Text: Isaiah 3:1-15
"God allowed the prophets to anoint the kings and once men had accepted their kings they were supposed to show them respect, to obey the authority they had set up. To obey, that is, as long as it did not go against the Law of God. St. Peter was ordered by lawful authority not to preach in the name of Jesus, and he said he had to obey God rather than man, and he left prison to go out again to the market place and preach the Gospel. Over and over again, men had to disobey lawful authority to follow the voice of their conscience. The Apostle Paul spent his life going to or coming from prison because he spoke out against evil. Peter and John were beaten for preaching Jesus Christ.
In Iran this week a Christian Pastor is under the death penalty because he will not renounce his faith in Jesus Christ. The same religion or ideology that has put a sentence of death on the Iranian pastor is the same religion that many of our political leaders are slowly forcing us to accept. It is time to speak out against the evil being done by our political leaders. Leaders who support or favor a religion that demands the death of all Christians and Jews should be removed from office for failure to honor their oath to uphold the Constitution.
Obedience to God and disobedience to the State has over and over again happened throughout history. Foxes Book of Martyrs records the faithful who chose to obey God rather than man.
As Quakers we have a history of speaking out against the evil practiced by the government upon those who would worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience. They cried out against the evil rulers of their day and it is time to examine our "leaders," to question whether or not they are evil men or righteous men." This generation is well described in the message of the prophet Isaiah.
10His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. 11Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Isaiah 56:10-11 King James Version (KJV)
Have we forgotten who we are as the people called Quakers? Quakers were not meek and mild innocents. They were as righteous a group of zealots as most Puritans, and when they entered a Massachusetts town they tried to wreak maximum havoc: bursting into church services, yelling in the streets, banging pots and pans together and calling both religious and political leaders to repent. In Virginia Quakers were driven out of the state. Many were charged as criminals because of speaking out against the injustice that was taking place in the government.
During the American Revolution, Christians, and especially pastors, were in the forefront of the fight for liberty, freedom, and liberation from tyranny. These pastors were not afraid to risk their lives, their reputations, and everything they had to take a stand for God and country - and against the evils of their day. Some were imprisoned, impoverished and even hanged for “treason” against the crown.
This is a far cry from our pastors and Christian leaders of today, who have zero understanding of the times in which we live or discernment regarding the rising tide of evil in our country. As Christians we are indifferent and complacent toward evil; as ministers we have failed to understand the seriousness of the evil within our own country and we have not shown the courage to speak out against it.
Restrictions were placed on churches and non-profit organizations in 1954 by then-Senator Lyndon Johnson. Prior to 1954, churches and non-profit organizations had no such restrictions on their freedom of speech or their right to speak out in favor or against political issues or candidates.
The history of Johnson’s IRS gag order is important to understand. It began with what some historians believe to be a fraudulent election of Johnson to the Senate in 1948. Both conservative and liberal historians agree that Lyndon Johnson’s election to the Senate in 1948 was won by massive voter fraud. Known as “Landslide Lyndon,” this aspiring politician was “elected” by only 87 votes. His challenger, Coke Stevenson, challenged his election and presented credible evidence that hundreds of votes for Johnson had been faked. Johnson, however, was successful in blocking Stevenson’s effort by the clever use of “cooperative” court injunctions.
In 1954, Johnson was facing re-election to the Senate and was being aggressively opposed by two non-profit anti-Communist groups that were attacking Johnson’s liberal agenda. In retaliation, Johnson inserted language into the IRS code that prohibited non-profits, including churches, from endorsing or opposing candidates for political office. In effect, Senator Johnson used the power of the go-along Congress and the IRS to silence his opposition. Unfortunately, it worked. Some in Johnson’s staff claimed that Johnson never intended to go after churches, only the two “nonprofits” in Texas. Nevertheless, his sly amendment to the tax code affected every church in America, and it is a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.
There have been attempts to overturn Johnson’s vindictive gag order that now penalizes churches. There is no reason for this gag order to remain in effect, but Congress apparently thinks it must perpetuate bad public policy simply because it exists.
Organizations like Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, People for the American Way, and The American Civil Liberties Union continue to claim that this Johnson gag order must be upheld to protect “church/state separation.”
Before and after the American Revolution-our nation’s pastors spoke out on the political and moral issues of the day. It was their duty and their right under the Constitution to preach against immorality and corruption in the political and the moral realm. It should be noted that the House of Representatives sponsored church services in its chambers for nearly 100 years.
On June 28, 1787, Benjamin Franklin said, “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that ‘except the Lord build the House they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel . . . I therefore beg leave to move— that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that Service.
The Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives continues today to bring a dimension of faith to human events, giving praise and thanks to God for what God is doing in the world, in the nation, and in and through leaders and ordinary citizens, to meet representatives of other nations to discuss how religion and politics interface on Capitol Hill. (What restrictions are put on the Chaplain by the IRS?)
It is interesting to observe that our Founding Fathers and our first elected officials didn’t have any notion of “church/state separation,” so vehemently endorsed by anti-American groups. Our Founders valued religion and wrote the First Amendment to protect the free expression of religious beliefs-and the freedom to speak out on the moral issues-including those involving politics and politicians.
The disservice that Lyndon B. Johnson did to religious freedom has yet to be undone and churches in America are to remain silent on moral issues of the day that are now considered political. Whether we are considering the termination of life of over one and a half million babies per year; same sex marriage; restrictions on the free speech of Christians, or speaking for or against a political leader we are to keep silent.
Evangelical pastors and minister are so silent on the issues of the day that we are perceived as not caring about the direction this country is going. Many Christians have bought into the liberal definition of “separation of church and state” propaganda. We are so afraid we will offend church members by being “political” and possibly see church attendance or financial support decline. We are afraid of losing tax exempt. By the way, the liberal politicians have no problem going to churches and speaking on what is considered political issues and even using hate speech in their message without fear of government reprisal.
The religious leaders of Germany in the 1930s and ‘40s both Catholic and Protestant ignored the great evil of the Third Reich. Some religious leaders actually supported Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, until 1942 - when the evil was no longer possible to deny or condone some Christian begin to speak out. But it was at the cost of millions of lives lost and the total destruction of cities, towns, and nations. What would have happened if more ministers had become political and spoke out against this evil?
There were some ministers who took an active part in trying to stop the spread of Hitler’s Nazism. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian. Bonhoeffer saw the social chaos and a decline of traditional values along with the financial crisis facing Germany, and became critical of the church as being insensitive to the needs of the world around it. Bonhoeffer's life was dramatically changed with Nazi rise to power on January 30, 1933. Two days after Hitler was installed as Chancellor. Bonhoeffer gave a radio address in which he attacked Hitler and warned Germany against slipping into an idolatrous cult of the Führer (leader), who could very well turn out to be Verführer (mis-leader, or seducer), he was cut off the air in the middle of a sentence. In April, Bonhoeffer was a lone voice for church resistance to Hitler's persecution of Jews, declaring that the church must not simply "bandage the victims under the wheel, but jam the spoke in the wheel itself." He took part in the resistance movement and was involved in plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler which resulted in his arrest and execution just 23 days before the surrender of Germany.
America is at a turning point today just as Germany was in 1933. I was not born at the time and did not experience what the ordinary Christian German must have felt when a smooth-talking, rabble-rouser from the streets of Germany came on the scene. He was a man the average German knew nothing about. Had they known he was associated with thugs that shouted, shoved, and pushed people around with whom they disagreed, they might have been more cautious in following him. Hitler worked his way into the political arena by being a great orator.
Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs hundreds were living in the streets and everyone was hungry. Hitler seized the control of the government during the Great Depression. He placed his cronies in positions of power and slowly took over the entire government.
The question is how did he get the people on his side? He promised jobs and money to the have-nots. The media was compliant with his grab for power. He would be the savior of Germany. And all this was done in the name of justice, change and hope. And the people got what they voted for.
In 1932 the unemployment in Germany was 25%. Hitler promised that if he gained power he would abolish unemployment. He was lucky that the German economy was starting to recover when he came into office. However, the policies that Hitler introduced did help to reduce the number of people unemployed in Germany. Hitler introduced policies that would change the economic condition of Germany. These policies often involved taking away certain freedoms from employers. (Like when our government took over General Motors.) The government banned the introduction of some labor-saving machinery. Employers also had to get government permission before reducing their labor force. The government also tended to give work contracts to those companies that relied on manual labor rather than machines. (The technology has changed, but the process is the same as seen by the awarding of contracts to companies that support the president such as the half-a-billion dollar contract to Solyndra.) This was especially true of the government's massive infrastructure and roads program. (Not unlike our “Shovel Ready Project”) As a result of his schemes Germany developed the most efficient road system in Europe. The entire country was behind him.
There is a change not only in America today but all over the world. Something big is about to happen. In 1932 the world was in turmoil and the church was quite. The world was in a financial collapse and millions were homeless and hungry. There was no hope. People were looking for someone to give them hope and change.
Today, American leaders who call Americans that disagree with them enemies, traitors, racist, and even question the conduct of their mothers, in addition to threatening American lives and condemning them to Hell which is happening daily, has divided our country. All this sounds similar to what took place in 1933. People in 1933 were being encouraged to spy on one another and report on their neighbors. Just like in America today with our president wanting Americans to report any negative comments that are made about him on his Attack website.
The dividing of the country has taken place. Our political process has been usurped by unelected judges who write laws rather than interpret them. The mortgage industry has collapsed, people are losing their homes every day and the banking system is on the verge of collapse. Over 15 million Americans are unemployed without the hope of finding employment. The real unemployment rate is 16.9% and climbing every month. The approval rate of the congress and the president are at an all-time low. Americans are looking for someone to solve the problems we are faced with. The entire world is in the same position—looking for someone to solve our problems.
It becomes important that as Christians we are not complacent in whom we place to rule over us. We have a responsibility to know the people we choose to run this country. It is not Republican, Democrat, Independent or Libertarian that should be the basis of our support but the character, integrity, and accountability to the American people.
Those running for the office of the President are bringing questionable baggage to the campaign. Among the top three there are issues with healthcare, immigration, and the Federal Reserve. Others have their own baggage one resigned from House of Representative because of ethics issues, one continues to be ignored because of his literal interpretation of the Constitutional, one is so set on America’s role as the policeman of the world that he would ignore the sovereignty of other countries, and one even though the lone woman has many positive characteristics, she has surrounded herself with questionable people.
Will we find the perfect candidate? No! But we must be careful to examine the character of the individual and those they choose as advisers who will influence them in setting policy. It may be more important to examine the people behind the candidate than the candidate.
Do your due diligence in researching those who wish to run this country. This may be the most important election of your life. What happens next year may change the course of this entire country or even the entire world. Not everyone is what they say they are. It is time that the message is proclaimed from every pulpit in America that judgment must first begin in the house of the LORD and the ministers must proclaim the TRUTH and cry out against the evil that is upon us regardless of our tax status.
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