Beware Dangerous Ideas In Hiding
I don’t mean to be an alarmist, but please keep a lookout for
dangerous ideas disguised as innocent ones. I spotted a dangerous
idea about two weeks ago, and it was hiding in plain sight on this
page.
The idea came from Curtis Mitchell. He said our elected officials
should carry out their duties with a primary emphasis on the will
of God. Mitchell said our politicians should pray loudly to Jesus
Christ, beg for mercy and forgiveness, and ask God for direction in
all matters that come before them (presumably including matters of
public policy). Furthermore, our politicians should do it on live
television, he wrote, adding, “They lead, we follow.”
Mitchell’s idea seems harmless, but it opens the door to theocracy,
a dangerous form of government with leaders who exercise power with
claims of divine guidance. In a theocracy, a citizen who dares to
confront his leaders is also confronting God and is therefore
regarded as an infidel who must be set straight, ignored or
punished. Modern theocracies include Iran, Saudi Arabia and the
Vatican.
Mitchell wants more morality in politics, to which I say amen. Yet
his letter raised a red flag when it implied our elected officials
should follow God’s instructions on how to run the
government.
The American government gets its power from the will of the people,
not the will of God. Mitchell’s letter demonstrates how a dangerous
idea can smuggle itself into good intentions. We should stay alert
for things like that.
David Woosley
Greenwood
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