Sunday, September 20, 2009

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Liberal

Possible excerpts from a sermon of John Edwards.

Lance posts an article on Right Wing News titled Democrats Call upon an Angry God to Smite Those who Oppose Them.
…DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan said: “The message to opponents of change who would lie or misrepresent the truth should be clear… you will be met with a rain of hellfire from supporters armed with the facts and you will be held to account.”
The Democrat prophet warns of 'a rain of hellfire' on those who oppose the Messiah's message.

In the Orlando Sentinel, Jeremy Levitt explains:
The far right and its right-wing brethren's most recent barrage of indignant and visceral attacks against President Barack Hussein Obama has led me to conclude that the scourge of anti-Obama fanaticism is nothing more than foolish racism masquerading as patriotism and phony Christianity.[...]

I would remind the far right what the Apostle Paul wrote, " ... there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." Hence, Obama is the U.S. president and leader of the Free World because he was appointed by God.

Need I say more?
Although Levitt's Scripture quotation is accurate, but his application leaves something to be desired. God has appointed all kinds of leaders; Pharaoh, Caligula, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, George W. Bush, and Obama. Levitt seems to be saying that resistance to any of these leaders is resisting God. But he pretty harshly trashed Bush in the article so he just must mean Obama.

However, the issue of authority is one that needs at least a short discussion, especially in the light of '...the authorities that exist are appointed by God.'

The fundamental Christian perspective is found in Acts 5:29b; "We must obey God rather than men." So if your boss were to command you to steal, lie, murder, or anything that prefers man over the Word of God, you resist that authority. This is subject only to conviction, and not to simple preferences. Just because you don't want to do something doesn't usually match the requirement to obey God rather than men.

In Levitt's article he seems to claim that opposing President Obama is tantamount to opposing the will of God as God did appoint Obama President. But this appointment does not give carte blanche authority. It is not the authority of God, the Messiah, or a king. An appointment to the American Presidency does not abrogate the President's command to also 'obey God rather than polls or advisors.' It also comes with further baggage. The Presidency is also under the authority of the U.S. Constitution. His authority is limited by it. If the God appointed authority, the City Dog Catcher, demands in the power of his office that each citizen must eat brocolli on Tuesdays, he can be ignored or opposed without resisting God. He simply does not have the authority to make that demand. It is the same with the POTUS in many of these issues that are being opposed by the Conservative Tea Partyers. If these issues are passed into law the discussion will change somewhat, but while they are under mere consideration, the issues can be more widely opposed.

RAINING HELLFIRE: The Democrats might want to be careful about requesting fire and brimstone. Sodom and Gomorrah fully supported the Liberal agenda and voted 99.54% Democrat.

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