Election day | A View from the Nest

Many Christians today are struggling with the question of whether, or to what extent, they should get involved in the messy world of American politics. This is a dilemma we feel most acutely whenever election season rolls around—and especially when the choices on offer appear far from ideal. If there are disagreements within your church about the wisdom and efficacy of believers involving themselves in politics, then one source of good counsel is the AND Campaign, an organization devoted to a model of Christian civic education that aims to transcend conventional right-versus-left divisions. A new book, Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement, lays out the core themes of the group’s philosophy.
God’s Call on the Politically Ambivalent Christian | Christianity Today

Not voting silences your voice. If we only allow others to vote as we sit by and watch the results, their voices are being heard while yours is being ignored. Candidates respond to their constituents so it would be better to be found within the king’s court then standing outside pounding on the door.

Lend your voice to the conversation, get out and vote!

Psalm 37:3 “ Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”

Times are tough in America. Unemployment teeters around 10%, those receiving government assistance is at an all-time high, more Americans are finding themselves homeless than at any other time in American history, the dollar continues to decline in value, the national debt has climbed past 13 trillion dollars with no end in sight. What are we to do?

In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, completed in 1787, Edward Gibbon (English historian and Member of Parliament) lists the following reasons for that fall:

The rapid increase of divorce; the undermining of dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society.
Higher and higher taxes and the spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace.
The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal.
The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was within: the decadence of the people.
The decay of religion—faith fading into mere form—losing touch with life and becoming impotent to guide the people.

Sound familiar? Are we headed for the same destiny? Is there any hope for America?

Well I can tell you were you will not find any hope or help… the federal government. Thomas Sowell once said “there is nothing so bad (in America) that politics cannot make worse.” To which I have to nod my head in agreement. He was not the only one who took humorous potshots at the government. Listen to what Will Rogers said about the government of his day. He died on August 15, 1935.

– A fool and his money are soon elected.
– About all I can say for the United States Senate is that it opens with a prayer and closes with an investigation.
– Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do.
– Be thankful we’re not getting all the government we’re paying for.
– I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
– If I studied all my life, I couldn’t think up half the number of funny things passed in one session of congress.
– It’s easy being a humorist when you’ve got the whole government working for you.
– Last year we said, ’Things can’t go on like this’, and they didn’t, they got worse.
– On account of being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation in the world that has to keep a government four years, no matter what it does.
– Our constitution protects aliens, drunks and U.S. Senators.
– The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.

No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan

Ernest Benn is quoted as saying:

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.”

To which you might add politicians then go around telling you that they fixed the problem only to come back next election cycle and tell you the problem they fixed with the last fix needs to be fixed again with a new fix. Sounds like someone is in need of a fix alright. Politics is opium to those who seek power over a people. And just like opium politicians are always in search of their next fix.

It is time for an intervention. Government needs to be cured of it’s addiction. By instituting voter enforced term limits upon each and every politician the damage they can ultimately cause will be limited by the length of time they get to remain in office. Although there seems to be no end to government meddling and tomfoolery at least if ‘we the people’ continue to vote out incumbents each election they may soon learn who is actually supposed to be running this country. My motto is simple: “One Term Until They Learn: it is government of, for, and by the people.” There should be no such thing as a career politician.

Gerald Warner said:

“We should be long past applauding politicians of any hue: they got us into this mess. The best deserve a probationary opportunity to prove themselves, the worst should be in jail.”

Two weeks from today the polls open for the mid-term elections. And hopefully the polling places will be overrun by fed up American’s pulling the lever to oust incumbent congressmen and women and replace them with solid constitutional conservative candidates. We need to send a clear message to the remainder of the incumbents that they are next on the chopping block unless they get back to representing the people and not ruling by fiat.

What’s our hope then? Not in government of that we can be certain. The only thing that government has accomplished is to increasingly make matters worse. Therefore we should go into this election cycle knowing full well that politicians are not the answer. They are the cause of most of our problems. The best we can hope for is to place these rascals on very short leashes and make sure that we monitor their every activity and hold their feet to the fire when they deviate from the Constitution of the United States, that is our responsibility as good citizens.

If there is any hope then it is this:

Again in the words of Ronald Reagan:

Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.

Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.

And from the holy scriptures we read: “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2

Like Rome of old and Israel before that the people chose to be ruled by a king and not by God and reaped the rewards of their folly. The only hope for America, or any nation for that matter, can only be found in the King of all kings, and the Lord of all lords, Jesus Christ.

Come November 2 as a good citizen of the United States I will cast my vote to remove from office anyone who has been there for more than one term. But as a Christian I shall continue to lead my life by the precepts found within the covers of the bible. I will reject any policy or regulation enacted by any government that does not uphold the precepts outlined in the bible. In addition I will call upon the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to have mercy on us and to continue to bless America. Will you join me in this prayer for America?

And that is this week’s tail feather. Think about it.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. _{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}