Is it just tinfoil lunatic obsession for morally grounded people to rant, complain, whine and trumpet the creeping totalitarianism? Maybe. Then again, there may well come a time when we have to simply DEFY the state. Much of the reaction of the state at present leads me to fear that very set of events in our future, or abject tyranny. I hope I am very very wrong.
At its heart, the "TEA PARTY" is NOT a group of Christian activists seeking to impose a theocracy. It has Christian morality at its core (and be thankful for that!), but it is a step down from a Christian movement (and be thankful for THAT, too!!!!). It is, in reality, a threat of revolution from the common man against the accretion of power in DC, and the subjugation of the populace. If that is so, let us hope that the halls of power quake and back off, rather than attempt to hold on to power with force. Get this straight, though..... MEN RARELY (VERY RARELY) GIVE UP POWER VOLUNTARILY. It has to be wrested from them. You are a fool if you look for change to come from DC and hope that sending a bunch of guys with (R) after their names to "Sodom on the Potomac" will change things.
If this is so, it is time for Christians, especially, to LEARN that there is, a "theology of revolution." Calvin, Knox, Rutherford, the Scotch Presbyterians, etc actually formed the ideological boilerplate for the formation of this country, or at least the revolution. One of the reasons this country had one of the few "successful" revolutions in history was precisely that people KNEW why they were biblically justified in standing up to tyranny.
Rebellion without moral constraints is horribly ugly. If you look at bellowing militia waving AR-15s or AK-47s and think they have no commitment to civil structures, you do RIGHT to fear. Anarchical rebellion is never pretty. God put civil structures in place to preserve order and protect the rights of people. When those structures are gone, and the people are unrestrained, blood can flow in tidal waves, and things can get extremely ugly. The lack of such things in the birth of our country, and relatively irenic conclusion to our initial war lay in precisely this.... people knew why they were revolting, and to what purpose.
For what it is worth, the principles laid out by Calvin (actually by Augustine, and, one could claim by Paul), are that rulers are appointed by God and rule for Him and in His name and for his purposes. These purposes are PRIMARILY to provide freedom (for the propagation of the gospel), to punish the wicked (who deprive persons of their freedoms) and to "reward the just."
When a king or ruler begins to rule in OPPOSITION to these principles, he has forfeited his right to rule and should be, in the name of God, resisted as a tyrant rather than a lawful king. This resistance is not to be done lightly, but carefully and slowly. The steps are 1) Protest, appeal to the law, and seeking protection in the various legal/political structures that exist (courts, "lesser magistrates," differing municipalities 2) Flee ... either to another state or area, or to another country altogether 3) Revolution, under the leadership of a "lesser magistrate" who rises against the higher (a state against DC, for example. Revolution does not have to be violent, though it often is.
If you look at our Declaration of Independence, you will see that it is a secularized (without all the God-talk) recap of those very principles. This is why, when King George saw the DOI, he exclaimed "the colonies have run off with a Presbyterian minister!"
When I look at the creeping fascism in the areas like S510 and the recent internet control bill, my tin foil hat becomes a bit constricted. You might dislike the term "fascism" and think because we don't see some mesmerizing screecher with a a goofy moustache and straight bangs, it is not "fascist." Fascism is the union of state worship with corporate control with a military emphasis.
I ain't looking for black helicopters to come zooming in and spirit me off as soon as I post this, but there is no doubt that people who express fierce independence and a willingness to resist are at least viewed as "someone to watch." I want the federal drones to view all the "little people" out there as ASSETS, rather than potential enemies. In the meantime, though, I wanna keep my copy of LEX REX close by, and remind them that they look awfully close to King George these days.
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