Teach Christians not to covet

Millions of decent, sincere American Christians routinely support, vote for and are responsible for electing politicians who are ardent supporters of abortion, who proudly advance the agenda of homosexual activists, who vote for taxpayer-funded pornography and blasphemy, and who are in general at war with those Christians' faith and morality. Why? Why do these people, who are committed to advancing the cause of Christ and his Church and who lament the moral state of their country, tip the balance of power toward those who have total contempt for them and their faith?

It is because these depraved politicians have managed to gain the high moral ground in the mind of all too many Christians. Why? How could that possibly be? Do they have countervailing virtues that offset their unrighteous positions on the above issues? Are they righteous on other issues? Ironically enough, paradoxically enough, what manages to offset the depravity is only more sin and unrighteousness. So it is no wonder that this country is in trouble. The wicked are in power because Christians put them there, and they put them there because of their wickedness – because of the wickedness Christians have been told is, and are all too willingly to believe to be, goodness and decency.

It is written, "Thou shalt not covet." And yet our government at all levels has become one colossal machinery of covetousness – and few seem to notice or care. Those same preachers and activists who rightly decry abortion are silent on this issue and are more than likely a part of the problem. It would seem that some sins are a whole lot worse than others, and the worst sins usually seem to be those of others.

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Thou shalt not covet. No ifs or buts. No only whens or excepts. And no unless. Most of today's Christians have added an ever-growing string of qualifiers, of their own making, to the command of God. Thou shalt covet if thy neighbor has more than you think he should. Thou shalt covet thy neighbors' goods to pay for grandma's prescription drugs and grandpa's surgery. Thou shalt covet thy neighbors' goods to pay for your children's education. Thou shalt covet thy neighbors' goods to feed the hungry on the other side of town and to provide medical care for needy children.

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All too many think that it is good to covet thy neighbor's goods if he is faceless and nameless and it is for a good cause. And you must covet his goods if you think he has too much.

Covetousness is an integral part of the Democratic Party. In these perverse times, evil has become good and good has become evil. The Democrats' all-coveting-all-the-time has given them moral superiority. Anyone who stands against them is base and downright evil. Millions of Christians have bought this nonsense and have tipped the balance of power. They are willing to accept and support politicians who advance policies and programs they find depraved only because these politicians also promote the sin of covetousness. These millions of Christians think that compounding evil somehow results in righteousness. Very strange theology, that. A multitude of evils most definitely do not make right. (Unfortunately, all too many Republicans have also been getting on the bandwagon so as to pander to what more and more Americans want. They are quickly becoming second-rate Democrats.)

The current state of our national affairs and the balance between the factions of liberty and tyranny reflect the conflicting factions within the Church. The Church is responsible for the condition and course of our nation. As goes the Church, so goes the nation. If you want to effect change in the nation, seek to change the hearts and minds of believers.

In order to change the government monstrosity of covetousness and theft, change the Church's attitude toward coveting. Educate Christians. If coveting your neighbor's new car is bad, how much worse is coveting billions and billions, year after year. If coveting is bad, then coveting in the name of righteousness surely compounds the error with dishonesty. Those who are sincere will turn from their errors. Those who are true believers will realize that their ends do not justify the means that have been outlawed by God Himself.

What happens when more and more Christians turn away from government-sponsored coveting? Christians refusing to demand what belongs to their fellow citizens; refusing to accept what was taken from others; and refusing to vote for those who promote covetousness. What happens is fundamental change. Those who support and promote abortion, homosexuality and pornography and who war against traditional morality will find it harder and harder to get elected. Government drastically shrinks. Government budgets at all levels shrink. There is no longer a need for confiscatory taxes.

We become a much freer and prosperous people.

J. Frank Jad is a small-business owner and an artist who resides in Pittsburgh, Pa.