Blind Arrogance

He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”  ... (Spoken by the blind man whom Jesus healed.)
They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.   John 9: 25,34 (The response of the blind and arrogant religious and political leaders of Jesus' day.)

There is a form of intellectual pride that despises the authority of Jesus. But it cannot refute the power of Christ to deliver, heal and set the soul free, so its only recourse is to repress Christianity with power. The enlightening story in John, Chapter 9 elucidates and exposes this prideful arrogance. And it is being demonstrated to a growing degree in American culture. This is evidenced in our Congress when potential candidates' constitutional rights are being violated by religious tests used to determine fitness of service; and, in this context, basic truths about the Christian faith are being labeled "intolerant" or "bigotry".  (Reference is made to Sen. Bernie Sanders confirmation hearing interview with Russell Vought, President Trump's nominee for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget at theatlantic.com. See also: https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/cultural-commentary/will-christians-america-face-persecution/  )


“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (Jesus, John 3:16-18)

The same Jesus who tells us that the God of this universe loves us enough to sacrifice His only Son for us, and who commands us to love each other and even to love and pray for our enemies (Mt.5:44), also tells us that those who reject Him are condemned. This is a Christian belief because Jesus stated it! We do not have the authority to change, subdue or minimize it; and any governmental entity that pressures us to do so is repressive and unconstitutional.
I emphasize that the Christian faith does not condone violence against unbelievers, and they have no need to fear it. Contrarily, it seems evident that, if the scales ever tilt in the direction of Islamic political power, sharia law will dominate, and Americans will get a taste of real intolerance, fortified by violence against "apostates and infidels". And the suppression of Christianity clears the field for this shift of power to occur. It is, therefore, suicidal, as far as democracy is concerned, to suppress the Christian faith--something our Founding Fathers were well aware of, prompting them to ascertain the free expression of religion and recognizing religion as a pillar of democracy. And the only religion they would have been referring to, evidenced in their writings, personal and public, is Christianity. Christianity, not just religion, is organic to democracy. And if that root is cut off or undernourished to the point of withering, democracy will also wither. Christianity is not intolerant. It has always and will always be a vital enhancer of freedom and quality of life when lived out according to its Founder and namesake. From this standpoint, any force that suppresses it is, at root, evil and contrary to ultimate human good.  Fear of Christianity is based on ignorance, as anyone who has a deep knowledge of Christ and His teachings can attest. Christ had, and has no interest in earthly power other than that rendered freely by His followers. He resisted being made a king. He came to deliver and give life; not to dominate and control. But those who see Him as He is, and come into His freedom, can never be made subject to the repressive powers of man's governments; which is why the Bible is excluded and Christ persecuted in every repressive nation on earth. And it is the Love of God, manifested through Christ's earthly body, that sends missionaries into these dark nations and cultures, even at the peril of their lives--to set them free! Not to dominate or control them. I state summarily, based upon a lifetime's devotion to Christ and His teachings and Spirit, and having had intimate contact with countless people who have followed Him to great avail, that anything--any power, person, corporation, governmental entity, etc.--that represses or diminishes or suppresses the sincere and bona fide following of Christ Jesus is a manifestation of evil in that it is contrary to the advancement of life, liberty and happiness in the human family that results from what Jesus called a "new birth" and "salvation". Billions of people have experienced this as an inner felt reality, to the point that they proselytized in the face of persecution; many to the point of death. Thankfully there is no man-made hammer big enough to destroy the Christian faith. All efforts only refine and strengthen it. As Jesus said, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it."