Posted on 02/01/2012 12:37:16 PM PST by hawkins
Watching the election year primaries unfold, it is clear disgust surrounds the individual in the White House and the top two challengers for the office of President of the United States. The man in the White House characterized his last three years with deception, poor stewardship, and immoral decision making. One of his challengers has a past characterized by philandering and broken trust while the other has demonstrated immoral choices involving support of homosexuality, abortion, and stem cell research. This speaks completely to their moral fiber; it does not address their failures of ideology or misdirected spirituality. Presently and historically, America stands as a land of many moral people with sound ideologies; however, the current abomination presented before the nation represents their choice to accept something less than great. America could do better.
I Samuel 5b-7 – “…now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”
The false choice society often believes to be their only choice is: “Choose the lesser of two (three, four, etc.) evils.” Consider a young boy presented with two choices for a dinner vegetable. The first choice is creamed spinach. The second choice is brussel sprouts. Yuck! He has been down that road before and knows he doesn’t like these vegetables. The child, believing these to be the only choices, feels miserable. Yet, not all children believe this scenario to be true. They know other good vegetables exist. When not offered other choices, some children see a bigger picture where they refuse to swallow what has been presented. They know they can do better.
Isaiah 5:20 – “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
Again consider the child who won’t eat the choices of vegetable put before him. Will there be pressure for the child to accept the choices? Yes! The voices telling America to swallow what they know they don’t like, come from sources of power. For instance, the media with far reaching access tries to force its own choices down the throat of the citizenry. They coax, cajole, and try every tactic they can to get Americans to accept their choice. “This item looks the same but try it again, you will like it”. “Don’t worry, this choice only sat in the garbage for 30 seconds”. Because they have the power to put their choices before Americans while ignoring other better choices, they do. They have their own agendas and they get money or favors to put forth specific agendas by other sources of power. Unfortunately, these human sources of power do not put forth the best interests of the people. They choose the rich or powerful. They choose the good looking or well articulated. Their standards are not built upon foundation, but upon fascia. They could do better.
1 Samuel 16:6-7 – “And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
Though America chose the motto, “In God We Trust”, in 1956, a wide swath of the country chooses not to follow God’s precepts. In doing so, they follow their own notions of what seems right. The citizenry allows human sources of power to limit the field of governing choices based upon faulty criteria. In 2008, Americans were presented with two lousy choices to fill the office of president. One of those choices was picked and America suffered for it. In 2010, Americans came out in droves supporting the choices of morality, justice, and honesty across the land. In most cases, they were successful. They chose from the ground up to choose representatives who represented a godly model. Yet, now, in the presidential election year of 2012, the presidential choices placed before them appear so souring the citizenry agonizes. What happened? Americans once again gave over the decision making for their choices to others. They could have done better.
Deuteronomy 12:8 – “Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes for ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.”
The scenario looks bleak. On Election Day, many will choose simply not to swallow the choices. By this, it is meant they will not vote at all. They will not make a false choice. This will likely mean many good candidates will not be elected in state and local positions, because votes will be absent. Evil will abound! Yet, there is a scripture from the Bible which says, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17) Those who claim to follow God should be present on Election Day to provide votes for those who will lead in a righteous manner. But doesn’t this then force the individual to accept a distasteful choice for president? No. Acting in that fashion would be a false choice. Americans can show up to their polling places, vote for the righteous men in local races and either write in an appropriate choice for president or refrain from voting for the poor choices. No “lesser evil” exists. Choosing something against God’s Will is always wrong. Americans can do better.
1 Samuel 13:11-13 – “And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash; therefore said I, Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Jehovah: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of Jehovah thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would Jehovah have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.”
In the I Samuel text, King Saul of Israel was faced with a dilemma. The Philistines were preparing to attack. A prophet of the Lord, Samuel, told King Saul he would come and present offerings to God. Yet, the time had come and no Samuel. God had not given Saul permission to offer a sacrifice himself, but there was no one around to do it. Saul’s apparent choices: Offer sacrifices to entreat the favor of the Lord or not. In Saul’s mind it seemed right to sacrifice to God. However, his human reasoning was wrong. Doing something which God has not authorized is evil. Man may not reason it as evil, but this does not alter the facts. Applying this to the political situation in the United States, when only an unrighteous choice for president seems to be present, it is really a false choice. Do not be like Saul and make the false choice. Do not swallow the poison. Is it possible the citizenry will choose evil? Yes. That would be quite likely. However consider: first, the individual will not have done evil offending God. Second, God will cause the result to work out for good (Romans 8:28). If Americans truly believe the motto “In God We Trust”, then they will indeed approach it not only in word, but deed also. When Americans return to only accepting Godly choices from the beginning, the choices will be far more abundant and tasteful than present. American can do better.
Joshua 24:15 – And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
I confess that I am reminded of David and Bathsheba.
Although each congregation of the church of Christ is autonomous, I have found that every one I've visited is united against Obama and liberalism. During the summer of the 2008 election year, I took an extended road-trip vacation, traveling throughout the South and Midwest. On Sundays and Wednesdays, I made a point to visit a church of Christ in whatever town I was in. I am pleased to recount that I never saw an Obama/Biden bumper sticker on any car in the parking lots. There were plenty for Palin (and that guy who ran with her) and a number of "W" stickers from the 2004 race. The places I visited ranged from Lubbock, Texas to Franklin, Tennessee and up through Bloomington, IL and Columbia, MO.
If there was any support a all for Obama and his liberal agenda among the coC congregation members, I saw no evidence of it.
Interestingly enough, I just ran across the following related article: http://news.yahoo.com/romney-obama-two-unelectable-candidates-square-off-2012-170032632—abc-news.html . It also focuses on the disgust with the current candidates and discusses what happens when no one is electable.
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