Just recently, CNN’s president stated that his network will not be “’shamed” into covering the U.S. House of Representatives special committee investigation of the 9/11/2012 attack in Benghazi, Lybia. In that attack four Americans were killed, including the U.S. ambassador to that country. Personally, I think having a special committee to do this investigation is needed. There has, no doubt, been a massive government cover-up of this tragic incident, and a refusal of our governmental leaders to deal with it honestly. What we see with CNN’s refusal to cover the committee’s work is nothing less than one branch of the media aiding in the cover-up.
Just on its face, I see all of this as wrong. But as much as I dislike how our government and news media are handling this, there is another matter which I think is even more important. This worse thing is the willful setting aside of values which are essential for a free people.
Our American system of government is not one in which there are leaders who rule over subjects. Governmental leaders do not get to just do anything they want. Rather, they are representatives elected by and subject to the citizenry. When they perform actions, they are accountable to the voters for their actions. The attempt to sweep the results of poor decisions under the rug and hide them from the public is an attempt to turn our governmental system from one which is ruled by the people to one which is ruled by the rulers.
The values which our nation was built upon – freedom of conscience, the rule of law, the value of human life, equality of opportunity, and the priority of individuals and the family – are all values which come from a Christian worldview. Current attempts to undermine the Christian worldview come from an entirely different set of values which emerge from a naturalistic worldview. In contrast to those of a Christian worldview, naturalistic values include: moral relativism, the priority of the collective over the individual, governmental control over society, equality of outcomes, and looking out for self above others.
The desire to hide the facts about Benghazi is not because this will make our nation a better place. It is intended to promote a particular political outcome. Honesty and the value of life are of minimal importance to those seeking a cover-up.
There are those who will read this and think that I am, myself, seeking to promote a particular political point of view. However, that is not the case. What I want to see is honesty and integrity. What I want to see is the upholding of the rule of law. What I want to see is the maintenance of values which represent a Christian worldview.
So, what is my reason for wanting this outcome? Is it to force the Christian faith on everyone in the culture? Is it to promote a particular political party or ideology? NO! Absolutely not. The reason a Christian worldview foundation is so critical is because that is the only one which provides an environment where everyone can be treated fairly and justly. If the dishonesty that is going on now is permitted to stand, what will be next? This is not a problem related to political parties, but to values. When a different party comes to power, what shall we say … that it is their turn to be dishonest and cover up wrongdoing? I say, NO!
There is one more important thing that also needs to be said. The visible outcomes of the things being talked about here are all temporal. But there is a more important matter that must be remembered. While societal order is a significant matter and Christian values are critical to maintain that order, there is a more important reason. Christian worldview values expressed in the world are the result of those values having priority in the hearts of individuals. And the thing that makes that possible is a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. In the long run, there is an eternal dimension which is the center of it all. When that is not there, it filters down to a culture which becomes degraded in every way.