Scriptorium Daily
We beseech thee also, so to direct and dispose the hearts of all Christian Rulers, that they may truly and impartially administer justice, to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of thy true religion, and virtue.
This old English prayer nicely sums up the traditional Christian consensus on a praying man’s view of God and government. If our goal is to live what we pray, then it is helpful to reflect occasionally on those prayers.
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Some people know the truth and live it. Some people reject the truth and still live it. In this life, there are very few people from whom I cannot learn. The implications for my vote this election is to look for a man that knows the limits of government and its nature. Will a man try to make the government the church? Will he try to impose on my family? Will he trespass the role of voluntary civil organizations (like the Boy Scouts)?
We pray that our rulers will be competent and even good examples but we should not confuse their job with that of the church or family. Government is not here to produce children, show us the way to Heaven, or even to make us happy.
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Human happiness used to be understood (in the Declaration of Independence or Aristotle) as flourishing as a human. To be happy was to exercise all the gifts of mankind, especially the intellect. To do this one had to learn to be virtuous. Traditionally government acts to provide the space and the chance for this to happen. It cannot think for us (!) or make us happy, but exists to give us the chance to achieve this blessed state for ourselves.
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But to simply cast out any person who has a view I think “weird” is sad, limiting, and dangerous.
It is sad because it lacks the humility that should cause us to be as charitable as possible in our view of our neighbor. It is limiting because it narrows our field of candidates too much in this present age. It is dangerous because it threatens to over expand the role of the Church or because it (perversely) implies that the government should be involved in so many things that I can only trust a man who agrees with me on nearly everything.
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I am happy to evangelize my Mormon neighbor and argue with Mormon professors. I am happy to examine any candidates view of what it means to “truly and impartially administer justice.” I would not vote for an Orthodox Christian who got the Nicaean Creed right, but the Constitution of 1789 wrong. I could (though I don’t know if I will) vote for a Mormon who gets the Creed wrong, but justice right. (more)
