Posing as a Priest

We are becoming a nation of people, who are historically, economically, and theologically illiterate. Many people believe that history began the day they were born. Therefore many have no frame of reference or historical perspective to make informed and wise decisions regarding our nation. I posted the stats in my previous blog, When Mass Ignorance Votes.

So in a well meaning and emotional response to the pain in the world, we toss out thousands of years of time tested history, and quickly embrace well spoken "new ideas." These "new" ideas have the power to destroy a great nation.

This same segment of society, many times, sees Christianity and the church as a band of angry moral bullies, which sadly is sometimes the case, so they reject the good with the bad, and look to a political messiah to save them from all their troubles. This is the ultimate mistake for any nation. Again, look to history.

This short sighted thinking enables a politician, posing as a priest, to seize the opportunity to say in the words of Jesus, "Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." The people then take the bait, hook, line, and sinker, and the cycle of the demise of democracies, continues to repeat itself. John Adams said, "All democracies eventually commit suicide." This happens when men look to government, or a leader, to save them.

There is no man that can serve as a political messiah. Many Americans do not understand what James Madison meant when he said, "If men were angels, we would not need a government." ALL men are flawed. This is why a Theocracy is no better than a dictatorship, unless Jesus himself is running the show. Because it leaves "man" in a position of ultimate power. This is why we have a system of checks and balances. This is true whether the leader is a democrat or a republican. No man can be trusted with ultimate power, because all men are depraved.

We need to embrace humility and realize that "In God We Trust" is more than a simple phrase. God allows us freedom of conscience. But that freedom requires humility and responsibility for governing ourselves. Or the laws required to restrain our bad choices become overwhelming.

At the time of our founding, most Americans, especially our founding fathers, understood the depravity of man and the Sovereignty of God over all nations. This is why George Washington said, "It is the duty of all me to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God." Freedom begins here.

Politicians posing as priests and saviors, are a trap for America. It appears that the State is slowly becoming one massive church to which the people look for salvation. And many of the politicians appear to love it.

Self Government, with personal humility before God, without the fear or control of government, was and is our only hope on earth to remain free. It is the foundation of freedom in a fallen world. But we are squandering our heritage, our freedom, and our future by looking to mere men to save us. We have to remember that neither the politician nor the priest is God. Our form of governemnt allows us as individuals to be self governed by our consciences before God. More on that in another blog.

In March of 1863, in the middle of a violent and bloody Civil War that was literally tearing America in half, Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation calling for humility before God. Part of it read, "We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God." Although we are not currently facing a bloody civil war, we are facing two opposing ideologies that are tearing us in two.

My prayer is that we individually humble ourselves before our Creator God, and take the time to make changes of heart where needed, and understand our foundations, before they are completely destroyed, and we finally self destruct. We need the mercy of God. We cannot save our nation without his aid.