If Only We Were Sinners

It happens every election cycle. The candidates ascend to prominence while the public lays out  their personal volume of Codes and Ethics alongside a microscope. With a disciplined, competent, well-honed and unbiased eye, we scrutinize each decision, past or present, and with the deepest humanitarian sentiment we cast our vote for that man or woman who will surely exude every moral quality necessary for the well-being and advancement of our society. After all, are these candidates indeed our Public Servants? Ought we hold them as well as ourselves accountable to the highest of standards ?

Wait a minute…what did I just write? Accountable to standards? Both myself and the candidates who run for office; accountable to standards? Well, that begs the question, “What are those standards?”

At one time that question would have evoked contemplation  unless the person answering was sufficiently prudent.  I’m afraid that time has long passed. The answer today from most is off-the-cuff, ill advised and (dare I say) naïve. Now naïveté may have its charm in certain areas but does not serve well in regards to how we govern ourselves.

Wait a minute…I did it again. Govern ourselves? Are we not free to think and act as we please? We will grant that actions have consequences and so we maintain civility in general. But if someone dares to suggest that we think differently, well, that private vault is a tough one to crack.  To say “govern ourselves” implies that we ourselves are the standard. Our Constitution prefers self-government above the dictates of tyrants and assumes an objective standard, but prejudice and selfish subjectivity rule our day. So, many readily assimilate the mantras of self esteem and human autonomous potential (Found even in our Christian pulpits!) which is detrimental, not beneficial. How so? We are prone to an inveterate disdain for an objective transcendence which limits our autonomy.  Thus, even if one should call this limiting agency “God” the disdain remains.

Now that I have so boldly written, may I reintroduce my title? If only we were sinners. Why should I desire such a  thing? I find one thing profoundly absent in general daily conversation; a theological basis for our reason. R.J. Rushdoony has termed it “Doctrine For All Of Life”. Now I’m not calling for “Doony-ism” but he makes the point clear: we are subservient beings in the most positive sense and have an obligation to maintain this doctrine for the benefit of ourselves and each other. It is my personal observation of an ever-increasing vengeful scorn for sound theology. We speak of God and the bible but a god of our own making makes us idolators. Rushdoony defines this:  “The mainstream of Western civilization is thus apparent, the desire to control and change others as the essence of true power. This lust for power, the pathology of all fallen men, is common to cultures all over the world. It is an expression of man’s original sin, his desire to be as God, knowing or determining for himself what constitutes good and evil.” The Death of Meaning pg. 92

This is our sin expressed in innumerable ways and thoughts. So, returning to our election theme, “Lets return America to greatness!” is the cry of the Politician and supposed desire of our general public yet, without a sound theological foundation, what could this possibly mean? As proficient syncretists, we absorb every influence around us and form them into an ever-changing philosophy. So how can we elect one who is above reproach and how can they rightly govern when there are vague and changing standards? Clever quips and cliché cannot replace a theological framework which delimits  one’s political status and curbs a progressive apathy in the general population.

If only we were sinners. I recall the character Fletcher Reede in the Jim Carey movie Liar, Liar.  In court, the judge threatens to hold Reede (Carey) in contempt. Reede’s  classic response was “I hold myself in contempt! Why should you be any different?” Being forced to tell the truth, Reede had no other option than to see himself for what he was. Todays Self-Esteem emphasis will not allow for such. True, Reede was a scoundrel who needed to be taught a lesson. Not us, though. Just read Facebook and you’ll see what we think of ourselves. And so I once again ponder that haunting question: Since I am so amazing and full of potential for greatness, for what do I need a crucified and risen Savior? If only we were sinners.