Where Angels Fear to Tread

One of the conservative e-newsletters that I take (in counterbalance to the various liberal sites I also peruse, to get a feel for the whole range of the political dialogue going on in my home country of the U.S.) has a particular Christian bent to it. A discussion was going on there recently into the appropriate role for a Christian to take as regards an "unrighteous" government - whether to 'render unto Caesar what is Caesar's' obediently, because the state is in the role of the sovereign; etc. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament were brought into the debate; and at times it was getting rather heated, and accusatory, along the lines of who was the better Christian. To my taste, it was beginning to appear like an argument regarding how many Angels can dance on the head of a pin; and I couldn't resist weighing into the forum. The particular blog was headed 'The Right to Petition the Government For a Redress of Grievances', by one Gary Demar; my contribution:

"This issue should be very clear in this country, from the Declaration of Independence through the Constitution. It is the right, nay the duty, of The People to throw off oppressive government, since the government is and was to be one 'of, by and for the people' - not a ruling monarch, be that secular or clerical. The first step in such a cleansing would, of course, be by the power of the vote - vox populi, in the setting of a republican form of government, ie, of elected representatives. But if an injustice has taken place, and the Congress fails to act on it, the people can, indeed, petition that body for a redress of grievances. And if that body will not yield to the express wish of the people, then it can be dissolved by the power of the people, from whom it derives its power, and a new such body of representatives of the people be installed ("in a time certain"). Now obviously, that dissolvement should best be by non-violent means, since violence begets violence [and thus simply leaves matters on the same level as the problem]. And that spirit, of non-violent means, is what is contained in the term 'civil disobedience', which is a legitimate form of political discourse, especially in such a specifically-delineated body politic as pertains in the crowning achievement of the experimentation in self-governance, America." And then I took it out of simply the realm of theory into specific hypothesis:

"Let's say that it turns out that serious question arises as to the eligibility of an elected president of the United States to hold that particular office, and he (or she) not only fails to authorize release of the documentation that would clear the matter up, but actively intercedes in keeping that documentation from the public. Let's say that members of the public then try to take the matter to the judicial branch of government, but are thwarted in their efforts for 'disclosure' on the judicially-determined technical grounds of not having 'standing' in the matter; and they find, subsequent to that attempt to achieve justice, that the party that has the legalistic 'standing' is Congress. Then let's say that members of the public try to get Congress to act on the matter; the matter of their legitimate grievance - very far from legitimately to be considered a 'frivolous' (although certainly 'vexatious' to the defendant) grievance; especially as the office in question is also that of the Commander in Chief of the country's military, who are oathbound to uphold the Constitution through their military chain of command (and therefore certainly should by rights have 'standing', and the right to 'disclosure' in a court of law; but that's another grievance).* And let's say that what they get for their efforts is an invitation to go fly a kite.

"Grounds for civil disobedience? You bet.

"What can The People do in such an event. They can take the advice, and lump it. Or they can march on Washington - preferably peaceably, for a redress of their grievance - and remain there until the person who has 'asked' the American people to buy a pig in a poke for their presidency either establishes - to their satisfaction - his eligibility, or vacates the office; and if the latter scenario unfolds, The People can remain until the sitting Congress dissolves itself, for not having upheld its duty in the matter. Perhaps helped along in its deliberations by statements from the several State legislatures, in the spirit of the 10th Amendment to the Constitution. The whole process engaged in under the spirit of the 9th Amendment - the spirit of the whole American exercise in self-government.

"But whatever you do, don't let anybody tell you - and get away with it - that you have to abide by the dictates of an unrighteous government, in the exercise of your free moral agency. That has been a ploy that has been utilized by tyrants - both secular and clerical - for far too long, in the checkered history of mankind. And is well due for a change.

"Tell such would-be leaders: Checkmate. The People will take over now, thank you very much.

"As part of a general cleansing of the Augean stables of humanity. But that's for another discussion."


Now. A question arises; especially given the context of this matter, whereby it would appear that some very powerful people - powerful financially and politically - are engaged in a scenario of gaining total power over The People, in order to further their ends, which would appear, from the record, to include not only population control but culling; and so those people, that cabal, could reasonably be expected not to look favorably on anyone who might try to rock their boat. Am I, for one, in short, afraid for my life? especially given these stakes??

What do I have to say to that question.

Simply this:

No one can really get away with anything. The Creation is a Creation of inherent justice. It allows for progression; and in order to allow for progression, it has by necessity to allow for regression. But ultimately, all souls will return to a state of Unity. Because 'God is Love', as the expression has it. Meaning, there is the quality of Love behind the whole exercise. Allowing for the Prodigal Son to go exploring; and to return home, when he has finished all his explorations, and accepts, and understands, the ultimate reality behind the whole exercise. And knowing, that he is already forgiven for all he has done in his explorations. And just has to forgive himself, to complete the process.

In this regard, I like the words of the playwright Christopher Fry, in his 'A Sleep of Prisoners':

"Affairs are now soul size. The enterprise is exploration into God."

I also, in this regard, like the words of the poet T.S. Eliot:

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

And - to give Eliot his total dues - this final word on this subject, at this time:

"You are the music while the music lasts."

Let's see what kind of music YOU can make; to drown out the lesser music of others. And together with the greater music of others.


---


* In the case, say, of Army Flight Surgeon Lt. Col. Terrance Lakin, who is in prison for exercising his right, nay duty, to confirm the eligibility of his orders, via the eligibility-check attempt on his Commander in Chief to ascertain that person's right to hold that position of authority and responsibility, and thus to issue legal orders down the chain of command to him on the front line of duty.