Back in earlier days of America, the 1800's and into the early 20th century, men would travel around the country proclaiming the healing properties of snake oil. Yes, the oil of snakes was touted as some sort of cure-all for just about any disease. They had scientific sounding names for the chemicals from the snakes, and they could spin a yarn about the unique powers of the snake. "The preparation was promoted in North America by travelling salesmen who often used accomplices in the audience to proclaim the benefits of the preparation." Wikipedia, 20 January 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_oil. The theory is that the idea came either from an ancient Chinese remedy or the western American Indians. The salesmen made their buck from one town, then before the users could figure out they'd been tricked, they moved on to another town or blamed the user for not following the instructions properly.
Realize two things about politics and avoid much deception. The state, as in the civil governing body given the power of the sword to punish wrongdoers, can only act by law, that is, commands punishable by the state's physical coercion. If it acts by anything else - man's whim, emotion, polling numbers, etc., it is arbitrary and tyrannical.
Second, the bible teaches that salvation cannot be gained by law. Only Christ can save, only the Church has healing power, and attempting to gain salvation by law results in the exact opposite - damnation. Most Christians who believe that principle only apply it to individual salvation. But can the state, as in civil government, apply the law to save the society?
But the same God who created the individual also created the universe and the bases for societies. He governs both. He showed us that in His dealings with Israel. He acted upon individuals and the society. He governed both. The nation was delivered from Egypt and brought into the promised land by grace, just as an individual is saved by grace, not because of their righteousness. Deuteronomy 9:4-6.
To think that the state's civil governing apparatus can somehow bring prosperity or health to a society is like believing the hangman's noose can heal cancer. Can theft from one group by taxation bring prosperity? How will the money be used by the recipients? Who profits? Does God have a say in who and how the money is spent? See post titled "Socialism and Private Property." Can putting wealthy, productive people in prison for not paying their taxes bring wealth to society? Can fines and imprisonment for wealthy corporations and their executives create wealth for society? Can laws that demand insurance companies and doctors operate a certain way bring health to the people of a society? Can the state produce wealth, health, and salvation for society?
Most people think that the Nazi salute to Hitler, "Heil Hitler," meant "Hail, Hitler." It didn't. It means "salvation, good, well-being." Under National Socialism, which is what the term Nazi was short for, the German people looked to the state for salvation. To whom do you look for your provision, your health, your salvation in this life? Law cannot save, it cannot heal, it cannot make you prosperous; it can only punish and destroy, which is its intended purpose, a purpose of justice, not salvation. People/voters pervert the state and its law in order to gain something it cannot give. Politicians pervert the state and its law in order to get acclaim, a position, money, but they end up taking away liberty and property from the very people God has blessed and whose work and capital could build up the society. Salvation by law always ends in tyranny. Salvation by the state always ends in tyranny.
Remember the purpose of the state and its power of the sword from Romans 13 - the punishment of evildoers. Therefore, the politician who promises prosperity by statist means - programs funded by taxes to create jobs, prison and other punishment for those who are already prosperous, and other statist promises of salvation by law - are promising what they cannot give. Like those snake oil salesmen of old, they rely upon the gullibility, no, the faith, of people to believe their promises. They'll even throw in testimonials from the audience to substantiate their claims. And like those salesmen, they either move on after their terms expire, or they blame the user, for not giving the state even more power, for the failure.
And like Israel of old, who served other gods until those gods couldn't save them, we still follow a similar path - believing the promises of the statists until those promises take us to a less bright future, not the promised one. Judges 10:10-14.
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