Engaging Opposition

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Acts 26:22

Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come

NKJV

Paul, a Pharisee who once wreaked havoc on the church by dragging believers off and committing them to prison (Acts 8:3) is now professing his desire to stand as a witness to everyone he comes into contact with, professing what Moses and the prophets said would come.  What would come is Messiah whom Paul dramatically met on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9).  Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus caused him to go from prominence as a Pharisee to suffering beatings, time in prison, and eventually death for his faith.  Of course, during these times of persecution, Paul authored letters that would become most of the books of the New Testament of the Bible. 

Paul had a dogmatic belief in what he knew was right, his belief in Jesus as his savior, and even in the face of pain, imprisonment, and death, would not back down but took a stand.  Paul stands as an example to Christians and Non-Christians alike of what one person can accomplish when he or she has a dogmatic belief in something and does not back down from that belief.  It is this dogmatic belief that I believe is missing in our culture today. 

This does not mean that I favor murdering anyone not agreeing with my beliefs as we see today in radical Islam.  What I am talking about is not backing down from ones faith and belief based on truth and instead engaging in conversation with people trying to bring them over to your side.  This is what Paul did as he traveled, evidenced by the numerous churches he started during his journeys. 

Unfortunately, the Republican establishment appears unwilling to confront opposition evidenced by the recent swift passage of a continuing resolution with little debate.  (1)  Once again, the Republicans have allowed an opportunity to stand against the encroachment of government into the lives of Americans and the erosion of liberty slip away and instead have adopted a strategy of not opposing Democrats on social issues vital to energizing the base out of fear it will cost them in the upcoming election.  (2)  Of course, this strategy fails to consider how failing to engage Democrats on these important issues continues to erode the base, which stays home in increasing numbers each election cycle.  (3)  My advice to Republicans, get a spine and take a stand. 

It is time for the GOP to stop saying they are not Obama and outline a plan for victory.  The American voter is not just looking for an anti-Obama agenda they demand Constitutional leadership not afraid to confront those attempting the shred the Constitution and its guarantees of liberty.  They are dogmatic in their belief that Abortion is murder and do not want the government to force them to pay for abortions and abortion pills.  They believe marriage is between a man and a woman just as God intended.  They believe that the best way to save the economy is to let individuals pursue their dreams through the free market and not by taxing, spending, and regulating the free market to death believing we are slaying some evil environment destroying capitalist beast threatening to kill us all and fairly redistributing wealth.

The GOP leadership must come to the realization that they cannot get along with the Democrats for the Democrat Party is no longer a liberal or progressive party, it is a tyrannical socialist party on a mission to radically remove this country from its Constitutional roots and create a European style socialist republic.  Someone needs to tell them that socialism fails wherever it is tried.  (4)  However, the GOP can learn a lesson from the Democrats.

Even though the agenda of the Democrats is appalling to conservatives, the Democrats continue to gain ground on their agenda because they are more dogmatic in their beliefs than conservatives.  Even when the Democrats lose an election, as they did in 2010, they simply regroup and plan for victory in the next election as they did to in 2012.  They usually accomplish this by getting Republicans to cross the isle and make concessions to the socialist agenda instead of engaging in debate over these issues.  In other words, even when they are not in power after losing an election, the socialist agenda still gains ground. 

We need leaders like the Apostle Paul who even in the face of serious opposition, did not waver from his mission of spreading the Gospel.  We need leaders that believe in the Constitution and its limitations on government.  The founders of this great nation were dogmatic in their desire to avoid tyranny like the one they gained independence from by forming a limited republic with power separated between three coequal branches of government.  To achieve lasting victory, the GOP must embrace its conservative base by taking a stand against the socialist leviathan attempting to transform this country into the type of country our founders fought to gain independence from. 

It’s time to take a stand!!!

1. Harper, John. We Have a CR! washingtonwatch.com. [Online] Washington Watch, September 21, 2014. [Cited: September 23, 2014.] https://washingtonwatch.com/blog/2014/09/21/we-have-a-cr/.

2. Gallagher, Maggie. No Wave for the GOP . www.nationalreview.com. [Online] National Review, September 19, 2014. [Cited: September 23, 2014.] http://www.nationalreview.com/article/388403/no-wave-gop-maggie-gallagher.

3. Trende, Sean. The Case of the Missing White Voters. www.realcleapolitics.com. [Online] Real Clear Politics, November 8, 2012. [Cited: July 5, 2013.] http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/11/08/the_case_of_the_missing_white_voters_116106-2.html.

4. McCann, Steve. Socialism's Downfall. www.americanthinker.com. [Online] American Thinker, May 24, 2010. [Cited: September 23, 2014.] http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/05/socialisms_downfall.html.