As one of my favorite holidays approaches I wanted to point out a few things.
I find it alarming how many Americans do not know what our Declaration of Indepence and our Constitution state. I think that every child taught in America should be required to memorize both of them in history class. How can people know what their rights are if they do not know these documents? Many of the political problems in America today stem from the fact that people do not know what these documents state. As an American, knowledge of these documents is important and the more we expose people to them the better. You would be surprised at how well thought out the founding of our country was. The state of our country today reflects the mass populace having no idea what the founding documents state or what rights they have because of these documents.
If you are looking for some good reading this 4th of July, might I suggest you start with reading both of the above documents.
I also ran across a really good article titled, What is a Republic Anyway?, which has some eye opening information in it.
In addition, if you are looking for a God centered political party to support, you may want to check out the Constitutional Party.
I hope everyone has a good 4th of July.
P.S.
Another real good book to read on this subject is called Original Intent – The Courts, the Constitution, & Religion.
P.S.S.
Jollyblogger just made a post on related subject matter. I thought I would post additional thoughts here. Again, I think it is very important for Christians to be active in government and the political arena. First, everyone should be very familiar with the starting point (the founding documents). Next, everyone should do everything they can to advance the kingdom of God in every aspect of life. This includes, in society, in government, in law, in social circles, in the Church, etc etc… By no means should a Christian sit back and be hands off when it comes to politics or government because he looks to the afterlife. Two things every Christian should talk about…politics and religion…and all the conversation should be centered on Christ and the Scripture. 
One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the overwhelming number of people that call themselves Christians and yet do not want to talk (or enjoy talking) about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and the Scripture (God’s Word).
AMDG
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Sadly, the last time I looked at our Constitution was in high school–but I did memorize the Gettysburg Address at one point
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There is an interesting movement going on, as I’m sure you know, amongst some Christians to establish the fact that our country, at its inception was genuinely Christian. While I wouldn’t want to dispute the fact that our Constitution is founded on Judeo/Christian principles, I think we go to far when we assert a pure biblical Christian foundation for our country. What about this part of the Constitution, “. . . we find these truths to be self-evident . . .” does that sound like Christian theology, or rationalist/natural theology? I would say the latter, and this seems to be the case. While many of the principles of our founding are Christian, they seem to have been baptized in English-Enlightenment thought. To read further on this, check out, “The Search for Christian America,” contributing authors–Mark Noll, George Marsden, and Nathan Hatch.
While the motives of many Christians today, to establish Christian America, are good–they seem to be misguided. Their approach seems to commit the “golden-age fallacy”, and to anachronistically impose a particular/present construction of evangelical Christianity upon early Puritan/Englightenment America.
I say misguided above, because I don’t think this is the war, at least for me to fight. Also, whether or not we establish a Christian America or not, is not our hope–and it won’t change anyone’s heart–or the general immoral trajectory our country is currently slipping down. Only the gospel, will change hearts, and consequently culture (I know I’m preaching to the choir).
Don’t get me wrong I am proud to be an American, and thankful for all of the sacrifices that have/are being made for the freedoms we currently enjoy. I just think its unwise to engage in the same type of historical revisionism, that supposedly the other-side (liberals) is engaging in–sure we need to protect the reality of our Christian heritage, but we shouldn’t over-state our case.
Not all the founding fathers were Christians. Some were deists, etc etc…
However, they framed the country to allow freedom of individuals and avoid government oppression and mandated religion, etc etc…
The movement in America to eradicate Christianity from government is ridiculous IMO. Not to mention the movement to diminish the freedoms of individuals and give government more power.
I do not advocate public schooling but kids are getting in trouble for bringing Bibles to school and/or bowing their heads in the lunch room.
Those types of things go against the freedoms that our founding fathers established. If “the people” were more knowledgable of the founding documents and “the people” stood up for their given rights such things would not be happening.
I think that Christians need to be active in government. If all Christians shrunk back because everything was “spriritual” to them and nothing really mattered on the earth, this country would be in big trouble and Christians may find they have no freedom or rights left at all down the road. We must work to secure the freedoms of our Christian children.
I don’t do the political compromise thing either. When it comes to voting (i.e. for the president), I do not vote republican just because it is the lesser of two evils and a God fearing candidate doesn’t have a chance, or voting for a God fearing candidate would take away votes from the republican candidate who has a chance to win. I vote for the God fearing candidate, period. I vote for the party that stands for Godly principles and tries to maintain the founding principles of this country.
So here is my shameless plug for the Constitutional Party.
Happy 4th of July everyone!
AMDG
render to ceasar the things that are ceasar’s and don’t swear an oath of loyalty or allegience that you don’t have the ability or right to fulfill.
-vs-
“all Christians should be involved in government”
?
when we speak of “rights” and “freedoms” are we speaking of things that belong to members of Christ or of things that belong to citizens of the united states. IMO confusing the two also clouds up our mission and confuses our energetic defense against actual and imagined threats.
about time you started commenting Jeff
Do you think Christians should avoid being involved in politics and the government? If so, why? Should they also avoid other careers? What would make a career in the government any different than a career in some other field that isn’t the ministry?
The original post was speaking specifically of the rights and freedoms of citizens in America. The rights and freedoms of Christians would be a totally different subject.
AMDG
should christians avoid being involved in government and politics? …well I don’t want to make an extra biblical law about christian involvement in gov. and politics. I do wonder how Jesus teaching against the taking of oaths would have sounded in his day, when Jewish Zealots were apt to swear them in relation to defending jewish fideality to the Mosaic Law, or when all incoming roman soldiers where required to swear an oath?
another angle I think about in answering your question has to do with being what james refers to as “two-souled” or “double-minded.” It seems most difficult for me to avoid this double minded status when I am engaged in an activity of this age that beckons to own my heart or requires a loyalty which in a sense is not mine to give…this may have more to do with the personal motivations and choices of one disciple than it has to do with making up a more specific yoke to be placed on all christians, (after all having a heart consumed, or loyalty owned, by involvement in gov. and politics is not the area of double-mindedness I am wrestling with today). I do expect, however, that one whose focus is on the Kingdom of God will at points either shape his “tentmaking” career or have it shaped by others because of his first love…and then get on with “making tents” as unto the Lord.
Gotcha, my approach is also that Christians should do everything unto the Lord.
This includes if they are working in the government or involved in politics. I am not really making a suggestion that everyone turn into poltical activists.
I do think that people should be familiar with history, the rights they have in the country they live in, etc etc… I do think they should’t ignore infringement upon those rights or just let those rights slip away. However, in no way should either of the above supercede our study of the Scripture, application of His commandments, and “doing” of His Word.
My concern with lack of participation as far as trying to advance God’s Kingdom in government and law is the result of that lack of participation left for our children and our children’s children.
If it wasn’t for Christians pushing for certain laws and whatnot and being involved we would not have a lot of the freedoms we do today (i.e. homeschooling laws). The non-Christians are constantly pushing their agenda forward in relation to government and law.
AMDG
The Kingdom of God and “government and laws” of this age are of two different natures. I think this maybe why governments of this age are figuratively refered to as “beasts,” they do not have the nature of the “new legitimate man” nor can they. This is not to deny their temporal purpose, at least part of which is to restrain chaos.
It maybe the “agenda” of homeschoolers to push for laws and engage the political process for their “freedoms” and if the education process is improved thats great for everybody. “Our” agenda is found in “our” obedience to the gospel/commands of Jesus expressed primarily in your congregation. We are not looking to good homeschooling laws for our freedom. We are not even looking to good constitutional government for “our” freedom. We have become convinced that where the spirit of Christ is there is liberty and that may no get our children (should they follow Christ) anything better than crucifixion, oh yeah and THE INHERITANCE of the son of God.
Practically, your cogregation might be made up of a former Homeschool zealot, a former public school loyalist, and a couple of folks who where formerly so centered on other things that they didn’t care. That’s ok, because you all have a new center, Christ and his gospel commands (your all about the New Creation not the Old). and you all want to encourage each other deeper into Christ, which of course includes serving people in love, where you find them, even while you grow in the generosity (grace) and thought perspective (knowledge) of Christ.
Hey, how do you do those smiley faces?
BTW, I didn’t even realize it but the Sharper Iron Forum also touched on this subject recently.
“The Christian and Patriotism, Part Two” was posted yesterday.
Part one can be found here.
AMDG
As I see it the Founders were no more secularist than they were Fundamentalist. Both secular people and fundys claim the founders represent them, both are wrong. I go straight to their own words to cut through the rhetorical haze. Secular people claim the founders wanted separation of church, and all religion from public life, that is nonsense. Fundys claim they wanted a Christian nation, if not a theocracy, more nonsense.
First Amendment
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…”
John Adams, Treaty of Tripoli, Article 11
“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.”
John Adams, letter to Thomas Jefferson
“I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved–the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced!”
James Madison, A Memorial and Remonstrance
“Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other sects?”
Thomas Jefferson, “The Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom”
“Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, more than on our opinions in physics and geometry. . . .”
Thomas Jefferson, “Notes on the State of Virginia”
“The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg…”
Thomas Jefferson, “Statute for Religious Freedom”
“…no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise.. affect their civil capacities.”
Thomas Jefferson, autobiography
“(When) the (Virginia) bill for establishing religious freedom, the principles of which had, to a certain degree, been enacted before, I had drawn in all the latitude of reason & right. It still met with opposition; but, with some mutilations in the preamble, it was finally passed; and a singular proposition proved that it’s protections of opinion was meant to be universal. Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting “Jesus Christ,” so that it would read “A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;” the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantel of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hondo and Infidel of every denomination.”
Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Short
“I have recently been examining all the known superstitions of the world, and do not find in our particular superstition [Christianity] one redeeming feature. They are all alike, founded on fables and mythology.”
James Madison, “Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments”
“During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in laity; in both, superstition, bigotry, and persecution.”
Benjamin Franklin (from his autobiography)
Some books against Deism fell into my hands….It happened that they wrought an effect on me quite contrary to what was intended by them; for the arguments of the Deists, which were quote to be refuted, appeared to me much stronger than the refutations, in short, I soon became a thorough Deist.”
Benjamin Franklin, “2000 Years of Disbelief” by James Haught
“When a religion is good, I conceive it will support itself; and when it does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it so that its professors are obliged to call for help of the civil power, ’tis a sign, I apprehend, of its beginnings.
As this will be the last annual message which I shall have the honor of transmitting to Congress before my successor is chosen, I will repeat or recapitulate the questions which I deem of vital importance which may be legislated upon and settled at this session:
First. That the States shall be required to afford the opportunity of a good common-school education to every child within their limits.
Second. No sectarian tenets shall ever be taught in any school supported in whole or in part by the State, nation, or by the proceeds of any tax levied upon any community. Make education compulsory so far as to deprive all persons who can not read and write from becoming voters after the year 1890, disfranchising none, however, on grounds of illiteracy who may be voters at the time this amendment takes effect.
Third. Declare church and state forever separate and distinct, but each free within their proper spheres; and that all church property shall bear its own proportion of taxation (emphasis added). (A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents. Vol. X. New York: Bureau of National Literature, Inc., 1897, p. 4310)
“God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.” (emphasis added). Thomas Jefferson
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. (emphasis added) United States Constitution.
I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek Church, by the Turkish Church, by the Protestant Church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church. (Richard Emery Roberts, ed. “Excerpts from The Age of Reason”. Selected Writings of Thomas Paine. New York: Everybody’s Vacation Publishing Co., 1945, p. 362)