Politicians are often deemed the modern-day equivalent of the tax-collectors who were loathed in the Bible, and it is the religious community which is to blame. Religious revivals had political implications, specifically in our western culture. The human rights prescribed by God were, and still are, worth defining and defending.
Every week, pastors and teachers encourage their congregations to take back the culture for righteousness sake. They exclaim, “Become an artist, an entrepreneur, a doctor, or an executive!” Remarkably, the calling to rise as a politician is under-emphasized or disregarded.
Essentially they are saying, “We will pray for them, but don’t even think of becoming one.”
Grave mistake.
The God they claim to worship has given, promised, and endowed specific, irrevocable, and inalienable rights to all. This inarguable aspect of our history goes unacknowledged. The United States, from its inception, had men who jeopardized all comforts to define, defend, and die for those rights.
From the birth of Protestantism to England’s Golden Age, men fought to represent themselves before God.
From George Whitfield’s Great Awakening of Evangelism to the birth of United States of America, men fought to represent every man spiritually or socially.
Each conflict resulted in governmental reconstruction, followed by a period of persecution. The fight was both expected and welcomed. Religious freedom, self-determination, and the liberty to pursue both were paramount. Tolerance of an authoritarian rule was not an option.
What made the Charismatic religious movement different? There was no sacrifice. There was only a virtuous rebellion in response to hedonistic rebellion. The movement was devoid of political reinforcement or result. War was the buzzword of the ‘60s through the ‘80s and was culturally interpreted as the outgrowth of hatred or cruelty. The honor gained through war was lost. Having a human right worth preserving at any cost was not only diminished, it was extinguished.
The West’s religious community lost its narrative to refrain from evil, just as America lost its determination to combat acts of evil. Dehumanization became socially acceptable as long as it was self-inflicted. Political disputes ranging from collectivism to sexual liberation were then acquiesced to, and now have been surrendered as the result of a powerless, counterfeit morality.
God’s mandated standards for humanity are persistently being chipped away. The imposition of a loosely enlightened morality is created by those who in reality are closet authoritarians. They will selectively protect those who are willing to compromise their principles in order to gain a false sense of security. It must be recognized that it is impossible to protect a thing that is relinquished.
The rights of humanity have been fought for man-to-man, idea-to-idea, for centuries. The cause has been to secure what God commanded His creation to possess. Fundamentally, the struggle will never change. Americans must be willing to get back onto the battlefield of ideas and ideals. The United States of America won on that battlefield, and if it is going to survive, must be willing to risk fighting to defend those principles again.
America’s religious community knows their rights because they believe God, but they have forgotten how to defend them. God has given them a country with a decree to treat man the way God has continually, and will endlessly treat man. They are unaware of the gift that the United States truly is in comparison to every other country on Earth.
American politics was fashioned to defend religious expression. To see the Western religious community secure in its convictions is to see a government assured in its liberty. America is asking itself the question it did 240 years ago, which is, “Are you willing to live without your rights, or die with them?’’
One of our founding fathers, Samuel Adams, said, “The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending against all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks.”
Do you agree?
You ought to.
There is good news, other than the ‘Good News’. Pastors have heard the call. Hundreds are campaigning across the country. Offices such as city council, mayor, school board, commissioner, governor, and representative are being fought for to be filled by God-respected men and women. That is how it is done.
Godspeed, America.
You’re going to need it.
By: Rosemary Dewar
