The Difference Between Politicians and Statesmen
By Buddy Hanson The Covenant News ~ October 10, 2009
The ultimate difference between a Christian Statesman and a Politician is that the Statesman does the right thing, regardless of the consequences, while the Politician does only those things that will keep him in office.
Statesmen legislate according to the instructions in God's Word, in order to make certain that they don't use their position to usurp the God-commanded responsibilities of the Individual, Family or Church.
The Statesman recognizes that each of these self-governing spheres have been established by God to work out His eternally perfect plan for the earth. This means that they have overstepped their God-appointed self-governing bounds when they legislate anything that exceeds their duties of: Enforcing God's laws; Protecting citizens from invasion, and local crime; Executing those found guilty of capital crimes, and seeing that Restitution is handed out for misdemeanor crimes.
Once civil government leaves the biblical model of a representative republican form of governance and turns to a democracy (mass ignorance):
Statesmen are replaced by politicians whose top priority is to stay in office, rather than to legislate according to the best interest of his constituents.
Whenever controversial decisions must be made, the politician shifts his responsibility to others instead of carrying out the responsibilities of his office. In like manner, when something goes wrong, it's always the fault of someone else (i.e., the other party).
Ideology replaces theology. "Truth" becomes, now what God says, but what "The Party: says, because it is no longer "truth," but political objectives that are sought.
Man's wisdom is elevated above God's wisdom and instead of governing according to God's revealed principles, new laws are passed that are designed to buy votes (i.e., roads, social services, schools, etc.) so "The Party" can stay in power.
The rights of the individual can be sacrificed whenever the needs of the majority, as determined by the state, require it. The state, according to this view, is an organism and like all organisms it evolves. It assumes new functions, grows steadily more complex, and gets bigger, all the while shrinking the liberty and the bank accounts of the citizens.
"Emergency situations" are fabricated in order to pass legislation that citizens would not otherwise allow to be passed. Many examples could be cited, but the intrusive privileges of the state to invade our privacy and constitutional rights under the Patriot Act underline the point.
The first thing we profess as Christians is that "God's Word is true," yet the only time we behave as though we truly believe it is when we are at church, or are involved in a church-related activity. No wonder non-Christians call us "hypocrites," when we continue to profess that only God's Word is true, but live just like they do when we are on the job, or anywhere that there is no official church sponsorship of an activity. If we really believe that "God's Word is true," we would also believe that only legislation that is based upon God's Word will work. As long as we continue to elect civil rulers (legislators and judges) who don't based their decisions upon God's Word, we must recognize that we will continue to fill God's cup of wrath against us. Why should we expect for Him to bless our country when we spit in His face by living according to our rules, instead of according to His rules?
Next week's topic is, "Republican, Democrat or Christocrat?
Buddy Hanson is President of the Christian Policy Network and Director
of the Christian Worldview Resources Center and has written several
books on the necessity of applying one's faith to everyday situations,
circumstances and decision-making.