"Whether it’s enforcing lockdowns to protect the elderly or pushing for Digital IDs to secure the young, those pursuing power will never let a crisis go to waste. " By Ben Davis, Nov 30, 2024
COVID showed that authoritarian leaders often exploit vulnerable people to gain more control. In times of fear, people seek safety, but they often look to governments that use these fears to take away rights while claiming to provide protection.
For those in power, crises always lead to more government control. The historical perspective includes the idea that tyranny stems from a belief that people must depend on the government instead of relying on God. The more faith a society has in God, the less power tyrants hold over them. In this context, a more Christian society tends to be freer and happier.
John Knox emphasized that opposing tyranny is an act of obedience to God. There is a connection between the decline of Christianity in Western nations and the rise of authoritarian rule. The concept of “pluralism” or “moral relativism” became another way of diminishing Christianity's role, weakening its foundational role in society, which had previously helped maintain freedom and morality.
Pluralism was presented as promoting diversity and inclusion, but its underlying goal was to treat Christianity as just one of many opinions with no unique claim to truth. This led to confusion around right and wrong, with moral standards being shaped by those in power rather than a shared moral framework.
This fragmentation under pluralism leads to superficial unity in communities that are fundamentally divided. When these divisions are challenged, unrest follows. The lack of a common belief or ideal leads people to look to the government for solutions, which often means limiting their freedoms and increasing state control.
In effect, pluralism is often just a way to enforce more government authority. If everyone’s truth is equal, then ultimately, the will of those in power dictates what is considered true. A superior moral law is necessary to keep governmental authority from abusing power.
For this reason, the authority of Christ over government is crucial to ensuring that rulers do not overstep their bounds. Without an acknowledgment of a higher moral authority, the powerful can act arbitrarily over the powerless. William Penn warned that if people are not governed by God, they will be ruled by tyrants.
If we remove God's authority from government, rights become privileges granted by the state that can be taken away at will. There is a need for politicians to understand that their authority comes from God and should focus on promoting good and punishing evil by God's standards.
A Christian populace is called to respond to social issues not by demanding more government intervention but by remembering principles that once made Western nations admired worldwide. This admiration was rooted in the belief that both leaders and citizens are accountable to divine authority.
Without this understanding, freedoms will likely continue to erode. John Adams pointed out that once lost, freedom may never return. People may choose to depend on the state, but regaining freedom will require effort and resistance.
Freedom is delicate, and unless there is a return to the principles that once limited government’s reach into personal lives, the cycle of trading freedom for security will persist, driven by ongoing crises.
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