Political Violence
by Mike James
The recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump has enhanced the belief among some of his supporters that he was selected by God to fix a troubled nation. I'm seeing a lot of chatter out there that this may have been divine intervention. No doubt a possibility, but what about the firefighter who lost his life in the incident protecting his family? Why did God not protect him? Can we prove God did protect Trump? We can only speculate on questions like these, so why worry about it?
Let me play Devil's Advocate here. Is it possible the Devil could have influenced the shooter and protected Trump? Now hear me out. This gets at the concept of critical thinking and the fact there are a lot of things we can't know answers to.
BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage by U.S. Secret Service agents after being grazed by a bullet during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Of course, God can act in history and does, but can Satan also act in history? What happened in the Garden of Eden? Why did Job have a rough go of it? Did Satan try to tempt Jesus? What does it mean that Satan entered Judas (Luke 22:3; John 13:30)? Obviously, Satan's influence is felt in history. Let's not forget Revelation 13:1-10. But Satan is limited by what God would allow.
Could Satan do something miraculous? Well in 2 Thessalonians 2:9 we read that Satan has power to manifest signs and wonders. In the end times there will be false prophets doing the same thing (Matthew 24:24) how do you think they have that power? I'm not saying we are in the end times; I'm just finding scriptures that support the power of Satan.
Now think about this in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. Here we read that Satan is an angel of light and that his ministers (or servants) can also seem like a positive force. Satan could be using both major political parties in this country to lead to greater disunity and dysfunction. He is called the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Now, another thing about Satan is he is all about manipulation and deception (Revelation 12:9; John 8:44). We know he used manipulative techniques back in the Garden of Eden. The bigger point I'm trying to make here is all of us know much less than we think we do about the battle between spiritual forces in this world and what they are up to.
Now, let me emphasize that this blog is not about politics or support in any way of any politician. My concern is that we critically think to help us not only in our biblical studies but also in our view of what is happening in the world.
Here is a great quote on a definition of critical thinking from Linkedin:
Critical thinking is the practice of resisting assumptions, considering alternative perspectives, and doing your research to form an objective conclusion.
The term is closely associated with the world of academia and professional settings, where balanced and carefully evidenced arguments are highly valued for credibility. However, there are many uses for critical thinking in our everyday lives that we may not have thought of.
When we have an abundance of information at our fingertips, it can be difficult to verify what is a credible source. It becomes easy to get swept up in populism and echo chambers rather than doing due diligence and making sure our information sources are accurate. Our opinions end up being formed by misinformation or only partial information.
Rather than speculate and surmise I want to look at this incident from another perspective. Why are political candidates, politicians, and governing authorities an ongoing target for would be assassins?
If we just stick with presidents and presidential candidates, we can acknowledge that we have had a lull in this type of activity recently. In 2005, a hand grenade that did not detonate was thrown at President George Bush and the leader of the nation of Georgia. Back in 1981, President Reagan was shot and wounded by John Hinckley. Two attempts were made on Gerald Ford's life in 1975. The Kennedy assassination of 1963 rounds out the attempts on the president and former presidents in my lifetime.
Why attack the president? In most murders, the victim and perpetrator are known to each other. But in a way, we all know the president or our perception of the president because they are constantly in the news, and we get to hear them speak all the time.
Attacking the most important person in the world can make you the most important person in the world at least for a short time. Political leaders also impact the lives of all of us in one way or another. Especially leaders of nations.
The importance the world places on political leaders is not wise. At one time, men like Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Washington, Lincoln, Genghis Khan, and Julius Caesar wielded power and control over millions and millions. But they have no power and control over anything today.
Who really wields power and control in this world? Of course, God does (Romans 13:1; Luke 4:6). But as we read in Luke 4:6 the "god of this world" does have discretion in manipulation in this world.
Be careful what you think is happening in the world. In Daniel 10:13, we have an interesting scripture that seems to imply that spiritual forces rule the kingdoms of the earth. God used pagan kings (Assyrians, Persians, and Babylonians) to have His purpose play out in history. In Scripture, God allows evil kings to rule and good kings to die young. Rather than getting caught up in the latest drama in the world (it will always be there) make sure you focus on what you do know, how to follow Jesus Christ.
Sources: "Diversity Dictionary: Critical Thinking," The Other Box, Linkedin, January 22, 2022, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/diversity-dictionary-critical-thinking-theotherbox