Romans 15:4 Project Blog: Tyranny and Rebellion

I want to clear up any misconceptions from my Independence Day post.

Rebellion against Tyranny is not a justification or license to rebel against Authority. (i.e. Seatbelt laws have no moral justification for rebellion.)

Father Jonathan does a quick analysis of the great pains the Founding Fathers took to be sure of the moral justification and proof of tyranny in the Declaration of Independence: “Notice the importance the founding fathers give to presenting publicly a moral justification for their action. It is, they propose, all part of ‘a decent respect to the opinions of mankind’ to offer the world the ‘causes which impel them to separation.’ Their case for independence is not based on military calculations regarding the probability of vanquishing a foe, but rather on self-evident truths concerning the nature and rights of man, as endowed by his Creator, and the origin and purpose of the State.” (Morris)

And it was not for personal gain or power. Our American founders “were merchants, farmers, clergymen and lawyers, men who stood to lose their wealth and standing in society for signing their names to that document we cherish today. . . While honoring their courage, Americans often forget the sufferings of the Founding Fathers. For the most part, the War for Independence destroyed the lives of these men.” explains Gary Bauer.

And George Washington could have claimed Kingship over the new nation, but instead walked away from the temptation of power.

Tyranny

I do not write such things trivially. I do not mean defiance of AUTHORITY, but defiance of TYRANNY. What are the possible tyrannical threats to America in the 21st century?

There is the overt, in your face, convert or die, Islamism (islomofacism, radical islam, terrorism, etc. . .). How will you react when the sword is at your throat? Will you taste of the blade or submit? Or worse, will you stick your head in the sand until it is eventually detached from your body?

But the far worse threats, in my opinion, are the covert threats. The tyranny that sneaks up and has you submitting before you even know it. They are some form of atheistic or humanistic socialism or communism (or some new globalistic representation of the old philosophies, the Brave New World). When the education enforcement officers knock on your door and say "we are here to take your children", will you render unto Caesar?

Unfortunately I think we are closer to making these choices than most people will admit (maybe not in our lifetime), the 9th district (court of fruits and nuts!) has already ruled that once children enter the school building PARENTAL RIGHTS END. On the east coast, Mass. has ruled that parents do not have the right to opt their children out of sexuality indoctrination classes. And currently there is a debate in Alaska and Maryland about the same issue. The fact that in America, the land of the free, we have to even debate about the rights of the fundamental social unit, the family, is a clear indication of where we are heading. Liberal candidates are pushing toward the socialism side of the scale, G. W. has pushed toward the globalistic brave new world side, and there is an evident moral erosion!

If schools are no longer a safe haven, then the Media Empire is certainly worse. The media empire has “become the primary teachers and caregivers of America’s youth, flooding them with pornography, the occult, socialism and multiculturalism. They leave their passive audience illiterate, immobile and prepared for tyranny to come.” (Foster)

America certainly feels to me like Israel must have when they demanded a king from Samuel. And the same fate will befall us, our children, our property, our very selves will become the property of the state. The ultimate motive is to create a people that are not submitted to God, but to the state.

Just as there is a large voice in America crying out to their government for the things that other nations have, universal health care, universal welfare, universal employment, universal childcare etc. . . all of which erodes individual and family liberties and freedoms, instead of crying out to God, so did Israel. Will we learn from the lesson?

“They said to [Samuel], ‘You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.’” (1 Samuel 8:5)

“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. . .’ [Samuel] said, ‘This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.’” (1 Samuel 8:7, 11-18)

Rebellion

When the education enforcement officers show up to take my children, with out 'clear' instruction from God to the contrary, I will resist. Let no man judge my motives but my Savior. When I am told I can no longer publicly express my faith, with out 'clear' instruction from God to the contrary, I will resist and continue to publicly share the Good News.

Is refusing to send my children to public school rebellion? I say yes (at least against the popular culture). Does it serve God's Kingdom? Again, I say yes. I don't see raising Godly children as an option, but a command, and I consider the forms of 'comprehensive sex education' to be immoral at best and child abuse at worst. Is fighting (in the truest loving and democratic way, not taking up arms) against the immorality imposed on children in public school a form of rebellion? Again I say yes. Is informing and motivating people to vote and speak out against the inhumanity of abortion rebellion? It most certainly is.

Was William Wilberforce's activism against the slave trade a form of rebellion? Yes! Did it serve God's Kingdom? I say yes! In the same way a free America can serve God's Kingdom. As Pilgrim William Bradford declared, “They had a great hope and inward zeal of laying a good foundation, for the propagation and advancing of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world; yea though they should be but even as stepping stones unto others.” A good question to ask, "How did the American Revolution and the new government impact the witness and advancement of God's Kingdom?"

The need for moral vision in America

Defining tyranny and justification for rebellion is a gray area in most cases, but one thing is for sure, a moral vision is needed in order to lead a free nation, and a moral citizenry is needed to keep a free nation, and none of it is possible without God. “A full-orbed biblical Christianity is far superior to any of its competing worldviews. Ignorance of this great truth breeds compromise and destruction.” (Foster)

“Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” (John Adams, Oct. 11, 1798)

“We need to start addressing the real underlying cause of these challenges and to recapture a sense of the moral foundation, so that we can restore the moral discipline, restore the sense of commitment to true family life that then provides the basis for economic strength in our communities, for better performance for our children in our schools, for a greater sense of responsibility on the part of parents toward those children, and so forth and so on. We know that these are the keys to real progress, and it's time we got out and voted like we know.” (Alan Keyes, a Moral Conservative)

Next week I will comment on some of the moral decline being institutionalized in America.

Works Cited:

Bauer, Gary. “End of Day Report 7-3-07” American Values.

Foster, Marshall. “America at the Tipping Point”. Christian Worldview Network. Posted: 07/10/2007.

Keyes, Alan. From “We Need Alan Keyes for President”

Morris, Jonathan. “Finding God in the Declaration of Independence” Fox News.

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Romans 15:4 Project Blog

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Tyranny and Rebellion

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