By now most of you have heard many sermons, mine included, on how God is in control and that we are not of this world and that we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. While all this is true and should be our focus it does not mean that we completely retreat from our civic responsibilities in government.
We have gone through quite a year enduring covid, the shutdown and loss of many business and now many fear a loss of our first amendment rights as we see government colluding with private corporations to silence dissenting opinions. Emotions are understandably high. However, we need to understand that who sits in the Whitehouse and who runs congress is not the end all. We do still have some checks and balances in place. Let me explain.
Written into our constitution is a system of checks and balances. The third branch of our government, the judicial branch, is not solely in the hands of liberal progressives, (the more radical and vocal part of the democratic party) anymore. While president trump was in office, he filled many vacancies in the courts, most notably, the Supreme court and also the ninth Circuit which have been used to “legislate from the bench” for the past 50 years. This provided the means by which many laws that directly contradict Biblical family values and some that even interfere with religious freedoms have been allowed to pass.
Many of those seats are now held by originalist. those who understand not only what the constitution is about but why we have the first amendment and how important it is to protect the freedoms we have. This does not mean that we put all our hope in the courts but it should help us to have a better picture of the political landscape.
The other encouraging fact is that a majority of the state’s legislatures are republican run, more than 30. Why is this significant? It means that each one of these states can write laws that combat the much of the Anti-Family agenda that we hear coming from those who just gained power in Washington. These laws will then be challenged by the other party in state and federal courts and eventually the supreme court. This gives them to be opportunity to become the law of the land, depending on how the court rules. I am of course just giving you a broad overview. There is much more detailed involved.
The point is that we should not believe everything pouring out of our Televisions or social media. The reason that so much blatant censorship is happening now is not because of potential violence but to discourage the masses from thinking they have any hope of having their voices ever heard again. Don’t believe it. keep praying, calm your spirit and stay engaged.