Friday, March 9, 2012

Love God? Sometimes I Hate Him

So Luther responsed when queried about his love for God. He was honest enough to admit that while God is altogether lovely, Luther was a sinner, and his response to God showed it. We can have a love/hate relationship with that which matters to us for one of two reasons, or a combination thereof. In Luther’s case God doesn’t change, but Luther does. Sometimes, however, the object of our love changes while we don’t. Sometimes that which we love behaves in an unlovely way, and our love flees. Still worse, sometimes that which we loved changes so radically that love is difficult if not impossible.

I love my country, for at least two reasons. First, it is my country.  It is good and right and proper that we should have an affection for that which is closest to us, even if that thing is not the best. Though I’ve never met any, I’m quite certain there are children better behaved than my own. Should I meet such a child, however, it would be wrong to unseat my own children as the object of my love. I love my children because they are mine, and I love my country because it is mine.

Second, my country began as an experiment in liberty. The founding principles of limited government, of freedom of religion, of self-sufficiency, these resonate with me. Many of our founding fathers were true heroes, seeking sagely to apply God’s wisdom to the question of proper government.  I still believe in those principles.

Which in turn drives part of why I often don’t love my country. Too often, naïve Christians see modern America through the lens of our history, and miss the hard truth that our nation, both its government and its citizens, have turned their backs on those founding principles. We have become a nation with intrusive government, officially endorsed secularism, and a cradle to grave welfare state. Our money has become debt, and our debts are being repudiated. Our culture has become a moral cesspool, and our children spend their days in state institutions where the state’s instructors may not mention Jesus’ name.

All of which pales in comparison to our great evil. We live in a country where nine justices, chosen by presidents of both parties, approved by Senators from both parties, have determined that mothers may kill their unborn children at will. That, of course, is bad, wicked, Nazi-like government. The government, however, does not kill any of those children. My country is not just its government, but its people. Those people, over a million of them every year, kill their unborn children.  The rest of us know all about it. We know it happens in our neighborhoods, every day. Yet we go to bed each night wondering about this sale at the mall, that big game over the weekend, the latest release from this band. We honestly don’t care. Is this a country worthy of being loved?

We live in what once was a great country, which has now embraced a great evil. Can I love a country like that? Sadly, yes. Am I deeply, profoundly, ashamed to be part of such a country? Not as much as I should be.

4 comments:

The Adams Family said...

It is a sad state that our country is in. Where is virtue? Where is integrity? Those in govt are those in our homes and towns. The govt is a reflection of us. Sigh. Sad. May the Lord revive us all!
http://clanchrisdean.blogspot.com

Joe Tatulli said...

My company created a website for a just released documentary called Fixing America (www.fixingamericamovie.com). Steve Laffey is a brother and friend. He made the film. I will bring a DVD to the conference for you. Our national debt is going to 20 trillion which will destroy many of the liberties we currently enjoy and are blessed of God to have. Like Israel, who saw the power of their great God up close and personal, America is headed for a fall due to rampant idolatry and the murder of millions of babies.

Every day as I drive into work I think about the fact that 3000 more will die today. We need a Phinehas. Could it be you or me? Would that our great creator use us today to speak boldly about this while we still have breath. JT

Milton said...

Roger Ball, I would very much like to see your specific examples, names and links, please, of "the lawmakers that grant them permission to openly kill (abortion doctors)". Unless I am very much mistaken, every last one of those who murdered or assulted an abortion doctor was, sooner or later, arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced.

As for your question, "Is it okay to kill abortion doctors according to the Bible?"; of course not. Because murdering an abortionist is just as much murder as chemically burning to death or hacking to pieces or stabbing in the back of the skull with scissors and suctioning out the brain of a baby, whether entirely or partially in the womb, is murder, does it follow that we should not continue to speak out against this legalized murder?

No, of course no one should declare "open season" on abortionists. It is 40 years overdue to repeal the open season declared on defensless babies in the womb, whose only crime is inconveniencing their mother.

R.C. said...

Milton,
I believe you misunderstood one of Roger's comments. It is not his contention that lawmakers have granted permission for people to kill abortion doctors, but that lawmakers have granted abortion doctors permission to kill unborn children. While I agree with you on the question of killing abortion doctors, Roger's perspective is not to argue in defense of abortion by saying those who oppose it favor killing doctors. Rather he is pro-life and wanting my opinion on the legitimacy of Christians taking up arms against abortionists. Hope that clarifies.