Os Guinness
Os Guinness
Os Guinnessis an English author and social critic...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionAuthor
Date of Birth30 September 1941
CountryIreland
america obviously simplistic view
I'm obviously not an advocate of Christian America or a simplistic view of America as 'a city on a hill.'
errors views opposites
As soon as we ask what faith is and what sort of mistreatment of faith causes doubt, we are led to the first major misconception about doubt-the idea that doubt is always wrong because it is the opposite of faith and the same thing as unbelief. What this error leads to is a view of faith that is unrealistic and a view of doubt that is unfair.
reality views doubt
What has happened to create this doubt is that a problem (such as a deep conflict or a bad experience) has been allowed to usurp God's place and become the controlling principle of life. Instead of viewing the problem from the vantage point of faith, the doubter views faith from the vantage point of the problem. Instead of faith sizing up the problem, the situation ends with the problem scaling down faith. The world of faith is upside down, and in the topsy-turvy reality of doubt, a problem has become god and God has become a problem.
confused thinking views
American views today are weak, confused, and divided. On one side, many progressive liberals still think that we humans are essentially good and getting better and better. On the other side, many postmoderns actually think it is worse to judge evil than to do evil. And in the middle, many ordinary folk plaster life with rainbows and smile buttons and wander through life on the basis of sentiment and clichés.
becomes creed door next point saying
At that point the creed becomes a way of saying what the infidel next door believes, too.
aim influence reach truly
The aim is to truly reach the gatekeepers, those who are astride the doorways of influence and power,
days lost republic since soon unifying
The American 'unum' has been lost since the Sixties. If this continues, there will soon be no unifying American identity and vision to balance the 'pluribus,' and the days of the Republic will be numbered.
brilliant daring possible society stay understand
As I understand the American Founders, the most brilliant and daring idea they had was that it's possible to create a free society that could stay free forever.
citizens depending good government honest lots people worked
There are lots of people depending on the government who are good, honest citizens who have worked all their lives.
class few gone known large middle people poor relatively wealthy
American democracy in the past has always been known for its large middle class and its relatively few very wealthy people and very few very poor people, but that is gone to today and the middle class is shrinking.
anyone conscience fought freedom lived prize
I have lived under totalitarian Communism, so I prize freedom as much as anyone and have long fought for freedom of conscience and speech.
lectures quarrel
I give lectures on globalization. I have lived on three continents. I have no quarrel with a global consciousness.
america assess common health looking love loves military nation question research says size strength throw understand weight
Augustine says that you don't understand a nation by the throw weight of its military or the strength of its research universities or the size of its population, but by looking at what it loves in common. To assess a nation, you look at the health and strength of its ideals. And there's no question that the common love in America is freedom.
family freedom future ours pass precious
Like a precious family heirloom, freedom is not just ours to enjoy, but to treasure, protect, and pass on to future generations.