OPINION:
Donald Trump should win the White House. It’d be much better for America if he did. Kamala Harris, an ineffective vice president and a cackling joke of a contender for commander-in-chief, should go quietly into that good night. But no matter which candidate wins, the bigger fight for Americans to wage is the one for God-given liberties.
Without God-given rights and liberties for the individual, American Exceptionalism is dead.
American freedom dies.
The American spirit ceases to exist.
And America’s future would be fated to fall into socialism, communism, Marxism, collectivism.
The Founding Fathers, when they envisioned a government for the new world, saw one that was a) restrained by a balance of powers among the various branches; b) restrained by a Constitution that would be difficult to amend; and c) restrained by a idea that each citizen was born into this world with certain unalienable rights, and that it was the role of government to protect the inherent rights of the individual. This was American Exceptionalism. This was the concept of individualism. This was the then-shocking notion called God-given rights and liberties.
It’s the foundation of American freedom, and to this day, is the one feature that makes this nation different and separate and unique and yes, even above, all other nations: the realization that government only exists to serve the citizens who have rights and liberties that are inherent at birth. In other words: The government can’t take them; neither can the government grant them.
The darkness that has befallen America is due entirely to the fact that citizens to a greater degree and with greater frequency and in greater numbers have fallen off the path of godly — because they have fallen away from the worship of God — because they have fallen prey to the things of this world. The concept of “God-given” cannot last if “God” is removed from that phrase. What takes its place is government — government-granted, government-taken, government-redistributed.
That’s socialism. That’s communism.
This is the real danger in America.
It’s imperative for voters to vote. It’s crucial especially for Christians and evangelicals and those of faith to vote. Who knows best the ways of God than Christians and those of faith?
But more than voting — it’s imperative for Americans to realize the fight for freedom and justice does not end with the vote, or end with the election, or end with the inauguration and swearing-in ceremonies, or even end in the beginning days of the office-holders. The fight for freedom and justice ultimately is one for the church and of believers and continues long past Election Day, and election days, and all elections to the end of time.
The fight for freedom and justice is a fight of faith, one that requires the church community to maintain an active, vibrant role in society, to include business and education and government and finance and global affairs and the military. America needs godly people with properly compassed morals to serve across all roles in society.
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people,” John Adams wrote in October of 1798.
That’s because morality means self-control, and religious people generally fuel their self-control from biblical truths and awareness of an afterlife with accountability to a Creator. Moral and religious people — those who fear God — don’t need a heavily armed police presence to maintain the peace; don’t require a massive bureaucracy to provide food and clothing and shelter, mostly by redistributing private resources; don’t need to be told go to work, go to school, take care of the kids, take care of those less fortunate. Moral and religious people do these things on their own. It’s only the immoral who need to be forced — and punished.
So the vote is crucial.
The commander-in-chief is a crucial position.
The president of the United States holds a crucial role.
But those are temporary seats. No office is greater than the one held by God. No office is more permanent than the one filled by God.
The longest-lasting liberty comes when the citizens know their rights are inherent, at birth bestowed by God. That’s the American spirit; that’s American Exceptionalism. This is what the entire battle in America is about: God-given versus government-granted.
If it’s true the truth shall set you free — and it certainly is — then all the more so Jesus. And if more Christians voted, it’d be easier to live that to the fullest, regardless of which political party controlled in office.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “God-Given Or Bust: Defeating Marxism and Saving America With Biblical Truths, is available for pre-order by clicking HERE. Her second most recent nonfiction title, “Lockdown: The Socialist Plan To Take Away Your Freedom,” is available by clicking HERE or clicking HERE or CLICKING HERE.
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