It’s an Emergency!

We live in peculiar times. I watched an online service yesterday from a church that I sporadically attended pre-Covid and was struck by what the government has done. I would have said “our” government, but how long has it been since anyone could claim a stake in the system in charge? We used to brag about having a “government by consent of the governed”; but the curtain was pulled back on that fraud with the Civil War. So long as the governed consent, well and good. Changing your mind, though, was not an option. Change your mind, and the full weight of the federal government will be mobilized and brought to bear to kill you and your families until you cry “Uncle!” In this case, Uncle Sam. Some of us, though, still clung to the illusion. The illusion that even though our states were emasculated, we still had individual rights – rights guaranteed by the constitution. Note again that I did not say “our” Constitution, as none of us living had any voice in its contents. Perhaps it would be better if every generation we revisited it once more and ratified it once again? No matter. Enshrined in the Constitution are certain rights that we possess as individuals. We have been given to think of them as “unalienable” based on the wording of the Declaration of Independence, but that document is but a sentimental memento of our distant past possessing no force of law.
The first amendment of the Bill of Rights as enshrined in our Constitution states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Although the text specifically refers to “Congress”, the 14th Amendment is interpreted to make all the provisions of the Federal Constitution applicable and superior to any state constitutions. So, when we read that, we conclude that we are may worship freely without interference from government. Who would defend these rights? Why the courts, of course. So, when governors of various states declared an emergency and said that unessential businesses must close, there was a predictable reaction from some corners when churches were classified as unessential, especially when liquor stores selling alcohol and lottery tickets were deemed essential. You could gather to buy vodka, but not to praise God. This issue was taken all the way to the Supreme Court where, sadly, the alienation from our unalienable rights was affirmed. So apparently any of our rights can be taken away if the government declares an emergency and the courts look the other way. With the simplicity of a child saying “Simon says…” we can have all of our freedoms taken away as simply as declaring an emergency. Some governors have learned and embraced this and are now declaring emergencies regarding other subjects, such as racism. As they explore the rights they can suspend in this context, any defenders of free speech, freedom to assemble, and freedom of the press must be concerned. Surely, though, an emergency would have to be of limited duration without legislative action being necessary… No. It lasts as long as the government says it does. So, we now have governors in many states regulating churches – how they may open, how many may gather, and the form the worship service must take. Unthinkable a year ago, but now accepted by supposed ministers of God. This is how I came to watch an online service yesterday. The pastor was singing by himself in an empty auditorium (I would have formerly said “sanctuary”, but it no longer fits that definition). The off-key vocalizing was followed by a message delivered with passion in an empty room. Not a sermon on the mount, but a sermon on a molehill. No miracle of loaves and fishes required, a couple slices of bread and some tuna fish will be sufficient for those attending.
I had to wonder why he bothered? But then I considered the salaries of staff and overhead for the facilities. This corporate Christianity, this ecclesiastical exercise was being performed in the hope of keeping the contributions coming but, like the music, it struck a sour note. It was being performed by leaders who had greater faith in government than faith in God. A pastor I once knew posed the question to his class as to why there was greater healing at work in third world countries than in western nations. His conclusion was that they had a necessary greater reliance on God. He noted that in western nations we have health insurance, but in third world countries they had only blessed assurance. It left me to wonder where our mighty men of God are today? Are they laboring only in foreign lands? In our nation, how does one serve God, if they first bow their knee to government? How can you reconcile the surrender when people in other countries risk death and imprisonment to gather, but you are afraid of a virus and you do not trust God’s will in the matter? You cannot stand up for your faith if you have bowed down to unbelievers. It is only a matter of time before the government indirectly supports a new translation of the bible that is racially and gender sensitive. Don’t be surprised if a voluntary surrender of offending texts is sponsored soon in a neighborhood near you. After all, it’s an emergency.