The Pursuit of Lawlessness
 
The Pursuit of Lawlessness
Written By Rev. Thorin Anderson   |   08.30.23
Reading Time: 5 minutes

In the Bible, Judges 21:25, we read that when there was no king (authority) in the land of Israel, everyone “did what was right in their own eyes,” meaning lawlessness became the norm.

Sounds like America today!

Lawlessness is the antithesis of God, for He created order in the universe; and that order is beneficial! Mankind’s lawlessness originated with Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden (“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and all sin is lawlessness,” I John 3:4 NKJV).

While order may not be very exciting, disorder often becomes dangerous, which is precisely the reality in many of our cities and streets. Wild and erratic drivers are making travel an unpleasant and risky experience in many places, and violence mars inner cities and beyond. Behavior that used to be merely irritating, now leads to fist fights and gun shots. The downside of lawlessness is so obvious– why are our political and cultural leaders pushing the country down that path?

One must ask what their real objective is.

Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and the defund the police movements are visible manifestations of lawlessness; but such tactics, because they are so public, are not as dangerous as those that are more subtle. There have been assaults on the pillars of American society for decades and they are bearing deadly fruit.

People and institutions fail, so it is not surprising when they are criticized. But the criticism from the Left is not constructive, but destructive.

For example, there was a time when it was humorous to poke fun at dads in comics and comedies; but the attacks on fatherhood are no longer a laughing matter. There is a malignancy in the constant belittling and scorning of dads.

Sure, they, like everyone, do foolish things from time to time, but the incessant bashing of fathers and fatherhood is so harmful as to be evil. I am not aware of a single program now running on television that holds fatherhood in high regard or challenges young men to become good fathers.

The damage done to young men being raised in fatherless homes or with weak fathers is inexcusable.

Girls raised without a strong, loving father suffer a great loss as well. I remember listening to two elderly women as they recounted losing their fathers when they were quite young, one to death, the other to abandonment. Even seventy years after those losses, tears streamed down their cheeks!

Strong, attentive, and involved fathers are critically important to children and society!

The family being the foundation of a stable, safe community and culture, these attacks on fatherhood can only have malignant intent and are designed to weaken and destroy the nation. Such attacks are not merely political.

They are devastating on a personal level. Millions of children have suffered, and many have died as an indirect result of this war on fathers. Benevolent, strong fathers bring stability to a community and are an important antidote to disorder and lawlessness. The current disorder and violence across America, and especially in inner cities, are due largely to fathers missing from homes.

Knowing that absentee fathers lead to a plethora of problems for children, there should be zero tolerance for anyone or anything that undermines fatherhood. We should hold in disdain any writer, producer, actor, or sponsor who, through programming broadcast in America, undermines the important role fathers play in a child’s upbringing.

It is no longer a matter of just getting a few laughs at dad’s expense. Also, government programs that disincentivize fathers from being present in the home must be ended.

Children’s lives are at stake!

Leftists portray themselves as the champions of the voiceless and powerless, yet those who are most at risk, who have no voice of their own, that is children, are the greatest victims of Leftist policies and lawlessness!

Children are abused and dying because of the Leftist’s policies, whether it be legalized drugs, open borders, abortion, or the destruction of the traditional family. And all who seek to protect children are brutally attacked.

It is impossible to love children yet support the lawlessness of the Left.

God alone is always right. All humans fail, meaning that if we are looking, we will find fault with everyone. Well-intentioned people are careful with criticism and seek to balance off criticism with praise and helpful advice. The Left does nothing but accuse America and Americans.

They must be exposed for being the destroyers they are.

Leftists accuse conservatives of lying, (as if they have a problem with lying!). But one is hard pressed to find them speaking the truth. They lie even when there appears no reason for lying! But it is not for no reason. By assailing others as liars, they create a façade of integrity that fools the uninformed while creating a scenario where honest Americans despair of finding the truth anywhere.

Those who believe there is no truth are more likely to live by their feelings and emotions rather than by principles, thus contributing to the culture’s instability.

I read “The Emperor’s New Clothes” many years ago, but apparently most Americans have not; for if they had, they would be more resistant to the lies of Leftist Wokism. One point of the story is the weakness of many in the face of peer pressure.

It apparently takes very little to intimidate many into accepting propaganda, even when the truth is right in front of their faces. The propaganda machine of the Left attacking America’s important stabilizing institutions is in high gear.

A key to destabilizing a country is to discredit its institutions to the point where people no longer have faith in them. It is not difficult to find fault with others if we are looking for it. But if enough people do nothing but tear others down, society will suffer. In most cases, it is good to remember the Scripture’s admonition,

“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” 

The Left is not only ready to cast stones at their opponents, if they cannot find genuine flaws in America or in a conservative, but also they are not above making things up! Little-by-little American society is being turned up-side-down. Things are not what they appear to be, and one gets the false impression that no one can be trusted.

And so, lawlessness flourishes.

Young people are told to “follow your heart,” and “don’t let anyone tell you what to do,” which spring from a spirit of anarchy! But no one ever gets around to explaining what a culture looks like when everyone “follows their heart” and does whatever they want to do.

It is not a pretty sight. Chaos and disorder lead to suffering and death; so, one must again ask why are so many shepherds of culture pushing that agenda? How can they live with themselves knowing that millions of Americans, especially children, are being destroyed by the confusion, disorder, and violence they promote?

It is not possible to know the motivation of everyone promoting lawlessness in America. It could be pride, hatred for God and authority, hunger for personal power, or all the above. But the motives are largely irrelevant in the end.

The promoters of chaos must be countered and defeated. 

  • First, because lawlessness is rebellion against God and brings His judgment.
  • Second, because of the harm it brings to everyone, especially children and other innocent people, and
  • finally, because chaos is an open opportunity for tyrants to usurp control and eliminate personal liberties, property, and lives.

John Locke noted that anyone willing to take away your liberty will likely be willing to take everything away from you.

Someone has rightly noted that “nature abhors a vacuum.”

And a chaotic culture is evidence of the absence of control, or a “vacuum” of authority. This instability cannot be sustained for long, and we can be sure that tyrannically minded individuals are at this moment seeking to take the levers of power in America.

If we continue our present course, it is only a matter of time until they do.

Therefore, America, you have two choices:

  • continue the chaos and lawlessness until someone steps in to force the “peace” of tyranny upon us, or
  • repent before God and reintroduce individual self-discipline guided by the wisdom of the Judeo-Christian principles the Founders took from the Bible so that liberty and stability may be restored.

There are no other options.


Rev. Thorin Anderson
Rev. Thorin Anderson is a member of the Advisory Council to Illinois Family Institute and the former pastor of Parkwood Baptist Church on the south side of Chicago. Pastor Anderson has faithfully pastored at Parkwood Baptist Church since September, 2000 until 2022. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Central Seminary. He and his wife Toni have seven children and 19 grandchildren. Pastor Anderson also serves on the board of directors for Men for Christ, an association that organizes annual weekend men’s rallies in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois on a rotating basis. For more information on these...
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