Ray Ciervo Ministries

If you’re like me you’ve already had it with talk of the “election.” I’m feeling like I’ve tried to find out what anyone believes, but only know what their opposition has said about them. That’s not a good way of learning about anyone. Although, you should probably take what someone’s opponents say about them with a ‘grain of salt’.

Always on the prowl for interesting topics to write for the web site or gather as sermon illustrations, one surfaced recently. I’ve paid some attention to the contest between Hillary and Obama with interest. After all, this is historical. The first African-American (even though he’s half white) and the first woman running for the nomination of one of the two major parties. There was no shortage of confusion as delegates were counted then disqualified, popular votes verses delegate votes, the number of states won, and on and on. Finally, Obama received the number of delegates to clinch the nomination. However, Hillary isn’t conceding. She’s “suspending” her run for the nomination. This is all fine as that’s the appropriate language at this stage. However even in her suspension she’s making other noises.

What has surfaced is her touting the amount of votes she has received. It is subtle, but she’s playing the “might makes right” card. Oh, it doesn’t immediately appear this way, but that is what it is. “Never before has anyone had this many votes in a primary, ” she says. Sounds impressive. “These eighteen million votes have to count for something.” Well, my recollection tells me that the contest is decided on delegate votes, even when you count in these “super delegates.” The delegate count tells us that Hillary lost and Obama won. But what Hillary is contesting is that “if” and “only if” the delegates from Michigan and Florida has been fully counted she would have won. And, she would also have the popular vote, which by the way doesn’t count officially. But, it has to count for something. Yes, well it counts as “not enough.”

The subtle premise of “might makes right” is one that our culture resorts to. We trust in the “majority” to make decisions. And when there’s so many people who do anything, that makes it right. That’s why we take so many polls. We’re deciding on our policies, our decisions and our future because “ a lot of people” are doing it.

I can remember my mother asking me, “If everyone jumps off the bridge, are you going to do it too?” Everyone has probably heard their mother say that or they should have. And the fact that “every mother” says it doesn’t make it right. What makes it right is that it appeals to another standard. Implicit in the statement is the idea that there is another deciding factor which is appealed to. It is the deciding factor of, “what ought we do?”

Taking a sharp turn in our thinking this brings us to the “natural law” or the law within our hearts. It is what everyone knows instinctively. We can choose to cover it up, suppress it, or obey it, but it is there. Our country was founded on the premise of “in alienable rights bestowed on us by our Creator.” Jefferson was referring to Natural Law. May I add that the majority of our laws were written with this Natural Law in mind. However, when we move away from something that is objective to the subjective, we adjudicate our decisions on “might makes right.”

It is interesting how many people will resort to this. The guiding factor isn’t, “What do the rules say?” Or, “What is the right thing to do?” Rather, “What do the people say?” Although it sounds noble, it is a request for mob rule. We have enough people to make noise, fuss and over turn decisions so give us a piece, rather than admitting there is a “law in place” to abide by.

For the Christian, this ought not be a hard lesson to learn. We live with the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. His Word is what guides us; His Word is an edict to us. It isn’t the majority that rules in the kingdom of God, but the absolute rule of the King. Although, He is all powerful, has all the might, i.e. Almighty, He cannot deny His own nature and act controvertibly to it. He must act out of His essence. God always acts out of who He is. He is one with that. We on the other hand have a choice. We can choose another way to act, or choose, if you will.

I am not usually one who bangs the “founding fathers” drum. However, I do believe their greatest accomplishment was to build a nation based on Natural Law. They testified in several documents that this only succeeds among a people with a Christian “conscience.” They also understood the persuasive power of sin. They understood that “everyman would be a tyrant if he could be.”

What we’re seeing more and more is the secularization of our culture, society and political process. We move further and further away from what we believe ought to be, toward what the majority, or worse, the loudest voices want. In the latter case it is a different sense of “might makes right.”

Once again, as Christians we’re unaware of what is happening. We respond out of anger, but don’t know why. Or worse, we swept up in the “might makes right” philosophy of living. These too are arguments raised against the knowledge of God which need to be destroyed. We’re better off in succeeding in our mission to know what’s happening.