Dear Editor,

Victor Davis Hanson, Professor Emeritus of the Classics at California State University & Senior Fellow in military history and classics at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, recently published The End of Everything–How Wars Descend into Annihilation using the cities of Thebes, Carthage, Constantinople & Tenochtitlan to illustrate the horrific end of each.

Hanson then discusses the present nuclear threats posed by various countries through-out the world. He points out the looming dangers in Ukraine, Taiwan, & Iran that complement his 12/1/2022 essay on the current ten policies that could collapse the United States.

It should be noted that this nation was founded upon three pillars as sanctioned by the Supreme Judge of the world (Jn 5:22, RSV): The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, & Free Enterprise that uphold the religious, political, economic & social relationships in God’s “Paradigm & Crucible of Freedom & Uniqueness”.

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 declared that “Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.” with “religion” being “the authority or authorities one consults to define & answer questions of ultimate importance.”

Besides the religious statements in The Declaration of Independence, the Founders’ belief that The Constitution was a miracle from God (Mt 21:43) was complemented by Vice President John Adams’ statement that “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Adams anticipated Hanson’s closing words “… they will hope that even their own defeat cannot possibly entail the end of everything.” p.287

George Orwell prefaced his Nineteen Eighty-Four novel published on June 8, 1949 with the warning that, ” The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who seek it.”-Mt 7:7-11, Lk 2:40, 52, Jn 15:25

Not since Golgotha when the Godhead in the body of Jesus the Christ endured the judgement of us sinners will inventor Nikola Tesla’s prophecy be so dramatically portrayed, “You may live to see man-made horrors beyond your comprehension.”- Jn 19:1-19, Mt 27:46, 24:22, 34-36

These gentlemen underscore the devastating consequences of misinterpreting history as Jesus the Christ proclaimed in Jn 10:9-10: “I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Presently, thieves abound in the darkness enveloping the world–“For many, of whom I have often told you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”(Phil 3:18-19)–while the Godhead’s Great Salvation remains at hand.-Heb 2:9-18, 1-4

William M. Yavelak

Belmont