The pundits and analysts and various other politicos are in full throttle punditry, analysis, and politicking about what has happened. The Democrats are dancing in the halls, while many Republicans have that deer in the headlights look. As may be expected, many fellow Townhallers have weighed in (e.g., see the blogroll to this blog). In adding my thoughts, I would like to deviate from the normal path most such essays have taken by delving into the undercurrents to what I see as root causes and suggesting some solutions not currently being offered in the pontifications of the aforementioned. The following is my insight, for what it is worth. Let me know what you think.

The Roots

I would suggest two root causes that are at the bottomline of the events on Tuesday, whatever the surface causes that may have been identified. First, as I’ve been documenting in my series on the Postman book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, we have a dearth across the entire cultural landscape of the ability to think linearly, logically, or analytically. I believe this deficiency includes the political leaders across the partisan spectrum (although I also believe that it is much more prominent on the liberal left than the conservative right). The result is that we marvel at, and nod our heads in agreement with, the few Mark Steyns and Victor Davis Hansons of the world, but then marginalize and ignore their analyses. They “amuse” us for the moment with their insight, but then Monday night football becomes more important. The result of this process is a slow erosion and corrosion of our capability to discern fact from fiction, to question intelligently the alleged cases for propositions put before us in the marketplace of ideas in which we are immersed. Thus, the MSM can broadcast everything from subtly nuanced falsehoods to bold faced lies and not be called on them, and even when they give us the truth, it’s usually truth that shouldn’t be broadcast. For more details, I will refer you to that series, still in progress.

This first is a passive enemy that has been actively utilized (though not knowingly) by the second. The second enemy is the liberal leftist, socialist, dare I say, communist worldview that permeates Western civilization in both Europe and the U.S. Let us assume the truth of this statement for the moment; I will present the data in a second post shortly after this one. The relationship between these two enemies is that the first has rendered us vulnerable to the second.

The Root Killers

These two root causes can be addressed by two root killers, i.e., solutions, but the ones I have identified are not what many will want to hear. Both have their basis in our Judeo-Christian foundation.

First, a long term solution that is essential if conservatism is to survive:

“And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.” (Deuteronomy 6:7-8)

Here is the source of the title for this post (and yes, I also took it from the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young song of that title, although I don’t particularly agree with all the sentiment of their lyrics…showing my age with this recollection). God created the family unit and instructs parents, and fathers in particular, to teach their children about God and His commandments. And note that the instruction we are to give is not limited to “class time.” It includes all of our life, and it includes talking about, verbalizing the instruction, not sitting them in front of the television and going about our own business/pleasure. Space does not permit an analysis and presentation of how obedience in this and similar areas brings blessing, but it is a thread that permeates the Scriptures. Search them to see if what I say is so (Acts 17:11).

The content of parental instruction must go beyond the simplistic, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it” dogma prevalent in many Christian circles (particularly the more fundamentalist ones with which I am familiar and with whom I am in essential theological agreement). But neither can it be a relativistic, permissive teaching polluted by the liberal theology that we’ve allowed to slowly creep into the American evangelical church. Martin Luther once said, “The history of the human race is the history of a drunken man reeling from one wall to the other,” by which he was characterizing our tendency as sinners to answer one extreme by swinging to the opposite extreme. Sometimes that is precisely what is necessary, but the data, the facts of the situation, must determine that, not our subjective response.

So first, we must educate ourselves and then our families both in knowledge (content) and in wisdom (how to think). I am not a C. S. Lewis fan as I have some serious issues with his theology, but he does provide some excellent insights. One relevant to this topic: “To be ignorant and simple now - not to be able to meet the enemies on their own ground - would be to throw down our weapons, and to betray our uneducated brethren who have, under God, no defense but us against the intellectual attacks of the heathen. Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered. The cool intellect must work not only against cool intellect on the other side, but against the muddy heathen mysticisms which deny intellect altogether.” (emphasis added; from The Weight of Glory)

The second response is of more limited applicability. It is found in God’s response to Solomon’s dedicatory prayer for the temple, in 2 Chronicles 7:14,

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Who is responsible when things go wrong on a national level? God’s answer: “My people, which are called by my name!” Not those wicked Dimocrats. Not those vile leftists. My people! We Christians, those of us who name the name of Christ are to blame. Why? The answer is there in the verse. We do not humble ourselves as we ought, but presume to know how to worship and serve our God using our “creativity” rather than His instructions. We do not seek God’s face and pray as we ought, but continue in our narcissistic ways ignorant of God’s will as revealed in His Word. (How much dust is on your Bible?) We do not repent from sin revealed in our lives as we ought, in part because our standard operating procedures call for the quenching of God’s Spirit within us rather than being filled with His Spirit as the first step.

The Hebrew word for “pray” in this verse is particularly revealing. It is the word pâlal, and it contains the concept of judgment in its root meaning. In context of this verse, it would have to be self-judgment.

Tough words, but then, reality can be tough. God’s not interested in making you or me comfortable. Our chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, not to feel good about ourselves and have a fun time in the here and now.

How can I level such accusations against my fellow Christians? Aren’t I being hypocritical myself? Well, the reason I can do so is revealed in the words I once heard a preacher say awhile ago, “Remember that every time you point the finger at someone, three fingers are pointing back at you.” Please note in my indictment above, I say “we,” not “you.”