Petty Politicians Annointed by God

by Sir Arthur Foulkes

The new Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson Miller, stunned some of her countrymen just after she took office by announcing that she had been appointed by God and therefore Christians had a responsibility to support her.

Mrs. Simpson Miller did a tour of churches after being sworn in and, according to The Jamaica Gleamer, she got a particularly wild reception at one of them. When asked to address the congregation, Mrs. Simpson Miller said:

“If I am appointed by the Almighty to be Prime Minister, then all of you Christians must give support to the appointment of the Lord. If it is not done, the whip will not be drawn against me, because I am going to be carrying out His will.”

As astonishing as that may sound to some people, it is nothing new. Here in the Bahamas we have some politicians who believe they are appointed by God and that they are doing His will.

The Americans also have a president who seems to believe that he also has a special commission from God, and he is strongly supported by religious fundamentalists like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. These two evangelists believe it is okay to assassinate the elected leader of another country and to kill people in the name of the Lord.

The gift of faith is a wonderful thing. Many great men and women have been inspired and sustained by it throughout their life’s work and have contributed mightily to the progress of humanity. Some who have achieved the most have shown genuine humility and have constantly questioned their motives and direction.

It seems more than a little arrogant and presumptuous for political leaders who are mere mortals to claim appointment by God and to suggest that what they do is necessarily the will of God. Where does that leave those who disagree with them and oppose their policies?

The claim of divine appointment and guidance has been made throughout the centuries and has more often than not brought injustice, persecution and misery to countless millions.

There was once a nation who rampaged through what we now call the Middle East. Their leaders told them it was God’s will that they should slaughter their enemies including men, women and children, and in some cases even their animals.

Then there was a Man born into that same tribe with a different message for the world. He repudiated the eye-for-an-eye philosophy which others said they got from God, preached love, and told His followers to put away the sword.

In the words of a well-known Negro spiritual, Christians were “to study war no more”. But the Prince of Peace had hardly turned His back when many of His followers returned to the old ways – making war and killing in the name of God.

Jesus had been crucified and his cross had became the symbol of redeeming love. Three centuries later the Roman Emperor Constantine was going out to do battle with one of his rivals. He claimed that he saw the cross over the sun with words, “In this sign you shall conquer.”

Constantine apparently saw no contradiction in this. He became the first Christian Emperor of Rome but some historians believe that his conversion had more to do with politics than faith, and that he wanted to use the new religion to help him unite and control the empire.

So it continued through the centuries. Humans carried out the most appalling atrocities against other humans, claiming they were doing the will of God.

The Christians princes of the Crusades had the gall to display the sign of the cross on their shields and banners as their swords dripped with the blood of the infidels.

When they became weary of slaughtering infidels, they turned on each other -- Christians beheading, torturing, disembowelling and burning one another at the stake, all in the name of the Lord.

President Abraham Lincoln was not only a great American, he is respected by millions as one of the towering figures of world history. It fell to him to preside over the bloody American Civil War which resulted in preserving the Union.

It also resulted in the emancipation of America’s African slaves. If ever a conflict could be described as a just war, one that resulted in the unshackling of millions of human beings would certainly qualify.

Like his latest successor, Mr. Lincoln was a man of faith. But Mr. Lincoln was not so cocksure that he had exclusive rights to God. So in his humility he agonized over the direction of the war:

“The purposes of the Almighty are perfect and must prevail, though we erring mortals may fail to actually perceive them in advance. We hoped for a happy termination of this terrible war long before this, but God knows best and has ruled otherwise. We shall yet acknowledge His wisdom and our own error therein.

“Meanwhile we must work earnestly in the best light He gives us, trusting that so working still conduces to the great ends He ordains. Surely He intends some great good to follow this mighty convulsion, which no mortal can make, and no mortal could stay.”

Mr. Lincoln has an even more powerful message for those who today are certain that God is their personal political consultant, that He is at their side in battle, and that He is their in-house magician.

One day Mr. Lincoln was approached by a certain cleric who said to him:

“I hope the Lord is on our side.”

To which the great one replied:

“I am not at all concerned about that, for I know that the Lord is always on the side of right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord’s side.”

There is a Bahamian saying which rendered into standard English would go something like this: It is a good thing that God is more tolerant than man because if He were not then some of those who abuse His name would be struck dead on the spot.

Obviously God is not like man, and petty politicians who are inclined to puff up themselves by recruiting Him to their side should think about that. They should also think seriously about Mr. Lincoln’s wise advice and not be so certain that they are God’s appointed and anointed, and that He is on their side.

Maybe He is not!

After all, Satan is a liar.

THE INNOCENT

It is quite astonishing how some people can allow themselves to be carried away by prejudice and hysteria.

One such sent a message to Wendall Jones on the Love 97 talk show last week discussing the arrest and detention of Haitians who are in this country legally.

“The innocent will suffer for the guilty,” he said.

I wonder what he would say if the police were told to rid us of criminals and one of them put a bullet through the head of his innocent son, or brother, or friend.

Comments

[anthony]

Sir Arthur

This is a very daring and instructive article. Because it not only punctures the fatuous protestations of leaders who use the name of the Lord in vain to co-opt support amongst gullible people of faith, but also challenges these religious people to appreciate that not all leaders who claim a divine mandate are professing the blessings of the Almighty God. After all, Satan is a Liar.

Now, Sir Arthur, if you could only get a few honest preachers to share this revelation with their congregations, I think our leaders would be more inclined to speak truth to people of faith instead of sounding off like false prophets….

[Bahamerican]

Excellent post.

An incredible illumination in my mind of why church and state should fundamentally remain separate.

[sal]

Sir Arthur are you sensitive to the "majority" of illegal immigrant's plight in this country because your mother was a non-Bahamian herself?

[andrew allen]

I do not get that last comment, sal! Insofar as it pretends to represent a pro-Bahamian stance on immigration it is way off the mark. Who among us is not of non-Bahamian stock?

If you mean to insinuate that sympathy with the plight of immigrants is evidence of non-Bahamianism, then you have missed not only sir arthur's point, but the basic fundamentals of patriotism.

[Arthur]

Thanks Andrew! Let me say to Sal though that I am sensitive to all the wretched of this earth and when Jesus comes I want Him to say to me: "I was an immigrant in your country, as I was in Egypt when Herod wanted to kill me two thousand years ago, and you defended by dignity as a human being and a child of our Father!"

[Interested]

The lack of separation of church and state which the current govt has embraced, combined with the inherent lack of seperation of powers in the Bahamian System of government spells doom for the country in the long run.

These fundamental faults in the system as it exists is what consistently drives talented Bahamians out of the system and helps contribute to our prodious brain drain problem.

How will we be globally competitive in such a situation?
Current Govt has taken the church