Tag: Jesus

Christians (Not the Religion, But Jesus Followers) and Government

Now this is a topic that seems to have been misunderstood by generations of Jesus followers since governments started tolerating and later embracing Christianity as a religion especially after Constantine converted to the religion in the year 312AD and re-directed all his pagan priests and temples to transition to the new religion. One of his directives was to replace December 25th which was observed as the birthday of the pagan Unconquered Sun god to become celebrated as Jesus’ birthday.

Many Christians love the “faith-religion-state” relationship that Constantine offered better than that which Jesus had offered (“faith-God”).

The matter of fact is that Jesus had zero influences on the “religion-state-complex” back in His day and was routinely on the run but eventually allowed Himself to be captured and executed as an innocent man that was framed by the religious elite who were in tight with the Roman Empire government officials of the day. Blow-back was real as over the years and decades of oral story telling, thousands of people were personally touched with Jesus’ message that freed them while in the physical state of slavery in an empire. (50% of the Roman Empire were slaves at that time) This “blow-back” actually turned the then known world upside-down in a generation as their lives were touched with love while many of their hearts were touched directly by Love.

I contend that if God is love, and perfect love drives out all fear then – 1 Cor 13 sets the stage for the characteristics of perfect love or a misunderstood God. (Read the next paragraph and then re-read it substituting God for Love)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails

As with all movements (even spiritually sparked ones) the subsequent generation takes the personal convictions of the previous and turns them into traditions, programs and rules. Even before Constantine converted, there were significant changes in the Jesus follower communities that were based more on safety and fear than the real presence in one’s heart of our loving Creator giving us fatherly advice daily on how to live in a broken world.

Bionic Mosquito’s article I will then use as a springboard for future posts, discussions and dialog. The author refers to a book by Gerard Casey where it becomes essential to refer to scripture (Bible) in addressing society and governments. Here is a sampling:

Freedom’s Progress?: A History of Political Thought, by Gerard Casey

“I know full well how hazardous an enterprise it is to set sail on the controversial and disputed sea of Scriptural interpretation….”

Yes, same here. This is one reason (of many) that I strongly prefer to keep theological discussion off limits. I know this is difficult to do, given the topics at this post, and I appreciate that you all respect this desire. As you know, my intent behind these topics is to examine the ramifications of broad religious issues on the social, governance, and political aspects of society.

I guess today I am going to somewhat cross that line…

Good for you Bionic Mosquito! Having been immersed for a season in what I had hoped was a grassroots informal faith community network, I became disillusioned as I hit full on with the Christian religion that as I said defers to Constantine’s model more than that of Jesus’. Bionic Mosquito goes on to say:

… The reasons are twofold: first, the examination Casey takes on is precisely on the point of freedom; second, the topic is one of the most misunderstood, misrepresented and misused regarding the Christian take on government.

The topic? In two words: Romans 13. Casey offers a full examine of both Old and New Testament Scripture regarding kings and government authority, as a few verses should not be taken in isolation.

Bionic Mosquito goes on to expand Casey’s thoughts regarding both Old and New Testament telling of various “faith-state” moments. 1 Samuel 8 is a good “go-to” to see God’s view of earthly kings (verses the wise judge model He attempted with the theocracy Israel) followed by Hosea 8 in which shows God allowing governments while not endorsing them.  On the New Testament moments, this proves to be a “target-rich” environment to see how Jesus as well as His followers dealt with the “State” while living their “faith”:

Regarding the life of Jesus, Casey offers…

“…we can see immediately that his very life was bookended by acts of political significance, from King Herod’s murderous intentions at his birth to the final drama of his politically inspired execution.”

This is the lens through which all Scriptural discussion of kings and earthly authority should be viewed. Casey offers that the New Testament is a target-rich environment when one wants to find passages regarding kings and government; he limits himself to five. I will touch on only a couple of these.

As much as I want to proceed with these, I believe they would be well served to address in a future post. Romans 13, taken in isolation, has formed the bedrock belief most Jesus followers have today about their relationship with the State. This view is enhanced by the Christian Religion which in the US has identified themselves (with a few brave exceptions, please see Chuck Baldwin’s rebellion to this alliance) with financially beneficial 501C3 status as state recognized corporations. Bionic Mosquito also offers this in conclusion:

Keep in mind: virtually every one of Jesus’s disciples died in martyrdom, died in disobedience to the political authorities. Do you really believe they are all damned to hell due to their “disobedience”?

Got that? Now I think you know where I am heading ..

SF1

1st Century Empire Turned Upside-down by Real People – Can it Happen Again?

 

You may not have heard about that. That is OK. It is hard to understand these days but back in the First Century from like the year 30 to 60 and beyond there was a grassroots groundswell in the Roman Empire where 50% of the people we slaves, started catching on to a different way to live that had all their neighbors and customers curious.

Communities were the equivalent of a market place as the market itself was the path for day-to-day survival. Into this era, a man’s everyday entrance into society in a small village brought both hope and anger.

From the religious of the came the hate as they felt threatened, the state and it’s rulers didn’t care BUT didn’t want a full on revolution either. The common people, those that frequented the bar, those that were outcasts and even those who were the front line of the Empire (tax collectors and soldiers) were in the circles of this man during his three year journey in Judea at the eastern end of the Roman Empire. These common people were given hope not just for what happens after life ends, but how one could live their life day to day in peace and with true rest knowing they were loved exponentially by an awesome father, well beyond how the best dads on earth can possibly love their kids.

A process of trust is never an overnight experience, it is usually life-long. This “love” was contagious for a generation or so until some made a program out of it, came up with rule upon rule and then linked it to the state by the time of Constantine by the year 315 or so. It was a good run but it seems the wheels keep coming off and there will always be those who love power trips who can mask their true motives.

Usually when years, decades and centuries pass, you think we as a society would have learned something. (the term “progressives” come to mind) At times I think we have regressed much more than progressed.

What follows are excerpts from Chuck Baldwin’s reflection on another trip around the sun, a birthday, his own journey as well as a reflection on today’s religion, and today’s state/empire and society in general.

I call this Truth 360, but your mileage may vary:

“.. Regarding the condition of the Church in America, it is my studied opinion that both the 501c3 tax-exempt status and State nonprofit corporation status have, in effect, castrated America’s pastors and churches to the point that most churches are spiritually impotent and irrelevant to the preservation of liberty in our country. Instead of preaching the liberating Gospel of Christ and the empowering message of Christian non-conformity, they are preaching an enslaving message of bondage to the state via their preoccupation with the misinterpretation of Romans 13…”

Bingo, Jesus knew first hand the dangers of mating religion with politics .. they will put to death the innocent and call it good.

“.. I believe abortion is legalized murder. If the blood of murdered Abel cried out to God from the ground, imagine how the blood of over 60 million innocent unborn babies is crying out to God.

I believe marriage is, by definition, only between a man and a woman. I further believe that the State has absolutely no business sanctioning or licensing marriage. All of the civil court rulings in the country cannot redefine marriage. The current civil corruption of marriage should serve notice to all pastors, churches, and Christian people to divorce their marriage ceremonies from State licensure…”

Again, the State will poison society every time in time .. it is the ultimate selfish entity, it thinks only of itself and how it can insert itself in every aspect of society as the perpetual parasite.

“.. I believe Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson were two of the finest Christian gentlemen America has ever produced, and the current politically correct assault against their name and character—along with the incessant attacks against the monuments memorializing them—is not only shameful and reprehensible, it is an attempt by big-government fascists to further erase the Jeffersonian principle of State sovereignty from the minds and hearts of the American people...”

Fascists and Marxists always want to erase history, whereas political parties will always tell only their narrative of history packed with lies and half truths .. the victors write history books .. novels is what they are = fiction!

“.. I believe in the right of the people to keep and bear arms. I further believe this is a God-ordained duty and should not be subject to State licensure or infringement. The Second Amendment does not grant us the right to keep and bear arms; it merely protects the duty to keep and bear arms that was given to us by our Creator…”

Bingo, Jesus said in times of peril, sell your property and buy an AR (my own 21st century paraphrase of the book of Luke in the New Testament, chapter 22, verse 36 .. but read it in context and refer to Chuck Baldwin’s unpacking (no pun intended) of what really went on those moments)

“.. I believe there is a conspiracy of powerful elitists to surrender America’s independence and national sovereignty to a globalist New World Order. I believe the Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, and Bilderbergs are especially culpable in this evil subterfuge of our liberties. I had hoped that Donald Trump would honor his word to “drain the swamp” of establishment insiders, but he hasn’t. As with every President of both major parties before him, Trump has littered his administration with CFR globalists. In fact, Trump has already appointed more CFR members and fellow travelers than Barack Obama…”

Trump is as much a swamp monster as Obama or Bush II .. a politician is a politician.

“.. I believe that the national news media purposely keeps the American people in the dark about what is really going on. I believe the media deliberately covered up the truth about 9/11, Waco, Ruby Ridge, TWA Flight 800, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Sandy Hook school shootings, the Las Vegas and Parkland school shootings, etc., ad infinitum. Heck, I believe the media covered up what really happened in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. For all intents and purposes, the national news media is little more than a propaganda ministry for the Warfare/Welfare State in Washington, D.C. ..”

BINGO! If you don’t understand about this list of events, start with Ruby Ridge or Waco .. you will then be motivated to move on to the others with your own research in your own time.

“.. I am also convinced that there is a blatant attempt underfoot to turn the United States into a police-state-style surveillance society, to which personal freedoms and liberties are being quickly and deliberately sacrificed. Passage of the USA Patriot Act, The Military Commissions Act, and the Indefinite Detention clauses of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) are examples of this flagrant betrayal of freedom. And the Democrat and Republican parties in Washington, D.C., are equally culpable in this blatant usurpation of our liberties…”

Germany 1930s is their model .. SMH .. THIS is the importance of history .. how else can you be fore-warned by the “red flags” you see. I guarantee you use this in your personal life, don’t date guys who … or girls who … RED FLAGS are essential for healthy boundaries!

“.. I opposed the preemptive invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan by G.W. Bush, the bombings of Libya, along with the current bombings and drone attacks going on in countries throughout the Middle East—including Trump’s bombing of Syria and his decision to increase the number of U.S. ground forces in foreign countries. It should be obvious to everyone that the Barack Obama administration did nothing to change the perpetual war/preemptive war doctrine introduced by George W. Bush. And it should be equally obvious that Donald Trump is continuing to escalate America’s unconstitutional wars of aggression around the world...”

Exactly!!! Who else but the world’s bully could get away with that?

“.. I am  personally convinced that ISIS, al-Nusra, etc., are contrivances of Dark (illegal) Operations of America’s CIA, British Intelligence, and Israel’s Mossad. Saudi Arabia and Turkey are also partners in this nefarious activity. I believe it was the American/British/Israeli/Saudi Arabian “war on terror” that deliberately created the massive illegal immigration invasions taking place in Europe and the United States. I’ll say it flat out: The “war on terror” is totally the creation of the Deep State in the West to keep America in a state of perpetual war and to keep the people of America in a state of perpetual fear and anger…”

Right on target Chuck! It is hard to be patient for the light bulb to go on in other people’s minds .. but if you love them .. you will hang with them.

“.. I believe the international “war on terror” is a ruse to assist the goals of the central banks to create global government. All of the talk about Iran and Syria (and even North Korea) being a threat to the world is a bunch of hysterical propaganda. And FOX News (along with many pastors and churches) is at the heart of the pro-war propaganda machine. Neocons and globalists are using the Muslim people especially as the proverbial red herring to give the American people an enemy to hate so that they will accept perpetual war abroad and police-state measures here at home…”

Yup, distraction on Muslims to limit the ability to look at Israeli role in this region ..

“.. I believe G.W. Bush and Dick Cheney should be in prison for committing international war crimes against humanity and Hillary Clinton should be in prison for selling access to the Secretary of State’s office to foreign interests and for facilitating (or maybe even directly causing) the death of America’s Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens. I believe politicians such as Lindsey Graham, John McCain, Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi are enemies of freedom…”

True .. but a corrupt justice system will NEVER indite these criminals because for each of those convictions would ripple to thousands more touching 98% of government officials.

“.. From a theological perspective, I believe the doctrine of the Rapture is being used by too many pastors and Christians as an excuse to not resist the many attacks against our liberties. I further believe that too many pastors and churches have become passive, timid, and politically correct, and are, therefore, “good for nothing” (Matthew 5:13) when it comes to preserving liberty. I also believe that the teaching of dispensationalism (prophetic futurism) is egregious doctrinal error that has spiritually corrupted several generations of Christians and is ultimately responsible for the rise of America’s Warfare State (contributing to the deaths of millions of people around the world) and the spiritual demise of America’s Christian heritage and culture.

And after much study, I have come to the conclusion that the current State of Israel—the one created on May 14, 1948, by the Rothschilds—has nothing to do with the Israel of the Bible. I further believe that the Zionist government in Israel illegally invaded and continues to illegally occupy the Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip and West Bank (including the rebuilt Roman city of Aelia Capitolina, a.k.a. “Jerusalem”): acts that should be regarded as flagrant violations of international law and heinous war crimes against the Palestinian people (many of whom are Christians); acts which continue unto the present hour. I also believe that Israel should be held accountable for its attack against the USS Liberty on June 8, 1967, that resulted in the deaths of 34 American Sailors and Marines..”

Spot on Chuck .. with you on this insight as well.