11/30/04
THE NATIONAL
REFORM ASSOCIATION : PROS AND CONS
The National Reform Association
has done a noble service in calling for explicitly Christian government in the
United States. Here is an example of
its argument (see http://www.natreformassn.org/statesman/98/polcompr.html),
written by Mr. Einwechter:
"The Antidote to Evangelical
Political Compromise
"In their advocacy of democratic pluralism and natural law, evangelicals have
deeply compromised the Christian message to the political sphere. Instead of the
lordship of Christ over the politics of the nation they preach the virtues of democratic
pluralism, which is nothing else than the virtue of a religiously neutral state
that grants every false religion and cult, and every anti-Christian philosophy
full participation in the political process.
Instead of the authority of biblical law to determine justice in civil
affairs, they proclaim the authority of human reason to discern eternally valid
principles of
justice. There is nothing explicitly Christian about their fundamental political
philosophy at all; it is the surrender of biblical truth and God's covenant in history
for a mess of pluralistic pottage...."
"...Instead of democratic pluralism and natural law, Christians must
advocate the crown rights of Jesus Christ in the political sphere. By
virtue of his death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of God the
Father, Jesus Christ is now Lord of all in heaven and earth (Ps. 110:1-2; Dan.
7:13-14; Acts 2:33-36; Phil. 2:9; Rev. 2:27; 12:5). The risen Christ has been
granted dominion over all the nations; they are his inheritance, and he has
been commissioned by his Father to bring these rebellious nations into
submission to his reign (Ps. 2:4-9). He is King of kings and Lord of lords
(Rev. 17:14; 19:16), the
Prince of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5), and all kings and rulers are
commanded to bow before him and confess him as their Sovereign and serve him
and promote his kingdom in their capacity as civil rulers (Ps. 2:10-12; Phil.
2:9-11). As Sovereign, his law-word must be the basis for civil law (Matt.
5:17-19; 28:20)…”
Yet, the National Reform Association is wrong in some of the following respects:
1. They are wrong in their rejection of the Establishment Principle.
An example of their argument is Mr Einwechter's article at http://www.natreformassn.org/statesman/99/lordsep.html,
where he
says: "The establishment principle also comes up short in that it goes beyond
the duty of the state to confess its submission to Christ, and requires the
state to differentiate between Christian denominations, and to intrude into
matters that belong exclusively to the sphere of the church (i.e., matters
relating to the fine points of doctrine, practice, and worship). The doctrine
of the lordship of Christ leads to the position of national
confessionalism."
In truth, national
confessionalism without church establishment, while an improvement over the US
Constitution, amounts to nominalism. The Pope, Steve Schlissel, and I all
claim to be Christian, but
there are important points of doctrine and worship where we differ. That which scripture clearly teaches should
not be relegated to the realm of “fine points of doctrine, practice, and worship”.
2. Given its efforts to create a coalition of diverse elements, the National
Reform Association applies a subtle pressure to tone down on doctrinal issues
such as the Regulative Principle of Worship, that are regarded as "divisive".
3. Romanists like Pat Buchanan are invited to speak before the National
Reform Association (as they are with the Constitution Party as well). This is because the Association envisions a
political coalition of Protestants and Catholics.
4. Men in the National Reform Association, though generally seeing the
flaw in the US Constitution, generally approve of the American Revolution.
In truth, America was far better
off during its colonial era under a Protestant king and with established
Protestant churches than with the establishment of the United States. And the revolutionists used a sinful means
to attain their end.
5. Practically speaking, in a US Christian government where Rome is a part, Rome
will ultimately dominate. The National
Reform Association fails to understand this.