Redemptive Politics

"Wherever politics tries to be redemptive, it is promising too much. Where it wishes to do the work of God, it becomes not divine, but demonic."
— Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict, meet the founding Fathers.

The establishment clause of the first amendment of the constitution is all about government being redemptive; the pitfalls of government being redemptive and the unfortunate consequences of government being redemptive. So, what did we do in the last two generations? We embraced the politics of redemption. And now we are reaping that which we have sown.

Can government redeem the human condition? Can it establish a higher plane of life that will make the daily trials and tribulations of being a human being more tolerable; more connected to nature; more in line with the great unknown mysteries of existence and salvation?

The Marxists have tried it. Their disciples are still at it. There is very little substantative or tangible evidence that Marxism accomplishes its objectives but that reality seems to bear small influence on the attraction to the light of its message. The socialists sure like it. They still claim that public ownership of wealth creating activities is the only truly democratic way to produce and share the wealth in some equitable manner. But it always seems that the strongest voices for these pro bono publico systems are the ones who either cannot grasp the concept of competitiveness or have grasped it to such an extent that they move beyond the mere toil of meeting basic needs.

Here is the pertinent wording of our first amendment which seems to be pretty basic stuff, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

Now most religions have lots of rules and lots of processes and traditions and forms to fill out and learning sessions to attend and books of concepts to memorize. Some of them collect money with vigor and others with variations of volunteerism. Some use sugar to entice; some use fear and some go right to the bottom line – behave; pony up or go to he**.

When government moseyed over to this path, which it is inclined to do, it brings one powerful form of enticement. It brings subtle and violent power. It brings the power to confiscate; harass and ultimately to destroy the simple human needs for life, liberty, freedom, privacy and property. It can tax you to death; it can decide if you should be left alone or hounded unmercifully and, it can, literally put you to death. Think about that. Government can kill you and not incur any earthly consequence. It can take your property; it can take your freedom; it can take your life or that of your child or spouse or neighbor.

It can decide to pursue one set of values and reject another set of values. It can decide to help out one group of people and make another group pick up the tab. It can fund its activities with your money and give the money to those who join it and support it. Or it can just keep it for the benefit of those who are on the inside and say the heck with all others.

Are you beginning to get the idea of why the founders and the Pope said no state or government or politics of redemption? Are you beginning to get the idea of why one government’s redemptive promises may not be consistent with your redemptive preferences? Does it make sense to limit government to a small list of non redemptive tasks such as running the army or the courts or printing the currency (as long as it is economically based) or establishing tariffs and protecting the borders? Makes sense to TheFundamentals. Here is the list of activities that the founding fathers said are OK for the national government – go for it; these are your powers and these are your only powers. All other powers; all other everything belong to the states and the people.

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

So, back to Benedict XVI. Some call him Father. Some call him Holy Father. Founding Father also seems appropriate.