Theocracy

I have heard a lot of talk in the past six years about how the current administration is trying to turn this country into a theocracy. I would have to say that, if that is their intent, they are doing a very poor job of bringing that to pass. Of course, I don't believe that it could ever happen anyway, because God didn't intend for this country to be a theocracy.

To a certain extent, this country is an experiment; one that is still ongoing. Our founding fathers were, for the most part, deeply religious men. They believed that they had a right to believe what they believed, and that the government should not dictate to them what to believe. The best religious choices are the ones made by the individual.

It has been said that you cannot legislate morality. I have heard a great deal of discussion on this issue. I started to say that I have heard a lot of discussion on both sides of this issue, but, really, I haven't; most of the discussion that I have heard skirts the issue completely. I think a lot of it stems from the fact that people will sit and discuss the phrase without defining the words used in the phrase. Morality is a character trait, to legislate means to make law; all the laws in the world cannot force a change in a person's character. The Bible never uses the word morality, but it does use the word 'righteousness,' which is the first entry in the thesaurus for 'morality,' and the Bible says that righteousness cannot come from the law.

The bottom line is, if I do what I do simply because there are laws that require me to live like that, and I don't have the courage or ingenuity to find ways around the law, then I am still a reprehensible person. The world would be a much nicer place to live, but to what purpose? I should do what I do because I have a legitimate desire to please my Creator; and because I have faith that He wants what is best for me. He has a plan, and I am part of His plan; if I allow myself to be used of Him, then I can fulfil my part in His plan. If I get stubborn and do only what I want to do, then I frustrate His grace and subvert His plan, and I can be replaced. Every one is expendable to God; to borrow a phrase from Bill Cosby (even though Dr. Cosby wasn't talking about God), He can strike me down, and make another one that looks just like me. But, again, I shouldn't do what I do out of fear, but out of desire. God loves a cheerful giver, even when what you're giving is your time and effort (not to neglect tithes and offerings).