Today, on the comments section of this blog, a lengthy comment was posted from a “Progressive” taking exception with President Trump and “Conservatives.” He called all politicians “moral” and found it hard to understand why anyone would hold to conservative values.
Here is my response to him:
Thank you for your comments although they’re too lengthy for the comments section of a typical blog including this one.
Even though your comments are contrary to main philosophical tenets of this blog and grossly mischaracterize my philosophical views, I am not opposed to counterpoints when presented intelligently and respectfully as you have done. As the Bible wisely states, iron sharpens iron, and when our beliefs are challenged, as you have done, this opens the channels for dialog allowing, hopefully, the advancement of truth.
This blog is primarily a Bible study blog, and it’s from this perspective and worldview that we operate. Thus I will answer you accordingly. I will be brief and to the point. The older I get, the more I see the value in saying more with fewer words.
The God/Elohim of the Bible isn’t sectarian. He is neither a Democrat or Republican, a progressive or a conservative, a socialist or a capitalist. He is on the side of truth—his truth. Therefore he can’t be pigeon-holed into labels. As a follower of him neither can I. Truth as the Bible defines it can be found in many areas. In the political arena, the so-called Progressives have some truth as do the Conservatives. In determine who to follow, the questions to ask are these: What is truth? Who determines it? Who enforces it thus legitimizing it? How much truth does a person or group have? One can have one percent truth and 99 percent lives, or vice versa. Which is better? Who determines this?
The idea that “all politics is moral” quite frankly is laughable. That presumes that all men are moral. If that were the case, then why are there politicians in jail convicted of crimes? Was Mao, Stalin, Hitler, et al moral? They were politicians.
The problem here is that the social evolutionist presumes that man is evolving upward and improving morally. If that were the case, then why, when left to themselves, do things in the physical world naturally go from a state of order to disorder? That law of physics alone disproves the evolutionary model right there. This is true of humans as well. At this point, I’m reminded of the book and movie, “The Lord of the Flies.”
Next, your thesis presume that man is innately good. This is the typical foundation upon which cosmic or secular humanists base their beliefs. This is neither a biblical worldview and nor logical one. If man is innately good, then why all the problems, sin, disease, pollution, war, criminality, misery, suffering, etc. on the earth? The secular humanist and Marxist models blame this on man’s environment and how they were raised (i.e. nature and nurture). If they can just manipulate (called social engineering) the environment (political, economic and social systems) and destroy religion, then we’ll have paradise on earth. Hmm?! Show me where that’s ever worked? Castro, Pol Pot, Mao, Stalin, Hugo Chavez, etc., etc. have all failed miserably!
The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that men are innately sinful and morally debased. He needs redemption, deliverance and to be brought to a higher level through divine intervention. He needs a hand up, not a hand out. Elohim provides the former, governments of men the latter. The former improves a person from the inside out; the latter enslaves and often debases a person!
You see, the political progressive looks to government to supply all of its needs and to fix all of its problems. Government has become their god. This is called the religion of statism. This seems to be the ladder you have leaned your ladder up against. The problem is that government is run by sinful men who are not always moral. Therefore, putting one’s faith in government is regressive, not progressive. That’s why I view Progressivism largely as a joke. It’s not working in Europe. Why do you think it will work in America? A wise man learns from other people’s mistakes (and from history), so he doesn’t have to make them himself.
Over the history of the world governments have come and gone. There is nothing new under the sun. Men still have the same social ills they always have. So why should I trust government? Usually it’s the source of the problem, not the solution. Government enslaves, not liberates.
I could go on and on. And I have only made it to the fourth paragraph of your rather lengthy comment. I shall stop here.
