In Defense of the One True God

I am increasingly concerned that pop culture is now determining the theology of the Church. Sex outside of marriage is not only accepted but expected. There is little difference between the follower of Christ and those who do not follow Him. Speech, dress, goals and so much more have meshed into a glob of unidentifiable morals and standards. In fact, we have now moved to the view that a person that holds standards of morality and behavior are automatically being judgmental, simply by living out their faith.

              While all of these are certainly true and cause for concern, my greatest concern lies in the idea that every religion of the world serves the same God. Let me put it another way with perhaps more common phraseology. All roads lead to heaven. Those who truly believe in Jesus Christ cannot believe this lie. Nothing can be further from the truth. So, if this is the case, how do we defend the One True God? How do we explain our faith to a person that practices a religion other than Christianity? Simply put, we go back to the basics.

              Jesus is not just a figment of someone’s imagination, but a historical figure. The apostles knew the Jewish tradition of witnesses, as did Jesus. Therefore, Christ appeared to 500 plus individuals following His resurrection…we will come back to this in a moment. The Bible is proven to be a historically accurate book. Lands and cities that are recorded did in fact exist and at the place they were said to be. 

              What exists beyond scriptural proof? I readily admit this is difficult for someone who does not view scripture as the absolute Word of God. Multiple secular historians and religious historians of antiquity record that Christ was indeed a real person. Josephus, a Jewish man by birth that rose to be the chief Roman Historian of his time records the life of Christ in Antiquity 18.3.1ff. Eusebius, the first Church Historian, reports the spread of Christianity through the ancient Roman world.

              Further, most major religions of the world acknowledge Christ to be a “good man” or even a prophet. This too is proof of His existence in our world. It is also proof of His Godly reputation. Yet this view denies the truth Jesus said of Himself.

The following was borrowed from https://biblereasons.com/jesus-is-god/

1. John 10:30 The Father and I are one.

2. John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

3. John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

4. John 10:33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

5. John 5:18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

6. John 8:57-58 The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!”

7. John 8:22-24 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?” But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

8. John 13:18-19 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.

9. Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

10. Revelation 2:8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

11. Revelation 1:17-18 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

We see that there are many times Jesus claims deity or equality with God. This then begs the question; can Jesus be a “good man” or a “prophet” as some religions suggest if He calls Himself God? In the famous statement of apologist C. S. Lewis, “He is either liar, lunatic, or Lord.” He simply cannot be a good man or a prophet if He is lying. He would be a deceiver. So the only possible explanation is that He is indeed Lord.

              Now, let’s take a moment to look at the differences in the nature of the Christian God as opposed to other world religions. As I often do, I will bullet point these for clarity.

  1. Every other religion of the world is works based. Christianity is based on grace, mercy, and the sacrificial death of Christ. We do not have to pray a certain number of prayers or follow a certain number of pillars. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves from our sins. Thus, we need Jesus…God…to save us. His sacrificial death accomplished this.
  2. Our God is gracious and merciful. He is not a mean vindictive God waiting to strike us if we step out of line. He is holy. Yes! He is just. Yes! He is also perfect love. He is a God that does not simply desire being served, but desires a personal relationship with us. As I sit at my desk writing this blog, I think of the wonderful and loving relationship I have with Christ and the peace that comes from it.
  3. Christianity is the only faith that assures salvation. I know I am saved by the sacrifice of Christ. There is not now, nor has there really ever been a question in my mind. Quoting the words from the Song of Solomon, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” (6:3a). I belong to Him and He belongs to me. In many world religions, the concept of a relationship with God is outside of their purview.  This is the beauty of faith n Christ. Rather than fear, rules, and mandatory prayers, we receive a relationship with the King of the Universe.
  4. My God answers my prayers. I often hear the frustration in the voices of those who follow another religion. It is rooted in years of unanswered prayers and the fear of stepping out of line. I hear God through the Bible. I hear God in worship. I hear God in prayer. He answers my cries to Him. He provides for my needs. He fills my life with peace in the midst of turmoil. He showers me with blessing and He walks with me when I am broken. There is an ever abiding presence that walks with every Christ follower.

I realize that apologetics in a blog is a daunting task. Yet, I feel that this is what God would have my write to you today. I pray that if you are serving a God other than Christ, your eyes will be opened to the peace and love that is available, to the assurance of salvation and the realization that Christ did this all for you at the cross and the empty tomb. I welcome your questions as you are searching for faith…even if you do not follow mine. 

The Theology of Suffering

Suffering is a part of this life. It is not easy. It is not fun, but it is a normal experience. The wicked suffer. The righteous suffer. The young suffer and the old suffer. Suffering is hard to understand in light of a good and gracious God. In fact, it can be an incredible challenge to our faith. More than one person’s walk away from God was predicated on suffering.

              Let’s be real here. No one fully understands why God will allow one thing and not another. Why does a baby have cancer and Hitler have the ability to take his own life?  Why do good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people? These are age old questions. I think much of this comes down to the Church’s lack of theology on suffering.

              Some close friends of mine commented on this very fact after I preached a sermon on lament. By the way, God dedicated an entire book to suffering-check out Lamentations. They have walked through a season of suffering. While we find great solace in the Psalms, my favorite are the Psalms of Ascent (120- 134). We also find hope in the words of Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25-27). As wonderful as this is, and we are certainly thankful for the Word of God, how great would it be if His Church had a deep theology of suffering.

              I believe this is an unintended consequence of the prosperity gospel. I do not like that term as there is only one Gospel. You get where I am going. Many famous preachers solely preach on the topic of blessing and victory. While, I certainly believe God blesses me and gives me victory, I also understand that God in His infinite wisdom allows suffering. In my own life, I have grown to trust God much more in seasons of suffering than I have in seasons of victory. Don’t get me wrong, I do not enjoy pain, but God shows Himself faithful. My heart cries, “All my life you have been faithful. All my life you have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God.” (Goodness of God – Bethel Music)

              The Psalms are full of the theology of suffering. Job lived this theology. Jesus said, “if they hate Me they will hate you” (John 15:18). I wonder if our faith is strong enough to allow for a theology of suffering. I will be the first to admit other denominations or faith traditions seem to have this down more than we Sprit-filled believers. I think of the Anglican Way. I have so much respect for their traditions.

              The bottom line is this; we the Church have not taught enough on the theology of suffering if any believer loses their faith in light of suffering. Jesus suffered and brought about our victory. Often, we also suffer and we see our victory come. I think of Isaiah, my favorite Prophet, as he writes in chapter 53 concerning Christ, the suffering servant:

53 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. KJV

              Now one might say, this is all well and good, but why does God allow us to suffer? That is the age old question. One which I believe I can bring at least a little understanding to. I will do so by bullet points to help you if you are taking notes…not that I am trying to add more suffering to your life.

  1. We do not understand God’s purposes. We are only consumed with the “now”.
  2. Satan has a level of dominion of this world. Thank God, we have authority through Christ.
  3. Sin entered the world and death by sin (Rom 5:12). As such, suffering also entered the world.
  4. Suffering requires us to be FULLY dependent on God.
  5. We are reminded of our own frailty and God’s ultimate victory.

In each of these, we see that God is sovereign. I cannot understand what He is doing. My mind is too weak. Plus, I can barely see what I am doing in an hour much less what God is doing twenty years from now.  Let me put this another way. Often the suffering we walk through today is God’s gracious provision for the future. We do not see all, know all, or perceive all but God does.

You will walk through seasons of suffering. That does not deny that you are blessed and victorious through Christ Jesus. It simply means you live in a fallen world and are in infinite need of Christ. I encourage my fellow pastors, teach a theology of suffering. The next time you walk through a season of suffering, live in the Psalms.

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.”

Psalm 121:1-2 NIV A Psalm of Ascent

God is Bigger Than Your Elephant

For the past two weeks, each morning when I rise and each evening when I lie down, the words to this old hymn sing in my head. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness of Lord, great is Thy faithfulness.” These beautiful words were penned by a somewhat obscure person, Edith McNeil.

              Many might think because I am a pastor that I have the entirety of scripture memorized with chapter and verse at my minds beck and call. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have a terrible memory for numbers…unless they are dates of history. I’m reminded often that this is a pointless gift. While I appreciate the sentiment, as a history guy, I disagree…but I digress.

              A friend of mine wrote a devotional book titled, “96 Days of Unbroken Time with God” (David Andrew Thomas, 2019). Day 81 discusses the beauty of lament.  Here he pulls from the book of Jeremiah’s lament that we call Lamentations. Verses 3:22-23 read in the ESV, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” As ashamed as I am to admit it, I had no idea this was directly quoted from scripture. It does not surprise me as the verses of many hymns are, yet it struck me that for the past 14 days I have been singing a song of lament.

              I suppose that you could argue that it is an affirmation of God’s faithfulness…obviously you would be correct. You could also argue that this affirmation is not lamenting anything…I see your point. Forgive me for disagreeing with you. See, the basis of lament is this. I cry out to God because of a painful situation I am in. I do not see my way out. I cry to Him, pleading for help. In the midst of my cries for help, I am reminded of the goodness of God…I’ll save this song for a later blog. I hear my voice rise above my doubt and begin to sing, “the steadfast love”…I falter as I am in the midst of despair. “Of the Lord never ceases.” I continue, “His mercies never come to an end”. My confidence builds as I remember all of the mercies my God has bestowed upon me. “They are new every morning”… yes God. “New every morning.” As I come to the crescendo, I raise my voice in confidence “Great it Thy faithfulness oh Lord, great is Thy faithfulness.”

              In this moment I am reminded that in spite of my circumstance, in spite of my lament, I see a God that knows the east from the west and has separated my sin as such. In my lament, though I do not understand the “why God” question, I recognize His sovereignty over my life. I recognize that it is okay to grab a box of tissues or a roll of toilet paper and cry over my circumstance. I not only recognize that I can, but I recognize its value to me.

              It is easy to skate through life avoiding tense or painful situations…at least we attempt to. We have become really good at ignoring the elephant in the room. As it sits on our head, “elephant? What elephant?”. We want the world and even more so, the church, to think we are good. There is no problem here. Can I challenge you to acknowledge that lament is good for your soul? It is good for your relationships. It is good for your emotional health. Lament is natural and needed. In those moments, we are reminded of the great unfathomable faithfulness of our God.

              Whether it is an elephant in the room or a fellow believer watching, learn to accept the gift of lament. Pull your Bible off the shelf. Dust if off if need be…again, I will blog on that later. Open to Lamentations and lament with God. Lament your situation, your frustration, and your confusion, your anger…you name it. God is bigger than your elephant. Cry out to him from a humble heart and let Him show you His faithfulness yet again. As a tip, tell your elephant to hit the road. I’m sure there are peanuts in the next room.

Special thanks to my friend, Missionary, Scholar, Teacher, Pastor Dave Thomas. His devotion fell on the day I needed it. I appreciate your spiritual wisdom and friendship. May His “steadfast love” sustain you!

A New Age of Yellow Journalism

On February 15, 1898 the U.S.S. Maine sank in Havana Harbor, Havana, Cuba. At the time of its sinking, the US government was at odds with the nation of Spain. In order to increase sales of newspapers and to exploit the headlines of a war, William Randolph Hurst and Joseph Pulitzer coined what is now called yellow journalism. In short, that is the manipulation of facts to bring about a specific end.

              To this day no one knows what caused the Maine to sink. Many believe it was a boiler explosion on the Maine. Others hold that the Spanish sunk the ship in order to threaten American influence in Cuba. Either way, war was most beneficial for newspapers around the US. Headlines screamed, “Remember the Maine” or another colorful rendition, “Remember the Maine, to Hell with Spain”. Articles around the US printed outright lies or at best exaggerated details.

              This exaggeration reached a new level in recent years. Bringing back yellow journalism. A cursory view of main stream media such as CNN, MSNBC, FOX, or the New York Times will show any person paying attention, that there is an agenda that must be pushed. In the past few days, President Trump in the midst of a heated reelection campaign, can be seen on CNN with large crowds, none of which are wearing masks…for those in the future, this is the age of COVID. Turn to FOX, the same rally is shown with many wearing masks. Which is truth? Each seeks to push their view. CNN wants nothing more than to disparage Trump at every turn. While FOX does its best to support him.

              Where does that leave the American people? As usual somewhere in the middle. Most likely the crowd at this rally had both mask and non-mask wearing individuals. Some might say, “what is the big deal”? Simply this, if the American people cannot trust the media, how do we know what is really happening? How do we know that we are not consistently being played? I hate to break this to you. I’m sure you will be stunned. The American people have not been able to trust the media since the Spanish-American War.

              See we all approach every issue with a preconceived bias. We try to have an open mind, but we are a product of our culture, our age, our state, our nation, our gender, our…you name it and it plays a part of forming our approach to the world. So, what do we do in a new age of yellow journalism? As a Christian, I pray. I pray a lot. I ask God to give me wisdom. I ask the Holy Spirit to lead me into all truth. In the end I trust Christ to be in control of my life. I also remind myself, that in most areas of life, somewhere in the middle is probably where truth lies.

It is interesting to look back upon the Spanish-American war’s effect on our nation and our world. Following the war, the US took temporary possession of Cuba and the Philippines. We still hold Guam and Puerto Rico as protectorates. This war also gave rise to one of the larger than life figures in American history, President Theodore Roosevelt. It was here that Teddy and his Rough Riders rode up San Juan hill…another point of yellow journalism, they printed the wrong hill…but that is for another day and another blog.

Yellow journalism is a permanent part of our culture…for better or for worse…many would say for worse. So, the next time you turn on your TV, radio, news app or listen to your favorite vlog, remember yellow journalism is most likely lurking in the shadows. I can guarantee it is never going away.

That’s It, I’m Offended

We live in at a time where everyone is offended by everything. It really makes life difficult for all of us. We walk on eggshells as we try to navigate the minefield before us. Did we offend? What will offend? Is my hair offensive? What about my faith? Am I allowed to have a political opinion? If I am, do I dare share it? Second to this, and often from those that complain about the ease of offense, we find ourselves offended.

              Offense is a stumbling block to every human. It is a natural reaction to tough situations. Yet, as believers, we are called to live above offense. Perhaps no one has explained this better than John Bevere. Pastor Bevere writes about this in his superb book, “The Bait of Satan.” Offense is closely related to unforgivness. Therefore, it is a trap that our enemy sets for us. We fall into the trap of anger over a comment and we justify our anger through our offense. We claim we have a right to be offended.

              Bevere states, “Trials in this life will expose what is in your heart—whether the offense is toward God or others. Tests either make you bitter toward God and your peers or stronger. If you pass the test, your roots will shoot down deeper, stabilizing you and your future. If you fail, you become offended, which can lead to defilement with bitterness.”

              Psalm 25:15 states, “My eyes are always on the Lord, for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.” In this verse, God through King David, teaches us how to avoid the trap of offense. Like so many other things in this life, we simply have to keep our eyes on Jesus. That of course is easier said than done. Especially since we live at a time where reaction rather than thought is king.

              Offense is a choice that we make. I would submit that most of the time it is a conscience choice that we make. We decide that those words, rather than these words offend us. In that moment, we take on an air of unforgivness and…dare I say it…pride. Pride causes us to esteem ourselves and our circumstances higher than any other person. Before you throw out the “that’s ridiculous” statement, think with me here. If I have no pride…the need to be right about a specific topic, is it possible to offend me? No, it is not. Therefore offense, pride, and unforgivness are like an unholy trinity of ungodly emotions.

              My wife and I have been blessed with four wonderful kids. Two came to us by birth and my wife’s labor. Two came to us by labor of piles of paperwork. Both of our adopted kids are special needs. As parents we have a choice to make in this. Is it fair for us to expect every person to understand their situations? Of course not. Is it fair for us to assume that people are being purposefully mean when they do not understand? Again, of course not. So, this leaves us with two options. Can you guess what they are? Contestant #1. “You can teach your kids to be offended.” Ding Ding Ding…what do we have for him Johnny?

              Second, we can teach our kids to live above offense. To understand that people will not always understand their circumstance. Some may laugh, others may ask pointed questions, some will simply avoid it. It really doesn’t matter; God has called us to give people the benefit of the doubt. Our son Joshua is blind. This is obvious to any person paying attention. No, it’s not just because of his cane. He is Chinese and has blue eyes. His advanced form of Glaucoma has caused the pigment in his eyes to change as well as causing his eyes to protrude from his head. I strive to teach him to laugh about his disability and in humility understand that others will not be understanding.

              Before you yell at me for the second time, “that’s not fair to this little boy”, let me remind you that I want him to grow to be a strong man of God not an easily offended and a bitter person. I submit this question to you, is it easier for me to teach my son to live above offense or for me to teach 300 billion people to be “sensitive” and understand every possible scenario of every special need person in the world? I don’t know about you, but I think it easier for me to focus on my one.

We are normally very sensitive to our own feelings and opinions, but what about that of others. Now, you may think I am going to turn around and tell the world to be sweet. NOPE! What I will say is that rather than being offended, we need to look at the other person’s life. Perhaps that person is laughing because they use humor to deal with their own illness. That’s what I would do. I’m currently losing my hair while my brother, four years older than me, is not. I could be offended by every comment about my ever growing bald spot, instead, I use it as a point of humor. I can’t change it. It is what it is as they say, so I am left with a choice. Will I be offended…Nah, I realize the back of my head is quickly resembling Friar Tuck. Don’t be surprised if I don a brown robe and comb my hair to really show the balding….if I get candy, it will be worth it.  

              Perhaps the Apostle Paul said it best, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” (Phil 2:3 NLT) C. S. Lewis once stated, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” If we focus on Jesus as Psalm 25 reminds us, then we live above offense. If you look for offense, you will find it every time.  So, the next time someone misunderstands your circumstance, laugh it off, poke fun at yourself, and live free from offense.

Pineapple Pizza and Other Controversies

I live a diverse life. I have a diverse family. We live life with a diverse group of people. We are diverse in race, culture, language, politics, and theology. I Pastor a church that is 49.5% nonnative born Anglo. In other words, we are 50.5% American Whites and 49.5% African American and nearing 30 other nations of the world. I love this life. Each week we have a family dinner. There are 10 of us that come together. We are five white Americans, one Filipino, one Chinese, one Russian, one Indian, and one Dominican.

It takes love, patience, and openness to the opinions of others to pastor such a diverse church. I have always been a politically outspoken and politically conservative voter. I still hold to my ideals and the principles, but I have learned that every opinion I have does not need to be aired publically.

Facebook and others will be the death of traditional cultures around the world. Social media platforms have given us the means to express why we are right in a short blurb. All the while hiding behind our computer. This lends to arguments without discourse and spouting off without thinking. I tried that a few times as a kid. That resulted in a flip flop to the back of head. I swear my mom played professional Frisbee in her younger years.

I still hold my very strong convictions of faith, morality, politics, theology, the wonders of all things 1980s, and that pineapple does indeed belong on pizza. I fear that we have lost the balance between our opinions, however valid they are, and our ability to share our faith with a hurting world. Many will be quick to point out that we cannot passively stand by as our country is changed to a Utopia of Socialism…like the wonders of Vietnam, Cuba, and Venezuela. I would agree with that. Where I differ is how we take that stand.

You see, I am increasingly concerned as I see constant opinions and statements that demonize others. Do we not play into Satan’s hands as pastors, teachers, evangelists, prophets, and apostles if we are willing to sacrifice an opportunity to point someone to the truth of Christ for the sake of our own opinion…as right as we may feel they are? I have been pushed by the Holy Spirit during this COVID Crisis to seek what is God’s will, not just what is good. Sometimes we can be distracted by the good we do, but still not be in the perfect will of God. I do not want to settle for good, I want what God desires.

James the half-brother of Christ says it best. James 3:7-12 “People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.” NLT (emphasis mine)

We allow things to pour from our mouths and our fingers on a keyboard. Things that disparage those made in the very image of God. Let me give you a quick example to clarify. Let’s say you pastor in a small town in Kentucky, say 1,000 people. Everyone knows each other. Everyone knows you pastor the church on Main Street. Each week you stand in the pulpit and speak of the love of Christ for humanity. Monday –Saturday your posts say things like, “can you believe these idiots”, “Rep/Dem are such morons”, etc. When a family in your community sees this during the week…are they likely to join you on Sunday? An even bigger question, are they willing to hear you as you meet them on the street during the week and attempt to preach Christ?

Our witness is a fragile thing. It is something that must be preserved at all costs…even holding your opinion when you know you are right. Please understand, I will always speak out on moral issues such as abortion, the sanctity of marriage, and equal application of the law, even then, I will seek to do so in a manner that builds up Christ not disparage others. I will seek to love my brother even if he does not agree that pineapple belongs on pizza.

So, the next time you order pizza, with or without pineapple, think of how your opinions have affected your witness.

Crisis and the Constitution

Darren Micah Lewis – August 1, 2020

May 23, 1863 dawned with hope as President Lincoln signed the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act. The first years of the American Civil War were fraught with frustration on many fronts. The President and Union Army struggled to find the right General to lead them. The war was taking longer than many military strategists suggested. December of 1862 brought news of a Union victory at Stone’s River. It came at a very high cost, 23,000 total casualties. In early May of 1863, Robert E. Lee and his army won a great victory at Chancellorsville, VA, only 62 miles from the White House. The back in forth swing of battles made for tough times in Washington.

While the Union army had success far from Washington, closer to home proved more of a struggle. Only the day before US troops won a great victory at Vicksburg, MS. The enemy literally surrounded the city. Washington DC sits between two slave states, Virginia, with the Confederate capital at Richmond, and Maryland, which did not secede. Southern sympathizers were everywhere. Safely getting messages in and out of Washington was easier said than done.

Lincoln needed to take a bold stand against those seeking to thwart the US government and the Union Army. The President took up his pen and signed 12 Stat. 755 (1863), the suspension of the writ of Habeas Corpus, specifically between the cities of Washington DC and Philadelphia, PA. Habeas Corpus is defined as, “a writ (court order[1]) requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court, especially to secure the person’s release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention.” In other words, Lincoln gave the Union Army the authority to silence dissenters and rebels, denying them their right to go before a judge.

Lincoln hoped, and possibly assumed, that a time of war allowed him the power to suspend this portion of the US Constitution. After all Article One, Section 9, clause 2, demands that “The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it.”[2] It would certainly seem that there was open rebellion during the American Civil War.

On May 25th a secessionist by the name of John Merryman, was arrested in Cockeysville, MD. The Federal Circuit Judge presiding over that district was Chief Justice Roger B Taney. He issued a ruling on this case stating, only Congress has the power to suspend Habeas Corpus. Essentially, Taney granted Merryman the writ of Habeas Corpus. Lincoln rebutted, “Are all the laws but one to go unexecuted and the government itself go to pieces lest that one be violated?”[3] Merryman was turned over to local authorities where he posted bail in July of 1863. All charges of treason were dropped two years later.

Though in a time of crisis, the Chief Justice ruled that a President may not set aside a portion of the Constitution. Our system of governance has prevailed these 244 years, because our Constitution protects us in times of War as in times of peace.

Some years later, President Woodrow Wilson attempted a different approach. As a progressive, Wilson believed the Constitution to be more flued, needing to make allowance for modern events. This is still held as a tenant of progressivism today. To put it another way, the Constitution is a living breathing document that can adapt to any situation as needed…that may have a note of hyperbole, but essentially this is true.

Wilson’s opinion can be seen throughout his book, “The State”. “From the dim morning hours of history until now, the law of coherence and continuity in political development has suffered no serious breach. Human choice has in all stages of the great world-processes of politics had its part in the shaping of institutions; but it has never been within its power to proceed by leaps and bounds : it has been confined to adaption, altogether shut out from raw invention.”[4]

Author Christopher Wolf states “Wilson has not one but three overlapping and somewhat contradictory views of the Constitution in Congressional Government.”[5] Congressional Government is a book written by Wilson originally published in 1885. Here his theme is the challenges between the US Constitution’s separation of powers (executive and legislative).  This was Wilson’s doctoral dissertation and served as the foundation of his future governance.

Wilson approached the Constitution with, in many ways, a balanced opinion. He certainly espoused the problems stemming from over reliance of the government, but also warned that there must be a strong Federal System, one that adapts to the needs of its people. While that sounds great on paper, if the suggestion is that the Constitution is adaptable in different situations, how do we also maintain the liberties guaranteed therein. This is an age old problem for classical progressives.

In his opinion piece dated May 30, 2018, Randolph May states of Wilson, “At a time when there is a real focus on the rising power of the administrative state, it’s worth recalling President Woodrow Wilson’s argument that our traditional understanding of the U.S. Constitution should give way to what he considered the new realities of modern government…As far as I know, Wilson never stated his intent to remake the American system of government in exactly those terms. But he exhibited remarkably little reticence regarding his objective — and the need, in his view, to alter the then-prevailing understanding of the Constitution’s dictates.”[6] 

In reality, this system is a slippery slope. It rests on the moral nature of the chief executive. We have been blessed in our nation that our Presidents (1776-1951), except Franklin Roosevelt, sought to limit themselves to two terms. The 22nd Amendment was not ratified until February 27, 1951, after FDR’s four elections.

In 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt took a different approach to the Great Depression Crisis. Following the striking down of many New Deal programs by the “Four-horseman” (conservative supreme court justices), FDR sought to add to the “Three-Musketeers” (liberal supreme court justices) with the addition of up to six new justices. The purpose was to stack the court with pro-New Deal judges that would approve his expansion of social programs.  The Judicial Procedures Reform Bill did not pass in the House or the Senate. In fact, the bill was held in committee for 165 days by Senate Judiciary committee chair Henry F. Ashurst (D-AZ). He famously stated, “No haste, no hurry, no waste, no worry—that is the motto of this committee.”[7] It should be noted that in a short time, due to retirements and death, FDR got his pro-New Deal court. It was accomplished by the system set forth in our Constitution.

Multiple times in our history the Constitution has been challenged during a time of crisis. Yet, the core of our Democratic-Republic is that nothing sets asides the rights of our people; not the Civil War, the Great War (WWI), the Great Depression, and not a Pandemic. While, we the people, support a lawful, reasonable, and scientific approach to a world-wide pandemic, we cannot allow the Constitution to be set aside or altered in a time of crisis. To do so, sets a precedent for the future. One in which any president, by executive order, could claim a crisis for any reason.

Today as we move to reopen our economy, we the people, must evaluate the response of our government, especially that of local governments. We must determine if there was equal application of the law, if there was a hindrance to the free practice of religion (any religion), or even a violation of the right to assemble. We, the American people, have the power and ability to use reason in times of crisis. We cannot allow our government, local, state, or nation, to restrict our rights or we like many other civilizations will reap the consequences in the future.

We are a resilient nation. One that rises to any occasion, whether war or pandemic. We are willing and capable of using wisdom in time of crisis. We are willing to follow the suggestions of our national leaders. It is our hope that we see actions to protect us from disease while upholding the fundamental rights that make us American!

[1] Definition from google.com…Parentheses mine

[2] constitution.congress.gov…italics mine

[3] nationalreview.com/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-response-law-liberty-in-emergency/

[4] Woodrow Wilson, D. C. Heath Co., Boston, 1911, pg 555

[5] Christopher Wolfe, The Review of Politics, Vol. 41, No. 1 (Jan., 1979), pp. 121-142

[6] washingtontimes.com/news/2018/may/30/woodrow-wilsons-case-against-the-constitution/

[7] Baker, Richard Allan (1999). “Ashurst, Henry Fountain”. In Garraty, John A.; Carnes, Mark C. (eds.). American National Biography. 1. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 686–687