As our laws, law enforcement and Christian foundations have changed, our national “foot print” has changed as well. The ripple effect this has caused around the globe is quite remarkable. The pattern of aggression towards America, Americans and Christianity in general has escalated dramatically. Things unheard of a few years ago are now becoming the norm, and we hear about them nightly on the news. The statement made by Rand Paul, now made famous because of our clear lack of national leadership, is painfully coming to pass: “our allies don’t respect us and our enemies don’t fear us”. We have gone from being a leader that gave hope and vision, to that which lacks direction and desperately needs hope and vision to be restored.
The murder of four Marines in Chattanooga, Tennessee by a lone Muslim killer hit the news and hardly anyone blinked an eye. An illegal alien, one of 11 million who are here due to our failed national security policies, killed kathryn Steinle, and it was simply ignored by the White House. Homosexuals in Germany now tear pages out of the Bible and wipe their backsides with them. These pages, covered with human excrement, were thrown at Christians who were peacefully expressing their concerns about unbiblical marriage. What happens? To prevent a homosexual riot the German police demand that the Christians leave the area and the vulgar, illegal, discriminatory actions of the gay community go unpunished.
Our president just brokered a deal with Iran, which is a nation that continually sponsors global terrorism. He lifts all sanctions against it and then promises to give them billions of American dollars, meanwhile it’s citizens are publically chanting, “death to America, death to Israel”. The president does all this while failing to talk about, or make any provision for, the release of American Citizens being illegally held in prison by that same government. Yet this president feels proud that he personally signed the order to release five known terrorists, who openly hate America and have vowed to attack it, in exchange for Bo Bergdahl, a known traitor to our country.
The betrayal and disgust I feel right now about all of the above is beyond words. In fact, I cannot remember a time when I have been so angry because so many forces are simultaneously at work, within and without, to destroy the nation that I love. Lawmakers, judges, and now law enforcement officers are making decisions that were unthinkable 50 years ago. The rule of constitutional law has given way to the rise of discretionary law. That is, laws are now made and enforced based upon personal discretion. How the official actually “feels” about a particular law is what determines if it will be enforced or not.
Worse yet, law enforcement, government agencies and unelected bureaucrats keep adding insult to injury. They post signs that say “Turn In poachers”, “Report Any Illegal Hunting”, “Call The Anonymous Fishing Hotline For Any Illegal Activity” or “Call This Number To Anonymously Report Code Violations”. They actually expect people to turn in others who don’t comply with the laws they all too often do not choose to enforce. Does anyone but me see the hypocrisy and irony in all of this? What troubles me is that 2015 America under Barack Obama feels more and more like 1939 Germany under Adolph Hitler, and no one seems to be bothered by it. I have to wonder why???
The fact is, the standards we all voted for and agreed upon as citizens no longer seems to hold any weight, or have to be enforced. Now that this new reinterpretation of the law has taken effect, where it ends up is anybody’s guess. I can tell you for a fact that for those who live in the Adirondack Mountains, and in most rural areas of this nation, the impact of “discretionary law” has been dramatic. Many no longer buy permits or licenses that were once considered a normal part of outdoor life. Beyond that, people buy and sell locally and on the internet, or work for themselves and they do it all in cash. They report nothing and put the money they earned right into their pocket. The list of these “violations” is extensive and it is growing bigger every single day.
People now feel it is at their “discretion” to work or not, to hunt, fish or build when they want, and they feel justified in doing it as much as they want to provide for their family. They do it without any license or care for the laws that were once considered a restraining force. They buy and sell guns and ammunition among themselves or at locally run gun shows. They build and repair homes, sheds and garages. They clear land, replace septic systems, drill wells and do a thousand other things across the country without compliance to the laws, purchase of permits or regard for the time of year. Why? Because they see government officials using “discretionary law” and they embrace their right to do the same.
Two headlines I just lifted from the New York State outdoor news are prime examples. The first reads “Low Compliance ” and it is a report of the fact that only 5% of guns that should be registered in New York State have actually been registered by gun owners since Governor Cuomo’s hated “safe act” was forced upon the people. The second is “sales of licenses plummet”. and this relates to the fact that sportsmen have simply stopped buying licenses as an act of defiance against laws that have been passed without their consideration or approval. This is a pattern of open rebellion by decent people that is not going to go away!
In reality, the destruction or our national Christian soul has been successful in creating a whole generation that feels entitled to living in rebellion to the rule of law. They know the laws will change to accommodate every perverse practice, or they simply ignore them altogether, and this encourages people to run unrestrained. The results basically means we are now living in an autocratic society where people live by their own rules. They can defy every historical, legal, moral and social standard, and ignore what everyone else may be doing, as long as it does not conflict with them.
However, when the conflict of personal desires arises, it causes one group to create such a violent disruption that everyone else is willing to comply with what they want. This reaction and compliance only serves to open the door for the breakdown of society into mob rule. We are now seeing, and will continue to see this happen with more frequency in America and around the world. Make no mistake about it, what happened in Ferguson, Baltimore and London is just the tip of the iceberg. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!
Once Iran gets nuclearized, and the mid east bristles with escalated threats of war, things will really begin to unfold. We will see Israel surrounded by her enemies, and they will be excoriated by the UN and the world, for defending themselves against that aggression. We will see national economies continue to collapse, while world finances and world leaders continue to join forces to bail them out. The fact is, we are being set up for what is yet to come and it certainly is exciting to watch.
Get ready, because hostility towards Christians, the Bible and what is morally sound has only just begun. It is clear that the rule of constitutional law will continue to give way to the rule of discretionary law. Those who oppose this lawless change will stand out and they will have to deal with the consequences. They may not be welcomed by the powers of this present darkness, but they will shine as lights in a dark place. Rejoice and be glad, for there will be great joy over you in Heaven by the Power of the Kingdom that is yet to come. Now go out there and let your light shine because you really can make a difference!
William Emmons 