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WHY POLITICAL CORRUPTION
Only Moral Integrity Can Produce Political Integrity
Yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord. (Psalms 144:15)
By Forrest L. Keener
It seems that in the last 30 years political corruption has flourished as though it were being fertilized and the last decade of that period has probably produced as many cases as the other two combined. I have lived in my city for thirty-six years and in that period we have seen the county sheriff, the chief of police and the city investigator go to prison for criminal acts of corruption. There have been others caught with their 'hands in the till'. Others in high city and county positions have been tried and acquitted for lack of evidence. In some of those cases guilt was certain, but the proof was covered up or was hard to come by. This, of course, is not limited to our city. Congressman, governors, state senators, etc., etc., etc., have been accused, tried, convicted, acquitted and what have you, until we are absolutely unable, in our hearts, to really trust any man, who for very long holds a place in the political arena. Within the last twenty years we have seen both the President and the Vice President resign because of criminal charges being held over their heads. Congressmen have been removed from office for crimes. Others have resigned to avoid prosecution, and many more of them should be in prison right now. Candidates for offices from the president on down have been forced out of races because of proven immorality or vice. The mayor of the nation's capitol city has recently been caught in a variety of disgusting sin, crime and vice. Such episodes are repeated by the thousands nation-wide. In the case of Richard Nixon, we can't help but wonder how much arm-twisting was done in how many areas. I do not defend Richard Nixon in my mind but the men who accused and convicted him are of equally questionable character. Who can help but wonder how many impeachment votes were bought with promises of future favor, and how many were acquired by holding the threat of exposure for past illegal acts over the congressmen's heads? I wish I could, but at this point I can't help but doubt that ten percent of the people in politics are honest enough to carry out any action of any kind without an ulterior motive. We can't help wondering if any honest man ever runs for office, or if he can stay honest in office, if he should run and win. Whether you agree with me in all this or not, you'll agree that political corruption is literally everywhere and the question echoes from every mouth, Why? Why? Why? Some are saying the answer is infinitely complex. I answer NO! it is ridiculously simple. The reason for political corruption is MORAL CORRUPTION.
READ YOUR BIBLE FOR THE ANSWER Proverbs 8:12-17 speaks thus, "I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." This passage clearly indicates that if kings are to reign justly and princes decree justice, it must be by the leadership of God (verse 15). Verse 14 states that counsel and sound wisdom must come from God. This virtue, of union with God, is missing in our politicians today. When men consider qualifications of a candidate today, this characteristic of a vital union with God is not what they seek; they look for secular education, human experience, political pull, and more frequently someone who they hope can and will do favors for them. It is, therefore, inevitable that they will elect thugs and not patriots. Not only so, but men of moral stature and Godly character are shunning the responsibility of government. They will not shoulder the adversity of taking a vocal stand for right, when their friends stand for wrong, or for nothing. They will not hurt, or embarrass, or convict a personal friend, for the sake of a Godly principle. This is terribly, terribly wrong. We forsake the responsibility of speaking out in behalf of good principles, and of always trying to acquaint ourselves with candidates and issues and then voting accordingly. Godly men seldom seek office, for the sake of promoting right principles. This ought not to be.
IMMORALITY IS WINKED AT In Exodus 18:21 we have a statement of proper standard for men who are to be rulers or leaders. "Moreover thou shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them." This is God's principle, but we have abandoned it. The fact is, America has hated and scoffed at this principle. George Washington was astonished and disappointed at the report that, "within his army profanity was being used", but today the ranks of our military officers are filled with men whose mouths fester with obscenities and profanities. Not only so, but we knowingly elect to all kinds of public offices just such shallow hearted, filthy mouthed, filthy minded rats as this, and apparently expect them to turn 'honest', 'upright', and to be a 'sacrificial crusader' for all the right causes, when they come within the sacred frame of the judge's chamber, congressional seat, sheriffs office, etc., etc., etc. Abraham Lincoln said that legalized liquor was a curse to any society. We never-the-less elect to office men who are known social drinkers and re-elect them when they have become known "alcoholics." Nobody wants a drunk for a chauffeur but apparently he is okay for a senator. A married man can swim out of a sunken car in the wee hours of the morning, leaving an attractive secretary drown or drowning, under very questionable, political circumstances, and people don't care enough for the moral questions implied, to prevent such a senator from being a popular selection for presidential nominee; and we wonder why we have political corruption everywhere. Baloney! I am reminded of a man who goes to the sale barn and buys a mangy billy goat for three dollars. He then expects that three dollar goat to wear a saddle like a Palomino, run like a Quarter horse, and pace like a Tennessee Walking Horse. Friend, he is just a goat and you are a fool to expect him to be anything else. The same is true with politicians. If you elect a filthy mouthed, wife cheating, cocktail sipping, bribe taking, lie telling, politicking charlatan to office, you are indulging in fantasy to expect him to be a statesman or a patriot, once the elective title is draped across his worthless carcass. All you can possibly have is the same depraved moral character you elected. The sad difference is that now he is an authority. He can broadcast his moral dung all over you, your children and your grandchildren. He will overnight become a victim of his own devices. He could not turn to honesty and uprightness if he wanted to. But don't worry much about that problem, he won't want to. I've known of bums who boasted of getting drunk with the deputy sheriff. The deputy was elected to the sheriffs office, and the bum went to jail. You could have changed places with them and had the same results.
IS THERE AN ANSWER? Yes, there is and it lies in two areas. First is the basis of legislation, the second is the basis of election. I seriously doubt that the American people will ever follow this pattern, but if they would, the problem could be solved in our generation.
THE BASIS FOR LEGISLATION I've heard it said for years, "You can't legislate morality." I've never been quite sure what this meant. If it means that good laws passed, will not make men morally right, I certainly agree. The statement need not even be made, because the possible results in men's conduct should have no real bearing on what laws are made. If it means what I think most people intend to state, "that we have no right to pass laws according to moral standards of right and wrong." I answer, "Hog-wash." We have no right to legislate according to any other standard whatsoever, unless God has died, or we have successfully wrestled control of this world out of his hands, and he has lost his right to dictate human conduct. What a blessed land and society we would have, if we had legislators and judges and supreme court justices, who meditate always in God's word and searched it for counsel, and made and enforced laws accordingly.
THE BASIS FOR ELECTIONS The second area of remedy for the great problem of political corruption, is the basis upon which we elect public officials. Usually, when this is considered we hear men talk of an official's qualification. They are referring to education, experience, ability to speak effectively, etc., etc., etc. It would lead one to think that we were a 'last days generation', "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (II Tim. 3:7). Special interest votes place many scroungy characters in office. If you vote for a candidate, simply because you think he will push a raise for the employees of your profession, or some such thing, you are asking for, and you deserve, a crook in office. Moreover, if you are stupid enough to think that this or any other government or any government official can ever help you economically, you are too mentally dense to even understand what I am talking about. God can help you, but preachers and government officials can't. The Bible most clearly states that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). It would seem then that sober and sincere people who claim to believe the Bible, would look for a man whose running platform was the fear of God, and who had a record of faithfully glorifying God by service in the local church, and whose moral character was above reproach. Such a man would be a wise man in legislation, administration and law-enforcement. His wisdom would not lie in secular qualifications but in a vital and constant union with God. Political corruption would be virtually stamped out, and our land would be happy and prosperous under God, led by such men. Only moral integrity (the Bible kind) can restore and preserve political integrity. "Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood: That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace: That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets: That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets. Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD."
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