Understanding Preparedness - Loss of Comforts of Civilization

Sweden recently issued a "Prepare for War" booklet to all Swedish households.  In it, they ask the rhetorical question What would you do if your everyday life was turned upside down? They go on to say "In just a short time, your everyday life can become problematic." 

Problematic? Really? For the scenario the Swedes seemed concerned with, a civilization-altering world war possibly including the use of nukes, problematic doesn't even begin to describe it. Try "your everyday life as you have known it will become impossible."

This goes not only for a possible nuclear war, but for other widespread disasters, including natural disasters (plagues, super-volcanoes, CMEs, etc) and man-made disasters (widespread civil unrest, attempted coups, civil war, economic collapse, etc.). Life as we currently know it could change drastically and suddenly.

Results of a Major Disaster

A major  disaster usually will result in the temporary or permanent loss of many of the “comforts of civilization” we are used to enjoying. Comforts of civilization are those things that are provided to us by modern civilization that we take for granted. So much so that we don't even consider them comforts or luxuries anymore, but rather basic necessities. It would be difficult for most modern people to provide most of these things for themselves, especially without learning new skills, having access to stockpiles of tools and supplies, and preparing well in advance for their loss.

These comforts of civilization we would likely lose include:

• Readily available running water that is safe to drink.
• Readily available food from stores and restaurants.
• “Flush and forget” human waste disposal.
• Modern medicine and health care.
• Readily available electricity for lighting, heating, cooling, cooking and hot water.
• Readily available natural gas for heating, cooking and hot water.
• Readily available fuel for cars, trucks, tractors and planes.
• Public transportation (trains, buses, subways, taxis, etc.).
• Instant long distance communication (phones, email, etc.).
• Ready access to education (schools) and knowledge (libraries, the Internet, etc).
• Ready access to emergency services such as fire, police, and paramedics.
• Most modern luxuries (television, IPods, mobile phones, computers & the Internet, etc.).
• An economic support infrastructure (electronic funds transfers, shipping & delivery, etc.).
• Ability to spend money without having it (credit cards, mortgages, installment plans, etc.)

Disasters can also lead to the loss of certain fundamental (inalienable) rights. This loss would, of course, be both immoral and illegal, but may occur because of the imposition of political correctness, a police state, martial law, or even the development or imposition of a dictatorship. The rights which may be lost include:

• Loss of Privacy.
• Loss of Freedom of Speech.
• Loss of Freedom of Religion.
• Loss of Freedom of the Press.
• Loss of Free Assembly.
• Loss of Freedom of Movement.
• Loss of Self-Defense Rights.
• Loss of Due Process.
• Loss of Parental Rights.
• Removal of children from your home.
• Confiscation of land, firearms, knives, personal property, or even your stored food, water, and other supplies.

Understanding what a major disaster will likely entail will help us to better plan for such frightening scenarios. Ask yourself questions about how you could realistically handle the loss of these comforts of civilization and even these basic rights.

Detailed planning, rather than hit-or-miss stockpiling of food, guns, and other stuff,  takes time and effort, but will go a long way towards ensuring the survival of you and your family & community.

***You might also be interested in my article Sweden Distributes ‘Prepare for War’ Booklet to All Swedes - Here's What It Advises
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Precepts of Scriptural Survivalism

I use a notebook to plan out my prepepr and survivalism activities. This is the first pages of that notebook, the foundation upon which everything else rests. The Bible actually says a lot about preparedness, both spiritual and physical. In these precepts I attempt to summarize those teachings.

Precepts of Scriptural Preparedness

1- In all things, God first and foremost. Our relationship with God is by far the most important preparation we can make. Everything we say, do, or even think should rest on, or point the way to, that relationship with God. God is our first priority.

2- Follow God's ways; Reject worldly ways. It isn't about survival at all costs, but rather about following God in the ways He would have us follow Him. This means living by God's Commandments and teachings, not by the current (and constantly shifting) worldly ways. We are to actively reject political correctness, popular opinions, modern "societal norms," secular wisdom, and even legal and governmental authority when those are opposed to God's Word. There is no compromising with the modern world for God's people. We are to live to please God, not man.

3- Agrarianism is God's intent for His people. Humans were originally designed by God to live in and tend to the Garden of Eden. Later, after the Fall, we were commanded by God to till the soil and to raise our own food. Throughout the Bible, there are numerous examples of God telling His followers to avoid large cities (a Worldly invention), to live in the mountains and other rural areas, and to basically be "simple country folk" (in my words). Biblical agrarianism doesn't  mean everyone must be a farmer or homesteader - after all, there are plenty of support functions that must be done - but that as God's people, our lives/culture/economy/civilization should reflect the primary importance of agriculture.

[Tim's Note: I am aware of others using the term "Biblical Agrarianism." For the sake of clarity, I am not a part of that group and am not familiar with all their teachings. My use of that term is coincidental, and is limited to what I have written here.]

4- Hard Work is Good. In fact, hard work is ordained by God. His example of Creation, six days of work and one day of rest, is the template we are to follow. 

5- Preparedness & Self-Reliance are Biblical concepts. Not only is physical preparedness allowed, it is in fact commanded by God. Multiple times in Proverbs (6:6-8 for just one example), God points us to the industrious ant's example, who constantly prepares for the future. In Galatians 6:1-5, Paul teaches that we are to both help one another AND to not be a burden to others (self-reliance).

A host of other verses could be quoted also, including Proverbs 27:12 (its prudent to prepare), Genesis 6:21 (food storage), Genesis 41:47-57 (food storage), Exodus 22:2 (self-defense), Psalm 144:1(self-defense training!), Proverbs 21:20 (store food & oil), Proverbs 22:7 (avoid debt), 1 Corinthians 16:13 (stay alert, be brave, be strong), Luke 22:36 (self-defense), 1 Timothy 5:8 (provide for yourself and your family), 1 Thessalonians 5:6 (stay alert, situational awareness), Hebrews 11:7 (points to Noah's example of preparedness to save his family), and Matthew 25:1-13 (the wisdom of the five prepared virgins compared to the foolishness of the five ill-prepared virgins).

6- All human life is valuable. All human life is created in the image of God. All human life belongs to God, not man. Murder, which is biblically-defined as the taking of innocent human life (intentionally or through negligence), is forbidden by God. 

7- Self-defense is allowed by God. God has granted us the right to kill in defense of ourselves or others, and in a few other very limited circumstances.  However, we are never permitted to kill for revenge or out of a sense of vengeance. 

8- There is but one race - the human race. All humans, regardless of the shade of their skin, belong to the same family, the same race - the human race. All people are descended from Adam and Eve, and later through Noah and his wife. There are ethnic and cultural differences that have developed over the centuries, of course, but there are no racial differences. Racism is a worldly (Satanic) concept.

9- The traditional family unit is the building block of civilization. This includes traditional monogamous marriage,  traditional gender roles, sex only within marriage, honoring your father and mother, etc.

10- Our Rights come from God, not from Government, or even by majority vote. Therefore, no government, nor any voting majority no matter how big, may take away any of those God-given Rights.

11-Debt is slavery. "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender." -- Proverbs 22:7

12- Remember the Golden Rule. In Matthew 7:12, Jesus teaches "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Common decency should definitely be a part of our everyday lives, including in the area of preparedness. We are to help one another, according to our abilities to do so. We are even to defend the poor and defenseless (Psalm 82:3) to the extent that we can (God never expects more from us than we are able to give). 
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