Welcome to Liberty Insider.
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This the program that brings
you up to date information,
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news, views, and some
discussion on religious liberty
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issues in the United
States and around the world.
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My name is Lincoln Steed,
editor of Liberty Magazine.
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And my guest on the
program is Matt McMearty,
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Welcome Matt.
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It's good to be here.
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You're a graduate of the
Bela J.M. Dorsen Institute
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of Church-State studies, so
I know you're very qualified
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to talk about some of these
things, and I really want to
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launch out and test you a
little bit, because I think our
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viewers need to
hear some discussion
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on conspiracy theories.
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Now I don't know if they've seen
anything on this network like
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that, but you can go to
almost any religious network,
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you can certainly go online,
and you can find conspiracies
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that will curl your
hair quite literally I think.
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I remember once I spent some
time on it and I hardly slept
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that night, you know, the
horrors of the world descending
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because out there is a
deep, dark, dismal scenario.
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What do you think about such
theories? Have you heard any in
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our religious context,
in relation to religious
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liberty, that
troubled you a little?
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Well, I've heard of some but
I don't generally pay attention
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to them, I don't give them much
time, I believe there may be
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some truths to conspiracy
theories, that's what partly
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makes them attractive.
But I find them distracting.
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You've gotten in a way to the
end point, that's where I want
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end up. There's no question
that any rational person should,
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unless they're
totally deluded along the way,
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come to that conclusion.
And as I've often said,
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and I remember once on a
DVD that we sent out to as many
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churches as we
could in North America,
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I said, It's time to worry less
about un-provables and worry
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more about what's happening
around us that we can see
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that is abundantly clear, and
speaks directly to the end time
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concerns or religious
liberty concerns that we have.
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But I don't think it's
wrong to allude to this,
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for example, one that
connects to a couple of programs
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that we've done on this visit.
We've discussed quite a bit
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about the papal
encyclical on charity.
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Many fellow Seventh Day
Adventists and others I think
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have run off half-cocked,
to use a term, and thrown in
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a great dose of supposition
and conspiracy thinking
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to write a incredible scenario
for a document that is rational,
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that is good as far as it goes.
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There's much we
could emulate from that.
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And yes, we might know the end
from the beginning and see where
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it could lead. But I
think that's the problem
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with conspiracies isn't
it? That they sort of jump over
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the facts and the reality and
reach a short hand conclusion
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that can be quite horrific!
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Maybe not justified
by the evidence at hand.
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I'd like to portray it this
way; the mindset reminds me of
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Genesis chapter three where
the serpent instead of leaving
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Eve to dwell upon the face value
of God's word and what He meant,
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kind of got behind the scenes
and said, That's not really what
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God means. And
there's the beginning
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I think, of the
true conspiracy theory,
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and there was a conspiracy!
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Yes! There was a
conspiracy. And we know that.
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To subvert the innocent
pair in Eden. Very good point.
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But you know, I'll go back
to one that I put up recently
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and we sent out a DVD,
it was a year or two ago.
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Many of our fellow Seventh Day
Adventists were quite stirred up
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about a rumor of the Sunday law,
an imminent Sunday law in the
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United States.
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You know, it's long been
held by Seventh Day Adventists
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this is consistent
with Revelation 13,
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and other particular statements
in Revelation and some in Daniel
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that at the end of time there
will be particularly repressive
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religious requirements and a
test point of loyalty to God,
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and of course worship
day has proven to be that.
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Well, you know, we
know that's coming.
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But based on what we know
for an absolute fact was an
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unsubstantiated rumor,
it was writ large and many
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people made TV programs and sent
out fundraisers and all the rest
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But there was from my certain
knowledge, nothing to it,
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but even if there was a
grain of it, it was blown up
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into a scenario that did
more to frighten people and they
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ignored the simple reality
of the times that we live in.
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We are in the end of
times, whether it's next year
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or ten years from
now, I couldn't say,
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the Bible's not specific
enough. But you have to blind to
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prophecy and just the
evolution of the world order
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to think, as the Bible does say,
that some know-nothings will say
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Well, all things continue as
they have from the beginning of
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the world. So I
think we need to look at
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hard and fast evidence,
of which there is abundant
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for some of these things,
but not just run with something
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and feed our paranoia.
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Yeah, I find myself a little
frustrated with conspiracy
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theories because I'm the
kind of person that, having more
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education then I care to really
admit, that the importance
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I've found in what I've
learned is to check sources.
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And to see, you know,
who is it that's talking,
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are they projecting themselves
as the only inside voice?
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For they have some kind
of, what I would call, Gnostic
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information where they
have a inside secret...
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That's an interesting
parallel to Gnosticism,
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which was hidden knowledge
that no one could verify.
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Yes, and that they're on the
inside and you could be on the
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inside too. And my
frustration with it is
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that once it becomes a belief,
then everything that you look at
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is interpreted
according to that belief.
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Now in part, what we
believe about Bible prophecy
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can contribute to this. As
much as I'm one who believes
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in the Advent message,
and the three angel's message,
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and what the Bible tells us
will be the end time scenarios
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before Jesus comes, and
the events leading up to that,
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the book of Revelation
doesn't necessarily tell us,
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it tells us the outcome and
maybe some general principles
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that lead to that, but it
doesn't say whether it's going
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to take 100 years,
500 years, or 10 years.
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The problem is that people
assume to much out of Revelation
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and think that what's going
on before them is automatically
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going to lead to
what they believe.
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And I think that is something
everybody should hold in check,
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and then examine it
and say, "I believe this",
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separate that out,
what do the facts say?
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And the Bible does
say, test the spirits,
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and precept upon precept,
comparing scripture to scripture
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and looking at the
character of the messenger.
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If somebody with the suspect
background supposedly comes
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bringing you greater truth then
you can get, either from your
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Bible or your
other religious sources,
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you need to be a bit suspect.
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You're right to give caution
and that's what I'm trying to do
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here by this discussion of it.
But I think there's been so much
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unbridled conspiracy activity
that it's time that we deal with
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this directly, because I
can see that we're going to see
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more and more of
this in the future.
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I'm old enough to remember
in the Seventh Day Adventist
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church, as well as some
other protestant churches,
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that it was a trend
of itinerant lectures,
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for the best
name to put to them,
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went around trying to
prove from economic theories
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that we were at the end of time.
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The Condratus theory.
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I haven't heard that mentioned
lately, but it was so exotic
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that to my certain knowledge
of economics and history
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it was nonsense! But
it gave pseudo science,
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and again this higher
knowledge, to prove something
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that we should have known
anyhow from Bible prophecy.
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And it seems to me
that the shortness of time
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is more something you
could deduce from a spiritual
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perspective then a
mechanical perspective.
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Let me go back to something,
I don't if we've ever used
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the example
here on this program,
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but I'm very enamored
with the story of Elijah,
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one of the greats
of the Old Testament.
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Remember when Jesus came they
say, One greater than Elijah
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is here! So Elijah
was the reference point.
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Yet in the New Testament
we're told that Elijah was a man
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of like passions to us, but
he was so stirred by what he saw
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that he knew that God must act.
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And I think anyone today
that is reading God's word,
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that's understanding a little
about God's ways of doing things
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and what He expects of
human beings, that looks around
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at our modern world, as the pope
tried to do in his encyclical,
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and you know, his source of
judgment is not quite what I
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would be comfortable with,
but anybody can look at that.
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But if you're an economics
professor you come to a certain
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conclusion. If you
are a political scientist
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you come to a
certain conclusion.
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If you are student of God's
word and a praying dedicated
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Christian, I believe
you'll come to a conclusion
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testing that reality by God
and you will know inherently,
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as it says, God must act,
this is a time that just cries
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out for God to act.
And that more than the fact
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of whether some legislative
proposal is bubbled up in
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congress with a
calling for a Sunday law,
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if the times not right
it's going to come nowhere.
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People don't realize there
are mischievous proposals always
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put up by this or that faction.
And maybe they play into the low
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level conspiracy, but it
will happen until the time is
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appropriate. And
as the Bible says,
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it calls for spiritual
discernment to see these things
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for what they are and
not follow after fables.
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And the point is, that those
issues, even if there is some
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kind of background percolating
sort of people who are
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trying to get something going
secretly, sooner or later that
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has to percolate to the surface,
it has to be in the public eye
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for it to
succeed in this country.
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And that will have to be debated
in some sense, unless there is
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some crisis, and we've
seen so many crises come and go.
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We have to be very careful even
about crying out about crises.
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To me, conspiracy theories,
I would put it this way;
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are driven by fear.
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Partly fear, partly
ignorance, in my view.
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Yes! It's a lack of information
because they don't see something
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happening on the surface so
they want to see what's going on
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underneath. And
then there's this fear,
00:11:57.83\00:12:01.07
and so it wants to be ahead of
the game, and in the process of
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being ahead of the game we find
ourselves so far out in left
00:12:06.45\00:12:10.61
field that we
are behind the game.
00:12:10.64\00:12:13.73
Sort of out of bounds right?
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Or out of the
game for that matter.
00:12:15.00\00:12:16.52
Exactly. And I think
that's why the Bible is so plain
00:12:16.55\00:12:20.26
in telling us to use spiritual
discernment on these things.
00:12:20.29\00:12:23.75
Testing the spirits, comparing
scripture, and really keeping
00:12:23.78\00:12:27.85
ourselves spiritually grounded.
I don't think it does anyone
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any favors at all to add to
biblical truth supposition about
00:12:31.67\00:12:36.99
the real world. Of
course we should be informed
00:12:37.02\00:12:39.18
not to be willfully ignorant,
God doesn't want us to be
00:12:39.21\00:12:43.21
willfully ignorant.
But I think we need to keep
00:12:43.24\00:12:46.17
ourselves grounded in our faith,
and make our salvation sure.
00:12:46.20\00:12:51.34
One hundred years.
00:13:00.84\00:13:02.24
A long time to do anything,
much less publish a magazine.
00:13:02.27\00:13:05.79
But this year, Liberty, a
Seventh Day Adventist voice
00:13:05.82\00:13:10.07
of religious freedom,
celebrates one hundred years
00:13:10.10\00:13:12.94
of doing what it does
best: collecting, analyzing,
00:13:12.97\00:13:16.29
and reporting the ebb and
flow of religious expression
00:13:16.32\00:13:19.49
around the world. Issue
after issue, Liberty has
00:13:19.50\00:13:23.44
taken on the tough assignments,
tracking down threats to
00:13:23.47\00:13:26.37
religious freedom, exposing
the work of the devil in every
00:13:26.40\00:13:29.44
corner of the globe.
Governmental interference,
00:13:29.47\00:13:32.15
personal attacks, corporate
assaults, even religious freedom
00:13:32.18\00:13:35.90
issues sequestered within
the church community itself
00:13:35.93\00:13:38.20
have been clearly
and honestly exposed.
00:13:38.23\00:13:40.85
Liberty exists for one purpose,
to help God's people maintain
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that all important
separation of church and state
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while recognizing the dangers
inherent in such a struggle.
00:13:48.86\00:13:52.16
During the past century, Liberty
has experienced challenges
00:13:52.19\00:13:56.02
of its own, but it
remains on the job,
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thanks to the inspired
leadership of a long line
00:13:58.74\00:14:01.57
of dedicated Adventist editors.
Three of whom represent almost
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half of the publication's
existence, and the foresight
00:14:04.71\00:14:07.86
of a little
woman from New England.
00:14:07.87\00:14:09.61
Religious freedom isn't
just about political machines
00:14:14.78\00:14:17.71
and cultural
prejudices, it's about people
00:14:17.74\00:14:20.67
fighting for the right
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00:14:20.70\00:14:23.83
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00:14:23.86\00:14:27.06
Thanks to the prayers
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Seventh Day
Adventists everywhere,
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providing timely information,
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00:14:37.48\00:14:42.14
in a world bound
together by God ordained bonds
00:14:42.15\00:14:46.26
of religious freedom.
00:14:46.29\00:14:47.99
Welcome back to Liberty Insider.
00:14:55.37\00:14:57.01
Before the break we were talking
about something that is the
00:14:57.04\00:14:59.68
bread and butter for some
people: conspiracy theories.
00:14:59.71\00:15:02.79
Especially as they relate
to a loss of religious liberty
00:15:02.82\00:15:05.61
or indeed in the United
States many people think that
00:15:05.64\00:15:08.47
all of our liberties are
being taken away and they will
00:15:08.50\00:15:11.17
one day, but
conspiracies do not give
00:15:11.20\00:15:14.28
the answer to that do
they? I think that we're agreed.
00:15:14.58\00:15:16.41
Of course.
00:15:16.44\00:15:17.41
It's kind of a
dead end alley isn't it?
00:15:17.42\00:15:18.66
Yes.
00:15:18.69\00:15:19.85
To mix a metaphor since we were
speaking about sports before.
00:15:19.88\00:15:22.11
And when they don't turn
true we get disappointed,
00:15:22.14\00:15:24.91
or when it takes a
different direction,
00:15:24.94\00:15:27.16
or when we hold on to it we keep
waiting for evidence to come
00:15:27.19\00:15:31.63
to reinforce it and
we are stuck in a rut.
00:15:31.64\00:15:33.92
Now you know, I think
what is feeding a lot of these
00:15:33.93\00:15:36.64
is not just what I could
say is probably a very natural
00:15:36.67\00:15:40.37
propensity of Seventh Day
Adventists and other protestants
00:15:40.40\00:15:44.22
who move with the times
and see the end time coming up,
00:15:44.25\00:15:48.33
it's not just that.
There is no question that our
00:15:48.36\00:15:51.06
entire world is going through
a period of rapid change,
00:15:51.09\00:15:54.36
which is unsettling for
societies, unsettling for
00:15:54.39\00:15:58.10
religious identity, the economic
situation is basically exploded
00:15:58.13\00:16:02.47
in our face. Big
things are afoot! Big things.
00:16:02.50\00:16:07.43
So how does a
Christian relate to this?
00:16:07.46\00:16:10.00
That's really the question.
Do we just unthinkingly go with
00:16:10.03\00:16:15.04
the flow, reading our
Bible, or how do we interact?
00:16:15.07\00:16:19.24
I think one way, and
it's an important way,
00:16:19.27\00:16:22.64
Jesus wasn't a conspiracy
theorist, Jesus didn't really
00:16:22.67\00:16:28.51
speak much to the Roman
empire or even to the rulers,
00:16:28.54\00:16:31.63
other then to say
that Herod was a fox.
00:16:31.66\00:16:35.66
Which could be said probably
about a lot of people today
00:16:35.69\00:16:38.76
in political circles.
But Jesus had a mission
00:16:38.77\00:16:42.94
and He had a purpose. And
although we have a prophetic
00:16:42.97\00:16:46.43
purpose, we have a spiritual
mission within a prophetic
00:16:46.46\00:16:52.45
understanding, that prophetic
understanding isn't to cause us
00:16:52.48\00:16:56.54
to looking behind the scenes in
such a way that we're doing evil
00:16:56.57\00:17:01.88
surmising on a corporate level.
Jesus didn't do that kind of
00:17:01.89\00:17:05.68
thing. If the Lord has called us
not to be evil surmising about
00:17:05.71\00:17:10.41
people's motives then
we shouldn't do that on
00:17:10.44\00:17:12.15
a corporate level.
00:17:12.18\00:17:13.19
Let your yay be yay
and your nay be nay.
00:17:13.22\00:17:15.24
Yes, and you know, I think that
if we stick to the power of God
00:17:15.27\00:17:18.37
other then wanting to change
people's lives in the context
00:17:18.40\00:17:21.28
of our biblical understanding,
then that's what we should stay
00:17:21.31\00:17:25.35
focused on. The love
of Christ will cast out
00:17:25.38\00:17:28.26
all fear, Scripture says.
00:17:28.87\00:17:29.84
Right. I know in our
evangelistic planners in the
00:17:29.85\00:17:33.93
Seventh Day Adventist church,
as well as other evangelistic
00:17:33.96\00:17:37.34
outreaches within Christendom,
they talk about the 10/40 window
00:17:37.37\00:17:40.18
a certain segment of the world
that's influx, and has a great
00:17:40.21\00:17:43.52
opportunity, and that's
true! But to repeat my statement
00:17:44.85\00:17:47.05
before; with the collapse of
the Soviet Union, with the rapid
00:17:47.08\00:17:51.66
urbanization and democratization
of many other parts of the world
00:17:51.69\00:17:55.77
And you know, we feel in the
United States that our standard
00:17:55.80\00:17:58.87
of living is dropping, and
it might be in incremental ways,
00:17:58.88\00:18:02.60
but more importantly, much of
the world is moving up to a more
00:18:02.63\00:18:06.91
broad based-well, I hesitate
to use the word 'wealth'
00:18:06.94\00:18:12.45
because there's still poverty
on a scale most people can't
00:18:12.48\00:18:14.92
imagine, but nationally whole
people groups have come into
00:18:14.95\00:18:20.44
the 21st century, and knowledge
is increasing as Daniel said.
00:18:20.48\00:18:23.94
So this is time of flux and I
call it the time of opportunity
00:18:23.97\00:18:29.00
for evangelization and
spreading the word of God.
00:18:29.03\00:18:32.39
It's also a time of great
hazard for religious freedom.
00:18:32.42\00:18:36.46
When someone's changing and the
whole country's changing regime,
00:18:36.49\00:18:41.54
from a despotic, restrictive
regime to a more open system,
00:18:41.57\00:18:44.71
in to that vacuum move powers,
usually, we've seen the religion
00:18:44.74\00:18:50.09
that the people's had for
some hundred if not thousands
00:18:50.12\00:18:52.89
of years, and they
make a take over bid.
00:18:52.92\00:18:55.42
And I've often said, that we're
seeing our world reformulate
00:18:55.45\00:18:59.26
into not so much the
old nationalistic groupings,
00:18:59.29\00:19:04.17
certainly not empires, but
really aggregates of people,
00:19:04.20\00:19:09.60
they call themselves a
country, but it's usually from a
00:19:09.63\00:19:12.98
similar ethnic make up.
But what defines their country
00:19:13.01\00:19:16.66
is more religion then ethnicity.
00:19:16.69\00:19:18.45
We actually have some of
those countries where there's
00:19:18.48\00:19:21.95
a religious divide, religious
civil war, so the ethnicity
00:19:21.98\00:19:24.67
is not what determines
that it's the religion.
00:19:24.70\00:19:26.34
And that's not really good,
especially when we're trying to
00:19:26.37\00:19:31.61
introduce an evangelistic
outreach way, a new religious
00:19:31.64\00:19:36.27
way of thinking
into that context.
00:19:36.30\00:19:38.90
They become very protective
because their nation or their
00:19:38.93\00:19:42.34
people grouping is at threat
when you bring a new idea.
00:19:42.37\00:19:45.12
So there's great
resistance to that.
00:19:45.15\00:19:47.44
Yeah, to me on the international
level whatever happens
00:19:47.47\00:19:53.16
there's not going to be some
power that's going to force this
00:19:53.19\00:19:59.25
downward, so to speak.
There's going to be a give and
00:19:59.29\00:20:03.75
take that allows a distribution
of power, and that whatever will
00:20:03.78\00:20:08.55
be organized on the top
level will have to be at the
00:20:08.58\00:20:13.58
compromise with lower
echelons that's already.
00:20:13.61\00:20:17.47
Let me show you this in
like the book of Revelation,
00:20:17.48\00:20:19.89
It says in Revelation 14, to
be specific, the gospel is to go
00:20:19.90\00:20:25.36
to the whole world.
Every nation, kindred, tongue,
00:20:25.39\00:20:29.97
and people.
00:20:30.00\00:20:31.25
All full of divisions.
00:20:31.28\00:20:32.88
Yeah, and that means
that there isn't going to be,
00:20:32.91\00:20:36.17
well you know, if there was
to be a one world government
00:20:36.20\00:20:40.44
which I think may be something
more true in Revelation 17 and
00:20:40.47\00:20:47.09
18, that last hour it says
they rode of the beast one hour,
00:20:47.12\00:20:51.02
or something
like that may happen.
00:20:51.05\00:20:52.38
But it may not be necessarily
an absolutist global police
00:20:52.41\00:20:56.82
state it's a global collation
giving them minds over to
00:20:56.85\00:21:01.15
one purpose it says, they
give over their free will.
00:21:01.18\00:21:03.49
Satan's going to be moving
things so that people will be
00:21:03.52\00:21:07.07
forced to cooperate
by virtue of necessity.
00:21:07.08\00:21:11.35
And I think a good example of
that principle at work is this
00:21:11.38\00:21:16.30
omnibus bill that happened with
bailing out banks and things
00:21:16.33\00:21:20.55
like that. Look how much
cooperation it took to get
00:21:20.58\00:21:23.16
that bill and
all that was in it.
00:21:23.19\00:21:25.44
Are there dangers in it? Yes.
Is it going to have a long term
00:21:25.47\00:21:29.09
affect. Yes. But
we're watching it,
00:21:29.12\00:21:31.37
we're seeing it happen!
There are things at work
00:21:31.40\00:21:33.81
that we can look at one the
surface, sure there's always
00:21:33.84\00:21:36.56
things in the background
that are always going on,
00:21:36.59\00:21:39.12
but to say that, you know,
we have some inside knowledge
00:21:39.15\00:21:42.60
that nobody else
has, to me after awhile
00:21:42.63\00:21:45.40
starts to look a little foolish.
00:21:45.43\00:21:46.62
Right. And you know the
Bible speaks about sending them
00:21:46.65\00:21:49.59
a powerful delusion. I
think the situation can create
00:21:49.62\00:21:55.07
such an overwhelming compulsion
toward a certain line of action
00:21:55.10\00:21:59.87
that unless you are,
using the term again, grounded,
00:21:59.88\00:22:02.97
in biblical truth and knowledge
of who God is and what He
00:22:03.00\00:22:06.80
expects of you, you
will go along with the crowd.
00:22:06.83\00:22:08.84
Because it just seems logical.
00:22:08.87\00:22:10.03
I made a statement recently
on our message, that we included
00:22:10.06\00:22:13.99
on our promotional video,
and I keep mentioning this
00:22:14.02\00:22:15.81
because I want to remind our
viewers that Liberty Magazine,
00:22:15.84\00:22:19.33
which is behind this program,
is sending out a magazine
00:22:19.36\00:22:23.44
and we're constantly promoting
to those that receive it and
00:22:23.47\00:22:27.11
those that support it, that
we can't do it unless we have
00:22:27.14\00:22:29.47
the money. So on
that video I sent out
00:22:29.50\00:22:31.36
a message and I said
perception is a lot of the story
00:22:31.40\00:22:38.20
on this and it may be that we're
already quite into a period of
00:22:38.23\00:22:44.77
essentially persecution
against those who are faithful.
00:22:44.80\00:22:47.13
But we don't see it because
we're not situated to recognize
00:22:47.16\00:22:50.96
it for what it is. You
know, Ellen White writing to
00:22:50.99\00:22:53.42
early Adventists said
that a revival, a latter rain,
00:22:53.43\00:22:56.31
a predicted surge of religious
enthusiasm and evangelism
00:22:56.34\00:23:01.86
just before Christ's
return, she says that when that
00:23:01.89\00:23:04.60
comes it may have actually
already started and you won't
00:23:04.63\00:23:07.23
know it. Someone
in the pew next to you
00:23:07.26\00:23:09.58
will be full of
God's spirit and fired up,
00:23:09.61\00:23:12.32
but if you're not
empathetic with that,
00:23:12.35\00:23:14.67
Oh it's just another
enthusiasm. And so a perception,
00:23:14.70\00:23:18.36
your point of reference,
is everything on this.
00:23:18.39\00:23:21.27
And we have to keep grounded
because, I think it's a perfect
00:23:21.30\00:23:25.40
example, the bailout
and how the national will,
00:23:25.43\00:23:29.22
the term the politicians wanted
to use ever since the first
00:23:29.25\00:23:33.88
Gulf War-our national treasure,
can be quickly hustled away
00:23:33.91\00:23:37.96
for some grandiose foolish aim.
And sane heads wouldn't do that
00:23:37.99\00:23:44.94
if they had a
chance to think about it.
00:23:44.95\00:23:46.27
But we go with the rush.
And I really believe that we're
00:23:46.30\00:23:50.15
close to this reality twist
and we need to not go with it
00:23:50.18\00:23:57.32
but with what we know from
our Bible study and from our
00:23:57.35\00:24:01.18
spiritual connection with God.
00:24:01.21\00:24:02.74
There's another way
that we can look at this.
00:24:02.77\00:24:06.09
And that is the recent
UN resolution concerning the
00:24:06.12\00:24:12.25
defamation of religion.
And it's a religious viewpoint
00:24:12.28\00:24:16.83
or approach from
Islamic understanding
00:24:16.86\00:24:21.25
of protecting religion.
00:24:21.28\00:24:23.60
It wasn't intended to be an
Islamic statement but it became
00:24:23.63\00:24:26.50
defector statement since so many
Islamic states join together
00:24:26.51\00:24:30.83
on the resolution and so
many western states abstained.
00:24:30.86\00:24:33.61
So it was designed to project
and protect their religious
00:24:33.64\00:24:38.29
viewpoint against any dissent.
Which is most unfortunate.
00:24:38.30\00:24:41.18
Which is very contrary
to the western approach
00:24:41.21\00:24:43.57
which allows dissent and
would even allow people to say
00:24:43.60\00:24:47.48
blasphemous things
against other religions.
00:24:47.51\00:24:49.69
Christians against Christians
and their own beliefs.
00:24:49.72\00:24:51.91
Which has been
part of our history.
00:24:51.94\00:24:54.86
You can almost say
anything against anybody.
00:24:54.89\00:24:57.74
The idea of free speech
is so broad in this country
00:24:57.77\00:25:02.40
and religious free
speech is very broad.
00:25:02.43\00:25:06.77
But the point I wanted to make
is this resolution wasn't new,
00:25:06.80\00:25:11.01
this is something that's
been going on for like a decade,
00:25:11.04\00:25:13.18
all these resolutions.
It's something that's been in
00:25:13.21\00:25:16.66
discussion, it's something that,
yeah, it's operating in the
00:25:16.69\00:25:20.26
background. Is it secret? No.
00:25:20.29\00:25:21.89
It's surprising to people
because the media happens to
00:25:21.92\00:25:27.46
focus on it at that time.
I think what happens is that
00:25:27.49\00:25:31.39
we get into the idea where media
because the media doesn't focus
00:25:31.42\00:25:35.38
in on something, or their
focused on some other priority
00:25:35.41\00:25:38.75
in their thinking, that
therefore we have the right to
00:25:38.78\00:25:41.93
say what's really going
on in some other background.
00:25:41.96\00:25:44.15
You know there is some truth
to that but to begin to go back
00:25:44.18\00:25:48.69
and think we have the sufficient
ability to be able to know that
00:25:48.72\00:25:51.36
ourselves, I think we're
getting into dangerous ground.
00:25:51.39\00:25:53.41
It's a conundrum, and with much
learning there comes madness
00:25:53.44\00:25:56.46
they've said, there's too much
information for any one person
00:25:56.49\00:25:59.20
to encompass. But I
do think we need to be
00:25:59.23\00:26:02.94
a little perceptive and aware
of our reality, and as you say,
00:26:02.97\00:26:06.09
don't just rely on one
channel or secular conduit,
00:26:06.12\00:26:10.71
we need to see it in a
larger context, but above all
00:26:10.74\00:26:12.92
follow God's word
and His principles.
00:26:12.95\00:26:15.49
Yes, we're to do that
and be faithful to His word,
00:26:15.52\00:26:19.57
and His word is what will keep
us on the mark and keep reality
00:26:19.60\00:26:23.03
for what it should be.
00:26:23.06\00:26:25.37
Conspiracy theories.
There are many in our world.
00:26:26.70\00:26:29.47
You just have to go cruising
on the internet some night
00:26:29.48\00:26:31.86
and you'll find out more
then you ever wanted to know.
00:26:31.89\00:26:34.22
Course most of it not true,
but enough to lose the sleep
00:26:34.25\00:26:37.68
for that night. End
time religious scenarios
00:26:37.71\00:26:41.78
of course play very
heavily in the scenario.
00:26:41.81\00:26:44.36
I can think of no better example
to illustrate what might be
00:26:46.78\00:26:49.91
going on in someone's life who
finds their information that way
00:26:49.94\00:26:53.25
then to point you to the story
of King Saul, once God's chosen,
00:26:53.28\00:26:57.23
but a man who had
looked to his own leading,
00:26:57.26\00:26:59.30
to his own leanings, and so
affronted the prophet of God
00:26:59.31\00:27:03.12
Samuel that he said,
You will see me no more.
00:27:03.15\00:27:05.70
And here in the
twilight days of his kingship
00:27:05.73\00:27:09.91
Saul goes to a
witch, Witch of Endor,
00:27:09.92\00:27:13.99
into a cave, to find out what
the Lord had in mind for him.
00:27:14.02\00:27:18.37
But of course he was not asking
the Lord, and he should have
00:27:18.40\00:27:21.11
known that that phantasm
that he saw was not Samuel,
00:27:21.14\00:27:26.00
he should have known the truth
that lay behind that sinister
00:27:26.03\00:27:30.61
figure that was telling
him things that must be.
00:27:30.64\00:27:32.92
So it is with those, I believe,
who are inclined to conspiracy
00:27:32.95\00:27:36.84
theories. We have a
word made more sure,
00:27:36.87\00:27:39.50
God's Word, we are not to
be following these false ideas,
00:27:39.53\00:27:44.63
we are to keep our
faith, to keep our patience,
00:27:44.66\00:27:47.82
Revelation says. The
patience of the saints.
00:27:47.85\00:27:51.59
Because times are coming
that will deceive, if possible,
00:27:51.62\00:27:55.83
but not possible,
the very elect of God.
00:27:55.84\00:27:58.69
We need to keep our
faith, keep our heads,
00:27:58.72\00:28:01.17
and avoid conspiracy theories.
00:28:01.20\00:28:02.81
This is Lincoln
Steed for Liberty Insider.
00:28:05.31\00:28:08.12