Faith, Beer, and Other Things That Interest Geoff

Here's all I know about Hugo Chavez' politics: Hugo Chavez is a Communist. That alone means he's a bad man.

But is it a Christian's business to call for his assassination?

I subscribe to what is called the "just war" theory of military action. Assassination of another country's leaders is a war act. Has Hugo Chavez declared war on the United States, or has his administration perpetrated acts of war against the United States? Not that I know of. Has our Congress declared war on Venezuela? I don't think so (at least, not the last time I listened to the news on the radio).

Did Chavez steal the recent election? The whole thing sounds very fishy, even when reported by rags like Time and Newsweek. Could Hugo Chavez turn Venezuela into a launching-pad for Communist insurgency throughout the Western hemisphere, like the Sandinistas in Nicaraugua did? Yes, it's certainly possible. Should the U.S. work to undermine such a thing from happening? Absolutely. Communism is an ideology of atheism, enslavement, impoverishment, and murder.

Should someone kill Hugo Chavez before he starts trying to do that? In other words, should we kill him because he might or may very likely do something bad? No, I believe that would be murder.

Communism falls under the category of "terroristic activity" no less than Islamic militancy. We need to keep an eye on this man, and seek to deter his greed and foolishness. But Pat Robertson, as an ordained minister and representative of the Savior, needs to not say crazy things. The Apostle Peter said "Honor the king" (1 Peter 2:17), while Robertson said "Murder the king."

There is a point at which a government that exists simply to murder, pillage, and plunder should be replaced, by force if necessary. Who knows what the future foir Venezuela holds? Latin America is a breeding-ground for Communism, because the common people have suffered for generations under the heels of the corrupt, self-indulgent land-owners. Latin America was cursed by the cultural, legal, and political heritage of the Spanish Empire and its parasitic, monarchical, and mercantilist practices.

But preaching "We oughta just go over and kill Chavez, now is better than later" is a blot on the name of Christ.