Gary DeMar
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Gary DeMar is an American writer, lecturer and the president of American Vision, an American Christian nonprofit organization. The think-tank has a vision of "an America that recognizes the sovereignty of God over all of life and where Christians are engaged in every facet of society." [1]
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[edit] Family life and education
DeMar resides in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife Carol. They have two grown sons. DeMar is a member of Midway Presbyterian Church, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America. DeMar graduated from Western Michigan University in 1973 and earned a M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary in 1979. [2]
[edit] Career
DeMar began working at American Vision in 1981 as a research analyst. In 1986 he became the president of the organization. DeMar is the author of 23 books. including the three-volume God and Government series (1982-86), Ruler of the Nations (1987, 2002), The Reduction of Christianity (1988), Surviving College Successfully (1988), Something Greater Is Here (1988), You’ve Heard It Said (1991), America’s Christian History: The Untold Story (1993), War of the Worldviews (1994), Last Days Madness (4th ed., 1999), Is Jesus Coming Soon? (1999), Thinking Straight in a Crooked World (2001), End Times Fiction: A Biblical Consideration of the Left Behind Theology (2001), The Changing Face of Islam in History and Prophecy (2002), and America’s Heritage (2002). He is also the general editor and co-author of A New World in View (1996) and Reformation to Colonization (1997), the first two volumes in the To Pledge Allegiance history textbook series. [2]
Beginning on June 3, 2006, DeMar began hosting "The Gary DeMar Show," a radio program airing live from Atlanta, every Saturday at noon EST.[1]
[edit] Ruler of the Nations
In the Foreword to DeMar's book Ruler of the Nations, John Whitehead notes that the book "presents a clear and well-substantiated description of the three types of government established by God-the family, the church, and the civil government-each given its own specific and limited jurisdiction." [3] In the Editor's Introduction, Gary North points out DeMar's description of "an intellectual war going on, a war between two rival views of God, man, law and society." North says that the "book has made the meaning of theocracy clear." [4]
In the chapter titled Reconstructing Civil Government, DeMar states,
All government requites a reference point. If God is to be pleased by men, the Bible must become the foundation of all their governments, including civil government. This means that Biblical law must be made the foundation of all righteous judgment in every government: personal (self government), ecclesiastical, familial, and civil.[5]
[edit] Religious and political view
DeMar states in an article on the American Vision web site, "Darwinism has secularized everything in America, including our understanding of the Constitution." [6]
American Vision promotes the idea "that the world is not ending tomorrow and that Christ’s Kingdom will be victorious on the earth." AV connects the writing's of the founders of America with the organization's vision of contemporary America, "In the New England Confederation of 1643, the Pilgrims stated: “[W]e all came to these parts of America, with one and the same end and aim, namely, to advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [7]
DeMar is a proponent of Partial Preterism. DeMar has said he’d execute gays only if they were caught indulging in sodomy. [2]
A Media Matters (a liberal orgainization) article from February 14, 2006 describes DeMar as "a leading promoter of an extremist theology called Christian Reconstructionism, also known as Theocratic Dominionism." and states that "DeMar has advocated the installation of a theocratic government in the United States in which abortion doctors would be executed."
[edit] References
- ^ from American Vision's About Us page.American Vision web site URL accessed 05/10/2006
- ^ a b from Gary DeMar President of American Vision page. American Vision web site URL accessed 05/10/2006
- ^ DeMar, Gary (1987). “Foreword”, Gary North: Ruler of the Nations. Ft. Worth, Texas: Dominion Press, xix. 0-930462-19-x.
- ^ DeMar, Gary (1987). “Introduction”, Gary North: Ruler of the Nations. Ft. Worth, Texas: Dominion Press, x, xv. 0-930462-19-x.
- ^ DeMar, Gary (1987). “Reconstrucing Civil Government”, Gary North: Ruler of the Nations. Ft. Worth, Texas: Dominion Press, 207. 0-930462-19-x.
- ^ DeMar, Gary. "The Constitution is No More", American Vision, 11/03/2005. Retrieved on 05/12/2006.
- ^ from American Vision's How You Can Restore America page.American Vision web site URL accessed 05/10/2006
