Voltaire

Once we recognize that our reality is not the outcome of random chance, but the deliberate construct of beings and entities who wield power in different spheres of our lives, two questions become immediately important: who is in power over our lives. And who is setting the agendas which we buy into? The question of agenda setting is dealt with in part one of this series of articles ( Dangerous Christianity part 1: who Sets the Agenda ) while this one deals with who is exercising power over us. We can immediately identify some of these beings and entities: God, ourselves (self), Satan (for those who are religious or Christian), governments, employers, family members, other social and political entities, and the list could go on. How can we find out which of these beings or entities is mainly wielding power over us?

Up for debate, one of Voltaire’s supposedly more famous quotes states:

“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.”

One of Christianity’s major contributions to the West is free speech. In fact, free speech is so valued that it is enshrined in the constitution of the United States in the very first amendment. Americans prize their freedom of speech and expressions. Yet, somehow, in the social sphere, this quote rings true. You can easily tell who wields most power over you by taking careful note of those entities or persons whom you cannot disagree with publicly or criticize. Those entities or persons are surrounded by trappings of power and mechanisms which can enforce their will over others, punish, reward, and otherwise negatively or positively affect the lives and fortunes of those who dissent or stray away from the tried, beaten and well-trod paths of conformity and adherence to reigning orthodoxies.

Barely more than casual observations will show that we are just not allowed to criticize certain people or groups of people. In fact, we dare not display public disagreement with those select groups who have been given protected social status. In any quick rundown of the entities identified above, you can tell the extent of power that anyone wields over us as individuals or groups by the reactions that disagreement will elicit from them.

Various means have been used to impart protected social status:

1. Law, regulation, policies, and other Government action
2. Educational systems, Universities and other private organizational policies that seek to govern free speech such as enforcement of Political Correctness
3. Popular culture and entertainment which are used to transmit particular norms and values
4. Media actions such as suppression and bans on some issues, while promoting others.
5. Social or group exclusion or inclusion

These different mechanisms have been used separately or jointly to varying degrees across ideological spectrums by all kinds of governments, social and political institutions, media and communication organizations, and other powerful entities between and within countries. For example, Consider the use and purpose of political correctness as we know it today. Although originally practiced under Stalinist (Union of Soviet Socialist Republic) USSR to curb the freedom of thought and expressions of its citizens, it has been adopted in countries like America and made popular in the 1990s by universities and academic institutions (Lind 2000). This notion prescribes and proscribes what people can say, arguing that words are expressions of thought. If certain words and ideas can be restricted or banned, then eventually individuals will learn to conform Too.

More often than not, political Correctness proscribes those ideas and paradigms which are inherently antithetical to the teachings of the Christian’s God. This is why believers should be concerned about the growing insistence on political correctness in our interactions with others, rather than truth, fact or honesty and kindness. Hate laws and regulations which seek to force people to conform represent direct challenges to individuals’ freedom of speech, expression and religion. Placing social taboos on the dissent or criticisms of ideas which have been promoted by powerful, privileged minorities is also another strategy used to gag those who hold differing positions to current orthodoxies. Corralling opponents’ self-expressions with the aid of silly and oppressive regulations is yet another way in which those who peddle political correctness attempt to restrict critical speech. Most importantly, political correctness shuts out God’s moral voice and law.

This is not accidental. The Satanic agenda actively opposes that of God’s will and Kingdom. God’s will and objective is that no one should perish or be destroyed, all people may come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9) and that we should unite with Him in a pleasurable, beneficial relationship beginning here and on to eternity (Job 36:11, Ps. 16:11, 36:8). The satanic agenda, on the other hand is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10, 1 Pet. 5:8). He attempts every day to have us convicted and sentenced to eternal damnation (Rev. 12:10).

Christianity constantly raises moral alternatives which mutually excludes sinful and wicked practices being promoted under the Satanic agenda. The Bible, through constant study and prayer presents this opposing voice, reminding us that no one is beyond God’s criticism or judgment (Is. 53:6, John 3:19). God has pronounced on mankind. This pronouncement was not good (Rom.3:10). He therefore sent Jesus as His son to die to bring us back into relationship with Him. In order for this message to be accepted, the targeted individual or groups must first accept God’s criticisms about our fallen state (see John 16:7- 11 for a description of the work of the Holy Spirit in this regard).

Our fallenness or weakness leads to conviction and feelings of condemnations which many people are unable to accept or reckon with. Those who are actively opposing God’s will are hostile to God’s rebuke. They launch movements and rabidly promote ungodly agendas with utmost ferocity in the expectation that their very strident and passionate defense of their Satanic causes will quieten their consciences, shut up opposition, or batter down their critics to silence. They campaign robustly for policies that control what others can say to be enacted. When they have achieved this end, they ensconce themselves behind Legislation and regulations which protect them from criticism or rebuke. This allows them to practice their rebellion and wickedness in seeming peace and quiet, without the possibility of the moral voice raised in objection nor condemnation.

While Christianity proffers God’s love and forgiveness for those who are repentant and open to relationship with Him, it presents a divine judgment for willful sinning. It teaches that those who continue to rebel against God’s law will ultimately face damnation as the consequence for their sins, unless they repent. This is a hard lesson, for those who do not wish to change nor come into conformity with God, to accept.

Christianity’s answer to the question of who is in power is simply, “god”. God sits as King and Sovereign over the lives of people (as individuals and corporate wholes), and affairs of this world (Da 4:17). His kingdom, values, principles, laws, and will come to rule in the lives of the Christian.

Other entities necessarily take lesser or no place at all in the hierarchy of dominion. For instance, self and Satan are vigorously rejected from wielding power over us by verses which instruct us to mortify the flesh (Ro 8:12-13 AV) and submit to God and resist the devil (Jas 4:7 AV). Simultaneously, Christianity teaches that other entities such as governments and employers can wield power over the believer to a lesser extent than God. Accordingly, Christians are admonished to obey and submit to government (Ro 13:1-7 AV) and employers (Col 3:22 AV). Likewise, we are encouraged to submit to spiritual leaders (Heb. 13:17), other persons (Eph. 5:21, 1 Pet. 5:5) and spouses (Eph. 5:22, Col. 3:18).

Dangerous and exciting, Christianity presents an opportunity for individuals to work with the powerful (who are favorable to our causes) to better conditions for our fellow citizens, as well as mature and learn to defend and propagate our faith in a more skeptical, challenging environment. God promises to support those who are willing to speak out and champion His causes on this earth. He has provided Everything “for life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3) as believers carry out His command to Go and teach all nations (Matt 28:19-20), regardless of the costs of this commitment (Matt. 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23, 14:26).

Despite the challenges to free speech and the practice of Christianity and other religions, some government actions have taken place which presents opportunities for Christians to continue to influence our worlds.

Learn more about the Executive Order promoting religious liberty.

https://marchtomaturity.com/should-christians-be-involved-in-politics/

And:

Learn More about Presidential Executive Order Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty at:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-executive-order-promoting-free-speech-religious-liberty/

Learn More about the controversial Sayings attributed to Voltaire at:

https://voltairefoundation.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/voltaire-and-the-one-liner/

Learn More about the origins of Political Correctness from, Bill Lind (2000). “the Origins of Political Correctness”.

https://www.academia.org/the-origins-of-political-correctness/#comments

and:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_correctness