That the left prefers violence and destruction over reason and debate should be crystal clear by now. It seems the daily newspaper headlines give us really good indications of this. And the headlines we woke up to yesterday offer even further examples of this – but more on that in a moment. Here I want to present a biblical perspective on these matters.
A very famous statement made by Jesus as found in John 10:10 is this: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” There, Jesus was contrasting himself as the true shepherd with the false shepherds. And by extension, the verse gives us a very good picture of the real enemy – the devil himself.
Satan is in the business of stealing, killing and destroying. Our God is a God of life while the enemy is fixated on death and destruction. While no political or ideological grouping is above resembling the devil in these ways, it seems a good case can be made that the radical secular left especially bears a real family likeness to the thief of John 10.
These radicals seem fixated on stealing and killing and destroying. The culture of death is of course the domain of the secular left. And since the left is so much enamoured with socialism, which is a form of theft, they can certainly be accused of favouring stealing as well.
But it is this obsession with destruction that I want to focus on here. Rioting, looting, and trying to burn down cities as they protest various causes is of course a hallmark of the left. The left seems committed to destruction, mayhem, violence and intimidation. That is how they ‘make their case’.
They do not really have sound arguments or logic on their side, so simply destroying things is how they proceed. Sure, it is not just the secular left who act this way. One can think of how political Islam does similar things. Groups like ISIS for example are well known for destroying anything they regard as an affront to Islam.
So whether it is the Taliban or ISIS blowing up or hammering ancient sculptures and statues, or BLM marchers tearing down newer statues today and rioting in the streets, or the green militants trying to destroy great works of art – they are all cut from the same cloth. Violence and destruction are their preferred MO.
‘Works of art?’ you say. Yes, you must have missed the latest craze of the crazed left: attacking famous works of art in the name of saving the planet. There have been a number of cases of this occurring recently. As one news report explains:
Climate change protesters threw soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at London’s National Gallery on Friday, the Just Stop Oil campaign group said. The group, which has been holding protests for the last fortnight in the British capital, released a video showing two women walking into the gallery and throwing tins of Heinz tomato soup at the painting. It is one of five versions of the Van Gogh painting on display in museums and galleries around the world.
Both women were arrested for criminal damage and aggravated trespass, police said. Just Stop Oil said the painting, which dates to 1888, had a value of $US84.2 million. An international movement that has seen climate activists smear cake across the Mona Lisa and superglue their hands to masterpieces by Sandro Botticelli, Vincent van Gogh and Umberto Boccioni has also arrived in Australia.
Two Extinction Rebellion protesters were recently arrested at the National Gallery of Victoria after glueing themselves to the 1951 Picasso painting Massacre in Korea. At their feet lay a banner reading “Climate Chaos = War + Famine”. A spokesperson from the gallery said there was some minor damage to the frame, but that the painting itself was undamaged, likely due to a protective varnish.
The group’s activists have been blocking roads around the British parliament over the last few days. Last Sunday, police said that more than 100 people had been arrested after a weekend of protest-related activity by environmental groups.
Hmm, so in the name of saving and preserving things – in this case, the planet supposedly – these nutters are going on a rampage, destroying priceless artworks to show their moral superiority. Hmm, sounds just like ISIS to me. It is the same religious zeal to support a cause by violence and destruction.
As to these yokels gluing themselves to walls or pavements or streets, my thoughts – also echoed by my wife! – is that they should just be left there to fend for themselves! Give them a few days super-glued to a busy sidewalk or street and see how long before they beg for help.
They are idiots, and all they can do is destroy and tear down, not build up. Such is how the left operates. No surprises here. Nothing is sacred for these violent hoons. But as their destructive antics become even more alarming, one fears what lies ahead.
We know that because of terrorists, we all pay a huge price right now when it comes to airport security. With these green terrorists now targeting art galleries, we can expect to see the need for far more stringent security measures being put in place there, with the costs to us visitors going up, and the ability to get close to some of these great works of art taken away from us. Thanks for that you green clowns.
Three noted figures from England can be referred to here in this regard. The late Christian philosopher Roger Scruton wrote: “Good things are easily destroyed, but not easily created… The work of destruction is quick, easy and exhilarating; the work of creation is slow, laborious and dull. That is one of the lessons of the twentieth century.”
Sir Winston Churchill said this: “To build may have to be the slow and laborious task of years. To destroy can be the thoughtless act of a single day.” And conservative Jewish writer Melanie Phillips put it this way: “The great battles today are not between left and right. They are between morality and nihilism, truth and lies, justice and injustice, freedom and totalitarianism, and Judeo-Christian values and the would-be destroyers of the West both within and without.”
While I take Melanie’s point, there is still a political and ideological divide here. Conservatives, as the name implies, like to conserve. We like to preserve what is good in a culture. We like to maintain order amid chaos, and some beauty amongst ugliness. But the radical left simply wants to tear down and destroy.
It is their way or the highway. And their way usually seems to gravitate towards bullying, intimidation, violence, aggression and destruction. As I say, they do a good job of showing off the family likeness. They nicely reflect their real mentor who comes only to ‘steal, kill and destroy.’
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