WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR CONSTITUTION? — PART 5

This is the fifth and last post in a series.  The first post, What Happened to Our Constitution?  — Part 1, links to posts at American Civilization by James Atticus Bowden.   Below, I provide links to the second, third, and fourth posts.

• Part 2 – The Direct Election of Senators
• Part 3 – Income Tax
• Part 4 – Public Education
• Part 5 – American Isolation

I write this post as the House of Representives considers a bill designed to finish the nationalization of America’s health care system. It appears enough Democrat holdouts have caved to pass the bill (Bart Stupak vows ‘yes’ in health care vote. What comes next?). In fact, the House has just approved rules for debate (House OKs Key Step Toward Health Insurance Overhaul).

As might be expected, the villains in this drama have tried to conceal their crime. They scheduled their vote for Sunday evening, when the public is least likely to pay attention. In addition, they released the final version of their so-called reconcilation bill just before the vote (A look at the health care overhaul bill). So American people have had little opportunity to review the proposed changes.  Even most of Congress probably has little idea what this so-called reconcilation bill contains. Like as not, it will make no difference anyway. There is no guarantee the reconcilation bill will pass the Senate. There is only a hope. 

American Isolation

Most Americans alive today do not fully understand what makes our country special. Two great oceans and language barriers separate us from most of the world. With little basis for comparison, we cannot easily appreciate how the gift of our heritage makes us different. That difference has to do with Christianity.

In  Today’s New International Version, the word “evil” occurs in the Bible 414 times (see here). ”Sin” occurs 426 times (see here). That is because the Bible is the story of our redemption. Jesus taught us how to free ourselves from sin and evil with faith (253 times), hope (162 times), and love (540 times).

John 8:34-36 (Today’s New International Version)

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

The People who founded our nation came from an Old World rife with sin and corruption. Many came looking for religious freedom, the right to worship as they saw fit. These people appreciated the teachings of Jesus and God’s gift of the Bible. They understood that each soul battles with sin. They knew how the Apostle Paul described what it means to be free.

Galatians 5:13-26 (Today’s New International Version)

Life by the Spirit

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

In our time, many have either forgotten or they ignore Biblical teachings. Too many of us think it foolish to believe someone would love their neighbor. Too many insist upon laws designed to give us, the “majority,” dominion over our neighbors. The Founders feared majoritarian tyranny (The dangers of majoritarian tyranny). They understood where it led, dictatorship and slavery.

Once upon a time, Americans believed in rugged individualism.  Instead of imposing upon each other, they looked for opportunities to serve. Those were the days when our nation’s greatest leaders were its greatest servants.  Such men left their mark with a constitutional republic, a form of government unlike any this world had ever seen.