In April of this year, Secretary Napolitano warned the USA that we were in danger from right-wing extremists. At that time she was attacked for having improper views of people with conservative political views and asked to apologize. In particular, she was pilloried because she warned that people with a military background might be more easily recruited than others. She was forced to explain and re-explain that she was speaking only about extremist people and not about all people with conservative political views. Calls went out for her to be fired as a biased administrator of Homeland Security.
Less than two months later, we are into our second killing by right-wing extremists and our third killing since the inauguration of President Obama. And, it turns out that she was right. There is a real and present danger from right-wing extremists. When President Obama was elected, I was told by one of the people who comments periodically on this blog that “us” liberals could stop talking about race because this country had proven that race was no longer an issue. Besides the issue that I am not a liberal, despite voting for President Obama, we are now three killings later. And, guess what? Race and religion are still issues in this country. And, they are issues that have again turned deadly. And, uhm, two of the three killers are veterans. I have not been able to find out about the third, so it may even be three out of three.
So, Napolitano was right. She was not biased. She and her department nailed the coming problems. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that any Republican or right-wing radio host will apologize to her for being correct.
But, what about us as Christians? I had started the previous series on the writer from the 1850’s to warn that too many conservative Christians had bought into a group of political views with which many Christians might legitimately disagree. More than that, to also warn that there was the danger that not simply could Christians disagree with those views but that many orthodox Christians here and overseas do disagree with those views, in particular orthodox Christians overseas. I was further going to point out that too many Religious Right Christians were treating their political opinions as God’s political opinions and effectively anathematizing those who do disagree with those views.
Right now those same Religious Right Christians are running for cover. They are defending themselves against charges that the over-the-top rhetoric commonly used by the Religious Right is in any way responsible for creating a climate of instability. They have to claim that constant statements that we are living under “tyranny,” that we are heading into socialism, etc., do not trigger people who look at the Declaration of Independence as giving them the right to start a revolution whenever they believe that the government is heading into tyranny.
And, so, oh Christian, I ask you to think. Is the rhetoric you are using contributing to instability? Are you secretly hoping for some type of revolution? Examine yourself! Have you begun to think of yourself as God’s last stand against the collapse of a Christian America? Show me! Where in the New Testament does Jesus condone the type of rhetoric that you have been using? And, are you willing to take any responsibility for the results of any of your rhetoric?
I am not saying that Christians should give up their conservative moral views nor their conservative views about the Truth of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. May it never be! But, we whose King did not claim a Kingdom in this world need to be very cautious about approving particular political, social, or economic systems as being the one and only Christian way in which to behave. We do need to be involved in this world, in its political systems, its economic systems, its laws, and its ways. But, we need to do so with the cautious reserve that our Kingdom is not fully of this world and with the realization that He who is the Word of God wants us to be very careful about the words that we use. In Spanish He is the Verb of God so I can also say that He who is the Verb of God wants us to be very careful about the actions that we undertake as Christians.
Thank you, Father, for the clear and powerful message, reminding all of us who are called by the name of our Lord Jesus that His kingdom is not of this world; and that we will not find the answers in government. It seems that those who seek to use the power of the State to enforce a Christian morality don’t realize that the very same power can be turned and used against them. Indeed, if history teaches us anything, this has happened, and will happen again — and yes, it can happen here. May God grant us the grace to turn first to bringing our own being into obedience to His will, in the Great Commandment; and then equip us to be of service to those who do not yet know this path, so that they, also, may turn from attachment to the world and make the journey to the Kingdom.