When our Lord walked this earth, there were two major "parties" leading the Jewish people: the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Both of these groups posed major problems for Christ. Furthermore, though each group opposed the other, neither of them represented the truth. We have a very similar situation today in the United States with the two major political parties. In fact, the two major parties are eerily similar to those two problem-groups of Jesus' day.
Pharisees were the "conservatives" of their day. They believed in God and in personal morality. On the other hand, Sadducees were the "liberals" of their day. They were blatantly secular in philosophy and conduct. If they were yet with us today, Pharisees would doubtless feel right at home in the Republican Party, while Sadducees would fit right in with the Democratic Party.
While the Pharisees and Sadducees fiercely fought each other, they were both the enemies of Christ. When it came to supporting error and opposing truth, they were united. The same is true today with the Republican and Democratic parties.
Republicans and Democrats only argue about things that have to do with enriching each party's power and influence. On matters of substance, however, they are mostly united.
For example, neither party gives a flip about what the U.S. Constitution says. The only time they refer to it is when they seek an advantage over the other party. On the whole, elected public officials from both parties take their oath of office about as seriously as a lion takes the hissing of an opossum.
Beyond that, neither party believes in the principle of limited government. The size and scope of the federal government continues to skyrocket regardless of which party is in power. Republicans increase government by incurring debt; Democrats increase government by raising taxes. The result is the same: government gets bigger and bigger, while freedom gets smaller and smaller.
Furthermore, Pharisees and Sadducees alike supported Caesar. In fact, this was one of the central charges against Christ: He was seen as a rebel who refused to acknowledge the divine authority of Caesar. Because of this, Jesus was branded "unpatriotic." This ultimately led to His crucifixion. Conservatives today are doing the same thing.
Anyone who refuses to acknowledge that President Bush has been given divine authority to act outside the U.S. Constitution is branded as unpatriotic or worse. Several conservatives have even gone so far as to call G. W. Bush, "America's King." To them, Bush is Caesar, and America is an empire.
In the meantime, both parties continue to ignore or expunge the principles of truth and righteousness upon which our country was founded. Therefore, choosing between Republicans and Democrats is like choosing between Pharisees and Sadducees.
© Chuck Baldwin
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