Last week I have wrote about my disapproval of what happened at the Capitol on January 6th here: Wicked is the Doctrine of Regeneration through Chaos. In that article I mentioned the danger of the doctrine of regeneration through chaos.
But there’s something I want to say about the response of some who condemned the incident that I’m concerned about biblically. It is a biblical point that is important for the Christian.
I noticed that some bring in religious terminology to talk about the Capitol. What was fascinating to me is how some of the people that invoked the sacred are also the same ones who would condemn American nationalism or American exceptionalism or a vision of America as Messianic.
For example a friend of mine said this:
The images and videos which showed just how far the perpetrators were able to invade some of our most sacred political spaces, and the callous, victorious ways some of these protestors desecrated these spaces, making off with trophies.
So I thought I do a search and found that there’s also a number of politicians that used the same religious terms to describe the Capitol.
Joe Biden said “an assault on the most sacred of American undertakings: the doing of the people’s business” (Source).
Congress member Brian Higgins (D) said “The US Capitol is a sacred space – a building at the literal center of our capital and central to our democracy” (Source)
Nick Langworthy, Chairman of the New York State Republican Committee said “Our Capitol is a sacred symbol of our great nation.” (Source).
Strangely I’ve even seen the mainstream media calling the Capitol “sacred space” too and have high pitch religious fervor talking about it.
I don’t see the Capitol as a more sacred space though I do see it is politically a very important political place for our nation. I want to really keep that religious language nationalism weaned off, be it from the left or the right. I’m often surprised at how some people (not all) from the Left think that political idolatry can only be exclusively committed by those politically on the Right with nationalism and worship of the government…when some then turn around and see the government as a Savior or see the will of the People as the equivalent of the Divine mandate. Using religious language and terminology is throwing gas to the fire in my opinion not to mention I don’t feel comfortable theologically and biblically to say it that way because of past historical religious baggage where Statism is baptized with religious language for political purposes and agenda that doesn’t align with Scripture. Yet when I say all this that doesn’t mean I don’t love this county. I get the gist that this event interfered with something very important in a very important political place during the timing of an important event that is part of the bed rock of our Constitutional Democratic Republic. But let’s call that political and Constitutional instead of sacred.
It is fascinating how no matter how secular when people want to capture the concept of gross violation the spiritual and divine is invoked, as if one can’t totally run away from it and suppress it. Reminds me of Romans 1:18 and following.
A very interesting but unsurprising development in events, secular authorites that often distance themselves from God adopt His language when it suits them. I remember seeing the same thing in relation to royal events at Westminster Abbey in the UK.
Wow a further observation to that point! Have a blessed day Alan…going to nap for now first lol
Exactly!!
Yes! I totally agree! When I heard the word sacred being used -well I can’t explain how I felt-but I knew I would not refer to them as sacred and neither should any other Christian!
While every place belongs to God and is sacred in that sense definitely this should not be seen as more sacred of an area because it is where we have governing acts of a secular government going on there. I mean it can also be a sacrilege place too when you think of a few days ago about prayers of “a woman” if you heard of that event?
Yes! Exactly! And I did a small post on that-“woman”!
Good post and important points. Somehow we tend to use spiritual superlatives to express strong views. If we truly set our hearts to “be ye separate” we would be looking at worldly events and systems as outsiders, not entangled with them.
Not easy, but I’m trying to live like that amid this spinning chaos and unraveling.
Press on Pastor Slimjim.
I personally feel it too that it is not easy as I do highly love our country and it has been a source of blessing to my life. Yet while being conservative politically I also think it’s something to be careful of making the governing process seen as more spiritual because of virtue of it being the Capitol, being in the Constitution, etc. Let us pray for many to come to Christ at this time amen?
Yes brother, amen!
Good points. I have also seen (on both the left and right) some assigning of sainthood to certain political figures that had no tendency to (at least outwardly) praise God.
Another good point I didn’t think of that one. How are you doing with everything going on Mark?
Having absolutely too much fun.
Well, if one’s ideology leans socialist/communist, then the state/country would be “god”; so, from that perspective, the Capitol would be “sacred ground”.
A chilling and accurate observation.
From your comment I think you probably have the same thoughts as I have of how Communists In removing God and the Transcendent then makes the state into a Hegelian vision of the State that they want to make as a functional god (an idol): the state should be all knowing, all powerful and if you disagree with certain ideology it wants you to believe you commit a great blasphemy and horrible thing should await you. Marx drank the Hegelian cool-aid but presented it in a strong materialist worldview….it’s so crazy isn’t it?
Yep. Yes, it is.
You have made some very important points in this message. i have come to call this so called religious language christianese. They can speak it but they have know idea what and who the Truth is.
True. And we want them to truly know the Truth, the Way and the Life is a Person: Jesus Christ (John 14:6), amen?
Amen!
[…] Capitol: Sacred? […]
You are right and good observation, Jim, on the “invoking of spiritual and divine on describing/capturing the concept of gross violation” by humans. That was a wrong choice of word as the term sacred is attributed to GOD and His abode. A government building is neither a place of worship nor constructed for religious purposes. The word that should be used is “symbol” or symbolic i.e. symbol of democracy, symbolic political space/building, and just like the White House, it is symbolic to the country that was being vandalized by “thugs, mob or threats” according to Senator McConnell. Thank you for calling our attention to use the words, attributed to worship and religion, correctly. Blessings to you, Nancy, and the kids!
The word symbolic is much more appropriate than sacred; maybe even “highly symbolic and meaningful” and thank you for adding that insight. I’m curious in the Philippines is such religious overtones used for the government?
Actually, I skipped the word “highly” in my original comment as it might rub salt into the wound but I’m glad it is fine to use it. Well, in the country, it is more on the choices of words and the personality/background of the person using/expressing it. Religious overtones are used sometimes in referring to persons, institutions, programs, and statutes of the government or other non-religious/secular areas like songs and soup operas.
As a Canadian, I deliberately did not comment on your post about the “Doctrine of Regeneration Chaos” Jim because the last thing you need is an outsider giving criticism on American politics, especially when Canada is not exactly a shining light on a hill either, as it pertains to politics and other areas. However (comma, pause for effect), as a Christian, I cannot help but feel increasingly dismayed at the continual inference of the “us” and “them” mentality, with regard to the Liberal Left and the Conservative Right, as though all that is good and righteous is found within the “Right” and all that is bad and unrighteous is found within the “Left”. I am reminded of the zealous pure Jews in Jerusalem and the misled intermingled Samaritans, as depicted within the Old and New Testaments and how Jesus utilized these noted differences and interacted with them. Even though the Samaritans were held in distain by the “righteous” Jews of Jerusalem, Jesus did not avoid them and actually ministered to them, so much so, that many came to believe in Him as the Messiah. It’s almost like saying, true Christians form up on the right and non-believers or false Christians form up on the left. We seem to hold this concept that only the “right” has the monopoly on righteousness and the “left” has abandoned everything that Christianity stands for. Take a good hard look at what God considers an abomination and then tell me that these traits are not found within both the “left” and the “right”. Idolatry comes in numerous forms and as you have indicated, when we, as Christians, start using the word “scared” for places where secular government is being conducted, I’d have a tendency to think that we are pushing the envelope. Has the “left” gone astray? I’d say that definitely it has, but please do not tell me that the “right” is strictly walking the narrow path. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that there would come a time when neither at Jerusalem or on their mountain, would God be worshiped in spirit and truth and I would have a tendency to think that we are also rapidly approaching, or already at that situation. A Republic where you have some Christian believers and some non-believers governing, is not going to truthfully represent God’s Kingdom here on earth. At best, you may achieve partial compliance to God’s moral will. That’s because in God’s Kingdom, all hearts have been changed and the last time I checked, the primary mission given to the Christian Church by Jesus, has been woefully sidetracked, and that would be by both the “left” and the “right”. Is this a wake up call? I think it is.
I think its clear no one side in the political spectrum has a monopoly of evil, folly and political idolatry since May of last year to January 6th. I can’t imagine you or any of my Canadian friends not be afraid seeing what’s going on with your neighbor to the South and having to say something; your comment brother is welcome here. While I think there’s a place grammatically to say “us” and “them” since there are real political philosophical differences between the various political spectrums I join you with your fears since my fear is one that is even more foundational, I am concern that people are now not being able to make distinction between “some,” “many,” and “all” and the distinction between what extremists does not representing the whole of a political wing or a political spectrum. I do think the last two posts I have written about both left and right and quoted both Republican and Democrat in my post; but if I have spoken more about those on the Left is because right now there’s some leaders and elites in the Left that is talking about wholesale punishment of those that disagree with them based upon the action of extremists. I think in general the raising of the alarm bells you brought up about the us versus them mentality is often heeded more by Christians Conservatives than those who are more left leaning in the US. Curious if you don’t mind me asking: In Canada is there religious terms use to describe your Capitol and if so is it uniformly so by all political spectrum?
I understand what you are saying and one definitely has to exercise some extra caution when generalizing. I wrote an article on the importance of differentiating between the “collective group” and the “individual” as Jesus demonstrated with the Pharisees. Good question at the end; Our Canadian parliament is situated in Ottawa, Ontario but I don’t believe that I personally have ever heard the buildings themselves described as “sacred”, although I wouldn’t want to bet on it. Matter of fact, I would probably bet that they have been called “sacred” at one time or another. And no, you don’t want to ask me why! Blessings Jim and thank you for your patience with me, sincerely appreciated.
Reblogged this on The Battle Cry and commented:
Definitely worth discussion. Is the nation’s capitol “sacred” space, why or why not?
“Sacred” means “connected with God (or the gods) or dedicated to a religious purpose and so deserving veneration”. I wonder if those who call our Capitol “sacred” know they are confessing to idolatry.
Most people don’t have a clue of the satanic symbolism designed in the building itself as well as the whole layout of DC.
You mean ‘conspiracy theory”?
No I mean fact.
Hey, Jim. I appreciate where you are coming from with this but I hope it’s ok to present a different opinion. I am prepared to receive criticism for this response (praying it’s civil!). As eternity is etched on the hearts of man, so is the sacred. Which leads me to ask the question is there really a sacred/secular divide? To me the sacred/secular divide is today’s equivalent to the Greeks/Hellenism dividing the heart/mind from the Hebrew and ANE concept where the heart and mind were one entity (see Deut 6:4-9 and then Matt 22:34-40).
I am NOT suggesting that God approves what has happened at the Capitol; however, I am not against the term sacred as everything belongs to God (does NOT mean He has redeemed all either. I also hold to this in regards to there’s no sacred/secular music, work, books. We don’t have a sacred (private)/secular (public) life, we have one life. This truly grieves God, events in real time and place should turn peoples eyes, minds, hearts and hands towards our Triune God is instead turning us further against each other and turning our attention to man and His actions and not toward God and the spiritual fight between Him and the world, the flesh and the devil.
Just because I think there is no sacred/secular divide does NOT mean that God approves of man’s actions, worshiping buildings, people, ideals, political parties etc. more than Him. This view of the sacred grieves my heart to love God more and to want to be part of His redemptive, reconciling plan bringing Him glory. I hope this makes sense. I love and respect you as a fellow sojourner and brother in Christ. Love and blessings to you, Nancy and kiddos.
Sorry so delay of getting back to you, been very busy with much counseling and communication with ministry related to people’s questions and struggles. Very very good comment sister, excellent point. I am probably very Kuyperian, you’ve probably noticed it, of every square inch is God’s. Every sphere is the Lord’s, and there are things God’s Word has to say about everything directly or by implication of His truth in the Word. Yet there is a distinction and continuity/discontinity and separation of spheres and institutions (though there are inter-relationships and interactions). So I think there isn’t a secular/sacred dichotomy that you said. I’m 100% agreeing with you here.
My post was operating from how the world today does make a secular/sacred divide and then they attribute this as sacred. Note also two of those I quoted said the Capitol was “most sacred.” I think they (not you) are attributing the quality of sacredness with the Capital less on the basis of everything belonging to God as more from the virtue of the Capitol being where our Government makes its laws and also the Constitutional process that was going on in January 6th. I think those functions are important but doesn’t make it sacred or more sacred in of itself because of those basis. I am more willing to call that “very important politically” (V-I-P?) and give that a VIP status. I saw some clip from CNN last week and their use of religious overtones was kind of irony, scary and creepy, and they were using those language like secular jihadists if you ask me where they lump all Republicans, conservatives and Trump supporters as being culpable for everything that transpired; like where’s the careful news reporting and toning down the rhetoric, is that only something for one side? Their use of religious jargons are either being weaponized to add fuel to the fire or revealing how they view the government in really an idolatrous form; or probably both. Let me know what you think. Your comment are always welcome and this is a needed clarification from you.
In reading the latter part of your comment concerning the media, I think you’ll get something out of this post: Clamoring Like Seals
First and foremost, praise God you are not upset with me! I worry about that! Second, I do not doubt that you are an in demand man at this time for a whole host of reasons and issues! It takes a strong family to be in the pastorate! I am constantly praying for all of you!
I totally understand where you are coming from, I just felt like I had to say that I genuinely believe that people have a longing for sacred space/place. For some it’s their church, others it is out in nature, some it is a sporting event, others it is their place of work. Again, I am NOT suggesting that the lawmakers and media calling this sacred or sacrilege are correct or that they have Yahweh in mind at all. I do agree with you that all kinds of words and terms are being used lumping us “all” in the same category. It is dangerous that “all” conservatives/republicans are being labeled as fringe. The irony in all of this is that Trump who has championed conservative speech is leaving office with conservative voices becoming more suppressed than ever.
I re-blogged this at my own little piece of the WordPress universe (https://thebattlecry49.com/) and received a rather lengthy lesson on why the capitol IS sacred. I disagreed of course with this reply (more food for discussion):
I agree believers should be involved in whatever lawful ways we have to help bring about positive change in all things governmental, However I disagree that the nation. When I read the original article (by a friend of mine), My immediate reaction was a loud “NO”. Out nation’s Capitol should in no way be termed “sacred”.
Thinking I might have been too hasty, I looked up the word “sacred”. The simple definition of “Sacred”, according to the Oxford dictionary is: “connected with God (or the gods) or dedicated to a religious purpose and so deserving veneration.” The sub-definitions all refer to things of God (gods) and religion/religious worship.
I believe that those who call thee Capitol “sacred” fall into different categories:
• Those who just don’t know the actual definition of “sacred” being connected to God or gods and do so out of ignorance.
• Those who of late have been using the term merely for political reasons and to make political points, as it were.
• Actual idolaters, although they would never admit it. As a great theologian once said, the human heart is an idol factory.
I would just like to add that our nation’s founders were not ALL Christians, as you suggest. Freedom of religion WAS significant in why they came to this country, and most, it not all of the first settlers believed in God and his Son. On the other hand, some were NOT Christians, but Deists who acknowledged a divine power.
Excellent comment. If you look at the comments on this post you see Mandy made a fourth category to add of how to view sacred, one that I didn’t mention in my post but is right and biblical though I don’t think most are using it in that Way when they are invoking terms with religious overtones to describe how bad was the event on January 6th. What do you think of Mandy’s point? Thanks for reblogging and commenting and for keeping it civil in a day and age where many are not doing that…
I agree with the 4th category. It was implied in political motives.
I thought this was the most profound from your post that I never thought of before: “It is fascinating how no matter how secular when people want to capture the concept of gross violation the spiritual and divine is invoked, as if one can’t totally run away from it and suppress it.”
Thanks for this post, brother. I also commented in my last weekend roundup that journalists and politicians on the Left are describing the assault on the Capitol in religious terms as “sacrilege” and a “desecration” of a “sacred” building, with a great degree of indignation. Of course, American civil religion, which promotes such thinking, is widely popular among both liberals and conservatives. I actually think civil religion is more popular with the Right, but, following the Capitol violence, perhaps the Left is purposely hitting the Right where it hurts? Either way, Jesus Christ and the Gospel have nothing to do with American civil religion.
Ah you wrote that. I remember reading that. I think civil religion is more popular among the Right, but ironically while the Right say in general to be suspicious of the Government many on the Left sneaks back a functional god with what they believe about the Messianic character of government and also the language of blasphemy codes for people violating their values and ideology. I’ve seen that toxicity in campus evangelism the last 20 years on and off….I don’t know what campus evangelism will be like for me in the future as it has gotten so toxic and intolerant. How is your work today?
Thanks, brother. There’s no redemption in civil religion, either the Right’s version or the Left’s. I certainly agree that there is going to be less and less tolerance for evangelism with atheists becoming more radicalized. It’s not apples and apples (I’m starting to get into a habit with that phrase), but we also see how evangelism is being discouraged in “conservative Christian circles” with the steady rise of ecumenism and Universalism.
RE: work
Thanks! I have a really weird work schedule of Friday thru Sunday, 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. A lot of walking involved. 15K steps Saturday and 21K yesterday. I was planning on sitting on the couch all day today to recover, but I actually spent little time there.
Totally agree, Jim! I think they used the word sacred to further villainize the rioters. Kinda ironic that they would probably also site how corrupt the politicians were if the situation was different.
No doubt some politicians are deflecting their own corruption and magnifying the rioters with religious overtones; personally I think what happen is bad enough, no need to make it religiously idolatrous. How was your doctor’s visit?
During the vid con, the doc sent me to get blood tests, which I’m still waiting for the results. Since sarcoidosis tends to affect the lungs, I’m seeing a lung specialist tomorrow to set up a lung biopsy. Thanks for asking Jim!
Well said ! I agree with you .
Isn’t that the thing Jim— we mingle the ultimate Sacred with the American sacred— thinking each is the same— and I suppose for those of us who believe our republic is rooted in our founder’s respect for the Sacred( big S)— are having a difficult time separating the two
The left says burn the system down because it’s so bad and racist and then calls the government sacred
Looking at “both sides” of main street, we have to be careful when mixing God’s Word with our political debates.
Wow. Your observation is really keen and right on the spot.