As we approach the presidential election of 2024, more and more Christians are turning their thoughts to the Bible to guide their actions and decisions.

When deciding whether a government is good or bad, it is necessary to know what makes a civilization good or bad. Only then can we determine what kind of government will tend to make a civilization good or tend to make a civilization bad. And only then can we determine if a specific candidate is likely to help to make a government that will tend to make a civilization good, or make a government that will tend to make a civilization bad.

Near the beginning of my very first book, The Promised Land, published in 2004, I discussed what makes a civilization good or bad. Keep in mind that the first drafts of these thoughts were written about a decade earlier, in the early 1990s.

I emphasis those dates of drafting and publication because otherwise it would be natural to believe that I was intentionally writing to favor or oppose a specific candidate or party in the 2024 presidential election.

When reading any blog by me that has political implications, always keep in mind what I wrote in my first blog in this series: “Civilizations and Governments: An Independent Path”:

In the United States today, many Christians are seeking alliances with [a person,] a political party, an economic system, or an ideology as “a natural counterweight” to people who they fear. But alliances with [persons,] political parties, economic systems, or ideologies are as counterproductive and futile as “capitulating to Assyria” or “depending on Egyptian aid”—strategies that Isaiah condemned in favor of God’s people taking an independent path.

Here is what I published in 2004 as the Prologue of The Promised Land, at pages 17-18:

 

Prologue: Creating, Destroying and Saving Civilization

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1). “God created man in his own image . . . male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27). And God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31).

In the Garden of Eden, the LORD God created civilization. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were at its center (Genesis 2:9). Adam and Eve cared for each other and for their garden, sharing every intimacy together without shame (Genesis 2:15, 18, 25). The LORD God walked with them in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8).

In God’s good time and in God’s good way, the presence of the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would have blessed Adam and Eve. Civilization would have become good, it would have become very good.

But Adam and Eve sinned so that they experienced the curses of evil instead of the blessings of good. They were banished from the blessed garden and its tree of life (Genesis 3:23-24). Instead, by the sweat of his brow, Adam worked cursed land where thorns and thistles thwarted his efforts (Genesis 3:17-19). In great pain, Eve bore children while Adam ruled over her (Genesis 3:16).

Technology improved. People learned how to build cities, raise livestock, play harps and flutes, and forge tools out of bronze and iron (Genesis 4:17, 20-22).

But civilization became bad, it became very bad. Violence spread. First, brother killed brother (Genesis 4:8). Eventually, even though some people “began to call on the name of the LORD” (Genesis 4:26), the earth became so corrupt that it was “filled with violence” (Genesis 6:13). Therefore, God decided “to put an end to all people” (Genesis 6:13).

Fortunately, one person, Noah “found favor in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8). Why? Because “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God” (Genesis 6:9).

Therefore, God told Noah to build an ark to save himself, his family, and all life. Noah did everything just as God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22). And on the day that Noah’s world was destroyed, God shut him in the ark (Genesis 7:16).

“Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out” (Genesis 7:23). Nevertheless, “God remembered Noah” and those who were with him, and saved them (Genesis 8:1, 18-19).

After the flood, Noah and all those who were with him left the ark to be fruitful, filling the earth with a new civilization (Genesis 9:1). Such a fruitful civilization is possible because “in the image of God has God made man” (Genesis 9:6).

Faith overcame the destruction of the world (Hebrews 11:7; 2 Peter 3:6).

Hope overcame the flood of despair (Genesis 9:13-17).

Love overcame corruption and violence (Genesis 6:5-13).

Therefore, civilization can still become good, it can become very good—in the Promised Land.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Do you think God truly wanted (and planned) to put an end to all people?

Or was this a rhetorical exaggeration?

Are such rhetorical exaggerations common to make a point?

What do you think about the alleged act by Origen? The early Church Father, Origen, reportedly had himself castrated to remove temptations. Scholars are uncertain whether the reports were true, or merely malicious gossip. If the reports were accurate, Origen certainly was not acting as a wise man, and he subsequently ridiculed the idea that we should take these words of Jesus literally by gouging out our eye, cutting off our hand, or cutting off any other part of our body.

What do you think of rhetorical exaggerations, such as

—Jesus telling us that to follow him, we must hate our father and mother, wife and children, and brothers and sisters (Luke 14:26)?

—Jesus telling us that, to prevent sinning, we should cut off parts of our body (Matthew 5:29-30)?

—An exasperated parent saying, “I wish I’d never had children?”

How can faith overcome the destruction of your personal “world”?

How can faith overcome the destruction of your civilization’s “world”?

How can hope overcome your personal despair?

How can hope overcome your civilization’s despair?

How can love overcome corruption and violence? In your personal life? In your civilization?

READ MORE

For thoughts related to these blogs, please read my blogs “Civilizations and Governments: An Independent Path”; “Civilizations and Governments: Giving Wisdom Without Finding Fault”; “Civilizations and Governments: Using the Word To Build a New Earth”, “Civilizations and Governments: A Good Trainer”, “Civilizations and Governments: A Good Wife”, and “Civilizations and Government: A Good Toy”.

For thoughts about overcoming violence, please read my blogs “Ending Violence: Putting Faces With Names”, “Ending Violence: Embracing the Spirit of Peace”, and “Curtailing Force: Replacing Nails With Glue”.

For thoughts about preventing and curtailing war, please read my blog “Wishful Thinking: No Calories from Birthday Cake” and the many blogs I mention in its READ MORE section.

For more thoughts about Noah’s Flood please read the Appendix titled “Noah’s World, Noah’s Ark, and God’s Rainbow” in The Promised Land, at pages 195-200.