Hatred of persons is
forbidden by Christ {Matthew 5:44}. No political agenda, therefore,
that promotes hatred of any person or people group can legitimately
claim to be Christian.
The recent events
in Charlottesville, VA may be interpreted as the result of the waning
influence of Christianity in American culture, coupled with the fact
that humans are innately bent toward supreme devotion to something.
If we are not devoted to the God of this universe Who is love
{1Jn 4:8}—the God of Jesus Christ—then we either languish in
meaninglessness or attach ourselves to some purpose; anything from
saving whales {a noble endeavor} to promoting one's own race above
other races {an ignoble one by Christian and perhaps all rational
standards}. This is why it is important not to suppress the
evangelistic efforts of the Christian faith. To use a metaphor that I
read somewhere: The fires of Christianity are like the fires of the
ancient cave men that held at bay the ravenous beasts that would
otherwise devour them. As long as the fire burned brightly, men were
safe. But you could see the glaring eyes of the hungry beasts around
the perimeter of light.
Christianity
unifies in love. This is the expressed prayer of Jesus {John 17}.
Outside of this unifying love there are hundreds of motivating
pursuits that potentially divide people against each other. If our
egos are not subdued by a conscious submission to the love of Christ,
they dominate the personality, and the “common good” gets left
behind in the dust. Our Founding Fathers were clear on this. They
knew that government “of, by and for the people” could only
prosper in a culture of spiritually mature people who could overcome
selfish motives and work, sometimes sacrificially, for the common
good. And they also knew, from personal experience, the value of
legitimate religion, particularly the teachings of Christ, in
bringing men to this level of maturity. That is why we see religion
protected from the State, and hear words such as
“endowed by their Creator...”.
This
belief that free government is bolstered and preserved by religion
{and the ensuing morality} is clearly set forth in George
Washington's Farewell Address of 1796. Quoting therefrom:
…Of
all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity,
Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that
man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert
these great Pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the
duties of men
and citizens. The mere politician,
equally with the pious man ought to respect and to cherish them. A
volume could not trace all their connections with private and public
felicity. Let it simply be asked where is the security for property,
for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert
the
oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of
Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that
morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded
to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure,
reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality
can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
I
compare atheism to cancer, and Christianity to the immune system.
All human bodies contain some cancer cells, but our immune system
protects us from their aggressive spread. If the immune system is
suppressed, cancer flourishes and, ironically, ultimately destroys
its own host. There is something sinister in any efforts to subvert
or suppress a religion that promotes the love of all humankind—a
willingness to practice unselfish, sacrificial service to one's
fellows, even those very different from oneself. The life and
teachings of Christ exposed, and exposes, that darkness. But the
demons scream, criticize and attack—now as then. Or else sit and
smile in smug, but ignorant, condescension.
Meanwhile,
earnest Christians continue confessing their sins, looking to God to
help them become better human beings, love their enemies and help
those in need as Christ commanded, receiving the gifts of peace, joy
and abundant life expressly promised by their Lord, forgiving, and
then ignoring those who gloatingly point at their failures, realizing
that they “know not what they do.”
Mark Graham
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