The Evolution of America

Abortion. While abortion is certainly a very important issue, especially given the very high abortion rate in America, it is NOT a true political issue. Abortion is a spiritual issue and will NEVER be fixed by any earthly government or political party. The Church by and large in America has been mobilizing prayer efforts, silent protests, fasts, legal representation, and Washington lobbyists for years in an effort to protect the rights of the unborn and undo the effects of the Roe v. Wade landmark decision by the Supreme Court of America back in 1973. Such efforts will continue to be futile, because the issue of abortion stems from a much deeper spiritual issue that the Church has chosen to ignore.

NO elected government official will ever be able to fix this issue which, by the way, is not really abortion. Abortion is merely one symptom of the real deeper issue. Pursuing or desiring legislation to treat the natural symptoms while neglecting to take responsibility for addressing the spiritual cause is both insanely reckless and vain. Not only that, but if the Church continues to depend or rely upon elected officials to do so, they will find themselves even more isolated, disappointed and frustrated as the Republican party they have depended on for years goes through a metamorphosis of its own in becoming less conservative in order to keep pace with the changing times and become more relevant.

The bottom line is that we need to stop pointing fingers at the government and change our religious approach to this issue. The battle to end this societal scourge will never be won in the judicial or political arenas of America, nor will it be won by false religious petitions or pious displays of pseudo-repentance among Christians. You cannot fight what you cannot see, and what you cannot see lies deep below the surface.

Homosexuality. Like abortion, homosexuality in America is a mammoth issue and growing. It is a scourge to any nation. The traditional definition of family is now being redefined; however, this also is NOT a political issue but a spiritual one. This systemic corruption of the nation will never be quelled nor cured by any government legislation because, like abortion, it is rooted in a much deeper spiritual issue that the Church has ignored. It is utterly foolish and irresponsible to expect any earthly government to fix what we have spiritually allowed.

When Moses was governing the nation of Israel as its primary spiritual and civic leader, God allowed him to construct a piece of legislation (law) allowing for divorce and remarriage even though it was a clear violation of moral law and God’s original intent for mankind (Gen. 2:24). By establishing such legislation, however, neither Moses nor God was compromising godly values in preference for the will of the people. Moses made a legal concession in order to accommodate this human weakness because the people’s hearts were hard and deliberately set on this type of lifestyle. This legislative concession was more about civil governance than it was about divine intent or doctrinal integrity. The only suitable recourse, therefore, was to seek to protect the rights of those (primarily the women) who would otherwise have been taken advantage of and impoverished through the process (Deut. 24:1-4; Mark 10:1-9).

This principle can be applied in a similar context to the present moral crisis of homosexuality in America. Just as Moses’ legislation regarding divorce was crafted for the purpose of reducing the practical effects or hardship of its consequences upon the nation rather than as a sanction of moral acceptance, so too a government’s desire to protect the rights of its citizens who have chosen an alternate (albeit immoral) lifestyle can possibly be interpreted in such a light. Since there is nothing that can be done to curb this evil from a humanly legislative standpoint (even more so under a democratic system of government than the theocratic system Israel functioned under when divorce was as deeply entrenched in society as homosexuality is in ours), the only recourse would be to protect the “rights” of these individuals as citizens by allowing them to be recognized and treated as any other conventional human being. This does not sanction the act nor make it right; it just makes for better governance and reveals God’s care and concern for all individuals, regardless of their moral standing (Matt. 5:45).[1]

And since God’s legislative Body—His Ekklesia—is the only spiritual entity on the earth with the authorization and capability to effectively deal with these spiritual issues, the buck stops with us, not the government (civil government officials are not pastors or spiritual leaders, they are civil public servants).

Identifying these issues as sin and rendering harsh judgment or condemnation does not address the issue. Employing the word abomination to make homosexuality a greater sin than others is also inaccurate, since divorce and remarriage could also be an “abomination” before God and is practiced just as much in the Church as it is in the world (Deut. 24:1-4). The Pharisee principle has always been to provide judgment and condemnation without providing effective solutions or pathways to deliverance and freedom. Jesus wasn’t just able to identify sin, He was able to effectively deal with it also (Luke 4:18).

National debt. As of this writing the United States national debt is well over 16 trillion dollars and growing.[2] There has been a great amount of concern and debate over this issue among both sides of the political divide. While a great deal has been said (or rather, unsaid) by both parties during their recent debates and campaigns for the presidential office, the fact remains that neither one of them is capable or reducing this deficit. Neither this administration nor the next Republican one will be able to make any significant advances in this regard. The debt will continue to grow despite their efforts, because this was divinely ordained of God as part of the global shaking and shift in power that was prophesied would occur.

Unexpected crises and global catastrophes will continue to deplete and wreak havoc upon the world’s financial reserves, including America’s, causing an escalation of debt on a global scale. The economy in America will continue to ebb and wane with occasional signs and seasons of recovery, but it will only be temporary.

“Entitlement” and “Socialism”. One of the arguments leveled against the present administration’s policies to tax more from the wealthy in order to help reduce the financial burden upon the poor and the middle class as the government continues to support this poor demographic with government assisted programs is that it promotes “entitlement” and is built upon a socialist construct.

One very popular religious leader in America with over one hundred thousand Facebook followers made a post the day after the elections (which was promptly removed soon after when hundreds of people responded with outrage and a war of words ensued between Christian liberals and Christian conservatives regarding the post) criticizing the American voters who would support, among other things, such “entitlement” among the poor. Of course, what he shared simply echoed the sentiments of religious Christianity in America to a large degree.

Not only was his statement unfortunate and a misrepresentation of God, but it was also hypocritical. On the one hand he was criticizing what is referred to as “entitlement” and dependence upon government assistance without taking “personal responsibility,” while on the other hand religious Christianity in America has shown equal dependence on government to deal with the spiritual issues afflicting the nation like those described above without taking personal responsibility also. Religious hypocrisy is always full of double standards.

The only type of people who would label any administration’s attempt to help the poor and needy as anything but right and acceptable are the greedy and indifferent (void of love and compassion). While it would take way too long to address this matter from a biblical perspective in detail, suffice it to say that the Kingdom of God has always had the support of the poor as a primary focus. All through Scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments, there is an enormous emphasis upon helping the poor. If you don’t believe me, just look up the word poor in any bible search program and examine the results.

The redistribution of wealth is not a socialist principle; it is a Kingdom principle. Whenever the rich expressed any desire or interest to follow Jesus or inherit the Kingdom, His requirement was that they take what they owned, sell it, and give it to the poor (Matt. 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22). Jesus’ entire ministry was built upon helping the poor and needy, and any offerings He received was used to help the poor rather than build his own personal empire (John 13:29). This principle was also practiced by the early Kingdom Community of believers who would sell what they owned in order to help the poor and needy among them (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-37). Of course such acts of compassion were never ecclesiastically or governmentally imposed, but the overarching principle is the same.

As a matter of fact, according to Jesus, this type of compassion can be considered the single defining characteristic of a valid “sheep” nation that is acceptable in God’s eyes. Contrary to false religious doctrine or teaching that says otherwise, it is a nation’s practical acts of compassion toward those who are less fortunate among them that constitutes true righteousness, rather than it’s “Christian” government or leadership, number of churches, or religious Judeo-Christian values (Matt. 25:31-46).

We cannot simply dismiss this biblical principle just because there are some who choose to abuse it. America is a nation full of greed, and greed is an internal deficiency that can afflict both the haves and the have nots. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater is not an option. As one wise person once stated, “The way you handle abuse or misuse is not through disuse, but training and instruction in proper use.”

Those who choose to adopt a spirit of entitlement and abuse the system through their own personal greed and/or irresponsibility are a cancer to the nation, the same as those who cheat on their taxes. They are not true patriots, but parasites, and will hasten their own destruction by doing so. The government is incapable of addressing this moral flaw; only the Ekklesia can do so, but we must do so by first setting the example and repenting for our own selfishness, greed and lack of true compassion and community among us.

Immigration. The subject of immigration reform from a purely political standpoint can become a very complex and divisive issue. I believe it was the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel who said, “What history and experience teach us is this: that people and government never have learned anything from history or acted on principles deduced from it.” Or as Winston Churchill paraphrased it: “The one thing we have learned from history is that we don’t learn from history.”

Let’s face it—we are a nation of immigrants! And despite the argument that America was founded upon religious principles, who can deny the fact that it was also built upon the blood of the original Indian inhabitants (citizens) who were slaughtered and subjugated by the white settlers (immigrants) who took occupation of their territory “illegally”? Or are we all supposed to just pretend that this never took place?

To show a lack of compassion for the illegal and/or undocumented immigrants presently inhabiting this country is not only the worst type of hypocrisy, but also a clear contradiction of Scripture where the numerous commands and exhortations regarding care and compassion for the stranger (foreigner) are second only to God’s command to help the poor. And, like the poor, compassion toward the stranger is one of the defining characteristics of a righteous or “sheep” nation (Matt. 25:31-46).

America will do its best to protect its borders, but the face of America is changing whether we like it or not. The previous white America is rapidly giving way to a more colored nation, and no administration is going to be able to prevent this from happening. Life is a cycle, and history often finds a way of repeating itself.

Israel. Israel, for a long time, has been one of America’s closest allies. While there are many in the religious Christian community who believe that the present administration has done very little to bolster or strengthen this relationship, the main argument or source of contention is based upon the premise that Israel is deserving of unconditional and uncompromising support simply because they are “God’s chosen people.”

While it is certainly not my intention as a lover and supporter of Israel, who understands the dangers of increasing global anti-Semitism, to downplay Israel’s significance or central role in the biblical record as a type and shadow of God’s spiritual Kingdom, I cannot support any false theology or premise which elevates Israel above that which Scripture allows.

The idea that any nation has a religious-political obligation to support the nation of Israel unconditionally or otherwise is without Scriptural merit. As a matter of fact, when Israel became splintered into two nations, God expressed great displeasure with the king of Judah for having allied himself with the wicked king of Israel (2 Chron. 20:35-37). Furthermore, none of the kings of Judah—either righteous or unrighteous—ever expressed any religious or moral obligation to be allied to the kings of Israel or support the nation. There was never any false sense of loyalty to Israel (or to Judah) based upon God’s original covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3).

Even before the fracture of Israel, nations who chose to be allies of Israel—just as it is today—did so based upon their own self-interest rather than any sense of spiritual or moral requirement. And nations who were once allied with Israel did not escape adversity or divine judgment on the basis of their alliance with Israel alone any more than the nations who chose not to align themselves with her.

Contrary to popular religious opinion, a nation’s blessing or prosperity is not hinged solely upon its support for the nation of Israel. And the tendency to quote Genesis 12:3 (as well as several others) in support of this position is an unfortunate display of scriptural gymnastics by religious practitioners who are fanatically pro-Israel.

Israel, as well as any other nation that is truly aligned with God, is worthy of our support. However, any support given is a matter of the Spirit and human conscience, not any legalistic, religious or political obligation. America will not disintegrate based on her political stand with Israel; America will disintegrate as a result of the internal corruption that blinds and consumes us like a cancer.

President Obama would be reelected in November 2012.

The Central Bank of Europe tanked in 2013

President Obama signed a bill to “bail out” Europe in 2014.

The Japanese Yen became the world currency in 2016.