← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Hilaire Belloc
Thread ID: 13703 | Posts: 1 | Started: 2004-05-14
2004-05-14 19:59 | User Profile
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Have Christians Been Duped By the Republican Party?
In describing many American Christians, the term "dupe" [1] springs to mind. A "dupe" is one who allows himself to be deluded. The term "allows" connotes a certain degree of credulity, or even stupidity. Lenin was terribly unkind to everyone, including himself. He called dupes "useful idiots." The phase is popular because it aptly describes the two essential qualities of a dupe - stupid enough to believe a lie, and therefore useful enough to serve the liar's purpose.
Today, many Christians appear to be dupes who serve not Jesus Christ, but His lying enemies.
For decades, Christians have served the Republican Party because they falsely believe that it is pro-life.
Here are the facts. Of the seven votes cast for Roe v. Wade in 1973, five belonged to Justices nominated by Republican Presidents. (Brennan, Stewart, Burger, Blackmun, Powell)
Thirty years later, not much has changed. Of the current court, six Justices favor a Constitutional right to abortion and sodomy. Republican Presidents appointed four of the six. (Stevens, O'Connor, Kennedy and Souter)
Let us turn our attention to Congress. For most of the past ten years, the Republicans have commanded a majority in both Houses of Congress. Add to this Republican majority the significant number of Democrats who are either pro-life or feel politically pressured to vote pro-life. During that ten year time period, the Republican Party, if it wanted to, could easily have overruled Roe v. Wade, no matter what the Supreme Court said.
First, pursuant to Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, Congress could take away the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court on the issue of abortion by a simple majority vote of the House and Senate. Second, pursuant to Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment, Congress by a simple majority vote could define an unborn child as a "person", thus removing one of the two necessary underpinnings of Roe v. Wade. Third, the Republican Party could remove Supreme Court Justices for fabricating Constitutional rights that don't exist. Under Article III, Section 1, Judges hold their offices only during "good Behavior." Impeachment is by a mere majority vote of the House, but removal requires a two thirds vote of the Senate. Fourth, pursuant to Article V of the Constitution, the Republicans could pass a Constitutional Amendment by a two-thirds vote of the House and the Senate. This would be difficult but not impossible, allowing for the votes of pro-life Democrats from the South and Midwest. Thence, the amendment would become effective when ratified by three quarters of the States, which is also possible, given that States like Idaho and Wyoming would have an equal say to New York and California in the ratification process.
To my knowledge, the Republican leadership in Congress has never allowed a committee or floor vote on any one of these four possibilities.
Finally, let us consider the Executive branch. Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, Republican Presidents have occupied the Oval Office for eighteen of those thirty years. Following precedent set by authorities such as Andrew Jackson [2] and Abraham Lincoln [3], Republican Presidents could have signed executive orders prohibiting the enforcement of Roe v. Wade. No such order has ever been given, and except for a Proclamation issued by President Ronald Reagan, no Republican Executive has acted to protect unborn human beings.
Today, the Republican Party is playing many Christians for fools in the same way the Democratic Party is playing labor unions for fools. The parties want their votes but won't represent their interests. The parties may throw them a bone occasionally - when writing party platforms, or allowing them to win a token vote. The Republican Party will do just enough to energize its Christian "base" for the upcoming election, but certainly no more than that. When it comes to governance, the Republicans treat Christians like some families treat a crazy aunt - locked away in the basement.
To any informed observer of Washington, D.C., none of the foregoing constitutes a news bulletin. I thought I would lay it out in a workmanlike way for any reader who does not already abhor the Republican Party.
Christians must beware of being duped. Since time immemorial, evil has successfully duped the innocent. Our fallen world came about as the serpent duped Adam and Eve by telling them a lie. By believing something that is not true, the believer loses his freedom of thought. Becoming "like gods" was never a real option for Adam and Eve -we are creatures not creators. But our disobedience of God's command became a tragic reality. Believing a lie means losing freedom of thought, and losing freedom of thought means losing freedom of action. False choices are not free choices.
Evil crafts its lies to cause the believer to act in a way that serves the liar's interests. In this way, the believer of the lie, the dupe, unwittingly becomes a slave of the liar. By believing the lie, he has lost the freedom of thought and action to serve his own interests, or, for that matter, the interests of anyone else.
And should the dupe learn the truth, that he has been lied to, then he is set free to serve himself, or someone else. John 8:31
Until Christians stop believing the lies of the Republican Party, they will not stop serving the Republican Party. And until Christians stop serving the Republican Party, they will not be free to serve Jesus Christ.
X - In Hoc Signo Vinces
July 12, 2003 Luke Exilarch - [email]luke@exilemm.com[/email]