First let me point out that God is Sovereign and in control over all the nations of the earth. I should not fret when wicked men succeed, because fretting leads only to evil. I need to commit my way to the Lord and wait on Him, for "the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble." (Read Psalm 37) And praise be to God, I belong to a kingdom that can never be shaken! (Hebrews 12:28) These truths stand out as an anchor for my soul in times of trouble.
Though my ultimate citizenship is heaven, I do have certain responsibilities as a citizen of the country in which God has placed me. Though increasingly in name only, this nation is a republic. The government is to be limited and is to protect the liberties of the people. We have a Constitution that is supposedly the law of the land, but it is getting increasingly ignored and trampled. I realize that the degradation of the Constitution began long before 2009, but I'm not willing to see it completely slip from our collective fingers without a struggle. The struggle always needs to begin on my knees, but can still involve raising my voice, and taking action as allowed a citizen.
This is what I'm contemplating today...
Apparently many of our current lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have never read, or have forgotten the 13th Amendment of the Constitution which states: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."
I say that because this morning, I read the text of: H.R. 1444 which seeks to establish a Congressional Commission on Civil Service, including the Duty to determine "Whether a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young
people could be developed, and how such a requirement could be implemented in a manner that would strengthen the social fabric of the Nation and overcome civic challenges by bringing together people from diverse economic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds."
Our blind leaders have already passed the GIVE/SERVE Acts, which in these economically troubled times pours $6 billion dollars into getting government more involved in national service. The mandatory aspect of it was taken out of the Senate version of the bill, but is coming up again in H.R. 1444.
These days, many people, including a majority of our current political leaders think that people exist to serve the state, instead of the state existing to serve the people. If our lawmakers are willing to consider enslaving our chidren to the state in even the smallest degree, it is another sign that this nation is on a slippery slope to fascism.
This oxymoronic idea of "mandatory volunteerism" threatens inalienable rights given by God and outlined in the Constitution of the United States. In this idea are the seeds of slavery.
As a citizen, I have the duty to stand up for the Constitution. However, I realize, as a Christian, that those rights are actually a blessing from God, and I and my family eventually might have to lay down those "rights," suffering for the sake of Christ, and entrusting ourselves to Him who judges justly. I praise God that all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose! (Romans 8: 28)
Baby Steps:
Red Envelope Campaign
If you are on Facebook, click here: Great Tea Bag Mailing Campaign
Tax Day Tea Party
Good Reading:
Non-Homeschool Related Testing
The Gift of Suffering, Part II
