By Jason Charles on 8/21/2019 (4 years 243 days ago) Theology & Religion
Who’s to blame for these Divided States of America? Let’s explore,
No matter what generational age group you talk to, the consensus from all respondents suggest this country is dangerously divided along political lines and hot-button issues.
“The United States are not so united. A growing body of research points to a deep disunity between Democrats and Republicans in policy preferences, values, and tolerance of the other side’s views. As early as 2010, social scientists conducted surveys that revealed that nearly half of all Republicans would be “somewhat or very unhappy” if their child married a Democrat and nearly one-third of surveyed Democrats had a similar response. These results represented an approximately 1,000 percent increase from the level of people reporting this view in the 1960s. It seems that Americans feel more politically divided today than at any other time in recent history.” (Harvard Political Review, 2019)
As sourced, there is “a 1000% percent increase” in people having disdain for political opposites, this is truly a staggering figure. It suggests hate has compounded in 50 years, and would explain all of the political aggression across the country. If this stat doesn’t pierce your conscience, then you can simply ask Rand Paul who had a piece of his lung removed due to an attack by a politically deranged individual in his neighborhood this last week,
Rand as a Constitutional and independent voice has unfortunately found himself in the literal crosshairs of political hate multiple times, if you recall his dramatic testimony during a congressional baseball team practice in Alexanderia, VA, Rand Paul recounted the scene saying,
“Capitol Police were at the scene because of the presence of Scalise, the third-ranking Republican in GOP leadership.
If Scalise wouldn't have been on the team — unfortunately, he was hit and I hope he does well — but also by him being there it probably saved everybody else's life because if you don't have a leadership person there, there would have been no security there," Paul said.” (The Hill)
This is a vivid picture of political division in this country is it not? People are erratic, violent and there is many places we could place the blame, but what we have to realize is prior to the 1960’s this wasn’t the case. Back then it was very common for Americans to vote laterally among the parties seeing there weren’t insurmountable walls of division over political issues. Any preference was over the use of tax money and growth of government typically in this bygone era.
So, What Changed?
Something happened to politics many decades ago that forever created walls of partition between the political “right” and “left.”
A quick note on this subject, I wrote a piece entitled, The One Spiritual Question that Creates the Left-Right Divide, in this article I explore the philosophical and spiritual genesis of the Left/Right political paradigm; it is a worthwhile read on this topic and I would be amiss for not pointing my readers there. But for this article the aim is to track the surprising history behind the religious force that truly segregated the U.S. population into a volatile, two-party system. It is my opinion we can only blame Christians and the Moral Majority of the 70’s and 80’s for this divide.
First off, as a disclaimer, I am sure leaders of the Moral Majority like Rev. Jerry Falwell may have had good intentions in terms of getting America back on track morally during that time, but all they achieved was a political divide that forever changed the America body politic. Remember, it was the Religious Right that mastered the use of, “Wedge Issue.”
/defined
Wedge Issue: Wedge issue is an issue that a politician might raise in order to drive a wedge between different groups within his opponent's supporter base. (Source)
To illustrate this point I have sourced an article from the New York Times dated 1989, which quotes Rev. Jerry Falwell resigning his efforts towards the Moral Majority. In this article Falwell makes it plain that the plan was never to win the culture war, but to forever chain Christian conservatives to the Republican plantation, and earn a spot at the kings table.
“Proclaiming that ''our mission is accomplished,'' the Rev. Jerry Falwell announced today that Moral Majority would close its doors this summer.
The announcement of the end of the best-known institution of the religious right came after a troubled year and a half in which the movement suffered seriously from financial and sexual scandals involving television evangelists and had seen a Presidential candidate from its ranks, the Rev. Pat Robertson, win only a handful of Republican delegates in 1988.
Mr. Falwell conceded that ''we have not solved the problems'' his organization was founded to combat, with such issues as abortion, school prayer, divorce, drug abuse, teen-age pregnancy and pornography still unresolved. But he said Moral Majority had played an important role in energizing religious conservatives and had helped change the terms of political debate in the country.
Mr. Falwell, here to address evangelists attending the annual Southern Baptist convention, said Moral Majority had been ''the agent to train, mobilize and electrify the Religious Right.''
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He said, ''I feel that I have performed the task to which I was called in 1979. The religious right is solidly in place and, like the galvanizing of the black church as a political force a generation ago, the religious conservatives in America are now in for the duration.'' Efforts on Church and School” (New York Times, June 12, 1989)
Mission accomplished is right, and sadly he being deceased will never fully realize the effects and consequences of politicizing Jesus. But man, his Trump supporting toady of a son, Jerry Farwell Jr. sure seems to enjoy the status he inherited.
If you want to go into politics and leverage the system, fine, then run for office, but being a minister and cozying up to politicians and manipulating them along religious lines for votes is frankly disgusting. It is little wonder the efforts of Falwell failed.
Hindsight what it is, the leaders of the Moral Majority were greedy for airtime with the political elite, callously tore at the social fabric with wedge issues to garner votes, and being distracted with these things failed to properly rebuke with wisdom and Truth the attacks of the secular left. As a result we are in a worse place because of their efforts.
Here we are, many decades removed, and the so called “Christian Conservatives” have prostituted themselves to moral reprobates like Trump, and dogmatically support killing Muslims in wars of aggression on behalf of Zionist Israel. The hypocrisy is astounding, all in the name of the Republican Party and "Christian Politics."
It is infuriating to think that so many ministries and churches supported the efforts of the Moral Majority knowing they wielded the Body of Christ’s gifted resources in vain. In fact, I wonder how much money was pilfered out of good Christians during these times towards these foolish efforts. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 4:2-5 what ministers are charged with,
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:2-5
Preachers of the Gospel are there to exhort and preach the fiery Truths of all God’s word. There is no way they can fulfill that charge and associate themselves with the chicanery of the political world. You can't cozy up to power, placate their evil, and expect to impact them for the Kingdom, that is not how it works. You have to preach the Word in boldness in truth, and refuse to comprimise on anything pertaining to God's Word. Hard preaching makes you an enemy of the political class not a friend. That is the problem with Christianity today it is far to friendly with the evils of this world, and the impact is so far reaching it is hard to calculate the damage that has been done to the Amercian church as a result. Add in the controlling factor of the IRS on the 501c3 church and it becomes apparent this is all by design, put in motion by the evil one.
Conclusion
With this being said, the fraternizing with the political elite isn’t anything new. Anyone watching the show called The Family on Netflix recently realizes that wayward ministries have been injecting themselves into the backdrop of politics in this country for a long time. “The Family” a T.V. show based off of Jeff Sharlet’s incredible book, talks about the secretive Christian group called the Fellowship, or the Family that runs the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C., and is a must watch.
A few take always from the show,
- The group is over 80 years old started by Abraham Vereide 1935
- Prayer breakfast’s across the nation are recruiting grounds and talent scouts for the Family
- They are extremely secretive to the point of invisibility, most people aren’t even aware they exist
- The members are networked into the highest echelons of power across the world
- Their theology is striped to an elementary level and uses Jesus as a mascot, failing to address fundamental doctrines
- They become liaisons for despotic regimes bypassing the laws of nations as a networked ministry
- They have served as advisors to the political elite, helping to cover their infidelities, shielding them from the media with the guise of "spiritual recovery"
These are just a few takeaways from the show, and while it tried to present both sides it was obvious that this group’s infatuation with power is their driving motivation, all shrouded in the aura of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus whom they claim to serve.
Working with powerful people is not a sign of God’s blessing on an individual or ministry, anymore than speaking in gibberish “tongues” and handling snakes is a sign of God’s blessing. In the economy of God the only thing of value is the stripes on ones back received for proclaiming the Truth of God. Paul said if you are to boast in anything boast in your tribulations and persecution for speaking the Truth, 2 Corinthians 11:16-31.
The only political burden a Christan should pick up and chain themselves to is the cross of Christ. Instead they are chaining themselves to the messanic ambitions of Trump and the so called "Christians" that would make him into a messianic figure like Wayne Allyn Root has done just recently much to Trump's applause,
"Donald Trump has promoted a claim that Jewish people in Israel love him like he is the “king” of the country and “the second coming of God”.
“President Trump is the greatest President for Jews and for Israel in the history of the world, not just America, he is the best President for Israel in the history of the world...and the Jewish people in Israel love him like he’s the King of Israel,” tweeted Mr Trump, quoting Wayne Allyn Root, a conservative radio host known for promoting conspiracy theories.
“They love him like he is the second coming of God...But American Jews don’t know him or like him. They don’t even know what they’re doing or saying anymore. It makes no sense!”
“But that’s OK, if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s good for all Jews, Blacks, Gays, everyone. And importantly, he’s good for everyone in America who wants a job.”
Mr Trump added his own comment at the end: “Wow!”" (The Independent)
So there you have it, the Moral Majority and Fellowship has failed us miserably, instead of rightly dividing the Word of Truth, and addressing these societal sins from positions of sound natural law reasoning, apologetics and cutting to the marrow with sound spiritual teaching, the goal was to divide our country from the beginning. I don't want to hear any more Christians talking about the left as the source of the division in America, they are only responding to a 30 year campaign that pigeon-holed them into the labels and categories given them first by the Moral Majority.
It is time to take a look in the mirror and see the evils instutionalized, politicized Christianinity has become in this country and repent of that evil. Which means walking away from these institutionalized churches and organizations.
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