I’m Still in Washington

Well, now, where was I? When I last spoke to you from these pages, in 1996, I had been for 11 years, writing a column for Chalcedon under the heading “Our Man In Washington.” In the interest of full disclosure, however, I must confess that, when I wrote, I never was really in Washington, D. C. I wrote often about what was going on in our nation’s capital. But I always wrote from where I live now, in Laurel, Maryland, which at least is close to Washington, D.C.

In recent years I have been greatly blessed working for Michael Anthony Peroutka, a smart and courageous Maryland attorney who has been strongly influenced by the writings of Dr. R. J. Rushdoony. In 2004, I was Communications Director for Michael’s campaign for President as the candidate of the Constitution Party.

Presently, I am editor of Peroutka’s Web page, TheAmericanView.com, whose Managing Editor, Scott Whiteman, has also been strongly influenced by Rush’s writings. Michael and I also co-host an hourly, weekly radio show (“The American View”) which is nationally-syndicated by Radio America to stations in 37 cities in 22 states.

If you’ll visit our page, the influence of Rush and his writings is obvious. Michael, with his brother Stephen Peroutka, is a co-founder of “Institute On The Constitution” (IOTConline.com), an educational organization teaching the truth about the Biblical origins of our country and advocating the restoration of our Constitutional Republic by offering classes, lectures, and other aids. What we are about in all our work is advancing Christ’s Kingdom. We believe fervently what Isaiah 60:12 tells us:

“For the nation and kingdom that shall not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.”

As Christians, we are commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ to teach all nations — including ours — to observe all things He has commanded (Mt. 28:18-20). This means bringing into captivity to Christ all areas of life and thought.

We at IOTC are seriously concerned about, deeply grieved by, and lament the fact that far too many  Christian leaders are a sinful embarrassment and are responsible for the cause of Christ being mocked and ridiculed. By being primarily cheerleaders for the Republican Party, they have dishonored their Lord and sold their Christian birthright for a mess of partisan political pottage.

We believe: Secular, Christless conservatism — even when it is supposedly “compassionate” —  will not defeat secular, Christless liberalism because to God they are two atheistic peas-in-a-pod.

More than 100 years ago, speaking of the secular, Christless conservatism of his time, the great Southern Presbyterian theologian, Robert L. Dabney, observed:

[Its] history has been that it demurs to each aggression of the progressive party, and aims to save its credit by a respectable amount of growling, but always acquiesces at last in the innovation. What was the resisted novelty of yesterday is today one of the accepted principles of conservatism; it is now conservative only in affecting to resist the next innovation, which will tomorrow be forced upon its timidity and will be succeeded by some third revolution, to be denounced and then adopted in its turn. American conservatism is merely the shadow that follows Radicalism as it moves forward to perdition. It remains behind it, but never retards it, and always advances near its leader. This pretended salt hath utterly lost its savor: wherewith shall it be salted? Its impotency is not hard to explain. It is worthless because it is the conservatism of expediency only, and not of sturdy principle. It tends to risk nothing serious for the sake of truth.

Amen! And what Dabney says has been proven with a vengeance in modern times.

Unquestioning support by Christians of Christless conservativism has not produced good fruit.

To those who will accuse us of desiring and trying to bring about “a Christian America,” we unashamedly plead guilty though the accusation is far too modest. We also want a Christian world! And, over time, by God’s grace, this will happen.

We covet your prayers for our success in obeying our Lord.