Who Shall Captain Our Ship of State?
Those with Experience?
Those with Popularity?
I am deeply troubled that I squandered my years in meaningless entanglements of profundity rather than learning wisdom thereby living much of my life in ignorance. Lost in pop culture and empty causes I came late to salvation and even later to wisdom.
Now I understand how America not only lost herself but taught the world how to get the unattainable with the consent of the people – power. In this presidential election Americans are again showing the world how to fall into willingly tyranny. I believe one of the major reasons is the prominent place of empiricism as the “guiding light” for people today {Empiricism being the philosophy that is informed mainly by one’s own experiences through one’s five physical senses and one’s own worldview}. Scripture captures the emptiness of this philosophy best in Ecclesiastes when Solomon talks of living a life that is without consequence either in this life or the next; thus, there is no ‘fear of the Lord” and thus no reason to seek salvation through repentance (Ec 9:9-10).
Plato’s metaphor of the “Ship of State” put the issue most succinctly even if we do not agree with his conclusions. His illustration was of an election of the ship’s pilot {Captain in modern parlance}. The current ship’s pilot is too busy piloting the ship, looking skyward and outward, keeping everyone safe, to participate. Those who have no experience vie for the position, courting the crew members for their votes based on promises, power, prestige, bribery and so forth. The foregone conclusion is most obvious – anyone who is elected to this position will spell disaster for the “Ship of State” since they will have no pilot experience. Yet, this is the “will of the people” to replace experience with ignorance in hope’s of personal gain.
America Celebrates Its Democracy
With the Introduction of Tyranny
America began by revolting against Aristocracy resulting in our beginning as a Timocracy, rule of the strongest {George Washington}. The fact that we began by violating the Fifth Precept {Commandment} meant that we intentionally violated Scripture, ignoring God, to go our own way. Thus, America was not going to have a good outcome. Early on our presidency vacillated between presidents who represented strength and money but always with a trend toward Democracy which was planted by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War of America. The 20th century was dominated by presidents who firmly moved the nation toward Democracy with the consent of the people; unlike Communist nations that moved their governments toward absolutism by murdering vast numbers of their citizens (See Graphic). In Democracy {majority rule} the best and brightest usually are not elected because they are not charismatic or ruthless enough to attract voters. After some interval of democratic rule the people grow tired of the vacillating confusion and elect a tyrant who promises to bring security and order {sound familiar?}. A tyrant is not a despot but a person given strong powers to rule with by the people.
Americans are searching for an anti-establishment president in the form of a politician with very questionable ethics whose background is mired in nearly endless controversies or a businessman whose apparent understanding of governance is shouting slogans and slinging ad hominem comments {insults} at his opponents. In other words, Americans are demanding to be governed by someone whose sole qualification for leadership is overwhelming self-interest, the very quality they believe infests their current elected officials. Since they are not truly searching for viable change then what does the electorate want? Booty! The Republicans collusion with corporations resulting in “crony capitalism” destroys their credibility as the purveyors of small government though they constantly promise better paying jobs {Remember, the Republican party went to war to establish a strong central government (Civil War)}. The Democrats constant love affair with oppression either via force (Civil War) or bribery (Welfare-Rural, Urban, Corporate) has created a small ruling elite and a vast impoverished voting base that constantly awaits its monthly allotments for faithfully voting for its own impoverishment. This month the California state legislation toyed with the idea of using state coercion to force the global warming mythology on everyone by making illegal to even discuss the possibility that it may not be legitimate (Washington Times article). We should not be surprised since public education for years has suppressed any alternative to the spontaneous generation theory of life {commonly sailing under the banner of evolution}.
Americans have already consented to security at the expense of personal liberty after the disaster of September 11, 2001. Americans allowed their government’s enforcement arms to prosecute crimes before the crimes occurred. Americans allowed their government to monitor them by any and all means possible to search for the disenchanted who might commit terrorism against the government {not so much against the people}. But this is nothing new as American tolerated Abraham Lincoln’s suspension of the Bill of Rights during the Civil War and John Adams’ enforcement of the Alien and Sedition Acts in the 18th century. Americans have always been ready to trade their so-called liberties in exchange for security which the government cannot give as demonstrated by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, HI, and the Muslim attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. Even though the intelligence community rarely prevents these disasters Americans give them greater power to “feel” secure even though they are far less secure at the hands of their government using these powers. Thus, America has demanded tyranny nearly since its rebellion to control the confusion democracy naturally entails {they want to control the uncontrollable}.
Hoping for a Dream
Living the Tyranny
While I speak in generalized terms, I do not expect anything different from non-Christians. They are governed by relative values that are determined by their desires (Ep 2:1-3; 2Ti 3:1-9; 2Pe 2:4-14; 1Jo 2:15-17). I am dismayed by those who are Christians but are not governed by the Scriptures. The voices of warning are drowned out by the shouting of candidates and their followers and the constant demands for war against terrorism, a concept that can never be defeated since it is constantly redefined as needed (Ec 9:17-18) {Has there been a Condition Green since 9/11?}. So, what are Christians to do? The work of the Gospel. We are the light of Christ in the world. If we vote, we should be guided by biblical wisdom and not by governmental salvation looking for an earthly messiah – there can only be a false messiah. All governments belong to Satan so we function against this backdrop hoping the government will punish the evil doer {supporting them when they are in compliance with the Scriptures} while expecting them to follow the dictates of the flesh. We work within the government in which we are placed by God, preaching and teaching the wisdom of the Bible just as Paul did, Peter did, Stephen did, Christ did and so on. We do not fight against any government but seek to live the Gospel before all people. Yet, we will see the end approaching as surely as night follows day only to bring the day again (2Ti 2:14-26; 4:1-5).
