Secularists Are Slow of Hearing
When I say "government," what image comes to mind? Is it the White House? The Capitol building? Or is it some other institution in the District of Columbia?
Most people, both Christian and secular, envision something related to the Federal Government when I use the term "government." That's how most people are trained. However, that is NOT what we mean when we say "government."
I recently wrote the following: "simply because true theocrats are not seeking control of the present apparatus of the federal government in no way means we seek no governmental control. Far from it. We aggressively seek Christian government, i.e. millions of self-governing Christians living in terms of God's law."
Well, you'd think a book-smart secularist would read carefully, but they don't. Some of their "brightest" seized on that portion as an "ah-ha" moment - an admission on my part that despite my contrary statements WE WERE seeking Christian government, i.e. a takeover of the state. They missed the point.
The reason they missed the point lies in their concept of government. They cannot hear that word without immediately thinking of Washington, D.C. However, prior to the Civil War your average citizen didn't conjure up images of the Capitol when they heard the term government. They would ask, "What type of government are you referring to?"
The Definition of Christian Government
To the secularist, government typically equates to the state. To the true theocrat, government should mean the self-governing Christian man. Therefore, when I write that we are aggressively seeking Christian government, I mean millions of Christians exercising self-government and personal responsibility. They care for their own. They are working to reduce their reliance upon the state. And, they are not seeking to convert the world via legislation or political enforcement.
I'm declaring 2007 as the year for "the return of Christian government;" and lobbying, candidates, funding, and politics has nothing to do with it. It means Christians returning to self-government. It begins with understanding that God is your source, and proceeds in faithfulness to law and covenant. Most Christians are not taught these fundamentals--at least not in systematic fashion. This is evident by the time and money spent in pushing stop-gap measures to obstruct the American shift to humanism and pluralism.
Rushdoony, building from Henry Van Til, taught that a shared faith will manifest itself in culture. Stop-gap political measures cannot prevent a nation's shift to humanism if humanism is the "faith" of the people. You cannot legislate the Kingdom of God into existence. Only Gospel conversion will transform nations. Our calling is to preach that Gospel and teach all nations (of converts) to obey His commandments.
Judging the Outsider
The pursuit of Christian government is our immediate obligation. It serves as both our commitment to God as well as our example to the world. God's people are a separate community of faith who's conduct amongst themselves is supposed to be a testimony to those who are without (Deut. 4:5-8). We are to obey God's law towards one another despite our doctrinal differences. Our failure in this has left us with a poor testimony. We must, therefore, repent; and repentance means a "return" -- a return to God's way -- and God's way is Christian government.
When the immoral man of 1 Corinthians 5 was addressed by St. Paul the apostle demanded the sinner be removed from the community of faith. There was to be no "stoning," but there was to be a death penalty, viz. excommunication. When Paul rhetorically asked what the Christian is to do about the unbelieving "fornicator, idolater, railer, drunkard, or covetous man" living around them, he said, "[W]hat have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth" (1 Cor. 5:12-13).
It is the Lord that judges the outsider. Not the Christian. Only the community of faith falls within the jurisdiction of the church. The outsider is dealt with by God Himself. However, Paul does not clarify how God's judgment on the outsider is carried out. Some things are punished via the justice of the magistrate (the state), while other transgressions are confronted before the Judgment Seat of Christ. What's important to note is the apostle's assumption of self-government in terms of God's law. The immoral "brother" must be put out. Immorality implies a standard, and that standard is the law of God. Despite the prevailing moral trends in the surrounding culture the church is to promote justice within its constituency. As for the unbeliever, he is in the hands of God.
God's Law and the State
The real problem arises when the issue of the moral standard of the state is discussed. The secularist is concerned that the Religious Right will secure legislation that will empower the state to execute homosexuals and imprison anyone espousing another religion besides Christianity; or any laws similar to these. In this respect, it does come down to the democratic process. If Christian political groups can convince the public to pressure particular states to prohibit gay marriage or alter abortion laws, then there is no stopping it. If secular groups can do the same, then there is no stopping them either. The democratic process works both ways.
The reign of the GOP has encouraged a great many secularists to better familiarize themselves with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This used to be the domain of the John Birch conservative. Now it's the secularists turn to gripe. They cry "foul" at the political success of conservative Christians. Well, that's democracy for ya. You better quit whining and get yourself organized. That's the arena you've chosen. Don't cry "corruption" either. That also goes both ways.
Time and Theocracy
St. Peter declared that judgment begins with the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). I believe this is where our judgment must also begin. That should occupy the Church for quite a while. Self-government in terms of God's law is a multi-generational project. It is the foundation to Christian dominion.
One of the most common references from a reconstructionist, cited by secular critics, is this one by David Chilton:
The True Nature of Theocracy
The secularist is looking for a world ruled by man. The theocrat is hoping for a world one day ruled by God. A theocracy, therefore, is the rule of God over every sphere. It means all men must be converted before a theocracy will ever be witnessed. A theocracy has nothing to do with a present rule by the religious elite. I've often said that was Rushdoony's position, but he was not alone. Chilton stated the same:
So, our project is long-term, is it not? Reconstruction begins with the church, and we have plenty of work to do there. Therefore, let there be a return to Christian government. A return of personal responsibility. That much we can reconstruct.
The Misconstruing Continues
Sorry, but there's no "ah-ha" in my calling for a pursuit of Christian government. In fact, what I'm suggesting is unglamorous, tedious, multi-generational, and far away from the Capitol and the courthouse. It's not a political platform. It will not put a man or woman in political office. Most Christians will actually shun the idea. They are addicted to the body politic. In that sense, they are exactly like their secular counterparts.
I don't anticipate that secularists will ever grasp this concept. They are too slow of hearing and the theocratic boogeyman is too valuable for the success of their organizations. They need the evil theocrats to scare their constituency into resisting Christian lobbyists, and Rushdoony is their Bin Laden. They won't drop him and acknowledge the truth any more than the neocons will drop their Islamic enemy. It is the worst kind of fear-mongering.
We'll see how things develop. This new year should be interesting. While both Christian and seculartist banter with each other about legislation or the election of a federal judge let us be faithful in our own spheres. Let us care for one another. Let us care for the education and support of our families and fellow Christians. Let the dead bury the dead.
Most people, both Christian and secular, envision something related to the Federal Government when I use the term "government." That's how most people are trained. However, that is NOT what we mean when we say "government."
I recently wrote the following: "simply because true theocrats are not seeking control of the present apparatus of the federal government in no way means we seek no governmental control. Far from it. We aggressively seek Christian government, i.e. millions of self-governing Christians living in terms of God's law."
Well, you'd think a book-smart secularist would read carefully, but they don't. Some of their "brightest" seized on that portion as an "ah-ha" moment - an admission on my part that despite my contrary statements WE WERE seeking Christian government, i.e. a takeover of the state. They missed the point.
The reason they missed the point lies in their concept of government. They cannot hear that word without immediately thinking of Washington, D.C. However, prior to the Civil War your average citizen didn't conjure up images of the Capitol when they heard the term government. They would ask, "What type of government are you referring to?"
The Definition of Christian Government
To the secularist, government typically equates to the state. To the true theocrat, government should mean the self-governing Christian man. Therefore, when I write that we are aggressively seeking Christian government, I mean millions of Christians exercising self-government and personal responsibility. They care for their own. They are working to reduce their reliance upon the state. And, they are not seeking to convert the world via legislation or political enforcement.
I'm declaring 2007 as the year for "the return of Christian government;" and lobbying, candidates, funding, and politics has nothing to do with it. It means Christians returning to self-government. It begins with understanding that God is your source, and proceeds in faithfulness to law and covenant. Most Christians are not taught these fundamentals--at least not in systematic fashion. This is evident by the time and money spent in pushing stop-gap measures to obstruct the American shift to humanism and pluralism.
Rushdoony, building from Henry Van Til, taught that a shared faith will manifest itself in culture. Stop-gap political measures cannot prevent a nation's shift to humanism if humanism is the "faith" of the people. You cannot legislate the Kingdom of God into existence. Only Gospel conversion will transform nations. Our calling is to preach that Gospel and teach all nations (of converts) to obey His commandments.
Judging the Outsider
The pursuit of Christian government is our immediate obligation. It serves as both our commitment to God as well as our example to the world. God's people are a separate community of faith who's conduct amongst themselves is supposed to be a testimony to those who are without (Deut. 4:5-8). We are to obey God's law towards one another despite our doctrinal differences. Our failure in this has left us with a poor testimony. We must, therefore, repent; and repentance means a "return" -- a return to God's way -- and God's way is Christian government.
When the immoral man of 1 Corinthians 5 was addressed by St. Paul the apostle demanded the sinner be removed from the community of faith. There was to be no "stoning," but there was to be a death penalty, viz. excommunication. When Paul rhetorically asked what the Christian is to do about the unbelieving "fornicator, idolater, railer, drunkard, or covetous man" living around them, he said, "[W]hat have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth" (1 Cor. 5:12-13).
It is the Lord that judges the outsider. Not the Christian. Only the community of faith falls within the jurisdiction of the church. The outsider is dealt with by God Himself. However, Paul does not clarify how God's judgment on the outsider is carried out. Some things are punished via the justice of the magistrate (the state), while other transgressions are confronted before the Judgment Seat of Christ. What's important to note is the apostle's assumption of self-government in terms of God's law. The immoral "brother" must be put out. Immorality implies a standard, and that standard is the law of God. Despite the prevailing moral trends in the surrounding culture the church is to promote justice within its constituency. As for the unbeliever, he is in the hands of God.
God's Law and the State
The real problem arises when the issue of the moral standard of the state is discussed. The secularist is concerned that the Religious Right will secure legislation that will empower the state to execute homosexuals and imprison anyone espousing another religion besides Christianity; or any laws similar to these. In this respect, it does come down to the democratic process. If Christian political groups can convince the public to pressure particular states to prohibit gay marriage or alter abortion laws, then there is no stopping it. If secular groups can do the same, then there is no stopping them either. The democratic process works both ways.
The reign of the GOP has encouraged a great many secularists to better familiarize themselves with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This used to be the domain of the John Birch conservative. Now it's the secularists turn to gripe. They cry "foul" at the political success of conservative Christians. Well, that's democracy for ya. You better quit whining and get yourself organized. That's the arena you've chosen. Don't cry "corruption" either. That also goes both ways.
Time and Theocracy
St. Peter declared that judgment begins with the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). I believe this is where our judgment must also begin. That should occupy the Church for quite a while. Self-government in terms of God's law is a multi-generational project. It is the foundation to Christian dominion.
One of the most common references from a reconstructionist, cited by secular critics, is this one by David Chilton:
Our goal is world dominion under Christ's lordship, a 'world takeover' if you will.Do a Google search for this phrase and observe how many times it's cited. Also, notice that this snippet is never placed in its context -- a dead give away that the critic is not a serious investigator. Read by itself, and placed alongside the efforts of Christian political groups, secular conspiracy theorists set up a boogeyman, i.e. power-thirsty Christians that are just a handful of politicians away from ushering in the era of the American Taliban. Yet, the full citation by Chilton yields a different picture (and remember, "pictures" are everything!):
Paul does not begin his work of reconstruction by fomenting a social revolution. Nor does he begin by seeking political office. He begins with the Church, and will move out to bring the rest of the world under Christ's dominion "once the Church's obedience is complete." The center of Christian reconstruction is the Church. The River of Life does not flow out from the doors of the chambers of Congresses and Parliaments... Our goal is world dominion under Christ's lordship, a "world takeover" if you will; but our strategy begins with the reformation and reconstruction of the Church. (Paradise Restored, p. 214)There you have it. The dominion project. One that will obviously require multiple generations to fulfill when you consider the state of the church and the world. But, as Chilton argues, time is our friend:
But the Christian does not have to be afraid of the passage of time, because time is on our side. History is working toward our objectives. Every day brings us closer to the realization of the knowledge of God covering the entire world. The nations will worship and obey the one true God, and will cease to make war; the earth will be changed, restored to Edenic conditions; and people will be blessed with long and happy lives--so long, in fact, that it will be unusual for someone to die at the young age of 100 (Isa. 65:20)!
Consider this promise in the law: "Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments" (Deut. 7:9). The God of the Covenant told His people that He would bless them to the thousandth generation of their descendants. That promise was made (in round figures) about 3,400 years ago. If we figure that Biblical generation at about 40 years, a thousand generations is forty thousand years. We've got 36,600 years to go before this promise is fulfilled!... This world has tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of years of increasing godliness ahead of it... (Ibid., p. 221f)So, thousands of years to achieve what exactly? Well, to achieve the infamous theocracy. The decentralized world of theocratic republics as Chilton refers to them:
Our goal is a Christian world, made up of explicitly Christian nations. How could a Christian desire anything else? Our Lord Himself taught us to pray: "Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10). We pray that God's order will be obeyed on earth, just as they are immediately obeyed by the angels and saints in heaven. The Lord's Prayer is a prayer of worldwide dominion of God's Kingdom--not a centralized world government, but a world of decentralized theocratic republics. (Ibid., p. 219)This is again where the contemporary secularist cries "foul." The only problem is that he or she is getting upset about something potentially forty thousand years down the road. That's wasted breath on their part. If they want to preserve a secular world one thousand years from now, they better get busy having lots of kids, raising them in their secular faith, and teaching others to do likewise. This would make them dominionists as well.
The True Nature of Theocracy
The secularist is looking for a world ruled by man. The theocrat is hoping for a world one day ruled by God. A theocracy, therefore, is the rule of God over every sphere. It means all men must be converted before a theocracy will ever be witnessed. A theocracy has nothing to do with a present rule by the religious elite. I've often said that was Rushdoony's position, but he was not alone. Chilton stated the same:
Now by theocracy I do not mean a government ruled by priests and pastors. That is not what the word means at all. A theocracy is a government ruled by God, a government whose law code is solidly founded on the laws of the Bible. (Ibid., p. 219)A "civil" government would never embrace the full-orbed standard of God's law unless the world was teeming with Christians. Why? Because the same Bible that condemns adultery and sodomy also places enormous restraint upon greed, wealth, pride, and centralized power. No modern state would ever embrace a standard that limits its own powers. Only when the nation AND its leaders are devoutly Christian would the state enforce the full text of the law of God.
So, our project is long-term, is it not? Reconstruction begins with the church, and we have plenty of work to do there. Therefore, let there be a return to Christian government. A return of personal responsibility. That much we can reconstruct.
The Misconstruing Continues
Sorry, but there's no "ah-ha" in my calling for a pursuit of Christian government. In fact, what I'm suggesting is unglamorous, tedious, multi-generational, and far away from the Capitol and the courthouse. It's not a political platform. It will not put a man or woman in political office. Most Christians will actually shun the idea. They are addicted to the body politic. In that sense, they are exactly like their secular counterparts.
I don't anticipate that secularists will ever grasp this concept. They are too slow of hearing and the theocratic boogeyman is too valuable for the success of their organizations. They need the evil theocrats to scare their constituency into resisting Christian lobbyists, and Rushdoony is their Bin Laden. They won't drop him and acknowledge the truth any more than the neocons will drop their Islamic enemy. It is the worst kind of fear-mongering.
We'll see how things develop. This new year should be interesting. While both Christian and seculartist banter with each other about legislation or the election of a federal judge let us be faithful in our own spheres. Let us care for one another. Let us care for the education and support of our families and fellow Christians. Let the dead bury the dead.
