Christ Questioned by Pilate about Christ’s Kingdom of Truth – What is Truth, Pilate asks?
At the trial of Christ Pilate asks Christ about the charge of being, “King of the Jews” (Jo 18:33-38)? Christ replies that His kingdom is not of this world; therefore, by implication, it is not a threat to Rome. He, Christ, has come to bear witness to the truth of His kingdom. Pilate makes the famous statement, “What is truth?” Every person’s worldview answers this question; however, the validity of the answer reveals whether one has sought the only absolute truth or has fabricated his, or her, own truths in support of their now agendas.
Every person during their moment of history decides this question; especially in relation to salvation {spiritual truth} as well as to their particular government {worldly truth}. Their decisions not only affect themselves but also their posterity, especially when considered as a majority. In our time Americans are confronted with different views of governmental truths. I have commented on several of these in my posts because I have seen Christians supporting worldly governments in lieu of biblical truths while claiming the Bible supports their worldview. This is nowhere more apparent than in America which claims to have the “moral ground”; i.e., being a Godly nation. What would such a nation look like? More importantly, what would be the fruits that would support such a claim?
Christ said, “Thus you will recognize them by their fruits” (Mt 7:15-20). He made this statement in reference to false prophets who claim to teach God’s truth but actually twist His truth to teach Lucifer’s agenda and justify themselves. His statement was designed to focus the apostle’s attention not on their words but on what their words produce! The world has adopted this in the adage, “Actions speak louder than words.” This is as true to the false prophets of the Gospel as well as to the false teachers of history, especially American history because Americans have conflated obedience to Christ with blind obedience to government. Christ did not teach this, His government was not of this world which means that for Christians our allegiance is not of this world either. Neither are Christians to rebel against the powers that God has ordained. We are to teach and live God’s truth in this world in spite of the errors of this world which are increasingly rebellious against God’s truth of salvation.
My last two posts (Propaganda: Bias of Perspective and Lie of the Political Spectrum) discuss both the positives and negatives of The Big Lie by Mr. D’Souza. In my final post on his work I want us to go back to the beginning of the Republican Party and let their own works judge their claims since this party’s members frequently wrap themselves in both the flag and the mantle of biblical godliness. What does their works reveal about their truths?
This work is extensively footnoted
Documenting the Author’s Conclusions
The Republican Party today claims to be for small government, free enterprise and local control which is interesting because this party was founded on the very opposite precepts. Mr. Lincoln was an ardent disciple of Henry Clay and his American System: 1) Centralized big government; 2) Centralized banking and 3) Internal improvements {Pork barrel projects we call them today}. He never voiced any other agenda during his political career. When he took office in 1861 the majority opinion in the North and the South supported the right of secession of any state {New England states debated secession between 1800-1820s {Approximate} with no mention by any learned jurist of that day of the illegality of such action}. The newspapers of both North and South editorialized these same opinions. Only President Lincoln and his cabinet held a dissenting opinion because allowing the South to secede would prevent Mr. Lincoln from finally implementing Henry Clay’s American System which the South had accomplished several times previously.
While I am not interested in giving a “Lost Cause” defense to the Democratic South I am interested that we look at the Republican Party with the same fairness; i.e.; judge them by their works. Lincoln refused to obtain a declaration of war from Congress on the grounds that it was not a war between independent nations but a civil insurrection within a nation. He also suspended the “writ of habeas corpus” that was in the Constitution to prevent the government from arbitrarily imprisoning citizens without charges or trials by jury for political reasons. His claim of preserving the Union crumbles by his blatant disregard for the document that formed the Union. The Union armies blatant violation of the “Rules of War” {Geneva Convention 1863} as evidenced in Sherman’s March to the Sea, though it had been practiced nearly since the beginning of the conflict, also robbed American civilian citizens of due process and often of life.
Here is a political party that called itself Republican while destroying the Republic, replacing it with the beginnings of an empire. This party developed the policy of American Indian extermination in order to facilitate the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, which was so poorly constructed that major portions had to be redone by private enterprises. Under the Republican president Theodore Roosevelt America began agitating for an international empire which it acquired at the end of the questionable Spanish American War. America gained the Philippine Islands and Porto Rico which it then refused to grant freedom to their citizens. America fought the Philippine Insurrection for several years before suppressing the rebellious elements and Porto Rico remains a territory {not even a state} today.
How did President Lincoln manage to sway the North to support his military invasion of America since he refused to recognize them as an independent nation? He sent an unarmed supply ship, though it was accompanied by several armed warships, to Fort Sumter at Charleston, SC. The Confederate army fired on Fort Sumter for 36 hours, killing no one, before the fort surrendered. This recalled the vision of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, MD during the British bombardment which resulted in the writing of the Star Spangled Banner, America’s national song. Thus, by invoking images of a previous war wrapped in the mantle of the flag and cries of unionism the North allowed itself to be swayed into supporting the robbery of liberties guaranteed by the Constitution. The fact that President Lincoln imprisoned the grandson of the author of this patriotic song at the same fort just for supporting an editorial that criticized President Lincoln’s war against the South should speak louder than any words Lincoln may have spoken.
This self-same party in 2001 in New York City wrapped itself in the flag in the midst of a terrible act of terrorism and was given extraordinary powers that also infringe on its citizens liberties; wonder where they learned that from? The Patriot Act has become the mechanism allowing government spying on its own citizens with little protection to the liberties of these citizens. This is the tradition of the Grand Old Party.
“What is Truth?” Pilate asked a valid question. Jesus had already answered it when He said His kingdom is not of this world. His kingdom remains not of this world. Christians should concentrate on its truths in the Bible. All governments are slaves of Lucifer seeking to usher in his kingdom. They reject God’s truth because it reveals them for liars and murders which they have been since they were first developed by Cain, a murder just like his father Satan. Christian’s duty is to live the Gospel which reveals the works of darkness. Christians should stop being ploys of government thinking its God’s will. The Bible only tells us to not rebel and support such governmental actions that are consistent with the Bible. The Bible never promotes one government over another other than God’s government, neither should we. Remember, government education is designed to make its citizens love said government at the expense of all other truths. Slowly it has extinguished the truth of the Gospel in many lands and it is flickering dimly in America. It will never go out but how many will Christ find faithful to His truth (Lk 18:7-8)?