Ronald Reagan has just exhibited an ethical illiteracy, devoid of any knowledge of Biblical Christianity.
On March 8 he urged Christian evangelicals, in convention in Florida, to spread from their pulpits his crusade against the “evil empire” of the Soviet Union. He said, according to news reports, that if we don’t build more nuclear bombs, we will be morally inferior to the Russians. He wants more and bigger bombs because, he says, the United States and the Soviet Union are locked in a struggle between right and wrong, and good and evil.
Reagan’s choice of the word “crusade” in connection with a moral effort is unfortunate. The original “holy” crusades of the Middle Ages were supposed to be efforts to rescue the tomb of Christ from the infidels, but they turned out to be a series of wars for commercial gain and licensed piracy. Thousands of devout Christians died for higher profits for the merchants of Venice and the innkeepers of Malta and Cypress. I am always worried when somebody starts a crusade.
The New Testament not once advocates a military contest or conquest. When Jesus was attacked by the soldiers, he told Peter, “Put up your sword, for they that live by the sword shall die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52-53). The message of the Gospels is one of Reconciliation. Jesus says, “If you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24). Paul writes, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves. – No, if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he is thirsty give him drink – Do not be overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Mr. Reagan never speaks in terms of conciliation; always in terms of challenging confrontation and enmity. He would do well to read another statement of Jesus, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not see the log that is in your own eye. You hypocrite, first take the log out of your eye and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5). Jesus probably disliked the Roman rulers almost as much as did his Jewish compatriots, but he preached to his own people first, to purify themselves to be a light to the Gentiles.
The story of Jonah is suggestive here. He was a Jew. He hated Assyria, the capital of which was Nineveh, a pagan city and the mortal enemy of Israel. God commands Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach that after thirty days Nineveh would be destroyed. Jonah objected but after his experience with the great fish he went on his mission. He pronounced the doom and sat down outside the city to await eagerly the promised destruction. But God did not follow through. The city was spared and Jonah was mad. He was mad at God. God planted a vine to give Jonah some shade while he sat in his hut. Then, the next night he killed the vine so that the sun beat mercilessly on Jonah again. Jonah got mad all over again. It was becoming a habit. God asked Jonah if he did well to be angry because of the vine, and Jonah replied that he certainly did do well to be angry. And then God said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor make it grow, which came into being in a night, and perished in a night. And I should nit pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than a hundred thousand persons who did not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle.” That last phrase about “much cattle” is beautiful.
Mr. President, get acquainted with Jonah’s and Jesus’ God. Then you might speak about morals.
The President is trying to dictate to religious leaders. Next, he’ll tell publishers what they may print. His administration has already ruled that the citizens may not see educational films about acid rain.
A national political leader, who finds himself with a divided constituency and declining levels of support, frequently tries to recoup his losses by whipping up hatred for someone, usually a foreign country. Hitler unified Germany by inciting hatred. Reagan’s appeal to the Christian Evangelicals sounds much like the same thing.
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