Why do organizations and countries inevitably drift left?

Guest Opinion by Tonia Stulting and Michael S. Shelton

C. S. Lewis once stated, "Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."

So slowly and methodically that we barely noticed it, the faith that made this country possible has been forced into the shadows by a ruling class that seeks to replace God as our highest power. Conservative institutions have permitted this in the name of political inclusivity, and the results have been devastating. It’s time we stopped allowing it. Christianity is not a collection of a million little laws meant to intrude by force into every aspect of your life. It’s a relationship with an infinite Being, whom we know as God. It’s a relationship with Jesus Christ, who died a horrific death on the Cross for the salvation of anyone who will trust Him. Without Him, America would not exist.

The constitutional freedom of religion we enjoy in this country means you don’t have to believe any of that to live here, but it was never intended to prohibit a Christian worldview from influencing our leaders. Freedom of religion also doesn’t prohibit us from acknowledging and respecting the huge influence Christianity has always had on our legal system and our culture, or from insisting that anyone who wishes to live with us respects it as well. Anyone who can’t or won’t do this shouldn’t be allowed to immigrate here. If non-Western nations have a right to be proud of and protect their culture, so do we. We neglect this at our own peril. 

Many Christians will argue that Jesus never meant for Christianity to be spread by force of law, but by example. I agree, and I would never suggest that religion should be forced on the populace; Christianity by force is a contradiction. This shift back to our roots would have to be the result of the electorate voluntarily changing its focus and seeking out candidates who openly use the Bible as their guide. 

I think the unease many people feel at this idea might be alleviated with a better understanding of what government was intended to do. It exists in large part to protect its citizens from being harmed by others, not from bad morals. Our morals are between each one of us and God, so governing this way wouldn’t entail imposing one person’s morals on another or intruding into anyone’s private life. Governing from a Christian worldview wouldn’t mean, for example, outlawing homosexuality or transgenderism, subjects that even theologians disagree about. Adults living these lifestyles should never have been the concern of any governing body in a democratic republic, unless their practices hurt others (such as the transitioning of children).

The conservative’s instinctive distrust of such heavy-handed government intrusion should ensure that anyone who tries to use the Bible as an excuse to govern that way gets promptly voted out or never gets elected in the first place. It used to be the job of our media to guard against tyranny, both religious and secular. They don’t even pretend to do this anymore, so it’s up to American believers to be politically engaged and biblically literate, since there will always be civic snakes who try to twist God’s word.

Gay marriage is only one example of a conflict which was a direct result of our government forgetting its purpose and overstepping its bounds. It defies logic to believe that a consenting adult should have to ask permission from the government to marry another consenting adult. I’m aware that there are legal protections afforded to spouses, such as the ability to visit ICU patients in the hospital, but those protections could easily be assigned by a simple legal document giving those privileges to the person you designate. There was never any reason for our government to be involved in the marriage business at all. The problem didn’t begin when our government redefined marriage; it began when it put itself in charge of defining it in the first place.

I can’t think of many modern problems that biblical wisdom can’t solve. The waves of violence sweeping across our nation? Simply punish all criminals in proportion to their crimes, as the Bible stipulates, and that decreases significantly. Mass immigration?  What does the Bible say about immigrants to your land? They have to be invited, they have to follow your nation’s laws, and they can’t come in such huge numbers that their beliefs change the fabric of your country. 

We will be ridiculed for being vocal about this, but we must persevere. I can almost hear the mockers sneering, “So whoever can produce a popular book saying their opinion is the correct one is the one who should prevail?” Absolutely not! There have been books written to advance every harebrained idea imaginable. Just look at “The Origin of Species” or “The Communist Manifesto”. The Christian Bible is unique because it works. The nations who based their system of laws on it are the ones that prospered, and the nations allowing other religions to become dominant (including secularism, which is also a religion) are failing. Our nation will only remain the envy of the world if the majority of our citizens and our government try their best to follow Yahweh. There is no other way.

Our founders knew this well. As John Adams famously stated, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” If America doesn’t relearn this, and quickly, it will continue tearing itself apart until there’s nothing left of it.

Michael S. Shelton is the President, and Tonia Stulting is a Member, of the North Central Alabama Republican Assembly.

For more information on the Alabama Republican Assembly, “the Conscience of the Republican Party,” visit them on the web at https://alabamarepublicanassembly.org or follow them on social media.

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