Articles, Articles and Devotionals

Comparing Political Platforms (8) Drugs

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What does the Bible say about recreational drug use? Absolutely nothing…explicitly. But if there’s one reason the Libertarian party is on the map, it’s because of their position on legalization of drugs. So, let’s pluck recreational drug use and “victimless crimes” out of the Libertarian Platform’s discussion of Crime and Justice and address it first. Separate treatment is merited because it doesn’t quite fit with the rest of Crime and Justice which will be covered next. Crime, Justice, and law enforcement are of great concern to many Americans and that topic deserves to be a standalone. So let’s continue comparing party platforms regarding their positions on drugs in America. (The full series of topics, including links to the documents, are included below.)

DNC The “war on drugs” has led to the imprisonment of millions of Americans, disproportionately people of color, without reducing drug use. Whenever possible, Democrats will prioritize prevention and treatment over incarceration when tackling addiction and substance use disorder. We will build on effective models of drug courts, veterans’ courts, and other diversionary programs that seek to give nonviolent offenders opportunities for rehabilitation as opposed to incarceration. Because of conflicting federal and state laws concerning marijuana, we encourage the federal government to remove marijuana from the list of “Schedule 1″ federal controlled substances and to appropriately regulate it, providing a reasoned pathway for future legalization. We believe that the states should be laboratories of democracy on the issue of marijuana, and those states that want to decriminalize it or provide access to medical marijuana should be able to do so. We support policies that will allow more research on marijuana, as well as reforming our laws to allow legal marijuana businesses to exist without uncertainty. And we recognize our current marijuana laws have had an unacceptable disparate impact in terms of arrest rates for African Americans that far outstrip arrest rates for whites, despite similar usage rates. (p.16) We must confront the epidemic of drug and alcohol addiction, specifically the opioid crisis and other drugs plaguing our communities, by vastly expanding access to prevention and treatment, supporting recovery, helping community organizations, and promoting better practices by prescribers…We think it is time for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor, and state regulatory agencies to fully implement the protections of the Mental Health Parity and Addictions Equity Act of 2008—which means that American medical insurers, including the federal government, will need to disclose how they make their medical management decisions. We should also do more to educate our youth, as well as their families, teachers, coaches, mentors, and friends, to intervene early to prevent drug and alcohol abuse and addiction. We should help state and local leaders establish evidence-based, age-appropriate, and locally-tailored prevention programs. These programs include school-based drug education programs that have been shown to have meaningful effects on risky behavior; community-based peer mentorship and leadership programs; and after-school activities that deter drug use and encourage life skills. (p.36)
LP The prescribed role of government is to protect the rights of every individual including the right to life, liberty and property. Criminal laws should be limited in their application to violations of the rights of others through force or fraud, or to deliberate actions that place others involuntarily at significant risk of harm.

Therefore, we favor the repeal of all laws creating “crimes” without victims, such as the use of drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes.  (bold highlight, mine)

We support restitution to the victim to the fullest degree possible at the expense of the criminal or the negligent wrongdoer. The constitutional rights of the criminally accused, including due process, a speedy trial, legal counsel, trial by jury, and the legal presumption of innocence until proven guilty, must be preserved. We assert the common-law right of juries to judge not only the facts but also the justice of the law.
RNC The progress made over the last three decades against drug abuse is eroding, whether for cultural reasons or for lack of national leadership. In many jurisdictions, marijuana is virtually legalized despite its illegality under federal law. At the other end of the drug spectrum, heroin use nearly doubled from 2003 to 2013, while deaths from heroin have quadrupled. All this highlights the continuing conflicts and contradictions in public attitudes and public policy toward illegal substances. Congress and a new administration should consider the long-range  implications of these trends for public health and safety and prepare to deal with the problematic consequences.  The misuse of prescription painkillers — opioids — is a related problem. Heroin and opioid abuse touches our communities, our homes, and our families in ways that have grave effects on Americans in every community. With a quadrupling of both their sales and their overdose deaths, the opioid crisis is ravaging communities all over the country, often hitting rural areas harder than urban. Because over-prescription of drugs is such a large part of the problem, Republican legislation now allows Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans to limit patients to a single pharmacy. Congressional Republicans have also called upon the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to ensure that no physician will be penalized for limiting opioid prescriptions. We look for expeditious agreement between the House and Senate on the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which addresses the opioid epidemic from both the demand and supply sides of the problem. (p.40)

 

platform drugsSo, if the Bible really doesn’t have anything to say explicitly about recreational drug use, why even cover this?

There are actually several good reasons:

First, drug use in America remains controversial. It’s a thorny issue because it’s not mentioned in the Constitution and not explicitly in the Bible, but there are some who would argue that medicinal uses are legitimate, while others who see it only as a pathway to outright legalization.

I don’t believe we should avoid discussing controversial things.

So a second reason is that a robust, fact-filled debate gets us beyond the emotion and helps us to see that the party platforms couldn’t be farther apart than on this issue, though for different reasons.

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Drug use can be argued (as the Libertarians do)…to be a victimless crime.

There is ample evidence that marijuana can help in certain medical situations.  I’m not a doctor so I don’t know if there are other prescriptions to do the same thing.  Beyond that, to people buying cannabis in Colorado, for example, and smoking it in Nebraska in their own home and bothering no one, it can be argued as a victimless crime and clogging up our court systems with unnecessary cases. They have a point.

But there is plenty of evidence to the contrary as well.  Drugs may have hidden victims that a casual observer or a short-range consumer of news might not notice.

For those considering it a crime with plenty of victims, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency, an “emerging drug trend being encountered throughout the state is the mixture of tobacco or marijuana cigarettes and “blunts” that have been soaked in embalming fluid, then dried. The main users appear to be teenagers and adolescents in their 20s… According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, it is common for marijuana to be laced with PCP and/or embalming fluid, both of which produce a hallucinogenic effect. Cigarettes soaked with embalming fluid trend to burn slower, thereby increasing the chance for a prolonged high.”  For a description of “wet,” “fry,” and “illy” read this summary article by BBC news.

Some of the crimes being committed which we’ve seen in high profile news stories include the theft of cigarillos to make the blunts on the front end of use… as well as aggressive and erratic behavior we’ve seen in news stories regarding tragic arrests. Police cannot predict the behavior of someone who has smoked such a blunt, nor is the offender sometimes even aware of the behavior he’s exhibiting. It’s dangerous for both the police and the user, especially in domestic violence situations since laced marijuana has been clearly implicated in an increase of these crimes, according to recent studies.

Is the victim of murder by someone unaware of his behavior due to clouded thinking from drugs any less a victim of murder than cases in which the offender was mentally ill… or like with ISIS, completely calculating? Is the victim of theft any different because the offender’s purpose was drug use than if the theft was long-planned for personal acquisition of property that belonged to the victim? There are principles at stake if we only will separate out the drug from the crime.

If the Bible says nothing explicitly about drugs, are there any principles for us to follow? Sure!
  • The Bible tells us to be clear thinking. 1 Peter 4:7 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.”
  • The Bible denounces drunkenness as a problem, not simply the consumption of wine. Ephesians 5:18 “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” To Timothy, Paul writes, 1 Timothy 5:23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
  • The Bible tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we should treat our bodies as if God Himself is living there because He does. 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”
  • And the Bible tells us that authorities are there for a purpose: Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established…4 For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.”

Many arguments and justifications are simply an excuse to do what we want, whether or not it comes at anyone else’s expense.

To that, the Bible says to love our neighbor, a Golden Rule: Matthew 7:12 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

So at the end of it all, we have a conscience. And the reason we have laws is that some people don’t use theirs for social good. Where does yours stand on this issue?

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Comparing Political Platforms (7) Education

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education serving the public goodChoices, choices. Jump ahead or skip and go back? No, this is not the latest dance craze. I’m going to jump ahead and group a couple of the Libertarian Platform planks under a single heading so that I can actually do a comparison with the Democrat and Republican Platforms. Thinking of parental rights and education, these platforms are actually talking about choices in education–their focus, their range, their limits, their authority, and their content–and how best to serve the public good and serve the public well.

As you read, kindly think about the roles of government, parents, and the relationship of both authorities to the children being educated. The DNC and RNC Platforms are highly detailed in their views which I have tried to summarize to their core beliefs (in their own words). The DNC Platform spends considerable time discussing free college and universal preschool (pages 30-32) and the RNC Platform uses its document to emphasize local control and parental choice (pp.33-36). Please consult these linked pages for those details I cannot include for the sake of space.

DNC Democrats know that every child, no matter who they are, how much their families earn, or where they live, should have access to a high-quality education, from preschool through high school and beyond. But the United States still lags behind other advanced economies in providing high-quality, universal preschool programs to help all of our kids get a strong start to their educations. (p.28) Democrats are committed to making good public schools available to every child, no matter what zip code they live in, and at last making debt-free college a reality for all Americans. (p.30) We will continue to crack down on for-profit schools that take millions in federal financial aid— often as their principal source of revenue—and then exploit students and burden them with debt rather than educating them… We will also exercise our responsibility in oversight over the Department of Education to carry out their obligation to close down those for-profit schools that consistently engage in fraudulent and illegal conduct. (p.32) The Democratic Party is committed to eliminating opportunity gaps… This means advocating for labor and public assistance laws that ensure poor parents can spend time with their children. This means raising household incomes in poor communities. It means ensuring children have health care, stable housing free of contaminants, and a community free of violence in order to minimize the likelihood of cognitive delays. … It means supporting equitable and adequate state funding for public education, and expanding Title I funding for schools that serve a large number or high concentration of children in poverty (p.33) We believe that high-quality public charter schools should provide options for parents, but should not replace or destabilize traditional public schools. (p. 34)
LP 1.6 Parents, or other guardians, have the right to raise their children according to their own standards and beliefs. This statement shall not be construed to condone child abuse or neglect.

2.9 Education is best provided by the free market, achieving greater quality, accountability and efficiency with more diversity of choice. Recognizing that the education of children is a parental responsibility, we would restore authority to parents to determine the education of their children, without interference from government. Parents should have control of and responsibility for all funds expended for their children’s education.
RNC We will continue our fight for school choice until all parents can find good, safe schools for their children. (p.32) Education is much more than schooling. It is the whole range of activities by which families and communities transmit to a younger generation, not just knowledge and skills, but ethical and behavioral norms and traditions. It is the handing over of a cultural identity. That is why American education has, for the last several decades, been the focus of constant controversy, as centralizing forces from outside the family and community have sought to remake education in order to remake America. (p 33) Parents are a child’s first and foremost educators, and have primary responsibility for the education of their children. Parents have a right to direct their children’s education, care, and upbringing. … We reject a one size-fits-all approach to education and support a broad range of choices for parents and children at the state and local level. We likewise repeat our longstanding opposition to the imposition of national standards and assessments, encourage the parents and educators who are implementing alternatives to Common Core, and congratulate the states which have successfully repealed it. Their education reform movement calls for choice-based, parent-driven accountability at every stage of schooling. It affirms higher expectations for all students and rejects the crippling bigotry of low expectations. It recognizes the wisdom of local control of our schools and it wisely sees consumer rights in education — choice — as the most important driving force for renewing education. (p.33) We support options for learning, including home-schooling, career and technical education, private or parochial schools, magnet schools, charter schools, online learning, and early-college high schools. We especially support the innovative financing mechanisms that make options available to all children: education savings accounts (ESAs), vouchers, and tuition tax credits. (p.34)

 

The federal government’s influence over education that we accept as commonplace today began in the 1960s.

Prior to that, schools were “public” even as early as 1635 when the Boston Latin School opened as a public “exam school” for the purpose of educating the sons from Boston’s elite. Latin was one of the subjects most desired in formal education because it opened the world of history and religion. The Puritans emphasized education for their children, beginning in the home, primarily for the purpose of reading the Bible. Why? They believed that spiritual and moral instruction was foundational to the intellectual and moral development of children.

In the earliest years, however, public schools were not funded by tax dollars, but rather by donations, parent-funded teacher salaries, and land rentals.

Dedham, MA is home to the first tax supported public school and was run by Reverend Ralph Wheelock. This school was supported by town taxes (i.e. local control). In 1647, recognizing the value of education, the General Court established that every town of 50 or more families should build a school supported by town taxes.

All this is interesting history on education you might say, but what does the Bible say about teaching children?
  • Education teaches culture and instills values, such as this, regarding the Passover, Exodus 12: 25 When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.'”
  • To keep the Israelites from forgetting the Lord, God commanded education, Deuteronomy 6:1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up…10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you– a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant– then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
  • Remembering history was considered a very important function of education. Joshua 4:1 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.” 4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” 8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them.
  • Early education establishes a pattern for the child’s whole life Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
  • Other verses about education’s content include Deuteronomy 4:9–10; Deuteronomy 11:18–20; Proverbs 1:7-8;  Proverbs 19:27; Ezekiel 44:23; Matthew 5:19; 1 Timothy 6:3–5.
  • Hinting or directly identifying the authority conducting education includes verses such as those above as well as Deuteronomy 32:46; Psalm 34:11; Psalm 78:1–7; Isaiah 38:19; Joel 1:3; Luke 6:39–40; Ephesians 6:4.
  • The bottom line is that parents and the religious community (e.g the Church, for Christians) teach the ways of God and have the responsibility for transmitting culture and knowledge from one generation to the next.
There is a fine line between education and indoctrination.
Between inculcation and indoctrination.
That fine line divides along authority: who is doing it.

The word indoctrinate used to mean to teach a doctrine, knowledge, and/or a set of principles which would guide future actions. These days, it takes on a political overtone whereas in the original meaning, it was more like our word inculcate (to educate, stress by persistence and repetition the cultural values and attitudes of virtue from parents to children) but was broadened to include literacy and science.

Why does indoctrination in the modern meaning present such a problem?

Indoctrination is what created Nazi youth. It is what presently trains young jihadists and convinces Chinese children that communism is their best way to economic and personal prosperity. It is indoctrination (e.g. brainwashing, propagandizing) that alters the civilization with a goal of control. Indoctrination makes independent, critical, and rational thought undesirable—with varying degrees of consequence/ punishment for noncompliance to the regime’s desired pattern.

Indoctrination is well known to be one of the most effective ways of strengthening a government’s control which explains why it is widely used in totalitarian regimes. Independent, critical thought is less valued. Each person becoming a conditioned part of community becomes the goal and in the process, individual expression, free speech, and dissent are pushed down in favor of an exalted group thought, a politically correct (or incorrect) way of living and thinking.

Consider all the ways biblical thought is chastised by our culture and Christians are bullied into silence, especially in our public schools. It’s easy to see how far we’ve headed down the road of indoctrination.   The Church, remaining largely silent as this has happened, bears a huge responsibility for the current amoral and immoral attitudes of the United States.

All that said, allow me to state–unequivocally–that educators I know want no part of indoctrination. (Please read it again so you do not misunderstand what I say.)

Educators I know are good people who carry a heavy burden, made heavier

  • by the abnegation of parental responsibility,
  • the absence of partnership with the home,
  • the attitude of resenting authority by today’s youth,
  • the abrogation of local control of schools to the federal government’s heavy hand of unfunded mandates, testing requirements, curriculum control, and the ongoing threat of losing funding,
  • and a union which represents their interests in contract negotiations but extracts a high price of union dues so that money can fund candidates whose values may be antithetical to the consciences of their own membership.

As you ponder the political platforms, consider how America has slowly transferred authority from parents.  We are now forcing… increasingly nationalized educators… and an increasingly nationalized and militarized police force… to do the job that parents and the Church once did. There are cultural ramifications to placing our babies, our children, our youths, our college students into a national system of learning and thinking.  Each of us whether parents or educators who consider ourselves Christian need to take a step back and gain wisdom on this issue,

For the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world” (William Ross Wallace).

 

 

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Comparing Political Platforms (6) Abortion

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abortionYou gotta hand it to those Libertarians, they don’t hide behind language, even if their platform is kind of a cop-out. Of course you’ve probably guessed: today’s topic in our series is abortion.

The Democrat Platform substitutes other words: pro-choice, reproductive rights, women’s health care, and justice. In reading through their platform, please substitute the word abortion for any of that. It’s time to call a spade, a spade…and not try to make abortion seem to be more noble than it is.

The Republican Platform substitutes pro-life in one instance for anti-abortion which is merely looking at the pro- side of things, instead of what they oppose (abortion and physician assisted suicide). Fair is fair, so please feel free to substitute anti-abortion for the word pro-life in that occurrence.

DNC We will fight Republican efforts to roll back the clock on women’s health and reproductive rights, and stand up for Planned Parenthood. (p.34) Democrats are committed to protecting and advancing reproductive health, rights, and justice. We believe unequivocally, like the majority of Americans, that every woman should have access to quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion—regardless of where she lives, how much money she makes, or how she is insured. We believe that reproductive health is core to women’s, men’s, and young people’s health and wellbeing. We will continue to stand up to Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood health centers, which provide critical health services to millions of people. We will continue to oppose—and seek to overturn—federal and state laws and policies that impede a woman’s access to abortion, including by repealing the Hyde Amendment [a legislative provision barring the use of certain federal funds to pay for abortion unless the pregnancy arises from incest, rape, or to save the life of the mother, source Wikipedia]. We will address the discrimination and barriers that inhibit meaningful access to reproductive health care services, including those based on gender, sexuality, race, income, disability, and other factors. (p.37) We will support sexual and reproductive health and rights around the globe…we believe that safe abortion must be part of comprehensive maternal and women’s health care and included as part of America’s global health programming. (p.46)
LP Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on all sides, we believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.
RNC The Constitution’s guarantee that no one can “be deprived of life, liberty or property” deliberately echoes the Declaration of Independence’s proclamation that “all” are “endowed by their Creator” with the inalienable right to life. Accordingly, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to children before birth. We oppose the use of public funds to perform or promote abortion or to fund organizations, like Planned Parenthood, so long as they provide or refer for elective abortions or sell fetal body parts rather than provide healthcare. We urge all states and Congress to make it a crime to acquire, transfer, or sell fetal tissues from elective abortions for research, and we call on Congress to enact a ban on any sale of fetal body parts. In the meantime, we call on Congress to ban the practice of misleading women on so-called fetal harvesting consent forms, a fact revealed by a 2015 investigation. We will not fund or subsidize healthcare that includes abortion coverage. (p.13) We call on Congress to ban sex-selection abortions and abortions based on disabilities — discrimination in its most lethal form. (p.14)

 

Nice try, Libertarians. Government should be kept out of the matter?

It’s already in there.

You know it and we know it.  

Would Libertarians say that murder or theft should be a question to each person for their conscientious consideration and that good-faith views are present on all sides? Doubtful. What this boils down to is that Libertarians haven’t considered a fetus entitled to those God-given inalienable rights that are due the rest of humanity.  Rights that Libertarians often exalt as off-limits to government overreach.

Typically, I try to leave the platforms for you to assess impartially, but I ask only that you consider the following: Just because science today cannot save a fetus that is, say, 12 weeks, doesn’t mean that tomorrow’s technology won’t.

Ultimately one must decide what he believes about when life begins and therefore when the right to life…liberty and the pursuit of happiness applies.

At the time of Roe v. Wade,

“the 1973 Supreme Court decision that made unconstitutional any state laws banning abortion except to save the life of the mother, the court ruled that no restrictions could be placed on abortions before the 28th week of a pregnancy.“

Lydia_WavingsmA baby at 28 weeks is just a few days younger than this one (right).  This is a photo of my friend’s baby who is now a 4 year old girl, the light of her mother’s life, and a dream come true. In this photo, she appears as she was… born at 29 weeks, weighing a little more than 2 packages of butter. In 1973, she likely would have died. In 2016, ones younger than her (22 weeks) have been nurtured to maturity (click quote above for documentation link).

As you might imagine, the Republican Party Platform goes into a lengthy discourse about this topic under headings of (1) the Fifth Amendment,  (2) healthcare, and (3) in the section regarding our leadership in the world. I have limited their statements for the sake of brevity…and equality with the DNC platform’s statement length.

What does God say about the unborn? Here are but a few:
  • Perhaps the 2 most famous: Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
  • Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
  • During the terrible testing of Job, it is written Job 1:18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” 20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”
  • God gives life to everything living. 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time– God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen
It is for this reason that many of us who are pro-life believe that this issue is one upon which any others are built.

It’s hard to care about finding a job for someone who wasn’t allowed to be born in the first place.  It’s hard to care about education or tuition assistance for a child who was denied the basic right to live to pursue a college degree at all.  It’s hard to care about reproductive health for the baby girl whose mother’s choice was to abort her before she ever came to be of age to make those decisions for herself.

Life.  It’s really pretty basic.

In the eyes of God, is it a matter of good-faith views on all sides, to abort or not to abort?  Seems to me that God is abundantly clear on this one.  I believe that if we don’t agree with God on this most simple of theological planks, our whole theology unravels and our whole Christian witness disintegrates.  Can one claim to be a Christ follower and follow any way other than life?

One of my friends of Facebook inquired why the Democrat Platform is not pro-life (anti-abortion) when they have a reputation for defending the downtrodden.

There is an answer, but I fear many probably don’t want to hear it.  Least of which my Christian friends.

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Comparing Political Platforms (5) Human Relationship in Life and Sex

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Here’s another section–human relationship and sex–that the Libertarian Platform addresses head-on and succinctly.  Whether you agree with the content, surely we can agree on its being to the point. It gets unpacked in different ways by the DNC Platform and the RNC Platform and these differences are well worth noting.

DNC Democrats applaud last year’s decision by the Supreme Court that recognized that LGBT people—like other Americans—have the right to marry the person they love. But there is still much work to be done. LGBT kids continue to be bullied at school, restaurants can refuse to serve transgender people, and same-sex couples are at risk of being evicted from their homes. That is unacceptable and must change. Democrats will fight for the continued development of sex discrimination law to cover LGBT people. We will also fight for comprehensive federal nondiscrimination protections for all LGBT Americans, to guarantee equal rights in areas such as housing, employment, public accommodations, credit, jury service, education, and federal funding. We will oppose all state efforts to discriminate against LGBT individuals, including legislation that restricts the right to access public spaces. We support a progressive vision of religious freedom that respects pluralism and rejects the misuse of religion to discriminate. We will combat LGBT youth homelessness and improve school climates. We will support LGBT elders, ensure access to necessary health care, and protect LGBT people from violence—including ending the crisis of violence against transgender Americans. We will also promote LGBT human rights and ensure America’s foreign policy is inclusive of LGBT people around the world. (p.19)
LP Sexual orientation, preference, gender, or gender identity should have no impact on the government’s treatment of individuals, such as in current marriage, child custody, adoption, immigration or military service laws. Government does not have the authority to define, license or restrict personal relationships. Consenting adults should be free to choose their own sexual practices and personal relationships.
RNC Traditional marriage and family, based on marriage between one man and one woman, is the foundation for a free society and has for millennia been entrusted with rearing children and instilling cultural values. We condemn the Supreme Court’s ruling in United States v. Windsor, which wrongly removed the ability of Congress to define marriage policy in federal law. We also condemn the Supreme Court’s lawless ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which in the words of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, was a “judicial Putsch” — full of “silly extravagances” — that reduced “the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Storey to the mystical aphorisms of a fortune cookie.” In Obergefell, five unelected lawyers robbed 320 million Americans of their legitimate constitutional authority to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The Court twisted the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment beyond recognition. To echo Scalia, we dissent. (p.11) Our First Amendment rights are not given to us by the government but are rights we inherently possess. The government cannot use subsequent amendments to limit First Amendment rights. The Free Exercise Clause is both an individual and a collective liberty protecting a right to worship God according to the dictates of conscience. Therefore, we strongly support the freedom of Americans to act in accordance with their religious beliefs, not only in their houses of worship, but also in their everyday lives. (p.12)

 

Leave people to their own devices and what do you get?
Usually de Vices.

human relationships and the lawSo, to what degree should we have any laws to circumscribe the boundaries of socially beneficial behaviors?

Biology aligns with God’s ideal as laws of nature, but even that becomes a point of conflict when changes–cultural, political and scientific–are pursued in defiance of nature for an individual to receive (by legislation) what nature’s law excludes as helpful for advancing the species. Our main point of disagreement is in the area of one person’s insistence upon “rights” that are not God-given as if they were.  Cut to the chase and this forms the crux of disagreement.

In Christian terms, how can we be a neighbor to our fellow man while holding onto our own integrity? And how can we honor all the blessings given by God to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden? This blessing in the form of a command was given to individuals for the sake of community so that we would be fruitful and multiply, extending God’s rule over the face of the earth.  How do we love God and love neighbor simultaneously?

The whole book of Leviticus—in our Old Testament Law–is designed for that purpose.

In Exodus, God gave us Ten Commandments which were simple enough. But the entire book of Leviticus unpacks those Commandments, teaching us the boundaries of how to live in a community, and to identify socially beneficial and godly behaviors, suitable for the Christian and the God-fearers of generations before Jesus Christ.

Oh, they’re suitable for the rest of us too, but not everyone is willing to admit that. Political priorities get in the way and result in a nation divided on human relationships and the law. 

So, Christian, which of the party platforms reflects God’s priorities in this area?

Laws in the United States don’t always reflect God’s priorities and we may very well be in a season of judgment for that reason.  It wouldn’t be the first time in human history that God judged a nation for the sins of the people and the sins of its rulers.  The Passover (selectively punishing Egypt to deliver Israel), the wilderness wandering (selectively preserving the innocent but letting the faithless die outside of the Promised Land), and the Exile (preserving a remnant) are but three examples.

Personal relationships and human sexuality are clearly laid bare in Leviticus 18 and the consequences are well defined (for both the native-born and the alien, in and out of the community of faith). Leviticus 18:24 “‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.” 25 Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. 26 But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, 27 for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. 28 And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you. 29 “‘Everyone who does any of these detestable things– such persons must be cut off from their people. 30 Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the LORD your God.'”

For those of you who think that your private human relationships don’t matter to God, Leviticus would beg to differ.

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Comparing Political Platforms (4) Right to Privacy

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Today’s installment is evidence that “Truth is stranger than fiction” (Mark Twain).  It’s about the Right to Privacy contained in the Fourth Amendment.  Try to read the following party platforms without shaking your head, especially you tech people who know your cyber-stuff and your cyber-hack-celebs.

DNC Democrats will protect our industry, infrastructure, and government from cyberattacks. We will strengthen our cybersecurity, seek to establish global norms in cyberspace, and impose consequences on those who violate the rules. We will do this while protecting the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. We will also ensure a coherent strategy across federal agencies by building on the Obama Administration’s Cybersecurity National Action Plan, especially the empowerment of a federal Chief Information Security Officer, the modernization of federal information technology, and upgrades to government-wide cybersecurity. Democrats reject the false choice between privacy interests and keeping Americans safe. ( p.44 )

Democrats will make government simpler and more user-friendly. The federal government too often operates with websites designed from another era that are too complicated, too hard to use, and rarely designed for mobile phones or tablets. We will build on the creation of the United States Digital Service (USDS) and give it the resources it needs to transform and digitize the top 25 federal government programs that directly serve citizens. We will eliminate internal barriers to government modernization. And we will use technology to improve outcomes and government accountability by embracing prioritized goal setting and performance tracking for the federal government. (p. 26)
LP Libertarians advocate individual privacy and government transparency. We are committed to ending government’s practice of spying on everyone. We support the rights recognized by the Fourth Amendment to be secure in our persons, homes, property, and communications. Protection from unreasonable search and seizure should include records held by third parties, such as email, medical, and library records.
RNC Affirming the Fourth Amendment “right of the people to be secure in their houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,” we call for strict limitations on the use of aerial surveillance on U.S. soil, with the exception of patrolling our national borders for illegal entry and activity. We oppose any attempts by government to require surveillance devices in our daily lives, including tracking devices in motor vehicles. (p 13) The requirement for all banks around the world to provide detailed information to the IRS about American account holders outside the United States has resulted in banks refusing service to them. Thus, FATCA [Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, March 2010] not only allows “unreasonable search and seizures” but also threatens the ability of overseas Americans to lead normal lives. We call for its repeal and for a change to residency-based taxation for U.S. citizens overseas. (p.13)

There is nothing in the Bible about electronic record-keeping and cybersecurity, but it does have a great deal to say about things being done in secret and brought into the light (what we might call transparency).  Here are but a few:

  • Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient…12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
  • 1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
  • John 3:20 “For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
  • 2 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
  • 2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

The bottom line from God’s perspective is that light is good and truth is good.  But doing evil, hiding in the shadows, and establishing a legal curtain for the sole yet conjoined twin purposes of deception and denial are bad.

Therefore, transparency is good for God-loving people, even with a right to privacy.  Jesus said, “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.” (John 18:20)

There’s nothing to hide as “private” if a person speaks and lives by the truth.

Transparency is mentioned in the DNC-Democrat Platform five (5) times.  Here is the breakdown: Campaign Finance (by executive order-p.25,)/Taxation (2x ); Policing (1x ); Charter Schools (1x ); and Anti-corruption worldwide (1x).

Transparency is mentioned in the RNC-Republican Platform nine (9) times.  Here is the breakdown: Trade (2x), Federal Reserve (1x); Workforce (1x);  Education unfunded mandates/College costs (2x), Governmental/Healthcare (2x), United Nations management (1x).

right to privacyFolks, elections have serious consequences.  Outside of personalities we may like or dislike, or even hate, there are real issues at stake.  Character must be transparent.  It’s time to demand it.

Sure, our elected officials have the same right to privacy as the rest of us, but that’s only in their compartmentalized personal life.  That, we do not have a right to know.  It’s different for the person who has been serving in government at whatever level.  Why?  Because what they do in the course of serving the public in a government office, paid for by you and me, needs transparency.  We need to know what’s behind the curtain that they don’t want us, their employer, to see.

Friends don’t let friends remain ignorant, get their news from comedians or Twitter, or vote based solely upon superficial things like pairs of letters:  M/F, D/R or FB.

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God Bless America (Patriotic Hymn Series)

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Today, I conclude our patriotic “hymn” series brought about because someone viewed my patriotism as a character flaw. I thought it would be fitting to end with one that has been dear to the hearts of Democrats, Republicans, and apolitical people alike. It’s not in any of my hymnals, even more contemporary ones, though it is far more God-honoring than our national anthem which shows up in about half of them.  Perhaps you guessed that I’m talking about God Bless America.

God Bless America was written by Irving Berlin in 1939.

I’d like to write a great peace song,” Berlin said, “but it’s hard to do, because you have trouble dramatizing peace.”

It was also hard because Berlin had lived through one world war and he was seeing the rise of Nazi Germany through the lens of an American immigrant, a Russian Jew.

Patriotic songs were a dime a dozen at the time and it was surprising that Berlin, already so accomplished in the music industry, would go to his trunk where he’d tucked away God Bless America that he’d written 2 decades prior. He reworked the original verse “Stand beside her and guide her to the right with a light from above” because different political significance had been given to the word “right” and changed it to the iconic “Through the night with a light from above” which recalls imagery of God leading the Israelites by a pillar of fire at night.

Exodus 13:21 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

The song became popularized and a de facto national anthem after its first airing in an Armistice Day celebration (1939) when Kate Smith included the song in her program. The rest is history.  It shows up at conventions and baseball games despite the clear appeal to God.

Enjoy this version sung by French Canadian Celine Dion in one of the loveliest renditions you will ever hear. She’s welcome to call my home her home any day of the week, especially after this Tribute to Heroes from September 11th.

God bless AmericaWhile the storm clouds gather far across the sea,

let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free.

Let us all be grateful for a land so fair, as we

raise our voices in a solemn prayer.

God Bless America, land that I love.

Stand beside her and guide her

Through the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,

To the oceans white with foam.

God Bless America, my home sweet home.

God Bless America, my home sweet home.

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Comparing Political Platforms (3) Freedoms of Speech and Religion

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Why care about Political Party Platforms, especially when it comes to freedoms of speech and religion?  For the Christian looking at politics, a platform is–to a voter–what a Statement of Faith is to a church seeker.  It outlines what the organization believes enough to commit to print.  While the pastor, staff, and parishioners don’t always live up to it, the core beliefs are the standard against which we measure the church’s faithfulness.  Likewise, the political parties state in writing their beliefs.  Will they live up to it?  Probably not. In an imperfect world, both Statements of Faith and Party Platforms guide us and therefore are certainly worth reading before we assume that what leaders promise, say, and do actually reflect the beliefs that have been written.  It’s a yardstick.  Know the platforms and judge the tree by its fruit.

Let’s continue our look at the Political Party Platforms, a series which began with the Preambles of the DNC, Libertarian Party (LP), and RNC.  We continued in Part 2 with Overarching Principles of State vs. Individual Rights.

Today, we’ll look at Freedoms of Speech and Religion, Religious Expression, and Internet Communication.

There are distinct differences in the platforms on these issues.  Please note that I am endeavoring to best summarize ideas without splicing and cherry-picking to convey anything other than their party’s intent, in their own words.

After the chart, I will discuss the principles involved from a Christian worldview, acknowledging right up front that the Internet wasn’t around at the time the Bible was written and Jesus never used it, despite what Abraham Lincoln may have said about the Internet (as the meme goes).

Freedom of Speech, of Religious Expression, and Communication

DNC While freedom of expression is a fundamental constitutional principle, we must condemn hate speech that creates a fertile climate for violence. (p.18 ) We support a progressive vision of religious freedom that respects pluralism and rejects the misuse of religion to discriminate (p.19). Democrats… oppose any effort by Republicans to roll back the historic net neutrality rules that the Federal Communications Commission enacted last year. (p.9) We will stand up to Beijing on unfair trade practices, currency manipulation, censorship of the internet, piracy, and cyberattacks. (p.49)
LP We support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship, regulation or control of communications media and technology. We favor the freedom to engage in or abstain from any religious activities that do not violate the rights of others. We oppose government actions which either aid or attack any religion.
RNC The Bill of Rights lists religious liberty, with its rights of conscience, as the first freedom to be protected… Thomas Jefferson declared that “No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority.” Ongoing attempts to compel individuals, businesses, and institutions of faith to transgress their beliefs are part of a misguided effort to undermine religion and drive it from the public square. We value the right of America’s religious leaders to preach, and Americans to speak freely, according to their faith. Republicans believe the federal government, specifically the IRS, is constitutionally prohibited from policing or censoring speech based on religious convictions or beliefs, and therefore we urge the repeal of the Johnson Amendment. (p.11) A Republican administration will champion an open and free internet based on principles of free expression and universal values and will pursue policies to empower citizens and U.S. companies operating in authoritarian countries to circumvent internet firewalls and gain accurate news and information online. (p.54)
Why were freedoms of free speech and religious expression important to our founders and where do those show up in the Bible?
freedom of speechFirst let’s acknowledge that the First Amendment has 5 basic, intertwined liberties. 

Each one worthless without the others.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The founders based their view in the important context of not having full freedom in these areas as colonies under the authority of the King of England.

Secondly, they had better Bible knowledge than many of us do today.

And third, the Christian worldview was not under assault then in the same way it is now.

The founders would have known:

Freedom of speech comes with an obligation to show mercy to others.  We will all be judged someday by our words and actions.  James 2:12 “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!”

The words we use are external, but can clearly reflect what is inside of a person, both Christian and not.  Jesus said, Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”

 A Christian’s words should be edifying and our actions godly.  (1 Peter 2:1-17)  Outside of the Bible-believing world, words are different but are every bit as protected by our Constitution.  Even words of which the Christian disapproves may be freely spoken and offered in protest.  Freedom to speak, act, and worship were important contextually because–to the earliest pilgrims–freedom represented why they came to America in the first place.

Unfortunately, apart from defamation, the lie is nearly as protected a form of speech as is the truth.  Lies have been a part of human condition since the serpent first deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden.  And freedom–to eat of any, but not to eat of the tree of life–was a command from the Almighty to Adam.  This God-given freedom of will became twisted by the serpent and all the liars after it.  False prophets, destructive heresies, and shameful narratives have existed with consequences since that time (2 Peter 2:1-21 summarized in verse 21 “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.”)

To the Christian, God says our freedom must be limited by our moral conscience.  1 Corinthians 6:12 “Everything is permissible for me”– but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”– but I will not be mastered by anything.”

So what exactly is the concern over things like a government condemning “hate speech”?

As Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black once stated,

The Framers of the Constitution knew that free speech is the friend of change and revolution. But they also knew that it is always the deadliest enemy of tyranny.”

While I applaud the DNC’s desire to rid the country of “hate speech,” I thoroughly reject anyone defining what that is by stripping anyone’s freedom to say it.  For example, to the Christian  2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

Some of those scriptures are like this one: Leviticus 18:22 ‘You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” Will this faithful preaching be tomorrow’s “hate speech”?  Who says so?  Who defines “hate speech”?

Or how about this one?  Romans 1: 18 “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness…24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator– who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.”

What about calling out “Allahu Akbar” or a Muslim Adhan (Islamic words broadcasting a morning call to prayer) referring to Muhammad as the messenger?  Will that be no more or less hateful to the DNC than a nativity scene at Christmas, a military chaplain’s service to Christ, or singing Silent Night in the school holiday (i.e. Christmas) pageant?

What is the DNC’s “misuse” of religion and who determines that?

Is it when Christians–to honor their own free worship of God—cannot in good conscience be part of something they believe God finds offensive?  Maybe a Supreme Court authorized gay wedding and the photographer or florist respectfully declining that business and suggesting an alternative for the prospective couple?  Is that adhering to their faith or misusing it?

To Christians and indeed all Americans, these freedoms of speech and religion are pivotal to every other freedom we have.  Take one away and they all fall.

Make no mistake, the words in these political platforms mean specific things to the people writing them.  They are passionate about it; they want to see it legislated (or protected), and enforced.  As a Christian, are these freedoms of speech and religion important to you?  Which Statement of Faith best represents your Christian view?  And when the time comes for you to use these freedoms of speech and religion, will they still be here to protect you?  Or are they here today and gone tomorrow?

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Comparing Political Party Platforms (platforms are source linked in the first article) is a series which began with the Preambles of the DNC, Libertarian Party (LP), and RNC.  We continued in Part 2 with Overarching Principles of State vs. Individual Rights.

 

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The Star-Spangled Banner

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Why is The Star-Spangled Banner even in our hymnals, you might ask?

star-spangled banner last verseThe Star-Spangled Banner isn’t present in all or even most hymnals.  My collection is about half and half.  The group which contain this patriotic song consider it a hymn.  The ones that don’t apparently consider it a secular song.

Before we’re quick to judge The Star-Spangled Banner as a song exalting a war-time footing that has no place in the Christian world, there’s something you should know.  There is a second verse in the hymnals we never sing.  Most people don’t even know there’s a second verse at all.  I don’t think I’d go too far out on a limb suggesting that no school teaches the second verse since it speaks directly of God and also no one sings it before the Super Bowl, even as one of the myriad ways of trying to do a creative rendition.

Wait, but there’s more. 

There are actually four stanzas, only two of which show up in our hymnals and one of which we sing.  The halves and the half nots.  The four stanzas are recorded here and below.  There’s a reason why we overlook the four stanzas.

Francis Scott Key, the author of the lyrics to The Star-Spangled Banner is reported to have been a devout Episcopalian, a competent lawyer, and a slave owner.  He was a supporter of the Democratic President (and slave owner) Andrew Jackson and used his position as Jackson’s Attorney General (1833-1841) to suppress the abolitionists (whose cause he would eventually come to join, assisting with the freeing of American slaves.)  Verse three’s reference to “the hireling and slave” are considered evidence of the British practice of hiring freed slaves to fight against their former masters in the War of 1812.

All I can say is that war, overall, is an ugly business.  On many different levels.

I can understand why a manly warrior-type of song presents a strong national protective image as contrasted with America the Beautiful and its lovely imagery.  I can see why a song which is immensely difficult to sing but sounds virile (with all the bombs and smoke and that Energizer-keep-on-fighting theme) might cultivate an aura of steadfastness and victory.  Think of it as the anthem equivalent of the “man movie” with car crashes, explosions, and a good guy hero to explain its popularity.   And okay, the Bible has lots of wars in it.  I got that, but is The Star-Spangled Banner really fit for a hymnal?

There’s no getting around it for me: Key’s poem Defence of Fort M’Henry  serving as the lyrics to The Star-Spangled Banner makes me wonder why it’s in any of our hymnals.  The idea that one out of four isn’t bad doesn’t cut it for me. 

Unlike the accusation made against me by the social media troll, I am not a blind patriot.  I’m Christian first.  Any patriotism and affiliation with any political party is a distant second, and a very distant third.  Therefore, I will sing The Star-Spangled Banner because it is presently our national anthem (with the acknowledgment that what presents as victory to the world and victory in Christ are two different things).  I wouldn’t recommend it for praising God in church.  Key’s other hymns, Before the Lord We Bow and Lord, With Glowing Heart I’d Praise Thee  are far lesser known, are included in none of my hymnals, which is ironic because they are far more Christian.

For the sake of continuity in our patriotic “hymn” series, enjoy this version of The Star-Spangled Banner from the 2009 Super Bowl performed by Jennifer Hudson. 

O! say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation.
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

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Comparing Political Platforms (2) Overarching Principles

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For the sake of simplicity and ease of discussion, I will be using the Libertarian Party platform (LP) to find the overarching principles.  At 7 pages, it was more concise and easier to use for Comparing Political Platforms that I began outlining in our last edition.  The added detail in both the DNC-Democrat, and  RNC-Republican platforms is helpful for explaining supported policies and programs, but makes isolation of topics more difficult.

What follows are the first 3 overarching principles as outlined by each political party separated by a short biblical discourse to compare the Christian worldview as taught by the Bible.  Using this and your own Bible knowledge and discernment, reason together with God and decide for yourselves which platform more closely aligns with God’s Word.

On Individual versus State:
DNC Democrats believe that we should not be contracting, outsourcing, or privatizing work that is inherently governmental in nature, including postal services, school services, and state and local government services. (p 26)…Democrats support progress toward more accountable governance and universal rights. (p 47)
LP We, the members of the Libertarian Party, challenge the cult of the omnipotent state and defend the rights of the individual.
RNC We believe our constitutional system — limited government, separation of powers, federalism, and the rights of the people — must be preserved uncompromised for future generations (p. i)…. We believe that people are the ultimate resource — and that the people, not the government, are the best stewards of our country’s God-given natural resources (p. i)

First, Christians and non-Christians alike must recognize that according to the Bible, the world and the Church are not the same thing.  For that reason, Jesus says in Matthew 22:18b “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them,

Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Therefore God makes it plain that principles applying to the Church can translate over to government, but never would God suggest that the government replaces the Church.  Indeed the opposite is true.  God’s rule is above elected rule and if all people were doing things right by God, frankly, we wouldn’t need an earthly king.

1 Samuel 8:6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”

In the Church and to the Church, God’s Word says,

Galatians 6: 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5 for each one should carry his own load… 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

We carry our own as individuals.  We test our own actions.  We carry each other’s burdens as Christians and as His Church.  Why?  As a means of doing good, but not as a mandate by the government to the world because our law is Christ.  And in the last day, Romans 2: 6 God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”  Importantly, that “each” means everyone, not just Christians.  Government has a role of law and order, but it’s individual actions that have consequences that form the basis for individual judgment.

On Personal Liberty
DNC We believe in protecting civil liberties and guaranteeing civil rights and voting rights, women’s rights and workers’ rights, LGBT rights, and rights for people with disabilities. (p.2)… But in 2016, the stakes can be measured… in the number of Americans who would lose access to health care and see their rights ripped away (p.3)…. Democrats believe so-called “right to work” laws are wrong… We oppose legislation and lawsuits that would strike down laws protecting the rights of teachers and other public employees (p.4)
LP Individuals should be free to make choices for themselves and must accept responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make.

Our support of an individual’s right to make choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or disapprove of those choices. No individual, group, or government may initiate force against any other individual, group, or government.
RNC That God bestows certain inalienable rights on every individual, thus producing human equality; that government exists first and foremost to protect those inalienable rights; that man-made law must be consistent with God-given, natural rights; and that if God-given, natural, inalienable rights come in conflict with government, court, or human-granted rights, God-given, natural, inalienable rights always prevail;… In a free society, the primary role of government is to protect the God-given, inalienable rights of its citizens. (p.9)

The Bible is explicitly clear that every human is made in the Image of God.  From the human DNA egg/ embryo to the man or woman we love who is enduring the fog of dementia, their humanity has not ceased.  Because it is not our ability to communicate, or our skin color, gender, age, or religion, but the principles surrounding God’s Image that make us human.  God’s Word says, Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

For this reason, the rights defined as inalienable because they are God-given can be distinguished from rights granted by any government. Whatever rights we think we have always need to be compared against that standard.  Even as He was being sentenced to Crucifixion under the law, the Bible records in John 19:11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

What made Judas’ actions a greater sin?  Pilate had God-given authority, but Judas used his God-given liberty under man-made rules in order to betray Christ–obeying men rather than God and using freedom as license. But personal liberty used for good is seen in Acts 4:19 Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God…5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered and said, “We must obey God rather than men.

On Self-Determination
DNC We need an economy that prioritizes long-term investment over short-term profit-seeking, rewards the common interest over self-interest, and promotes innovation and entrepreneurship. (p.1) Democrats support progress toward more accountable governance and universal rights… we will continue to bolster groups and individuals who fight for fundamental human rights, democracy, and rule of law. We will support strong legislatures, independent judiciaries, free press, vibrant civil society, honest police forces, religious freedom, and equality for women and minorities. We will bolster the development of civil society and representative institutions…(p.47)
LP Individuals own their bodies and have rights over them that other individuals, groups, and governments may not violate. Individuals have the freedom and responsibility to decide what they knowingly and voluntarily consume, and what risks they accept to their own health, finances, safety, or life.
RNC Federalism is a cornerstone of our constitutional system. Every violation of state sovereignty by federal officials is not merely a transgression of one unit of government against another; it is an assault on the liberties of individual Americans. Hence the promise of the Tenth Amendment: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

The Constitution gives the federal government very few powers, and they are specifically enumerated;  the states and the people retain authority over all unenumerated powers.    (p.15-16)

Self-determination for the Christian is for us to use our own bodies–each of us–to live holy and independent lives, but also to realize we live in a community and our lifestyles of brotherly love speak volumes about the God whom Christians worship and serve.  As it says in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 It is God’s will that you [plural] should be sanctified: that you [plural] should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that [singular] each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. 9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.

The force of the law is to establish principles and boundaries… of social evil to be avoided… since humanity is notoriously bad at policing itself.

Before the flood, how were we doing?

Genesis 6:5 “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.”  Not good.

God’s solution was to give Ten Commandments.  God already understood this about the law, but we would someday come to know is true:  that an external set of laws would prove insufficient. Galatians 3:19 “What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.”  So He sent Jesus in the fullness of time as He prophesied through  Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Even with the possibility of forgiveness, we aren’t too good at obeying godly principles.  2 Timothy 4: 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

For God-fearers, God’s solution was easy: Jeremiah 31:33 “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 

But to a godless culture, it is increasingly complicated.  We have a government that does not know, honor, or fear God.  What legislator or political party, therefore, will be content with simple laws placed in the minds and written on the hearts of Christians?  Face facts: we’re an increasingly pagan society that has no conscience.  So, they pile law upon law, rule upon rule and constraint upon constraint.  There’s just one little problem: human laws are not a substitute for a conscience that lives and breathes in the fear of God.  If a conscience can’t obey 1 law, what makes us think it will obey 1001?

principles involving too little conscienceIf you want to pinpoint our cultural problem it’s this:  We don’t fear God. 
We fear each other.

Therefore, a million laws continually nibble around the edges of religion and freedom.  Laws increase in number all the while being reduced in honor, becoming a mere means of control and power. 

But a conscience is a matter of faith, and to each, it controls the self from the inside out. 

Laws, piled in stacks of paper reaching the ends of the galaxy, will still be external and unable to control any who prefer to sin. 

Our problem is not too few laws, but too little conscience.

Romans 3:12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery mark their ways, 17 and the way of peace they do not know.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. 21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

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This series also includes Comparing Political Platforms-Part 1.

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Articles and Devotionals, Devotionals

Before An Election by Former Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall

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As part of my patriotic hymn series, especially in light of the hotly argued and very divided election before us, consider these words Before an Election by Reverend Peter Marshall, who twice served as Senate Chaplain (1947-1949).

Before an Election appears as hymn #689 in Hymns for the Family of God.

Lord Jesus, we ask Thee to guide the people of this nation as they exercise their dearly bought privilege of franchise.  May it neither be ignored unthinkingly nor undertaken lightly.  As citizens all over this land go to the ballot boxes, give them a sense of high privilege and joyous responsibility.

Help those who are about to be elected to public office to come to understand the real source of their mandate–a mandate given by no party machine, received at no polling booth, but given by God; a mandate to represent God and the truth at the heart of the nation; a mandate to do good in the name of Him under whom this country was established.

We ask Thee to lead our country in the paths where Thou wouldst have her walk, to do the tasks which Thou hast laid before her.  So may we together seek happiness for all our citizens in the name of Him who created us all equal in His sight, and therefore brothers.  Amen.

Marshall spoke many words of wisdom and witticisms during his tenure as a preacher and chaplain.  America needed a preacher like Marshall and the world needed him even more.  You see, his ministry began in 1931, less than 5 years after his setting foot on Ellis Island as a 25 year old Scottish immigrant with 2 weeks worth of money to his name.  While he began by digging ditches in New Jersey, God was preparing him to deal with the United States and its place in the world.  Marshall’s ministry at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C and in the Senate was steadfast through WWII and lasted until 1949 when the Korean War was about to begin.

America–indeed the whole world–was in turmoil.

To a nation reeling from war after war, Marshall’s consistent words of Christian affirmation captured the attention and hearts of a Senate which had commonly ignored such invocations and prayers before Marshall arrived.

His style was confrontational and convicting even while endearing his audience to him through a visible and audible sincerity of passion and non-ecclesiastical manner.  He was among the most familiar preachers in America at that time and his sudden death from a heart attack at the age of 46 claimed him at the peak of his career and popularity.

According to Electric Scotland,

On the morning of December 7, 1941, Dr. Marshall preached to the midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. At the last minute, he felt led to change his prepared sermon. Within the hour, the Class of 1942 learned of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. The sermon he preached was “Go Down, Death.” This was the first of Dr. Marshall’s dramatic, powerful, and prophetic sermons during World War II that his son, Peter John, published after the September 11th attacks in “The Wartime Sermons of Dr. Peter Marshall”.

Among his most notable and pithy quotes are:

“Give to us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for—because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything.”– in a prayer offered at the opening of the Senate session, dated April 18, 1947

“The world has enough women who know how to be smart. It needs women who are willing to be simple. The world has enough women who know how to be brilliant. It needs some who will be brave. The world has enough women who are popular. It needs more who are pure. We need women, and men, too, who would rather be morally right than socially correct.”–from a sermon entitled Keepers of the Springs preached in the 1930s

“Teach us what freedom is. May we all learn the lesson that it is not the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to do what is right. Above all, may we discover that wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”–Opening of the Senate day, April 24, 1947.

before an election peter marshall

 

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