Observations©

By Donald S. Conkey

Date:  May 1, 2008 - # 8818 - Title: Rules (821)

For students of government this past week has been filled with choice opportunities to observe in action a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” I’m not sure I like the direction “the people” seem to be leaning, but nevertheless it is the people that have become involved in our ever increasingly politically correct and secular society.

As I watch our nation become more politically correct and secular in nature I am reminded of the words uttered by Cardinal Wolsey in Shakespeare’s King Henry the Eighth. The Cardinal who had served his king with unflinching loyalty but had neglected his God said “Had I but served my God with half the zeal I served my king, he would not in my age have left me naked to mine enemies.” (Act 3, scene 2) Is America’s day coming when they will say, paraphrasing Wolsey, “Had I served the God of America with half the zeal I leaned on my secular and politically correct government he would not have deserted me in this day of need?”

            Honest students of American history acknowledge that America was founded on, as Jefferson said in the Declaration of Independence, “the laws of Nature and Nature’s God.” These eight words along with the other words Jefferson used in his Declaration inspired a nation to become a beacon of hope to a world mired in slavery, much as Israel could have become a beacon had they remained obedient to the “Rules of Life” (their Constitution) that Moses gave to the Israelites in the wilderness before Joshua led them across the River Jordan.

            While reading Moses powerful counsel in Deuteronomy I thought perhaps we as a nation are trying to post the wrong words on the courthouse walls. Instead of posting the Tem Commandments on the courthouse walls perhaps we should post the Lord’s blessings and the cursings as Joshua did on mount Gerizim and mount Ebal. These blessings and cursings are powerful reminders of what could have been for America had it not turned from the principles the Founders embedded in America’s foundational documents. The cursings might even scare some into obedience. The Ten Commandments are, for the most part, ignored.

            Joan and I were delegates to the recent Sixth District Republican Caucus in Roswell and watched as the caucus moved forward governed by its “Republican Party Rules.” While driving home I asked Joan why we went as the outcome was predetermined by the “party Rules?” “We went,” Joan said, “to help elect Melissa Mock a delegate to the national convention in Minneapolis.” “Oh,” I said, “you’re right.” With the exception of one alternate delegate all the delegates were pre-selected as were the resolutions. I said to someone at the caucus that the ‘resolutions’ are basically nothing more than empty words.

This caucus was followed the next week by the Pennsylvania primary where democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was given an extended political life but where the “Rules” of the Democratic Party seem stacked against her to win the party nomination.  But if she does “overcome” and wins the nomination we may see the Democratic Party self-destruct.

And if they do it will be because of the “party Rules.” The democrats changed their “Rules” some years ago to make the playing field more conducive to another African American candidate. But when he lost the party didn’t bother to change the rules back and today we see infighting within the party we haven’t seen publicly ever. And it’s not a pretty sight.

While reviewed these observations in my mind I often ask myself “what is the world’s greatest need today?” The words of William E. Gladstone, the great English statesman, then come to mind: “a living faith in a personal God.” A profound answer for all ages, for us today as much as it was for the Founders in their day.

The primary commandment Moses gave to the Israelites was: “be obedient to the living God.” Interestingly one of the Lord’s commandments to their kings was to read the “statutes and judgments (their laws) daily.” Wouldn’t it be nice if our leaders would read our Constitution daily? If they did then perhaps they would focus more on our Foundational Documents as the “lighthouse of the Lord,” those laws that illuminate the “Rules of Life” that Moses outlined for the Israelites anciently.

At the recent caucus both Senator Chambliss and Congressman Price expressed their concern that this upcoming election will be the most important election in decades. “Why,” I asked?  “Because,” they both said, “our way of life and our freedoms are at stake because of the extreme philosophical differences dividing America.”

Maybe, just maybe, now is the time for all Americans to “turn to the Lord and live,” and govern themselves according to the laws of nature and nature’s God - like Moses told the Israelites to do, “turning not to the right or to the left.”