JW wrote:
The US Constitution is the greatest political document ever conceived by the mind of man. Living up to it is a challenge we all face. It has been under attack since Marbury v. Madison but never so intensely as today.
👍👍👍 “...by the mind of man” is exactly the t***h!
I was raised liberal in Southern California, graduated H.S. in 1974. During the late 70’s/early 80’s I was introduced to patriotic material and “discovered”, through personal research, the greatness that was enshrined in our US Constitution. I was utterly appalled at how far our elected officials had brought us from the regal principles our founding fathers had established for us.
I wanted to be a part of restoring the US to it’s Constitutional roots. But then Jesus started reaching out to me. Long story short, regarding America, He impressed me with two things:
First, what enabled the corruption of American politics is simply the corrupt heart of man. There are two types of people who have contributed to the denigration of America’s ideals of personal liberty. The first type are those who believe they know better how to run your life than you do. These are the politicians by nature, the last people who should be allowed in American elected offices. These are overlords who don’t truly care for the flock, as opposed to Servant-leaders who selflessly nurture others into their own greatness. Americans for the most part have lost the ability to discern between the differences. The second type of people are the lazy and/or entitlement-minded who gladly give their responsibilities (that necessarily come with liberties) to others (ie the first type). These two types of people, feeding and enriching each other’s evil natures, are the root cause of all America’s ills. This “false” love affair of “the governed resigning their liberties to the governed” is the life and heartbeat of liberalism, but they certainly don’t monopolize it. I say “false love” because no s***e master truly loves their s***es. Ever known a battered woman who refused to leave her husband because he loved her and she loved him? That’s the false form of love I’m referring to. Even with all that the US Constitution provides, it fails at *remedying* the heart of man; it recognizes it and attempts to deal with it, but it simply can’t “remedy” it. This is America’s major shortcoming, which even our founders understood. Neither our Constitution or government can even hope to do what only God can do, cleanse a heart as pertains to conscience, and that’s why America’s greatness has to be qualified with “...by the mind of man.”
The next major thing Jesus impressed me with was this: “If you want to be on the winning side, there are only two winning hands, and they were nailed to a tree at Calvary.” I understood this to mean, ultimately, even America, as great a form of government it is, in the end, will fail. And in fact, when you get to the back of the book, The Bible, all nations gather against Christ and are overcome by Him to become part of His Kingdom.
The only, but insurmountable, problem with our Constitution is that it was formed by man, and that it requires fallen mankind to maintain it. Otherwise, it remains the greatest form of government created by man. Only as long as America kept looking to God to direct her, did she have a prayer (pun intended). Without God she doesn’t, and if that’s the case, I say good riddance.
Once I realized all this (in 1982), that even man’s best was destined to fail, I was ready for Christ’s best revelation to me yet. I kneeled before him in humble awe and told Him I didn’t know how to pray or what to say I just knew I needed Him. And then, having my eyes closed, I had a vision of Jesus on the cross, looking at me with the most loving intensity I’d ever known, and He simply said, “I died for you”. I’ve been sold out to Him ever since!
America is great, but it is, as anything else of man’s ever is, as filthy rags, compared to the good news of the Kingdom of God under the reign of His Son Jesus the Anointed One...
And then upon becoming a Christian, I found out the same corruption that has affected America has already been long underway in the body of Christ, attempting to bring it down also, but this battle has a positive future, and the ultimate journey and purpose of my life began!
For decades, as a Christian, I’ve still retained my love and respect for America and our Constitution, and probably always will. But as these politicians on both sides seem destined to ruin her, as America seems to be imploding from the inside, it feels to me like God is just showing us, even man’s very best isn’t quite “good” in the final analysis. Proving the following for an eternal testament:
“Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone.” Luke 18:19