Growing up, I was taught to avoid two topics of conversation: religion and politics. Yet, even a casual study of history shows that these two spheres are all-too-common sources of human oppression.
Perhaps these are the most important subjects to talk about.
Our public dialogue is painfully watered down. It has become fashionable to champion “human rights” without acknowledging the Creator who gave us those rights. It’s trendy to promote “tolerance” with no mention of foundational morals, such as charity and sacrifice. We enjoy the benefits of prosperity and freedom and yet fail to trace these blessings to their source.
The American founders succeeded against overwhelming odds not because of good intentions, but because of their overwhelming commitment to a righteous, reasonable God. They took a cue from their mentors, many of whom were pastors—the moral leaders of their day. As the Rev. John Witherspoon said in May 1776, “There is not a single instance in history in which civil liberty was lost, and religious liberty preserved entire.”
Everywhere, Christians face demands for silence. We must defend truth and freedom by speaking out. Rather than concede, we must rebuff the rising tide of political correctness. Political correctness is nothing new; it was part of the social landscape in Lincoln’s day, and Churchill’s, and Reagan’s. Will our opponents belittle our arguments? Undoubtedly. Will they blame us for the failings of society? Most certainly. But we cannot afford to be silent.
When people of conscience hold their tongues, the wicked are emboldened and evil wins. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, we “wrestle not against flesh and blood,” but against spiritual powers and rulers. Thus, the New Testament writer urges his readers to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.” Christ wasn’t silent before the Pharisees (nor was Lincoln before the slaveholders). Rather than backing up and blending in, people of faith are called to be salt and light in a dark world.
We can take such a bold stance only with prayer for God’s help and mercy. Benjamin Franklin noted at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, “If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without [God’s] notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without [His] aid?” We need to pray for our families, and we need to pray for the church.
Many pastors no longer teach the concept of immorality; their houses of worship have become merely seeker-sensitive and user-friendly. Meanwhile, the very foundations of our society are destroyed for a lack of knowledge of Biblical principles. We must return to the Scriptures and to faith. As the Rev. Samuel Kendal warned in 1804: “If we depart from the principles of our ancestors, neglect religion and its institutions, are not attentive to the instruction of our youth in religious and moral duty ... we shall soon find ourselves unable to support the constitutions which have been the pride of our nation, and the admiration of the world.”
Truly, our American heritage—the great experiment in self-government—is both wonderful and noble. The principles contained in our founding documents led to the abolition of slavery under the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, who finished the Constitution’s “magnificent structure” (to borrow a phrase from Frederick Douglass). We can also be proud knowing that the United States has set more people in other nations free than any other nation in history. But we cannot expect to continue this legacy if we insist on being morally neutral.
U.S. Rep. Fisher Ames said it well over two centuries ago: “All history lies open for our warning, open like a church-yard, all whose lessons are solemn ... lessons that whisper, O! that they could thunder to republics, ‘your passions and vices forbid you to be free.’”
May people of faith in our day be willing to stand and speak where the flames are the hottest and the stakes are the highest.
