All Hands on Deck
by Kathy Brown on July 22nd, 2010 | 0 comments
What has happened to our country? How are you feeling about the fact that there are four thousand abortions every day, but we pass legislation to protect the turtles laying eggs off the coast of Florida? Does it seem right that illegal aliens cross over from Mexico in droves while we fight overseas to try to keep our borders “safe”? When the financial crisis had its origins in the regulations of Chris Dodd and Barney Frank, does it appear to be a good idea they write the new financial overhaul bill? On the surface, the ship “America” seems to be nearly tipped over. Will she be righted? It depends on whether we understand why she’s about upside down with hull up and mast beneath, or in the language of the sailor: turtled.
It is all about the rudder. We have gone off-course because we have not understood that without a North, we so easily drift. Over time those at the helm have steered clear of the map that our Founding Fathers provided in our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. We have lost our way.
Those who designed our unique government did so because they held a Biblical worldview. They had a distinct understanding of three specific arenas: the family, the church and the government. Using these categories, we can compare (not exhaustively) the Biblical worldview to the Secular Humanist worldview which is presently used in public policy. It is important to realize both are religious perspectives.
| SECULAR HUMANIST WORLDVIEW | BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW | |
|---|---|---|
| Family: | Government excludes the Biblical God through a misunderstanding of Separation of Church and State/by default "man" is the basis for rule. | Government is based on the God of the Bible. |
|
Adult relationships are between consenting adults/contract-based. |
Marriage between a man and woman/covenant-based. |
|
| Children are a product of chance. | God creates each child in His image. | |
| The "village" raises children. | Parents raise children. | |
| Humans are born good, they will become better and better given enough resources. | Humans are born sinful, they need to be limited by laws or instructed conscience. | |
| Government is the safety net. | Family and the church are the safety net. | |
| Church: | Church is a social network based on consensus. | Church is a spiritual network based on God's moral authority. |
| Right and wrong are relative (each person decides for himself/those with the most power prevail). | Right and wrong are determined by God. | |
| The goal is social justice with an emphasis on tolerating all ideas (except that Truth exists). | The goal is being transformed into the likeness of Christ, living in community with believers with an emphasis on Truth, sharing the gospel. | |
| Ideology is forced from the top down: public institutions wherever possible (public schools, policy and laws). | Ideology is transmitted locally through individuals: preferring individual accountability over enforced regulation. | |
| The government becomes the arm of the "Church"/taxes like the "offering"/schools give the "sermon". | The "Church" informs those who serve in government/taxes are not the "offering"/more taxes means less for the local churches. | |
| Government: | The government is "King". | God is King/government submits to the authority of Scripture. |
| The role of government includes delivery of social services. | The role of government is limited/social services need personal relationships for accountability. | |
| Government exists to equalize wealth and social position as it determines "fair". | Government exists to keep laws just, protect the innocent and provide for defense. | |
| Government can save mankind. | God is the Savior of mankind. |
The United States has found its way through rough waters in the past. It has, however, never veered so far away from its original destination. It will require a strong will to reset the compass and come about in the gale of opposition. As an old salt rightly shouts “all hands on deck”, so it must be for the proud vessel “America.”
Psalm 33: 12
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”
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