I was reading in Titus 3. Verse 1 says, "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient…to be peaceable and considerate." Other New Testament passages say similar things, including Jesus' own words. And it got me thinking, again, about the American Revolution.
Did God prompt the American Revolution? Was he pleased when we declared war on King George? I think not. But I'm really puzzled about this, because I also think that until recent years, America has been used by God as a light to the nations. So the implication is that for God, the end justifies the means. And obviously, that's not the case. Thus my befuddlement.
The traditional view is that the Revolutionary War was, somehow, a religious cause fought in the name of Christ. A holy cause to create a Most Favored Nation for God. Or something like that. People like James Kennedy and other Jesus-Created-America advocates talk as if the Founding Fathers all held a prayer meeting, and God spoke to them and said, "Verily verily I say unto you, go overthrow the British." That may be the majority view among my fellow United Brethren.
But I can't see Jesus being in favor of the war. What were our grievances? There was the "taxation without representation" issue--a matter of an unfair political process. The Jews in New Testament times had that problem. There was the forced billeting of soldiers in private homes. The Romans no doubt did similar stuff, in addition to making you carry their backpacks for a mile whenever they wanted. And those early God-fearing Americans feared that the English might inflict on us some of their liberal anti-slavery nonsense. Those Colonials wanted to keep their slaves, just as today's conservatives insist on keeping their assault rifles.
The Revolution didn't meet any criteria for a "just war." The revolutionaries already possessed plenty of freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness, but wanted more of the liberty part than any citizens had ever been accorded. So they went to war, and they won. I'm a beneficiary of that.
What's more, what those Founding Fathers did next--create a democracy with religious freedom and so many characteristics which all countries should have--showed incredible wisdom, vision, and principle. The Constitution they put in place provided the foundation for America's later greatness.
But does the end justify the means? I can't possibly accept that God prompted and favored the Revolution, because the idea directly violates Scripture. Romans 13 is very clear in stating that the American Revolution was not something God would sanction: "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established....Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. Unless it's the American Revolution, in which case it's okay." Oops, I added that last line.
God doesn't violate his own rules. How could he tell us to be subject to rulers and authorities, and then say, "Okay, we'll make an exception in this case. Nobody should have to pay this much for tea." Jesus would not have signed the Declaration of Independence, and he would have reprimanded Simon the Zealot for picking up John Hancock's pen.
Don't get me wrong. I love my country. I believe we've been enormously blessed by God. I'm just puzzled. Because Scripture indicates that God would have been saddened when we violated Scripture by going to war against our rulers. And he is no doubt further saddened that, instead of showing repentance for what was clearly an unbiblical course of action, we continually give him credit for somehow inspiring the war and leading us to victory. And yet, once the deed was done, God got behind us as our biggest supporter.
Or did he? Is America's greatness more a product of a model governmental system, vast national resources, Judeo-Christian values, and a high percentage of God-fearing citizens (at least early on), than a product of God's blessing?
There's a big picture which I suspect only God can see.
Career-wise, I've been hanging around and writing about and cheering on churches and pastors for the past 25 years as my denomination's Communications Director.
From what I remember of the American Revolution, the original settlers left England so they could worship God the way they believed He wanted them to. They came to America. King George didn't want to let them go, wanted to have dominion over the New World also, thus the Revolution. Let's remember that God wants us to follow His commands above all else. The early settlers weren't trying to overthrow England, they came across an ocean for religious freedom.
Freedom of religion would certainly be important...if it was part of the rationale for declaring independence. I've never heard that that was a problem in the Colonies. The Declaration of Independence contains a long list of grievances (and it's a strong indictment of England's treatment of the Colonies), but the list contains nothing about any constraints on religious freedom.
Interesting topic, Steve. Just today, my students and I were reading some Thomas Paine. We discussed Paine's rhetoric and use of ethical arguments to tell colonists that 1) of course God is on their side because they've tried to avoid war, and 2)King George has the same chance of God's favor as that of a murderer or robber. It was a fascinating persuasive piece, with such beautifully elevated language that I wonder if any of the students even questioned the arguments in it. Anyway, good post. And this whole "ends justifies the means" for God is an interesting one.