One of the answers our founders had to find was how to establish unity in a culture with so many variations in their belief systems. In this crazy election cycle, it seems that one side is united and the other has a war raging within. I believe the side that represents every evil that America was never meant to stand for is truly united and standing together arm in arm and the good side is fighting like cats and dogs! We can try to deny this all we want but that will never make it untrue: Careful study led our founders to the conclusion that morality and religion were essential components in a civilized and free society. They took on the monumental task of generalizing religion to include the components that everyone believed in no matter what denomination they practiced.
Benjamin Franklin defined what our founders often called the “religion of America” like this: “I believe in one God, the Creator of the universe. That He governs it by His providence. That He ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable service we render to Him is in doing good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental points in all sound religion.”
These fundamentals were taught in our schools. They didn’t take a direct part in our government, but they kept America civilized and free. Our founders discovered that Christians, Catholics, Mormons, Baptists, Buddhists and even peaceful Muslims etc. practice these principles. Now many folks mock and laugh at religion and morality is subject to interpretation. These principles no longer define our nation. We call good-evil and evil-good, even amongst the folks that would agree with this Creed in a heartbeat. So what happened? In my most humble opinion, we stopped believing, practicing and teaching the fundamentals and slowly, but surely, feelings replaced thinking and more divisions were created and now we don’t agree enough to elect a qualified leader.
We have let the “gospel of emotion” take root and distort our thinking. Notice they said “sound religion”? This doesn’t mean we make it up as we go along and do what we feel. Many pulpits are occupied with imposters that encourage us to throw sound religion out the window if we have a “strong feeling” about our solution. This error is prevalent in many denominations and is affecting more and more leaders, directly or indirectly. We are in a state of mass confusion because fear is overcoming us in this election cycle. Fear and desperation are overtaking our understanding of sound doctrine. Typically, Christians have to come together first and answers from Heaven will follow. The only way that can happen is if we read, understand and believe simple, plain Scripture.
To my beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Twisting Scripture in a twisted election cycle is not the answer. Many of us are understandably confused and fearful, but this is not the time to stray from God’s Word and sound religion. That is the very thing that will unite us. Please don’t pretend and try to justify immorality just because you are scared. Both candidates demonstrate immorality in character.
One candidate seems to believe in some sound moral principles in policy, not in his person. I believe it takes a huge amount of fear to distort this Scripture: Exodus 18:21. “Moreover, you shall choose able men from all the people. God-fearing men of truth who hate unjust gain and place them over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens, to be their rulers.” I believe that speaks directly to choosing a moral decent leader, not an immoral person that holds some moral policies. It speaks to the person, not to the policy.
If you interpret it differently, I don’t and won’t hold it against you. God is sovereign and in control. He will work it out. In the meantime, let’s stop this useless bickering and nonsense. It stems from fear and, honestly, it’s hard not to be fearful in the midst of this. Hold each other up. We really are all in this together. Evil is standing together; we need to find a way do the same. Praying for all of you.
Image; By John Trumbull – US Capitol, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40929888
