If those in power are truly the “greatest among us,” as both they and their followers insist, perhaps it’s time they acted like it and served, rather than operate as pragmatists as former Harvard law professor Harold J. Berman noted, “In the twentieth century, for the first time, religion has become largely a private affair, while law has become largely a matter of practical expediency.”[i]
Such idolatry, however, will only lead mankind into ruin because the purpose for civil leadership found in Scripture (Romans 13:1-5) is the only foundation that will provide what men and women insist they want: safety and freedom. Scripture is equally pointed regarding leadership in Matthew 20:25-28 when Christ described the path to that leadership:
Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
With those words Christ set before all mankind the purpose and goal of leadership of any type: service and blessing rather than regulation, coercion and the endless taxation to pay for it. Yet, in the name of “democracy” – regulation of free speech on social media platforms aside – neither side of the voting public appears to want to ask hard questions about what “their elected officials” are doing while in office. In a strange state of ideological self-hypnosis, American citizens believe tomorrow will be as good as yesterday and as long as we ignore what frightens us, it will go away. Our Lord, I fear, views it differently (Psalm 2).
Intellectual Schizophrenia?
Nothing points out more the intellectual schizophrenia of the average American than the pre-elections blather of the Democratic Party and their followers. Repeatedly the nation was subjected to admonitions and warnings that if the deadly “Red Wave” of the Republican Party came to be – the dreaded “Orange Man” would return in two years! He will destroy democracy and bring about a Fascist government that will imprison us all, take away our freedom and destroy the rule of law, according to Bill Maher.[ii] Yet, our democratic governors, mayors and other such politicos have applied and attempted to apply some of the most draconian measures of social engineering[iii] ever imaged on the western side of the Atlantic Ocean[iv] (which may explain why so many citizens of said “democratic” Democrat run cities and states began leaving these locales in 2020).[v] The common man or woman has been reduced to waiting on the whims of those in power all the while voting in such a fashion that guarantees the very type of government that they insist that they do not want: Statist.[vi]
The consensus is that Republicans would have set up a police state and that’s why it is good that the Democrats control the White House and Senate. After all, and as current President Joe Biden made clear, “Republicans are anti-law…and have no respect for the Constitution.”[vii] Evidently Mr. Biden missed the fact that fellow Democrat and current governor of Illinois, billionaire J.B. Pritzker has set in place Safe-T-Act that will go into effect on January 1st, 2023. A law that will effectively allow criminals out of jail without bail in the name of economic “Fairness.”[viii] Governor Pritzker has also passed a law that will include “inclusive” language for the LBGTQ curriculum coming to Illinois public schools soon.[ix]
Granted, freedom, similar to beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Nonetheless it is ironic that the political party that insists it stands for the common man, not to mention common sense, is the one that essentially has enshrined state control over more and more of our lives. Similar to the Romans of old, our modern statist flunkies bat not an eye when inflating the currency into the stratosphere, raising taxes to pay for endless welfare – warfare programs,[x] or more insidiously demanding the right of women to abort babies all the while insisting that prisoners should be allowed out of Jail.[xi] All of which was done in the name of preserving Democracy and freedom for the taxpaying citizen who once again have voted Democrats in place in spite of the promised hiring of 85,000+ armed IRS agents to ensure compliance.[xii] Why complain? (Galatians 6:7).
Then again, who can blame the average American for voting that way? One look at the chaos within the Republican Party[xiii] and there is little to inspire courage and commitment on the part of conservative citizens to a party loaded with big government politicians, phony conservatives,[xiv] and life-long politicians. Former President Trump himself and his endless schoolyard taunts, finger pointing and insistence that no one can be a better president[xv] than him leads one to wonder if “the opposition” (Democrat or Republican) is correct and perhaps we would be better without him.[xvi]
Granted, we should be grateful for the three Supreme Court Justices that made the bench during Trump’s time in office. But due to the Covid Shutdowns – we will never know what he could or would have done so it becomes a moot point.[xvii] Insisting that the Republicans would lower taxes and restart the oil spigots does little to help the average man or woman in America if the currency is inflated to only Trump levels not to mention if the money is used to fight foreign wars[xviii] in Central Asia and Eastern Europe that cost American lives and money and bring us nothing in return as far as freedom and prosperity for all. The country is split with no plans of uniting about anything.[xix] Should the Orange Man return in 2024 one senses we would end up with a civil war once again.[xx]
The question all Americans citizens should begin asking is: Where to from here?
The Future Will Be
Scripture is full of wisdom from above and the following verse from Proverbs 29:18 is no exception:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
Modern society with its humanistic commitment to democracy as a basis for all things believes ideas are all subjective and have no consequences, especially religious ideas. Indeed, many in the Church would strongly agree on this matter preferring the secular point of view commonly called “the separation of church and state.” In response to any questioning about their beliefs, they have insisted that the Bible is not a political manual, nor was the apostle Paul a good politician. They are correct in these assertions.
However, if the discussion ends with that statement and no further consideration takes place, the reality of excluding the King of the universe from all economic, political and social consideration is foolhardy (Galatians 6:7). For although the Bible is not a political manual, the principles and laws contained within it not only instruct us on the goal of humanity (Genesis 1:26-28), but equally how humanity is to be ordered while on earth by those in authority (Romans 13:3-4). Indeed, Paul was no politician, but he knew both Jewish law and Roman law well and both referred to and used them (Acts 23:3; Acts 25:10-12). Christians likewise should know the law, both God’s law (Romans 7:12) and Constitutional law so that they can defend themselves and their freedom from both betrayal by those in power and tyranny that will most likely ensue. Equally, they should apply this knowledge to real world problems and be willing to stand and speak the truth about the lawlessness of our leaders (Isaiah 59:19) or face the consequences (Ezekiel 33:1-11; I Peter 4:17).
We at Christian Liberty Homeschools offer our curriculum and books that deal with the issues of civil government and the biblical perspective on leadership that future leaders – your children – should begin reading, considering, and praying about in their personal devotions. Our curriculum will teach your kids about Christ, to be servant leaders like Christ, at home and in the public square, AND how to identify fraudulent leaders who exist only to be served, not to serve (Proverbs 16:12).
We also encourage our homeschooling families to recall the words of Jeremiah and his vision on how to live during difficult times as we prepare and work and pray for a brighter future (29:5-7).
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[i] Harold J. Berman, Law and Revolution, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1983),p. vi.
[ii]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKVBvooZ2c8 Vulgarity warning in the first 60 seconds.
[iii] https://mises.org/wire/ongoing-covid-deceptions-how-ruling-elites-lied-about-masks-and-mask-mandates
[iv]https://blog.acton.org/archives/123848-progressives-remember-covid-but-refuse-to-learn-from-it.html
[v]https://mises.org/wire/california-illinois-and-new-york-keep-losing-people-other-states
See also:https://mises.org/wire/economic-progress-and-economic-decay-north-versus-south
[vi]https://mises.org/library/pandemic-over-feds-arent-giving-their-emergency-powers
[xi] Under Roman law, the parent was the source and lord of life. The father could abort the child, or kill it after birth. The power to abort, and the power to kill, go hand in hand, whether in parental or in state hands. When one is claimed, the other is soon claimed also. To restore abortion as a legal right is to restore judicial or parental murder. It is significant that, as innocent victims are killed, and capital punishment is withheld from their murderers, the same men who plead for the murderer’s life also demand the “right” to abortion…the thesis is, condemn the innocent and free the guilty. R.J. Rushdoony, Institutes of Biblical Law, (Nutley, N.J. Craig Press, 1973),p. 186.
[xii]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF1TJFaPrII
[xiii] https://www.takimag.com/article/midterm-for-the-worse-part-iii-disjoin-or-die/
[xiv]https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/20/politics/gop-senators-same-sex-marriage/index.html See also:https://www.portman.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-move-forward-bipartisan-respect-marriage-act-protections-religious
[xvi] https://mises.org/power-market/midterm-lesson-unserious-people-cant-stop-left
[xvii]https://blog.acton.org/archives/117405-four-years-later-are-the-deplorables-better-off.html
[xviii]https://mises.org/wire/economist-examines-us-foreign-policy-and-finds-it-wanting
[xix]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPPHjop56ho
[xx]https://www.lewrockwell.com/2022/12/no_author/the-oncoming-second-american-civil-war/