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Politics and Theology from Reuel K. Sample

The Graduated Scale

Speak to the sons of Israel, saying “If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them…
-Leviticus 4:2

The entire fourth chapter of Leviticus deals with the consequences of unintentional sin. Unintentional sin – an offense unknowingly committed, a line crossed unawares. Intentional sin is dealt with severely, but in the Law of God there is exceptional grace for the unplanned transgression. God has been sinned against, but in His mercy He provides for avenues of atonement that both testify to the nature of human sinfulness and the lengths to which God will go to demonstrate His love for us.

Of interest in this chapter is the graduated scale of sacrifice needed to atone for these sins, a range which is based upon the standing of a member in a community. Going in reverse order, a “common person” is to offer a female goat or lamb without defect. (Lev. 4:27 – 35) A leader of the people would sacrifice a male goat, again without defect. (Lev. 4:22 – 26) If the community as a whole has unintentionally sinned against God, they are to offer a bull of the herd. (Lev. 4:13 – 21) A priest who is found guilty is to offer a bull without defect. (Lev. 4:2 – 20) This graduated scale is based upon the impact of unintentional sin on the community, based on one’s standing in that community. A common person is to offer up a lamb – which will hurt, but not have far reaching consequences. A leader, by offering up a male goat without blemish, is also sacrificing some longer term benefits for his herd. The community as a whole is to offer up a bull, a symbol of strength and power, which will also have long term effects on that herd. A priest who brings guilt upon the people by his transgression is to offer a bull without defect – a sacrifice that will take a long time to overcome. Actions have consequences, and the greater one’s standing in the community, the greater and more far reaching those consequences become.

By the grace of Christ, we no longer have to offer up sacrifices. We still unintentionally, or often intentionally, sin against God’s Law. Here is what we must learn from this passage:

1. We must constantly be guarding our own hearts and ways. Are we daily seeking guidance from the Word of God, participating in His will through our prayers, and walking in His Law in our daily actions? In this lifetime we will never be free from sin, but are we trying our hardest to walk as people of grace? Do we actively go to God in a spirit of repentance, knowing that He will both discipline us in the long or short term, but also knowing that He does so out of love and forgiveness?

2. We must realize the enormous responsibility our political and religious leaders have. Are we praying for them – even if they did not receive our vote? Are we holding them accountable for their transgressions against God? If they repent of their sins, are we extending to them the same kind of grace that God has shown us?

3. As a community, do we understand that by straying from God’s law we have caused Him to withdraw many of His blessings from our nation? Are we willing to sacrifice our pride which demands that we go our own way, instead recognizing that Christ is the King of all nations? Will we work for revival in our churches and communities – praying that God will light an unquenchable fire in the hearts of all people – leaders and followers alike?

Where do we stand with the Law of God? Will we first seek the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness? Or will we continue to sin against the God of all love – whether knowingly or not – and thus bearing the consequences of His wrath.

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File the Papers

Yesterday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi accused the Central Intelligence Agency of lying to Congress about the use of waterboarding.  In an extraordinarily disjointed press conference, she adamantly denied having any knowledge that the technique was in use, just that the Bush administration was thinking of using it.

Speaker Pelosi is lying.  You can tell – because the liberal press – which has supported her for these last two years – are pouncing on her like sharks on a wounded California seal.   Some excerpts from the “Big Three”:

Pelosi says she was only briefed once about harsh interrogation methods and was not told waterboarding was being used against top al Qaeda detainees. But the the CIA pointed to recently released documents that raise questions about Pelosi’s account, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr. (CBS News)

A report released last week directly contradicted Pelosi’s recollections of the briefing. The Director of National Intelligence’s report indicated that the speaker was in fact briefed about such techniques used on Zubaydah — one of three terrorist suspects subjected to waterboarding, an interrogation tactic that simulates drowning. (ABC News)

The speaker’s discomfort was evident yesterday as she was grilled by reporters for the first time since the CIA issued information suggesting that she and others were told about the use of the techniques, including waterboarding, at a classified briefing on Sept. 4, 2002. Pelosi was then the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee. (NBC News)

So, file the papers.  Either bring the felony case agains the members of the CIA who lied to congress, or file the papers to commit the Speaker to intense psychological counseling.  Hopefully, the citizens of her district will demand the latter.

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Choose Two

Real. Comfortable. Church. That was the billboard that overlooked the highway cutting through Knoxville for quite a while. The picture of a couch behind these words made the meaning clear – we want you to be as relaxed as possible while worshipping the King of kings.

A culture of informality has swept over this nation. Casual Fridays are now the norm in many areas – I still hesitate to sign over my hard earned check to a bank teller that is dressed down. At a local eatery that I frequent, I routinely see men and women dressed in what must be pajamas coming in to get breakfast. Customer service agents call me by my first name without asking permission. It seems that at times we are working very hard to break down the structures of civilization – all in the name of being comfortable.

This informality has spilled over into our churches. Dress for church was a special thing – our Sunday best. A tie at the least, a tie AND jacket would be preferred. Women were also tastefully and modestly dressed. The overall goal of Sunday clothes was not to show off what we have – but to put on the best garments for the formal worship of our Creator. Jackets and ties now are often the exception in our houses of worship. The standard attire for Sunday mornings is now polo shirts and pants (or shorts) for the men and comfortable (and often very revealing) dress for the women. Pastors have left their robes in the closet, and now preach in jeans and golf shirts.

Back to the billboard. In order to be theologically correct, they should have tagged on this warning: “Choose Two.” A Real Church cannot be comfortable – as the Word of God rightly preached often convicts to the very soul. A Comfortable Church is not real – as it will never address the issues that face faith and life in a biblical and fruitful way. As for being Real Comfortable – staying at home on the couch is where we would find that.

What we need is a true revival in our churches. A revival of spirit – so we may correctly and faithfully follow the Holy Spirit in all that we do. We need a revival of purpose – so that we may carry out Christ’s command. We need a revival in community – for only together can we hold each other accountable. And a revival of attitude – for we are saved by grace by none other than the King of kings and Lord of lords. In that, and not in our pursuit of the informal, may we find our comfort.

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Kudzu Government

T. M. Moore has an excellent article at The Fellowship of Ailbe.  Here it is:

Statism is not a new phenomenon. Its roots can be discerned in the actions of even Biblical rulers (a point I will be arguing at length all next week at TheWilberforceProject.org). The basic tenets of statism are clear enough: government is our best hope, in every area of life, for realizing maximum human fruition and prosperity. In the statist agenda, therefore, government must assert itself by every means into every area of life, beginning with those sectors and segments most vulnerable, most obviously in distress, or most immediately open to regulation and control. Thus, government believes it knows best how to educate the children of the land. It insists that it alone should manage the mail, monitor the banks, regulate the economy, define the terms of marriage, maintain the nation’s health, and even determine who should manage the nation’s industries. Statism is like kudzu. Kudzu grows and overgrows everything when there is no deliberate effort to control and confine it within its proper bounds of utility. As kudzu turns everything it overwhelms into a vague remembrance of its former self – shapes of fences, barns, and trees, all overgrown by kudzu – so government leaves in the wake of its expansiveness mere memories of such venerable institutions as schools, families, marketplaces, political parties, the press, and even churches. Statism doesn’t just happen to a nation; it is the result of a determined effort on the part of those with a clear agenda to change the status quo by top-down efforts, enforced by legislatoin, bureaucratic control, and taxation. Statism today is threatening to engulf our nation, according to Andrew C. McCarthy, writing in the current issue of The New Criterion. In his review of Mark Levin’s new book, Lberty and Tyranny, McCarthy points out that one of the prime targets of the statist agenda, because it is his primary opposition to same, is traditional religion – especially, Christianity. The statist will not be able to pursue his full-bore agenda until he either confines, controls, or corrupts the religious leaders and institutions of his society. Today pastors must not preach political sermons. This would have horrified the pastors of the founding era. Soon they may be prevented from preaching any kind of “hate speech.” And they will comply; that tax-exempt status is just too precious. Are we building our churches on solid rock, or kudzu?

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Grassroots Conservatism

Mr. Michael Steel, Chairman
Republican National Committee
310 First Street
Washington, D. C. 20003

Dear Mr. Steele:

The controversies concerning ACORN and the Democrat party have only served to reinforce the foundational challenge of the Republican National Committee. ACORN and its leadership are undeniably corrupt, but they are out where the RNC should be – in the communities and meeting centers around the country.

Americans, although they might not realize it, identify with conservatism. No matter what economic level, everyone wants to pay a reduced amount in taxes. We all want our neighborhoods to be safe, and our country free from foreign influence. We all want an equal shake – or at least the chance to improve our lives and the lives of our children. Despite what the media reports, this country has some basic moralities, codes of behavior that are at odds with the liberal left. In short, the conservative message is the message of the American people.

We are not getting that message to the people who need to hear it. While we must continue to use the new media that the web and cable provide, the reason why ACORN has been so effective is that they realize that they must go to where the people are. They are walking the streets, holding meetings, rallying people, and lecturing in the classroom. They have provided a face, a voice, and a hand – all in the effort to promote the liberal agenda. We must do the same.

As an instructor and department chair at a career college in Knoxville, I daily interacted with students who come from the demographic that ACORN typically targeted. My students were lower income, high school degrees or GEDs, and usually worked for an hourly wage. While not “book smart”, they were very street smart. Always being careful to present all sides, I would take opportunities in my lectures to present issues and ideas of current topics to my class. In math classes, I would mathematically demonstrate the reason why a Fair Tax would work for everyone, and why an increase in taxes for the rich would hurt those who work for an hourly wage. In political science classes, we would discuss different forms of government and the basis of each. The impact of classical music and art were discussed in the English classes that my wife taught at the same institution. In EVERY case, the students responded to these ideas with enthusiasm and debate. They had never been told that Social Security was not a bank account. They never realized the mathematics behind taxation. They had never been taught the reasons behind the core differences between the parties. Certainly, not everyone in my classes agreed with all the conservative principles I was presenting. But they all had one thing in common – they all asked “Why haven’t I heard this before?”

We need to reclaim the grassroots at these levels. The RNC has done a great job of being in suburbia – but that is not where the fight is. We must be in the community centers of cities. We need to be on our universities and campuses. We must be where the people are, answering their questions, admitting where we have failed, but also educating them how our conservative principles will change their individual and communal lives for the better.

The caveat, though, is that the RNC needs to be united in our message. We cannot be a party of all people, though the conservative principles will indeed benefit all. We cannot be a party of fiscal responsibility yet still abide Congressman and Senators who routinely put pork in bills. In short, we cannot be a party of moderates, but one of conservatives. After we unite our message, our efforts at the grassroots level that ACORN seems to believe belong solely to them will be that much more successful.

Sincerely yours,

Reuel K. Sample

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