MAGA

There’s a familiar parable, of sorts, that goes like this: Imagine you’re walking home alone late at night and see six men approaching you. Would you be less fearful or concerned if you knew they were coming from a Bible study?

The presumed answer is Yes because their attendance there suggests a desire to know God and do good, not harm. Conversely, if you knew they were members of a violent street gang you would be justly fearful and looking for a way of escape.

It is a simple, verifiable fact that truly God-fearing people are not going to murder, steal, rape, commit arson, sexually abuse children, etc. So in our desire to curb crime why do we not, as a society, heavily support and promote faith in God as a deterrent? Of course I mean the true God of the Bible, not Islam’s Allah whom Muslims claim to be obeying when they slaughter Jews.

It is an unfortunate consequence of our pluralistic, religious freedom-guaranteeing country that we don’t talk openly about God very much. He’s largely ignored as a factor to consider in societal solutions because we’re afraid to claim our beliefs as truth. But if the faith factor is clearly a deciding one in preventing criminal behavior, perhaps the fear factor needs to be overcome and rejected.

Our country was founded on Christian principles, and politicians, statesmen, and ordinary citizens back then were unafraid to refer to God, religion, and morality in governing and establishing public policy. They knew that the success of this bold endeavor depended on encouraging virtue. When 19th century French statesman Alexis de Tocqueville toured the newly-born United States of America in the 1830s he made this astute observation:

America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great. 

If we want to make America great again we must first Make America Good Again.