The American Experiment

Don't get me wrong. I love my country. I think, in fact, that it is likely the best country in the world. That doesn't require, however, that I cannot find fault or that I must think that the country is perfect. I think, in fact, that there are some problems that our country has caused rather than solved. (Now, keep in mind here that I am speaking to American Christians, since we have a particular standard of "right and wrong" both in terms of morality as well as worldview. If you don't value the Christian worldview, this won't pertain to you.)

The American Experiment has some valuable assets, to be sure, but I contend that there are inherent errors that started at the beginning. Take, for instance, the Declaration of Independence. While we all find it to be a noble document, it must be considered by Christians to be ... well ... wrong. There is a list of things that the drafters of the document referred to as "self-evident." One of them was "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." Nice thought, and Americans generally take it as true ... but the Bible disagrees. "There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God" (Rom. 13:1).

That, in fact, is basis of a key American problem. Those who live under other types of governments don't typically have the problem we have with authority. Henry James (1843-1916) provided a list of things that America had none of. At the top of the list was "No sovereign." The echo from the decade of the '60's was "Question authority!" The key to the American perspective has been individuality. Independence and equality are the primary "good" to America.

You can only imagine, then, the dilemma that occurs in the mind of the American Christian when we read, "Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?" (Rom 6:16). Given the American ideal that no authority has rights over people, you can certainly see that a God who judges would be an unacceptable notion to Americans. In a society that values the individual above all else, you can easily see that dying to self would be not only unwise, but unwanted, even idiotic. "Me? Submit? No way!"

I love my country. I think it's likely the best country on the planet. Still, it isn't perfect. And some of the things that we value most, as it turns out, seem to be in direct opposition to God. How, then, do we make the "Gospel" a message that Americans would like? Be careful how you answer. If it removes Sovereignty or Lordship, it's the wrong direction.