Page 29 - Lunacy and the Age of Deception

destruction, which is already hit by the gamblers in corruption, and is sweeping away in its progress
the fortunes and morals of our citizens...

If, then, the control of the people over the organs of their government be the measure of its
republicanism, and I confess I know no other measure, it must be agreed that our governments have
much less of republicanism than ought to have been expected; in other words, that the people have
less regular control over their agents, than their rights and their interests require...

Much I apprehend that the golden moment is past for reforming these heresies. The functionaries
of public power rarely strengthen in their dispositions to abridge it...

And I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing
armies...

It is interesting to note that in the nascent history of America as an independent nation, one of her
most renowned founding fathers lamented that the republican form of government he had envisioned
had not manifested according to his desires, and was under threat of being co-opted by outside
powers. Jefferson measured a society’s republican status according to whether the citizens of the
nation had control over their government. The first government under the new Constitution of the
United States was seated in 1789. A mere 27 years later Jefferson was lamenting that there was a
need to amend the Constitution to restore and safeguard the nation’s republican character.

In thinking of Jefferson’s disappointment in relation to the nation he had labored to establish, I am
reminded of Christ’s words to the seven churches of Asia Minor as recorded in the opening chapters
of the book of Revelation. Christ addressed the churches for their departure from a manifestation of
His own life and character. The departure was so severe in some cases that Christ warned that their
standing before God was in jeopardy.

Revelation 2:5
Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else
I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place - unless you repent.

Not being a Christian, Thomas Jefferson had no power to call upon to preserve his vision for a more
perfect union, a union where special interests and outside powers were kept in check. The tendency
of men toward corruption was only constrained by the separation of powers between the legislative,
executive, and judiciary branches of government and the defined limits of those powers in the
Constitution. Men, however, are seldom kept in check by law. The history of Israel from the time
of Moses forward provides evidence of this fact. The Jewish people were soon devising disingenuous
interpretations of the Law which enabled them to sin while pretending obeisance to God. Christ
rebuked them often for their hypocrisy.

Mark 7:9-13
Then he said, "You skillfully sidestep God's law in order to hold on to your own tradition. For
instance, Moses gave you this law from God: 'Honor your father and mother,' and 'Anyone who
speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.' But you say it is all right for people