Is Voting For Ron Paul A Pursuit of Societal Salvation?

“The zeal of facebook Christians to abandon biblical principles of voting and statecraft in order to justify voting for Ron Paul tells us something: you do not have to believe in “big government” in order to believe in the Messianic State. It is only because men look for societal salvation in small princes, rather than in the name of the Lord, that they cast the law of God behind their backs in order to elect a man who refuses to bow to Christ’s royal prerogatives over civil government. Thus the civil government that the Ron Paul voters want would be every bit as “Messianic” as the one that their opponents lust after.”

Daniel Ritchie, Facebook, January 4, 2012

Here we have a quote that reveals the zeal of a modern day facebook Christian who doesn’t like the putative zeal of Christians who he thinks do not have the right kind of zeal — the kind of zeal that he has.

Before we get into the disagreements with Mr. Ritchie, I want to note that while at this point, I intend to vote for Rep. Ron Paul if I can I do acknowledge that there are issues he supports that I do not think are Christian. Paul’s recent vote supporting homosexuals in the military is not the vote a Christian man would have made. Also, Ron Paul’s fuzzy stand on illegal immigration is a head scratcher. I also would that Rep. Paul would clearly articulate that the Constitution as it currently stands outlaws Abortion, and because of that States should overturn laws on their books that are contrary to that Constitutional requirement. I also do not believe that Dr. Paul’s Libertarian instincts will work in a country that has been balkanized by both it’s legal immigration policy pursuit since 1965 and it’s benign neglect of illegal immigration. The balkanization is seen also in the country being divided by the agenda that has been pursued by the cultural Marxist elite vis-a-vis a more traditional and historic understanding of Americanism. In short, I think the Libertarian instinct will only work in a country that shares a common world and life view. Because of the world and life view balkanization that exists in this country America as a country is no longer a nation.

Now having noted my direct disagreements with Rep. Paul, I want to spend a few lines pointing out Daniel Ritchies errors.

1.) Not all Christians who intend on voting for Ron Paul have abandoned biblical principles for voting and statecraft. When one is being threatened to be eaten by a wolf one is not abandoning biblical principles for voting and statecraft by voting for the person who promises to kill the wolf, even if he has body odor and is personally uncouth. Our greatest need of the hour in order to restore biblical statecraft is for someone to slay the Leviathan State. This is the platform on which Dr. Paul is campaigning. Biblical statecraft will not be restored until the Leviathan state is slain. First things first. To suggest that any Christian who intends to vote for Ron Paul is abandoning biblical principles for voting and statecraft is like a Jew complaining that the person who stopped the rape of his wife was not circumcised. It is true that there are faults with Dr. Paul, but currently he is the gentleman who promises to help us with our most current and pressing problem. Mr. Ritchie just isn’t thinking correctly.

2.) Mr. Ritchie assumes that those Christians who intend to vote for Congressman Paul, intend to do so because they believe in the Messiah State. This is an unwarranted assumption on Mr. Ritchie’s part. It may be the case, that Christians intend to vote for Rep. Paul because they do not believe the Biblical notion of State can be retrieved unless the current incarnation of the State is put to rest. The current God-State is sucking up all sphere sovereignty that has Biblical warrant to exist. All because I vote for a man who promises to draw proper sphere sovereignty boundaries for the Nation State does not mean that I believe that the result will be a Messianic State. Such a vote only means that I am using Rep. Paul as a bludgeon to restrict the ambitions of the current Messianic State. Mr. Ritchie’s reasoning is without merit.

3.) Christians who intend to vote for Ron Paul are not necessarily looking for societal salvation. In point of fact, I fully expect for Rep. Paul to fail in his agenda since I believe that this nation, short of remarkable providence, is beyond the point of no return. Personally, I am voting for Paul, because I believe a President Paul would be less inclined to use draconian measures than the other Statist candidates to stop the break up of these united States that I foresee happening. That is hardly the reasoning of a Christian who is looking to Rep. Paul to provide societal salvation.

4.) I do agree with Mr. Ritchie that every government is obliged to “Kiss the Son,” lest the magistrates perish in the way. I also agree with Mr. Ritchie that as Christians our support should be for those candidates who promise to “Kiss the Son.” However, I also believe that in our situation when all the other Magistrates for President are for “Kissing the Devil,” it is the better part of wisdom to vote for a man who intends to de=fang the Leviathan State then voting for those who want to sharpen the Devil’s fangs.

Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him.

3 thoughts on “Is Voting For Ron Paul A Pursuit of Societal Salvation?”

  1. Daniel Ritichie’s response to this on facebook is definitive proof that his motivation is not Christ but the egocentric envy of an individual who will never garner the respect he himself thinks he deserves. Little Stevie Halbrook, who imagines the above may be “easily refuted” has never provided a fallacy free argument in his entire life. His sole motivation is yellow fever.

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