When to unite and when to separate

  For several decades in venues from Georgia to California, it was my privilege to be part of the ACH Study Groups faculty.  These were 12 hour per day, 4 day seminars teaching biblical principles of government, and providential history.  Alums kept returning year after year and bringing friends.  Such a concentrated curriculum was inconvenient by design.  It served to separate the potential world changers from the casual students.

It became a tradition to hold closing banquets at the end of these events.  During dinner, the microphone was passed from student to student to document their thoughts.  Almost 20 years ago, one of the students, a very wise negro grandmother, spoke words we will always remember.

“I thank God,” she said, “That my forefathers were dragged onto ships and brought over to this land as slaves.”  The room was hushed, “If that weren’t so, my children and I might still be living in jungle huts and have no relationship with our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.”  She continued, “God works in mysterious ways.  I know that my family is far, far better off for living in this great nation.  I am proud to be an American!”

What a contrast with the rhetoric we are hearing featured on the news from leaders of Christian churches in negro communities.  More interesting to me, is the reaction of the folks in the background.  Rather than reacting as I suspect our wise grandmother student would react, they are seen cheering and clapping in agreement.

It is a graphic demonstration of how motivational speakers can whip some groups into frenzy against their own best interests.  Such skill is not limited to negro preachers!  I’ve seen it done in numerous cultures. 

That brings up the point of this column:  When do we unite and when do we separate?  In every culture there are those who want to throw off all rule and become a law unto themselves.  This is called “anarchy.”  Anarchy is an unstable form of government.  The French revolution was anarchical.  Anarchy led to a blood bath.  The people were happy to exchange it for a tyranny (Napoleon was a tyrant) which rebuilt order.

Many anarchists have the goal of becoming the ruling tyrants after the creation and failure of anarchy.  Law  without liberty is slavery.  Liberty without law is anarchy.

Liberty with law is Christianity.  The question is not, “Was America formed by Christians?”  Rather, the question should be, “Has America a Christian form?”

      Every man (generic) on earth is under some law that is supreme in his life.  He has only three choices: A) He is governed by no law but his own (anarchy); B) He is governed by law imposed upon him by another man (slavery);  C) He is under the law-of-liberty freely accepted from his creator, God.  IN both cases, A and B he is being ruled by a tyrant!  In case C he is blessed to be ruled by a benevolent God who loves him.

      If you take an individual away from a frenzied mob and reason quietly with him, he will usually realize he has been used against his best interests.  Sometimes he will openly change his position.  At other times, though he understands, pride will set in and externally, he will return to the mob.

      There are many reasons why that happens.  The major tool of an anarchist is intimidation.  Moslem defectors are threatened with death.  I suspect it is similar, to a lesser degree, in negro congregations.  Should someone stand up in the congregation while the pastor is shouting, “G-d damn America,” and object, what will his fellows do?

       We saw it a decade ago when Winnie Mandela held up a bicycle tire and a box of matches and shouted, “With our necklaces we will overthrow the government.” [Gasoline soaked tires were hung around a victim’s neck and lighted.]  Note that they were not persecuting whites to do that, they were targeting the blacks who would not support them.  Intimidation was the tool to force large turnouts at rallies in South Africa.

      Could it happen in America?  Perhaps it is happening already.  If American society is so dumbed down as to have no concept of the evil in the world, and the wonderful heritage passed down to us here, why buck the crowd?  Why put your job, reputation, family, --- your life on the line?