A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


March 9, 2012

We Need To Re-Learn How To Get It Right

     A moment of soul-bearing, here:  I struggle daily with what to post on this blog.....should I share my opinion on "How To Prepare" for a coming crisis?  My thoughts on the declining culture?  A recipe for hard times? My thoughts on Gun Culture 2.0?
     I began this blog with the idea that I wanted to give my perspective on the world in which I live, and I have a viewpoint on all these topics, because I think we need to have a dialogue about them.  Therefore I apologize if you tune in and find me conversing upon a subject that doesn't "feed" you that day.  But there is so much that impacts us and affects the world in which we live, and everything needs to be on the table.
     So, having expressed that I will continue to discuss any subject that weighs on my mind,  I will plunge into a topic dear to my heart.  I have taken part in a 10-week course on the Constitution offered by Hillsdale College.  And rather than give you a verbatim summary of the course, I'm going to change my approach.  I'm going to do what I set out to do with this blog and give you my perspective --- tell you how I think we are relating to the original purposes of the Constitution.  And since I truly believe that America is the foremost model for liberty, this viewpoint will be valuable to all citizens of the world.  So, here we go.....

The Liberty Bell and Constitution Hall 
     As a country, the young United States was lucky---we had the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and start over.  When determining how our new nation would be governed, the united colonies chose the Articles of Confederation, which sought to empower the people through a strong Legislature, i.e. the power would be centered in the people and their representatives.  That was understandable, since they had just been freed from the tyrannical rule of the King of England, and weren't interested in a strong central figure.
     But it didn't take long to realize that Legislatures are people, and people are flawed.  With too much power centered in the Legislature, there was no appearance of an orderly government.  Factions worked for their own selfish interests, and there was no sense of security in "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" among the populace.  Sound familiar?  Today, lobbyists serve the same function as "Factions" did in the 1780's.  And I dare say that our citizens are seeing their liberties slip away by the minute.
     That's where the republican (with a small "r") form of government came into play, and what is spelled out in the Constitution.  The Founders understood that the public can't be allowed to run the government (do you hear that, SEIU, Occupy Wall Street and Unions?), and that the Government must be accountable to the people (do you hear that, you Senators who have served for 30 years or more?  Current politicians with your back-room deals?)
     Regardless of our modern day passion for democracy (which we ARE NOT - America is a REPUBLIC)), we need to understand what was clear at the establishment of our form of government....pure democracy is not good.  Our founders knew that because of flawed human nature, there needed to be a separation of powers to ensure that checks and balances kept the central government neutral.

George Washington's Inaugural Address
     Here's something that will show you just how far off-course we've wandered.  Our first President's primary cause was the establishment of civil and religious liberty.  Did you hear that?  And do you believe that is still the prime objective of our Government?   Washington argued that the American government must be built on 4 principles:  1) A lasting Union  2) an establishment of Peace with other nations  3)  A friendly and cohesive attitude between American people, and 4) A sacred regard for public justice.
     I think it is apparent to students of history that when Liberty is abused, anarchy soon follows and is then replaced by tyranny.  Our Founders experienced that very scenario at the hands of King George.  They were wise enough to recognize that their initial attempt at formulating a system of government was a failure, and they acted quickly and decisively to assure that civil and religious liberty were protected.
     I pray that the "Spirit of America" has not been lost in the centuries since our Founding.  I believe that we should strive to re-establish those long-ago principles in the hope and expectation that we can form a "more perfect union", as stated in the opening sentence of our Constitution.  We don't have the luxury of starting over as they did in 1787, but we are still a Liberty-loving people who recognize when that sacred right is being limited.  The stakes were high in 1787 and I'm afraid they may be even higher today!

Proverbs 24:5     "The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength."

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