would be gone, for not a single plant would yield its crop.”

“On hearing this, the commissary and the good Fray [Father] Cristóbal, trusting in God from whom all our needs must come, commanded the Indians to cease their wailing, for they would offer prayers to God in heaven, asking Him to look down with pity, and, though they were disobedient children, to send abundant rains that the dying plants might revive and yield plentiful crops.”

“The Indians were greatly pleased, and like little children who hush when they are given the things they have cried for, ceased their lamentations. Eagerly and anxiously they scanned the heavens, awaiting the promised rain. The next day at about the same hour in which they had set up their wail, the skies suddenly became dark and the clouds of heaven opened and poured forth regular torrents of rain. The barbarians stood spellbound in awe and mute gratitude at the unbounding mercy of God…”[2]

God’s omnipresence is literal. History is His story. Examples of Providence are well-documented all throughout history, including all American history. Humanity in all its ethnic make-up is part of His all perfectly written and final grand design.
 

Daniel L. Smith,
ComplexAmerica.org
​

Resources:
[1] Minge, Ward A., Miguel Encinias, Alfred Rodriguez, Joseph P. Sanchez, Gaspar P. De Villagra, and Larry Frank. "Historia de la Nueva Mexico, 1610: Gaspar Perez de Villagra.” The Western Historical Quarterly 25, no. 2 (1994), 237. doi:10.2307/971486.
[2] Ibid.

The original Hadron Collider in the E.U. wasn't enough, so they want to build it bigger.
​Is this the modern parallel to the Tower of Babel from ancient Mesopotamia?

When we consider lessons being taught and learned throughout our lives, we don’t necessarily think of these lessons starting at the very beginning of time. These lessons include the ethical and moral principles in which Christianity itself is based upon. Even further though, we never pull back far enough to see how lessons effect society and humankind as a whole unit. From the beginning mankind has chosen to take the path seemingly today more frequently traveled in poor decision making for achieving scientific greatness—all starting with Adam and Eve—with their choice to eat the apple from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge. Humanity didn’t learn it’s lesson from The Fall which shows us that humanity can’t do it their own way. Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. This ultimate expulsion sealed the fall of mankind.

The world was a wicked place in the days of Noah. Those disgraceful, disgusting, violent, immoral and unethical societies in those days were something horrific. Dr. David Leston wrote that “archaeologists have unearthed bodies of people who lived in Mesopotamia, they have found evidence that cannibalism was practiced. In short, this was a very brutal era, in which humanity showed little to no regard for one another.”[1] He goes on to mention that in “January 1996 National Geographic did a comparison between rodeo riders and their injuries, and skeletons uncovered from the time of Noah.

​They found striking similarities between the injuries of the two groups, suggesting that this was a very violent society. When people reject God and the boundaries and purposes that He has created for them, they become a law unto themselves, and society becomes more weaker and dangerous.”[2] The net result? The same as always, extreme anarchy and a violent world. So, God flooded the world and spared the only honest and Godly man alive at the time. It was Noah who God gave the task of rebuilding civilization.

Man’s Rebellion

It was right after the Flood that people would repopulate the Fertile Crescent (the middle east). This was a very fertile and agriculturally productive area which was quick to develop, and fought over heavily. One of humankind’s early technological developments was the ability to design, manipulate materials and make structures such as buildings. It was mankind’s obligation from God to subdue the earth. He ultimately gave mankind all the faculties necessary to create great constructions. However, in man’s rebellion against God, this gift was used in ways to honor men and not Him—such as The Tower of Babel. This attempt at building a ziggurat megastructure was humankinds next attempt at playing God. Just a note here—it will blow your mind to look at the similarities in the Mesopotamian ziggurat of biblical days and a typical ziggurat from South America.

In Genesis 11, the tower planners said “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”[3] The planners of course were referring to making a name for mankind above God’s name. God saw this ability of man’s to centralize power effectively for the purposes of glorifying themselves. He then—in an instant—created world languages to confuse the masses and dispersed them globally. This effectively explains human migration in the ice age, world language and similarities in technology worldwide. Today, humankind over time has once again gathered to challenge God once again.

The Parallel

On January 15th, 2019—CERN unveiled plans for an even larger Large Hadron Collider, with a 100km (62-mile) circumference - about four times longer than the current machine. The Future Circular Collider (FCC) will be almost 10 times more powerful than the current machine too. CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) said the FCC, which should be in use by 2040, would "significantly expand our knowledge of matter and the universe".[4]  It was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) between 1998 and 2008 in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and hundreds of universities and laboratories, as well as more than 100 countries.[5] The final end-game to this complex science experiment is the specific knowledge of this “God-particle” that adheres all of the atoms of physical matter together—which is where we get our physical reality from. This is arguably a tongue-in-cheek observation of humanities last parallel to the ancient Tower of Babel.

This time however, God is not going to come down to the Land of Shinar (the Fertile Crescent) to shake His head in humankinds disappointing direction. No. This should only serve humanity as a reminder. A sign of the times that we live in today. In the Biblical sense, humanity did not learn it’s lesson from The Fall. Nor did mankind learn it’s lesson from The Flood. Nor did mankind learn from the freedom of slavery that Moses gave the Israelites from the Pharaoh in Egypt. Nor did mankind learn from Sodom and Gomorrah. Finally, mankind didn’t learn either from the Tower of Babel. It is not unreasonable to suggest that Europe’s Large Hadron Collider is civilizations last whole combined scientific effort to become God before humanity’s final days.
 

Daniel L. Smith,
ComplexAmerica.Org
 
 
Resources:
 [1] Dr. Leston, Stephen, and Christopher D. Hudson. "From Creation to the Tower of Babel | The Age of Noah." In The Bible in World History: How History and Scripture Intersect, 31. Uhrichsville: Barbour Pub, 2011.
[2] Ibid. p. 32.
[3] The Holy Bible (NKJV) | Genesis 11:4.
[4] "CERN Plans Even Larger Large Hadron Collider to Find More 'God Particles'." Worthy Christian News. Last modified January 16, 2019. https://www.worthynews.com/38497-cern-plans-even-larger-large-hadron-collider-to-find-more-god-particles.
[5] "Large Hadron Collider." The Telegraph. Accessed December 27, 2019. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/large-hadron-collider/3351899/Large-Hadron-Collider-thirteen-ways-to-change-the-world.html.