Who is Guarding
the San Bernardino Strait???
This piece below on the battle of
Leyte Gulf from Ray Moore must
be read. (See also short piece on Captain
Oliver Perry.) Moore is involved in the
education battle, getting children out of government-run schools. And he
is right -- getting government out of education is the single most important
systemic change which we can accomplish in America for the restoration
of Biblical faith. Government schooling has been the means by which the
minds of every generation since the 1850's has been seriously eroded
spiritually, morally, and intellectually.
However, I have chosen to
concentrate on the homosexual issue for the last several years because that is
the current leading edge of their wedge by which they seek to split asunder
Biblical civilization (or what is left of it). Government schooling is
the primary sluiceway which they use to control the minds of our people.
But the cutting edge of the wedge is (for now) sex, and specifically,
homosexuality. A victory on this front would send shock waves
through the revisionist establishment, and would greatly help in the promotion
of non-government schooling.
A small force of dedicated, honest, reasonable people could turn
around the growing juggernaut of of homosexual advocacy (as per the naval
battle below). If we are brave all across the battlefield but not where the
enemy is attacking, we are still cowards. But this is
a very winnable battle.
The homosexual juggernaut has one fatal weak spot, its own
behavior. Yet that is an issue never yet discussed in public, with
truth and grace. A small contingent of dedicated Godly truth-speakers, with
reason, gentleness, and courtesy, could change the face of America. (See
strategy page.)
Will the Lord find, anywhere among our so-called conservative
leadership, a band who are willing.? The same children are at risk, and for
the same reasons, to whom Moore points on education issues. Where are their
defenders?
Yes, there are the many "other more important underlying" issues.
There is the authority of Scripture, there is the overturning of 3000 years of
Biblical tradition, and many more very good issues which need to be
addressed. But the enemy is quite capable of talking all around those good
issues, and has been doing so for decades. There is only one issue they
cannot talk around -- behavior.
At the time of Dunkirk in 1940(41?), it might have
been said that the British did not need to fight the Nazis, and that such
would turn the relationship to Germany in to a "one-issue" event. Is all
they needed was to have lots of courses on how to be a good British citizen.
But the Nazis were at Dunkirk, ready to destroy the remaining British army.
As Moore points out below, our children are very much at
risk. About 80% of Christian children come to believe that their parents are
not worthy spiritual guides, and leave the Christian faith by the time they
are out of the house and on their own. 80%. That is largely because they do
not see their Christian parents responding in any substantial way to the
challenges facing them.
The homosexualist challenge is right in our face.
And our conservative leadership is not conserving much. Episcopal leadership,
for all practical purposes, gave away the Episcopal Church because they would
not confront the vulnerable issue -- behavior.
A small fleet of destroyers and carriers could turn the enemy
back.
by E. Ray Moore, Jr., Th.M. (*)
Recently I had occasion to read a riveting account of
the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Though largely forgotten except by military
historians and aging World War II veterans, it was the greatest naval battle
in U.S. history, perhaps in world history. It resulted from a high stakes
gamble by the Japanese, one that almost succeeded, thanks to the temporary
lapses of two of the Navy's best fighting admirals. A military disaster of,
great magnitude was prevented only by the heroism of a handful of U.S.
skippers who saw the sudden danger and knew what had to be done, even though
it meant confronting the might of the Japanese navy outnumbered and outgunned.
They sailed into harm's way with little hope of surviving because they knew
the price of inaction or retreat was far greater than losing their own lives
and their ships. I was struck not just by the heroism that saved the day for
the Americans, but also by the series of decisions and errors on both sides
that culminated in this extraordinary climax. I saw inescapable parallels
between the errors of those long-ago naval commanders and the priorities of
major Christian leaders of today as they attempt to wage the 'culture war'
that is dividing our nation and steadily eroding its moral and spiritual
foundations.
In October 1944 General Douglas MacArthur began to
redeem his promise to the people of Philippines, "I shall return." The
campaign to liberate the Philippines opened with the invasion of the island of
Leyte by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. But after a long string of defeats
the Japanese had decided to throw virtually all their naval forces into a
decisive battle when the Americans attempted to retake the Philippines. They
set in motion an immense operation, including a clever plan to lure Admiral
"Bull" Halsey's main task force away from the invasion site in Leyte Gulf.
Sending a small fleet to the north near Luzon, they induced Halsey to follow
and drew him away from the landings.
A divided sphere of command compounded Halsey's mistake
in taking the Japanese "bait." Admiral Thomas Kinkaid was responsible for
protecting the American landings by guarding Suriago Strait, the southern
entrance to Leyte Gulf. Admiral Halsey was responsible for the northern
entrance, a passage called the San Bernardino Strait. But he was days away in
the north, pursuing the Japanese diversion near Luzon. The divided command led
to a communications failure. Kinkaid and Halsey each assumed the other was
guarding the vital northern entrance to Leyte Gulf and the vulnerable landing
beaches. This confusion led to Kinkaid's famous message to Halsey, "Who is
guarding the San Bernardino Strait?"
On the morning of October 25, 1944 the main Japanese
fleet under Admiral Kurita suddenly emerged in Leyte Gulf from the San
Bernardino Strait and found no significant American opposition covering the
exposed landing beaches. Kurita turned due south and steamed directly toward
Leyte, where thousands of American soldiers and marines, along with unarmed
transport and supply vessels, now lay unguarded by any heavy U.S. surface
units. The only thing between the Japanese and the landing area was a
surprised and considerably weaker screen of American destroyers, destroyer
escorts, and small carriers, now suddenly facing the superior might of a
Japanese fleet of battleships and cruisers.
It should have been no contest. No one had been guarding the San Bernardino
Strait and the remaining American ships, smaller and fewer in number than the
oncoming enemy, could hardly hope to take on a major Japanese fleet and
prevent disaster. But that is exactly what they did. Realizing the gravity of
the moment and heedless of their own peril, the smaller American force
immediately went into a full scale attack against the vastly superior
Japanese. Their unexpected heroism, akin to a cavalry charge at sea, along
with the unlikely scenario that the San Bernardino Strait would have been left
so unguarded, fooled the Japanese into thinking they faced a greater force and
had blundered into a trap. After a brisk battle which inflicted severe losses
on the weak American screen, the Japanese veered off to the east and away from
our troops at Leyte Gulf, thereby sparing the landing forces from destruction.
Many military historians feel that this was the greatest moment in American
naval history, an unlikely victory against incredible odds. The largest naval
battle in history had been decided by the aggressive action of the smaller
destroyers against Japanese battleships and cruisers. Naval historian Thomas
Cutler says, "What the men in those ships did on that October morning deserves
to be the focal point of the nation's naval heritage...Commander Ernest Evans
received the Medal of Honor, posthumously, for his incredible courage while
taking his destroyer Johnston "in harm's way." ( THE BATTLE OF LEYTE GULF, p.
297).
Admirals Kinkaid and Halsey were by no means military incompetents.
Halsey in fact is rightly regarded as one of America's outstanding leaders in
World War II. Yet their combined strategic errors and failure to coordinate
their actions almost led to a serious defeat of American forces in Leyte Gulf.
So it is with many of our larger Christian ministries that are involved in the
cultural and spiritual war for the soul of the country. Christians have split
commands. Our major ministry leaders seldom talk to one another or coordinate
their efforts. Sometimes they act as competitors rather than allies or
brethren. Frequently they choose battles they cannot win and even if won,
would not seriously change the spiritual culture of the nation. Our ministries
concentrate on remediation, not prevention. Even the struggle against abortion
and homosexuality, important as they may be, are struggles against the
symptoms of a Christ-rejecting culture.
Our best ministries are chasing diversions instead of addressing root
causes. They concern themselves with boycotts of Disney World or K-Mart,
leaving the San Bernardino Strait unguarded and thus exposing the children of
America to mortal danger by not developing a serious plan to meet the rising
danger of the GOALS 2000 agenda. During the heat of battle Kinkaid and Halsey
misjudged the intentions of their enemies and were tricked into making serious
strategic errors that nearly cost them victory. The same thing is happening in
today's spiritual warfare. Many of our major ministry leaders are off in
pursuit of lesser enemies while a major enemy force, the liberal humanist
left, is coming down on the exposed children of America with the GOALS 2000
agenda. The children are protected by only a few Christian school and
home-school associations, teachers, parents, and their conservative education
allies. Like those few American destroyers, this small force is all that is
left to face the leviathan government school system, the liberal educational
establishment, and their allies in both political parties. These brave few are
charging into the teeth of the enemy while many of our best Christian
ministries and denominations either remain unaware of the gravity of GOALS
2000 or are unwilling to face the problem head-on with a realistic plan that
has some possibility of success. They are pursing diversions and leaving the
most vital battle areas unprotected.
I believe no part of today's struggle for the heart and soul of our
civilization equals the importance of the struggle for the Christian education
of our children. But it is difficult to convince Christian leaders and pastors
of the imminent danger that GOALS 2000 represents to their children. Some will
not take the time to study this issue and become informed, for to do so might
compel them to leave their comfort zone. Too many pastors seem content to
allow the liberal humanists to indoctrinate their children during the week
while they urge their members to engage in peripheral battles on Sundays. But
those who understand the absolute necessity of the Christian community's
recommitting itself to Christian education have no choice but to take on the
battleships and heavy cruisers of the liberal humanist establishment. Someone
must go into harm's way and wage a brisk and vigorous battle for the children
as never before. This is the only battle that counts now, and we are now at
the decisive moment in that battle.
Church leaders and pastors must understand the need to return to the
crucial battlefield and guard the most vulnerable members of our families and
communities by providing a Christian education for the children. It is simply
not possible to save the public school system. Instead we must come out of
that corrupt system, just as the children of Israel left Egypt for the
Promised Land. The destructive effects of the GOALS 2000 agenda will only grow
worse, but we can at least rescue some of the teachers and children if our
major ministry and denominational leaders will engage in this crucial battle
while there is still time. But they must stop chasing diversions, fighting
symptoms, or engaging in lesser battles which may not impact the spiritual
struggle for the soul of America. They must commit some of their energy,
resources and personnel to the only plan that can change the tide of battle
today, the Christian education of our children, in a renewed bona-fide Bible
based school system.
=======================================
© 1997 E. Ray Moore, Jr.
(*) Rev. E. Ray Moore, Jr. is Founder of the Exodus Mandate Project.
This article may be reproduced as long as the copyright remains with the
article.
Go to: =>
1 page Strategy for
winning the homosexuality battle.
* * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
Go to: =>
TOP Page; =>
Homosexuality Library; =>
Education Library; => US
History Library; =>
ROAD MAP