Republican Platform Ignores God, Exalts
Man’s “Goodness”
Reed R. Heustis, Jr.
The 2004 Republican Party National Platform (RPNP) sets forth the belief
in the basic “goodness” of man. In so doing, it advocates a fundamental
belief in total opposition to our nation’s founding and biblical
principles.
The very first sentence of the RPNP, a quote by President George W. Bush,
states, “Ronald Reagan believed that people were basically good, and had
the right to be free” (emphasis added).
Ironically, the late Reagan, whom millions of Republican Christians hailed
as a true Christian leader, had the following statement etched as his
epitaph: “I know in my heart that man is good - that what is right will
eventually triumph - and there is purpose and worth to each and every
life” (emphasis added).
Contrary to these sentiments, man is not basically good.
Left to his own devices, man is sinful and in total rebellion to God.
Outside of God’s grace, there is no goodness in man whatsoever.
The distance between an all-Righteous God and a lowly sinner is the
distance of infinity. It cannot ever be bridged by any of man’s actions or
efforts.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:7, “Because the carnal mind is enmity
against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can
be.”
Only God truly knew the heart of Reagan, so these comments are not geared
toward analyzing his or anyone else’s soul. God, and He alone, is the only
judge of a man’s eternal destiny.
However, the true intent of these comments is to expose the soul of the
Republican Party.
In 1996 Pat Buchanan asked, “What doth it profit a man... if he gain the
whole world but suffer the loss of his soul? What is true of a man, is
true of a country. It’s true of a party. We have forgotten that as a
nation [and] as a people we are under God’s judgement.”
Whereas the souls of individuals will be judged in the afterlife with
regard to their eternal destinies, institutions of men, such as nations
can only be judged in “the now”.
God judges nations (and parties) based upon their actions. Confirming this
is the Declaration of Independence that refers to God as “Supreme Judge of
the world.” If a nation or party proclaims a fidelity to a false god,
breaking the First Commandment, then God’s wrath should be expected.
When a political party corporately passes a platform, it makes certain
proclamations - actions - that God will scrutinize.
The Republican Party’s platform acknowledges the alleged “goodness” of
man, whereas the Bible teaches the inherent evil of man whose only
redemption is through Jesus Christ and Him alone. Therefore, the
Republican Party advocates an anti-Christian principle in its very first
sentence.
Even the Founding Fathers understood that man’s natural inclination is
evil.
In the Federalist 51, James Madison queried, “[W]hat is government itself
but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels,
no government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be
administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must
first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place
oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the
primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the
necessity of auxiliary precautions.”
Therefore, the Founding Fathers framed the United States Constitution to
control the passions of man, but they also understood that the government
itself was also comprised of man. The great similarity shared by both
governed and government is that sinful man resides in both. Therefore,
because men are not angels, a successful experiment in constitutional
government must acknowledge this biblical presupposition.
The Republican Party fails to recognize this presupposition at the outset.
Instead of acknowledging the sovereignty of God, it seems to worship
Reagan’s “optimistic” view that man is “basically good.”
Not surprisingly, the Preamble of the RPNP fails to mention God in any way
as the foundation for its beliefs. It totally ignores God and elevates
President Bush as the political savior of our nation.
Compare this to the Preamble of the national Platform of the Constitution
Party, whose Presidential nominee is a true man of God, Michael A.
Peroutka:
The Constitution Party gratefully acknowledges
the blessing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as Creator, Preserver
and Ruler of the Universe and of these United States. We hereby appeal
to Him for mercy, aid, comfort, guidance and the protection of His
Providence as we work to restore and preserve these United States.
Millions of Christians are proud to call themselves
Republicans because they are of the mistaken belief that the Republican
Party represents biblical views. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Republican Party is the party of pluralism, not biblical
jurisprudence, which seeks to herald the “goodness of man” rather than
Jesus Christ as the cornerstone of our nation’s future.
Our Christian brothers and sisters need to know that there is only one
viable national party, the Constitution Party, upon which they can
truthfully depend to remain wedded to biblical principle without
compromise or equivocation.
Once they realize that a true Christian alternative exists, they are
immediately faced with a moral decision.
September
17, 2004
Reed Heustis is a Christian Constitutionalist who
served as the 2002-2004 Vice-Chairman of the American Independent Party of
California (AIPCA), which is the third largest party in California and the
largest state third party in the U.S. in terms of voter registration. The
AIPCA is affiliated with the Constitution Party nationally. Mr. Heustis
currently serves on the AIPCA Los Angeles County Central Committee. He may
be reached for comment at his
website.
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