Fearing no one but God

Wish I'd said that!

[Reprinted from Issues & Views April 21, 2003]

In days of old, God's preachers possessed a holy boldness that defied the most powerful potentates. They feared no one but God and never expected to sit at the king's table. The Queen of England was said to have feared the preacher John Knox more than she feared all of her nation's enemies. Some men such as John Huss were murdered by the state for their preaching. Some like John Bunyan were imprisoned for their faith. . . .

Believe it or not, there was even a time in this country when our elected leaders expected preachers to be courageous, independent champions of truth. . . . This breed of preacher is virtually unknown in America today. Granted, there are a few such preachers scattered throughout the country, but they are usually ignored and always unpopular.

The vast majority of "successful" pastors, including the ones we see on television, are mostly couriers for the political establishment. . . . When "their" leader fails his duties to the Constitution or to the principles of liberty, they conveniently look the other way and say nothing. The only time they become exercised is when the "other" party steps out of line.

Instead of calling themselves Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, or Pentecostal preachers, they should start calling themselves Republican or Democratic propagandists, because in reality that is what they are. They are not prophets of God; they are pawns of government.

-- Chuck Baldwin, pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church, Pensacola, Fla.; talk show host; excerpted from his syndicated column, "Preachers Are Supposed To Be Prophets Of God Not Pawns Of Government," April 11, 2003. For more of his commentaries, visit his website.

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