Is the Constitution of the United States unique?

The Preamble:

“We the People of the United States, in order to form the a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the General Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty for ourselves of Liberty and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

September 17^th, 1787 the Second Continental Congress ratified and approved the Constitution of the United States, replacing the Articles of Confederation that had organized our republic for 13 years.  This act was really the culmination of the first Civil War of the United States. No shots were fired in this war. We had ended the war with England just four years before. And we successfully had a bloodless civil war proving the concept of a republic is a superior brand of self-governance.

It was a war of ideas.

The forging of the constitution was brought about because the Articles of Confederation were Libertarians look at Nervana. It gave the Federal Government so little power that the states literally considered warring with each other, on more than one occasion state militias faced off. More unity was needed.  Some way of keeping the state independent, the federal government fostering unity yet allowing individual liberty to reign was needed.  Hence the Second Continental Congress was formed as the tools, history was the anvil and ideas the forge to create what we have today.  The US Constitution.

Note the purpose of the Constitution:  to secure the Blessing of Liberty for the individual and our descendants. That is what makes it unique. It is about the individual. 

Yet our President has said it is not about Freedom, it is about safety.  That brings us back to the old Benjamin Franklin quote “People willing to trade their safety for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both.”

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is unlike other things we have “gotten rid of”.  Polio, Whooping Cough, and such are not transmissible from the animal population.  There are no interspecies reservoirs.  Research indicates that White Tail Deer, possibly Dogs, and some other species, though not susceptible to the disease can carry it and pass it on.  As an airborne contagion, that means we will never eliminate it, just like the annual flu.  It will return and mutate in cycles.  Just like the flu, it should get weaker over time.  Yet the Delta Variant is more contagious and oddly seems to be more lethal, and it will infect younger people.  If you are vaccinated or previously infected your survival is practically guaranteed. This means the very notion of “flattening the curve” is a lie, it is no longer possible.  It is not a pandemic but an endemic situation.  Something we need to live with.

Fear and panic are being sown to continue to limit your liberty. The Powers That Be (PTB) would have us in our “Dark Mirror” rooms feeding us through our IP connections. Unwilling to socialize outside of the IP interface.  Sort of like Sandra Bullock and Sylvester Stalone in “Demolition Man” where VR rules the day.

Without a herculean effort on our part, we will stay under the thumb of our government.  This started twenty years ago with the “Patriot Act” and it is being pushed under the guise of health and safety. The tools that were supposed to protect against terrorists continue to be used to track whomever the government wants. 

We seem unable to arrest the people that cause billions of dollars in damages nationwide during two years of riots, but the 500 people that walked through the US Capital can be arrested and held without charge or bail no problem. What is the difference? One group had a single person shot to death by police, the other killed over 30 people and injured hundreds of others in 2 years of protests, not to mention the property damage in “Mostly Peaceful Protests.” The rule of law was unjustly served.

And that is what makes our constitution so unique.  We are not supposed to fall under the rule of a person, but the rule of law.  

Currently, President Biden has disobeyed the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) regarding rental forgiveness and his actions on the US/Mexico Border.  He has chosen to ignore them.  Presidents are to be brought in to line by either the Judicial Branch, who has said no and been ignored or the Representative Branch who is cheering him on. 

So who is left? Who needs to force the issue? The sovereigns of the United States,  the Citizens.  We the People have to stop the madness. As a Christian that could put me in a hard place.

Is Resistance to the President of the United States a Sin?

TRIGGER WARNING: The Following is a religious as well as a political discussion.  If religious speech is offensive then I suggest you leave now. 

Yes, this will be both political and religious.  And no I’m not indicating any sort of violence.  Resistance is not violence in the context of this blog post.  I am only looking at this from a Biblical view.  And it may get me kicked out of my congregation.  But I’ll deal with that when and if it comes…

Romans 13: 1 is pretty clear:

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”

This concept is backed up in Titus 3:1-2 and 1 Peter 2.

Then there are many other scriptures pointing how we are to be above reproach among the world,  Peter said for example.

“…having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”
1 Peter 2:12-16 (NKJV)

I am not arguing against that.  There is truth in those words, inspired by God. 

Who is “King” in the context of the United States?

Have you ever noticed in the Pledge of Allegiance we do not make mention of the President or Congress?

The United States of America is unique in the aspect that our head of state is not our sovereign leader.  That right belongs to the individual citizen.  Our government is not an officeholder, it is founded upon the law as laid out and based on the Constitution and its amendments.  SCOTUS is the actual final arbiter of the law, yet their whole purpose is to be sure that laws conform to the spirit and purpose of the Constitution, literally nothing else.  When these more liberal justices start talking about international law and such, they are breaking their oaths. An impeachable offense.

When our chief executive legislates via executive order or gets his departments like the CDC to use emergency powers, they probably should not have, based on Supreme Court decisions, to legislate power, he is outside of the government. A leader like this unchecked is a tyrant. Our 45^th President was accused of that, our 46^th is doing that, and met with cheers. “So this is how Liberty  dies, with thunderous applause.” Senator Amidala – Revenge of the Sith

So as a Christian what am I to do?

Make your own choice, do what you think is right in the eyes of God. That part is easy.

The hard part is what if some of the brethren think differently and want to go against the standing order of the President, Governor or other “official?” Or require that everybody follows said orders and you do not want to?  Here is where the rubber (AGAPÉ, unconditional love) meets the road.  I’m not going deep here, I’m just saying for me, If I am causing such division, I would want to change something before I split a congregation.  But that is just me.  Though Dante’s levels of Hell are fictional, part of my brain assigns a special place for those that cause division.

Some folks think that the question is will you be condemned by God for not wearing a mask, for wearing a mask, getting a vaccine, or not getting a vaccine <insert reason here>?   As usual, that is not the right question.  My wearing of a mask at Worship has nothing to do with what Governor Kate Brown has ordered and more what my brethren in my home congregation. Currently, most wear masks. So I wear a mask.  If people stop, I will stop.  Do I believe masks do any good?  No.  Why? Because countries like Japan or Ireland that have high mask use have incredibly high infection rates.  Places like Kentucky who had 15 counties without mask mandates had lower fatality rates than the 60 counties with mask mandates.

In the Church described in the New Testament, I am not to cause my fellow Christians to stumble. If me not wearing a mask will cause another to stumble, so be it.

'But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. '
I Corinthians 8:9(NKJV)

Jesus was clear on not saying much about politics.  They are outside the realm of the Christian Domain. Even though the idea of abortion was present in Ephesus, Corinth, and other places, as well as child sacrifice, Jesus did not address these things directly.  “Render to Ceasar what is Ceasar..” was about the most directly political statement he made, yet he drove the money changes from the temple.  Cleaning his Fathers house.  We do not have a Temple save our bodies.  

One of the greatest lines that Edmund Burke never said was “For evil to prevail all that needs to happen is for good people to do nothing.” I am not sure who actually said it.  But there is no record that Edmund did.  It is still great wisdom.

So doing nothing is not an option anymore and violence is not the answer.

The dumpster fires that are Portland Oregon and Chicago Illinois should prove that.

Bowing down is not an option either.  By giving them that satisfaction you're approving the tactics and relinquishing the rights that so many have fought and died to provide for you. Just in the Afghanistan conflict 2,460 brave souls lost their lives, and 20,746 brave people sustained an injury keeping the wolves in Afghanistan. That is not including some of the sideshows like Syria and Jordan.  That is just in the last 20 years.  If you were to total the dead over the last 245 years… well you get the picture. Freedom is not free.  Yet we treat it as such.

So what can a Christian do?  Speak Truth to Power.  When the leftist socialists say that they are talking about a relative truth that they made up.  It is a lie they tell to get their way.  If we speak, we must speak the actual truth, but not in a hateful manner.   Be factual, be honest, and do not be sparing in truth.  You will hurt feelings.  But do not be cruel.  Just be honest. 

If a person who identifies as a woman, but is obviously sporting a Y chromosome, wants to chat? Be compassionate and honest.  Address them respectfully.  It is your choice what pronoun to use because that is between you and God.  If they correct you, ask them if they have a Y chromosome,  they may lie to you.  But you can respond with compassion or you can leave or they can.

Write fair, honest, and compassionate letters to newspapers.  Not quoting scripture so much as the principles of the scriptures.  They will have trouble not publishing if you are not spouting what they see as “religious doctrine.”

Write your local and state representatives.  Use actual Letters.  Drives them nuts.  But again, no hate mail.  Just logic, facts, and compassion. 

Write pamphlets to PDF and share them.  Let people see what you think.  Alexander Hamilton changed our country with the Federalist Papers writing under the pen name Publius.  With a web page or a Social Media page, you can o the same.  

Do not be silent, but be respectful, factual, and honest.

Do I follow the law though?

Is it a law if the President decrees it? Is it a law if it has not gone through the House and Senate? Is Obedience to a tyrant acting contrary to the established law of the land something that God will judge you for?  I think that depends on how you do it.  If you are arrested, fined, and then fight to the supreme court and win, no. If you kick, scream and whine like a baby, yes.  One way is within acceptable behavior and above reproach.  The other is not.  The question is, are you willing to risk the freedom and treasure to do so in a Christian manner.

If the State of Oregon Outlaws Christianity tomorrow, and the police show up at my door.  I am guilty and go quietly.  But I will fight in the courts as with the full force of the law.  I would hope that if I end up on the table waiting for the needle, my last words would be an audible prayer for the forgiveness of those around me.

But causing violence to defend the constitution?  I see that as a no-win.  The Civil war demonstrated how ugly that could be.  I for one do not want to see that.  For starters, the lines would not be a North/South kind of thing.  It would be city vs rural,  or coastal vs central. In other words an absolute mess.

Do you know what you fight for?  Saying you fight against tyranny is not enough.  Fighting for Freedom or Liberty is not enough.  If you read the Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers knew what they wanted.  If you look at their writings and broadsides from the continental congress, both the first and second, they were clear in their purpose.  Are you?

The Progressive Socialists want a National Government that controls everything.  They want national elections and everything controlled at the top. Congresspeople even encouraged the President to just go against SCOTUS “Because what are they gonna do” – Maxine Waters (D). That will make it easier to control everything.  Central control always does. That is why our founders wanted a Federalist system that we sort of let melt away since Theodore Roosevelt (R). Thank you Progressive Movement.  

The Federal Government filed suit against Texas over the “Heart Beat Abortion Law.”  Assuming SCOTUS upholds the Law, there are 48 other states that they can go to to have an abortion without consequences (Oklahoma passed the same Law Thursday, September 9^th). This law only rules Texas, does not impede the right of the mother.  So what standing does the federal government have? I am sure there will be charities that will fly the Women who want abortions anywhere in private planes with media coverage to be sure the world knows that Texas was defeated. The fine city of Portland Oregon has already established a $200K fund to aid Texas Women. Because they could not figure out how to boycott Texas, so they did that instead. People will threaten to move from Texas.  And Texas will yell “Yeee haw! don’t ferget ta close the gate on yer way outa here.” Liberty is preserved. If the President loses the suit, what will he do?  Send in the Army? Are you sure?

At about 2800 words this is the longest post I’ve ever written.  It is a celebration of our Constitution.  The one thing that does make America Great.  Because we are supposed to value the rule of law.  But the principle of “Equal Protection” has gone away.  The premise of Black Lives Matter Inc is that People of Color are more equal than others, and as a less brown person I owe something even though my ancestors were not even in America when there was a slave trade.

We need to demand equal treatment.  That is all I want.  Nothing more.  No special treatment, not anything but what is fair.  Not the “New Equity” where if your melatonin levels are correct you get more equal than others.

Principles are hard but important.  Politics are based on vanity and greed. Take the hard road.

 

 

 

 

 

Gregor - Back from the brink! From there and back again. A spiritual Hobbits journey.