There is a strange statement in 1 Samuel 15:23 – “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft”. Israel wanted a king like the nations around them and God wanted them to understand that He was their King. Once Kings were established they were the conduit to God. The “divine right” of Kings was a rather large historical deal back in the day. As the church developed there was a separation between Kings and the church. One controlled the secular worldly sphere and the other the spiritual sphere. It doesn’t always work well because human beings can’t be divided up like that.
The figment that is the separation of church and state as it exists today for some, is based on the states desire to control what is real and what isn’t. The coming of the Pope to America shows, if we pay attention, that the political realm is determined to define reality. Early this morning I heard the pundits in the press talk about the Popes speech on the environment as “social doctrine”. Nothing more and Nothing less. I wish someone would explain to me what that even means. Social doctrine as opposed to what? Unsocial doctrine?
Interestingly as we look we see the trapping of royalty all over the place. The presidents and kings and politicians want the trapping of royalty and so does the Pope. Well maybe he doesn’t want it as some of the pundits say. He has done away with the expensive cars and the “shoes of the fisherman”. He wants to be one of “us”. Ok great. The point is that the trappings of the Pope have for years been that of royalty. Why?
Peter Levenda a conspiracy buff if there ever was one wrote these words, “The word “real” and the word “royal” are inextricably linked. Indeed, in some languages the word for “real” and the word for “royal” is the same, such as Spanish “real” . Reality is, in this view, linked with Royalty; what is real is what is part of the kingdom, the “real estate.” What is outside the kingdom is, therefore, outside of reality. It is not “royal,” hence it is not “real.” Reality is a shape- shifter, dependent as much on political decisions as it is on scientific observations. And these decisions and observations are usually not the prerogative of the individual citizen. An essential part— a fundamental part— of the social contract, and imposed from the top down, is a general agreement as to what constitutes reality. To deviate from that agreement is to deviate from society— the kingdom, the real estate, the state religion— itself. It is to become, in a sense, a Satanist, a worshipper of an adversary; or a witch, a worshipper of an unapproved God.”
When Pilate asked Jesus if he was a King, Jesus said. “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” John 18 Jesus came to bring the truth. Jesus came to define reality. The reality is that Jesus came to save sinners. Pilate the representative of the “king” expressed his truth, and that is that truth is malleable and shape shifting and expedient.
The reason a free press is important in a secular society is to help us define reality rather than to let the political class do it all alone. Unfortunately the press is now a part of the “real estate”. The press has become an extension of the ruling class. Watch carefully as the press and the politicians will desperately try and define the reality of what the Pope says or doesn’t say. The vice President will define the Popes words as they apply to say, climate change, as important and cautionary. He will say that the Popes words on life and the concept that maybe selling dead baby parts to the highest bidder might not be a good idea as “social doctrine”. It is the old bait and switch of American politics. The ruling classes will not talk about their personal religious convictions when it comes to abortion because they don’t want to impose them on the rest of us. Yet they will impose their personal convictions on us on everything else from climate change to gun rights, to what you can do with your own money, to what kind of toilet paper you will be allowed to buy.
I have heard many people utter the words “unreal” when they are describing what is going on in the world today. Sadly it is all too “real”. The unreality is felt when the ruling classes try and explain it.
