When the early Christian Church first began to spread throughout the known world a question arose. What were the false Gods and idols that were worshiped by the pagans? Various theories arose to explain this. One theory simple argued, via Romans 1, the the pagans refused to accept the true God and worshiped idols and Gods of the their own foolish invention.
A second belief held that the pagan gods were Satanic, demonic beings who performed lying feats and miracles to deceive the mass of people. A third, highly intriguing notion held that the "Gods", were simply men, powerful warriors and wise shamans who legend had magnified into Great Gods and heroes. Often these towering figures were the legendary ancestors of the rulers of a land.
Looking at last months orgy of adulation of Nelson Mandela and JFK, and this months celebration of MLK.
I believe we see this phenomenon springing forth anew. The reality and the myths about these mens lives are far apart. Kennedy stumbled through four years of an ineffectual presidency only to have his legacy established by an assassins bullet.
Mandela was a thorough going Marxist who was forced into a more pragmatic position by the fall of the Soviet Union. His legacy is a crumbling South Africa whose only redeeming feature is that enough Europeans have remained to keep it from descending to the level of the rest of sub Saharan Africa.
Of the three King actually had the least accomplishment. From plagiarizing his Doctoral thesis to his personal moral decadence, to staffing his organization with committed Communist, kings entire life was a myth and a lie. His legacy is that of the welfare state with its soaring illegitimacy and crime that infest the black community. yet every year his portrait stares down Lenin-like from every wall.
Like the pagan Gods of old, the Kennedys, King, and Mandela are part of the new pantheon of the American left. Their mythology has become reality and the sad truth is banished down the memory hole.
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