Since the 1980s I’ve seen and heard a number of Christian
leaders insist that the United States was founded on Christian principles that
were abandoned beginning in the 1960s and, for us to prosper again, we needed
to get back to them — whatever they are. In that they liken us to a modern-day
Israel, which indeed was sanctioned by God.
The trouble is that they’ve missed the point.
See, when ancient Israel was overrun by the Greeks and later
the Romans it likely never occurred to folks then that the issue then was
disobedience to the LORD, likely its mistreatment of the powerless (as many of
the Minor Prophets railed about). Certainly the priests and the Pharisees, the
lay group that tried to keep those traditions alive, didn’t do all that well in
addressing the various power inequities in Jewish society of that day.
I think it's time to recognize that, to use the analogy, we live in Rome, not Jerusalem. Not only do we not run things but we never truly did; the "biblical" principles on which we're supposedly founded were by necessity filtered through Freemasonry, which by definition liberalized the Christian faith especially when it came to public policy. (Churches in those days still paid strict attention to theology, as they should have done, and the theological wars that permeated Europe were in fact transplanted here.) The generic Christianity, often also liberalized by American civil religion, that such people refer to simply didn't exist until the last few decades.
And since we live in Rome, not Jerusalem, we need to understand that we faithful Christians represent a minority.
Unlike Rome, which used its military might to suppress dissenting views, we live in a land where they can be tolerated. But being angry won't cause any lasting change or otherwise lead people to consider the faith, particularly if it's being used as the will to power. You don't want to live in a "pagan" land? Sorry, but you don't have any choice in the matter.
The early church, understanding this, survived by subverting Roman law to display its injustice; for this reason Jesus Himself, when preaching the Sermon on the Mount, actually advocated such subversion. When it came to church/state relations, the Apostle Paul wrote, in effect, "Obey Roman law — but here's how you can get around it and glorify God."
More to the point, however, the church today should stick up for the powerless in this society — the homeless, drug-addicted, people of color and even in some cases non-Christians, often in this case Muslims. It should probably also stand with immigrants, for Israel was cautioned, "Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt" (Exodus 22:21).
Because not only is God not impressed with "ethnic purity" the way Israel was but this would also represent an extension of the "golden rule." That's His real goal for His followers, not focusing upon some faux heritage that seeks only its own safety and comfort.
Remember — we live in Rome, not Jerusalem.
I think it's time to recognize that, to use the analogy, we live in Rome, not Jerusalem. Not only do we not run things but we never truly did; the "biblical" principles on which we're supposedly founded were by necessity filtered through Freemasonry, which by definition liberalized the Christian faith especially when it came to public policy. (Churches in those days still paid strict attention to theology, as they should have done, and the theological wars that permeated Europe were in fact transplanted here.) The generic Christianity, often also liberalized by American civil religion, that such people refer to simply didn't exist until the last few decades.
And since we live in Rome, not Jerusalem, we need to understand that we faithful Christians represent a minority.
Unlike Rome, which used its military might to suppress dissenting views, we live in a land where they can be tolerated. But being angry won't cause any lasting change or otherwise lead people to consider the faith, particularly if it's being used as the will to power. You don't want to live in a "pagan" land? Sorry, but you don't have any choice in the matter.
The early church, understanding this, survived by subverting Roman law to display its injustice; for this reason Jesus Himself, when preaching the Sermon on the Mount, actually advocated such subversion. When it came to church/state relations, the Apostle Paul wrote, in effect, "Obey Roman law — but here's how you can get around it and glorify God."
More to the point, however, the church today should stick up for the powerless in this society — the homeless, drug-addicted, people of color and even in some cases non-Christians, often in this case Muslims. It should probably also stand with immigrants, for Israel was cautioned, "Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt" (Exodus 22:21).
Because not only is God not impressed with "ethnic purity" the way Israel was but this would also represent an extension of the "golden rule." That's His real goal for His followers, not focusing upon some faux heritage that seeks only its own safety and comfort.
Remember — we live in Rome, not Jerusalem.
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