Friday, September 23, 2005
Constitution Week Wrap-Up
The thing is, there is a motive to all this, “Our Founders were Christians!” I wouldn’t doubt there is an equally strong motive for denying this truth. It wouldn’t matter if these men were godly or gorillas, if it were not for intentions and from where those intentions derived! The more Christian they were, the more radically Christian were their ideas! How’s that for a no brainer? An example or two: Jefferson and Franklin, it seems confirmed, were fringe Christians. Although they had much to offer, when it came down to constitution and government development, Jefferson especially, was not on the same page. He returned from enlightened Europe with some worldview distortions!
Something that is not taught in much worldview curriculum is that when one point in your system is off…your outlook on much of life (or death) becomes distorted. This is my son’s contention, whose discussion essay I will be sharing in the future.
John Pettigrew argues here that the Christian Left and Right have equally right and wrong political views. (The comments) I am saying, a Christian cannot hold the Christian worldview and continue to lean left! What I mean is, the U.S. Constitution was written by Christian worldview purists. (They were against slavery but played politics with it so that said, let’s not go there.) Our government was developed from a Christian worldview! Obviously, there was room for disagreement, and still is. As Nancy Pearcey explained, in developing the worldview concept, there is an umbrella under which many ideas fit, all within the limits of a worldview. But as the metaphor developed, she changed it to a tent, with walls! There are political agendas that do not fit under the Big Top!
Thus, my response to John: Limited government, limited taxation, war as a means of defense and protection (justified), and laissez-faire are all totally Biblical. The Left would have oppressive rule in the name of equality and clean air at the expense of the capitalist success story. Iron fist human rights!
God clearly set His people free in order to tame the earth, cultivate it, and build a big, smoky steel mill in Pittsburgh to provide for the betterment of living. Free will was God’s choice for us. He set us free to establish His Kingdom. The part many Christians miss is the restoration to an easier lifestyle with which to enjoy God’s beautiful creation! We are mandated to work toward the New Earth. If environmental radicals existed during the Industrial Revolution, we would be picking apples from Johnny’s trees to survive!
The precarious balance between production and conservation is one of those give and take issues within the tent. All of life is about balance…do I care for my front yard garden or do I stop and care for my family, or do I worry about my fellow man for an hour on my blog?
Caring for the poor? Personal responsibility. Holding onto biblical family structure, personal as well. Societal breakdown of the Bible’s precepts of the institution of marriage moves into law and therefore governmental protection for the sake of that society. War? Is defense and protection of a nation in order when an organized mindset would sooner lop off heads (which isn’t really “lopping” at all!) and run airplanes into buildings and bomb subways at peak activity time just because ideologies collide? WE WERE ATTACKED. Western civilization based in Judeo-Christian principles is under attack. U.S. and her allies are not striking randomly at Zimbabwe and Ireland, Brazil or Taiwan! Iraq is not a random strategy! If you want to say we’re off by a bit, fine! But the targets on either side would have been direct hits, I’ll wager. Terrorist strategy is born of Middle Eastern Mohammedism. Next subject?
Will government under Jesus be communism? Will God change His free-will approach to humanity? Seems unlikely but suppose He did. At that point, His children will be able to trust Him completely. If He takes my money to give to the widow and orphan down the street, okay! If He chooses my occupation for me, okay too! Is there a man driven government that can do these things and be trusted? No, and our Constitution was developed with this in mind.
The fundamental Christian worldview Truth is the depravity of man. Our Founders knew that neither the mob, nor the government could ever be trusted in this Age. God rules. God governs with firmness, yet a free rein of choice and personal responsibility remains. Imagine we are forced into the Left’s utopia of a very green commune. Where’s the accountability in that? Can we be sanctified when it is by force? Our all-knowing God sees that we cannot. God’s creatures would never know the joy of freely giving, creating, surrendering to His will. Oppression, be it by the theft of property, overdue taxation, redistribution of wealth, stifling of free expression or worship, (the ways are innumerable) goes against a God of freedom; it steals the joy of giving, cultivating, creating, worship, and the spreading of His Gospel. Commanded by our Lord and left to our own devices, we are to serve Him with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. That cannot happen under a heavy-handed government, Christian led or not. And for all you Bush-bashing liberals, I will throw you a bone. I’m not sure our president or legislature knows that. Surely the courts do not!
Amendment VIII: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
Amendment IX: The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Amendment X: The powers not delegated to the United Stated by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Something that is not taught in much worldview curriculum is that when one point in your system is off…your outlook on much of life (or death) becomes distorted. This is my son’s contention, whose discussion essay I will be sharing in the future.
John Pettigrew argues here that the Christian Left and Right have equally right and wrong political views. (The comments) I am saying, a Christian cannot hold the Christian worldview and continue to lean left! What I mean is, the U.S. Constitution was written by Christian worldview purists. (They were against slavery but played politics with it so that said, let’s not go there.) Our government was developed from a Christian worldview! Obviously, there was room for disagreement, and still is. As Nancy Pearcey explained, in developing the worldview concept, there is an umbrella under which many ideas fit, all within the limits of a worldview. But as the metaphor developed, she changed it to a tent, with walls! There are political agendas that do not fit under the Big Top!
Thus, my response to John: Limited government, limited taxation, war as a means of defense and protection (justified), and laissez-faire are all totally Biblical. The Left would have oppressive rule in the name of equality and clean air at the expense of the capitalist success story. Iron fist human rights!
God clearly set His people free in order to tame the earth, cultivate it, and build a big, smoky steel mill in Pittsburgh to provide for the betterment of living. Free will was God’s choice for us. He set us free to establish His Kingdom. The part many Christians miss is the restoration to an easier lifestyle with which to enjoy God’s beautiful creation! We are mandated to work toward the New Earth. If environmental radicals existed during the Industrial Revolution, we would be picking apples from Johnny’s trees to survive!
The precarious balance between production and conservation is one of those give and take issues within the tent. All of life is about balance…do I care for my front yard garden or do I stop and care for my family, or do I worry about my fellow man for an hour on my blog?
Caring for the poor? Personal responsibility. Holding onto biblical family structure, personal as well. Societal breakdown of the Bible’s precepts of the institution of marriage moves into law and therefore governmental protection for the sake of that society. War? Is defense and protection of a nation in order when an organized mindset would sooner lop off heads (which isn’t really “lopping” at all!) and run airplanes into buildings and bomb subways at peak activity time just because ideologies collide? WE WERE ATTACKED. Western civilization based in Judeo-Christian principles is under attack. U.S. and her allies are not striking randomly at Zimbabwe and Ireland, Brazil or Taiwan! Iraq is not a random strategy! If you want to say we’re off by a bit, fine! But the targets on either side would have been direct hits, I’ll wager. Terrorist strategy is born of Middle Eastern Mohammedism. Next subject?
Will government under Jesus be communism? Will God change His free-will approach to humanity? Seems unlikely but suppose He did. At that point, His children will be able to trust Him completely. If He takes my money to give to the widow and orphan down the street, okay! If He chooses my occupation for me, okay too! Is there a man driven government that can do these things and be trusted? No, and our Constitution was developed with this in mind.
The fundamental Christian worldview Truth is the depravity of man. Our Founders knew that neither the mob, nor the government could ever be trusted in this Age. God rules. God governs with firmness, yet a free rein of choice and personal responsibility remains. Imagine we are forced into the Left’s utopia of a very green commune. Where’s the accountability in that? Can we be sanctified when it is by force? Our all-knowing God sees that we cannot. God’s creatures would never know the joy of freely giving, creating, surrendering to His will. Oppression, be it by the theft of property, overdue taxation, redistribution of wealth, stifling of free expression or worship, (the ways are innumerable) goes against a God of freedom; it steals the joy of giving, cultivating, creating, worship, and the spreading of His Gospel. Commanded by our Lord and left to our own devices, we are to serve Him with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. That cannot happen under a heavy-handed government, Christian led or not. And for all you Bush-bashing liberals, I will throw you a bone. I’m not sure our president or legislature knows that. Surely the courts do not!
Amendment VIII: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
Amendment IX: The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Amendment X: The powers not delegated to the United Stated by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
