I must be one perverted sicko. Not only did I love Mel Gibson's Passion, I could probably see it again and again and again. I did not think the violence was obsessive or pornographic. Maybe it was because I viewed it with a sense of detachment. I watched it first and foremost as a movie, not as a depiction of my faith. Instead of pondering what Christ did for me and my own sins, I viewed it as an adventure story of epic, supernatural proportions.
Think Lord of the Rings encapsulated in one event and one man. From the opening scenes, it was clear that this is about a battle. And the movie's physical "battle" reminds me of Rocky, except this Rocky knows that the only way he'll win is if he doesn't throw a single punch.
Jesus, the ultimate underdog. One man vs. the world.
Its the ultimate indictment of human instruments of power. Human-made Civilization went to war with God's far freer, more productive, and happier Civilization, embodied in the most civilized man who ever walked the earth – Jesus of Nazareth. No matter if this human power is imperial power, or a cozy and compromised relationship with that power by the indigenous religious authorities. The Roman imperial government killed Christ at the behest of the Jewish authorities with which they had created a relationship; the Romans wouldn't have killed him otherwise – not then, at least. But they did crucify many other innocent people all by themselves.
The social vision of the book of Deuteronomy indicates, to me, nothing of the sort of compromise with a foreign civil government, that Jerusalem's Sanhedrin had with Rome. Instead, it points to a radically decentralized and free-market vision. There would be no centralized authority, no King and no national Republic.
The struggle for the independence of Israel from foreign empires had always been a theme throughout the Old Testament. Israel sins, then is conquered, then repents, then regains freedom. But Jewish authorities seemed content with their relationship with corrupt, pagan Rome, thus destroying Israel's own witness of Godly righteousness and justice to the nations. Jesus came with a new example of justice and righteousness. That was a threat, and he had to die. Israel's righteousness was no longer an example to the world, and Jesus's teaching was the correction.
A new sect, and ultimately, a new civilization, followed the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. And every subsequent Christian nation that sought centralized government and imperialism has found its own formerly Christian culture wallowing in apostasy, unbelief, and social decline.
Christians – and modern Jews – would do ourselves and the supposed "Culture War" good if we followed the promise to Abraham and became righteous, God-fearing and neighbor-loving secessionists. Even if secession is impractical through the political Statist process, secession can happen in each and every one of us if we want it. There are three things to consider:
- Do you think the federal government follows its own rules – that is – are most of the policies and programs of the federal government constitutional?
- Are these federal government programs and policies even moral?
- Are there realistic means in the political process to "fix" these Constitutional and moral problems?
If the answer is "no" to all three questions, it might be time to give up and become a secessionist. That doesn't mean to take up arms against the government, but just to spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually divorce yourself from the federal government. No longer say the Pledge of Allegiance or sing along to the Star-Spangled Banner, for instance.
For whether we see it through the lens of Jesus Christ, or from the book of Deuteronomy, the principle is the same: we weren't made for oppression. We weren't made for tyranny. Jesus was killed by a foreign tyranny that had compromised and corrupted the local powers-that-be.
Let's be better than that, and refuse to compromise with centralist States and other forms of tyranny and imperialism.
Jesus, according to my faith, didn't just forgive me for my sins. He restored creation and re-started civilization. That's why I love the depiction of his struggle in The Passion. The reason the process of renewal has seemed so slow is that so many people are not really following Christ's teachings but rather merging them with American ideology to create something totally confusing and often depressing. So let's secede from Statism and follow God alone.
March 5, 2004
