By Bishop Michael Goiings
The die had been cast and the night was far spent quickly giving place to the rising of the sun that was dispelling the darkness. At the dawn of this day, a crafty politician had endeavored to free an innocent man who had been brought before him on some trumped-up charges. These fabricated allegations had been brought before this politician, who also served as a judge, by a group of corrupt and jealous leaders who were able to sway him, as well as the majority who were present that day. Their shouts that the accused man be executed were loud and persuasive, and which the voices of dissent faint and futile. If you have not been able to deduce that the previous incident was an actual summation of the most infamous trial in the history of humanity, then let me assert that this is clearly the case. There was never an accused person who was so innocent and never a verdict that was so wrong. Nevertheless, history records that the crowd (known as the
majority) sent Jesus of Nazareth to the Cross.
We have arrived at a critical time in our nation and culture when there is a paradigm shift in beliefs, values, and perceptions. Things that we once held sacred and essential to the sanity and survival of our species and civilization are being sacrificed upon the altars of relativism and political correctness. These core values and Judeo-Christian truths, which made our nation great and the envy of the world are being gradually compromised and eroded in the name of tolerance and acceptance of alternative lifestyles, gay marriages, legalized marijuana use, and such like. For some time now, elements of the radical left have waged an incessant and expensive campaign to lure the majority and popular opinion to their side. Through the aid of high profile celebrities and politicians, they have achieved their agenda. Even our President has given his endorsement and support to their attempt to woo the masses to their way of thinking. A recent Gallup Poll
of young adults from ages 18 to 30 revealed that 80% of individuals within this age bracket support gay marriages. Another poll of the total population revealed that 58% of Americans now accept the concept of gay marriages. In view of these statistics and the ever shifting attitude and opinion of people in regards to the right and wrong of relevant issues confronting our nation, does the ever increasing majority on these matters which were once a minority make them right? I want to bring to your attention some historical references when the majority was proven wrong.
The Messiah Turned Tyrant
It was not so long ago in a country far, far away that a people besieged by depression, inflation, high unemployment, and other woes welcomed the arrival of a man who seemed to be the answer to all of their economic, political, and social ills. Through his mesmerizing and messianic ability to captivate, he was able to galvanize them to his ideology and way of thinking. Almost an entire nation was taken hostage by his charm and charisma. Even scholars, theologians, generals, and those who should have known better danced to the tone of this pied piper. Ultimately this very inspiring and seemingly successful (at the time) leader was able to rally not just a majority, but practically an entire nation to follow him as he led them into war, the systematic extermination of millions of people (they deemed undesirables) and defeat and ruin. Though he had an overwhelming majority on his side, he was wrong. His name was Adolf Hitler.
The Best Man
There was a very captivating movie that came out in 1964 which featured a political character played by Henry Fonda, who was running to be a candidate for President of the United States. Due to threats from an opponent, who was also campaigning for his party’s nomination, he withdrew his name from the race. Though the allegations were old and perhaps unfounded, rather than harm his family, he dropped out. According to the plot of the movie, he was the best man. This movie was somewhat of a precursor to the presidential election that would transpire some five years later between Democratic candidate Hubert H. Humphrey and his Republican opponent Richard M. Nixon. In this tightly contested race, where the majority elected Mr. Nixon as our 37th President, were they right and did the best man win? History and especially the Watergate debauchery and scandal once again proved that the majority is not always right.
Two Landmark Judicial Decisions that Have Proven to Be Wrong
Murray vs Curlett
In 1963, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, a militant left wing atheist with close ties to the American Communist Party was almost singlehandedly able to remove prayer and Bible reading from public schools. The Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in favor of abolishing school prayer and Bible reading from the public schools. I am convinced, along with countless others, that this ruling by our highest court has been the primary catalyst of an avalanche of disorder, disrespect, and even the escalation of violence in our public schools. This lopsided decision (8 to 1) by our Supreme Court and the fallout that it has produced is irrefutable evidence that the majority is not always right.
Roe vs. Wade
The final deleterious and impudent decision that I want to bring to your attention was when a majority (7 to 2) of the Supreme Court Justices legalized abortion. This decision has not only accounted for over 50 million unborn babies being aborted since it was decided on January 22, 1973, but it has depleted and deprived our nation of much of its human pool of creativity, manpower, taxpayers, and other necessities that a nation needs to replenish and keep itself solvent. We have to surmise that in the vast number of babies that were aborted, there were some potential doctors, teachers, lawyers, and professionals of various types. There may have perhaps even been one who would have discovered a cure for cancer, AIDS, or some other incurable disease. Maybe there was an Abe Lincoln, a Thomas Edison, or a Martin Luther King, Jr. in the number of babies who were sacrificed upon the altar of feminine convenience and Hippocratic hypocrisy and greed. Who can
tell? The majority is not always right, even if they are highly sophisticated, educated, and constitutionally indoctrinated, as all of these Supreme Court Justices supposedly were. As mere men and human beings, they were in error.
There’s But One Who Is Always Right
As we conclude this commentary, it is important that we not only note that the majority is not always right in the areas previously considered, but also in many other aspects and areas of our culture where the masses are being unwittingly coerced and manipulated to endorse and support causes that are not wholesome and therapeutic to the ills of our nation. Contrarily, these causes are in many references the primary stimuli to the problems that we are now facing. In all fairness, none of us are always right about every issue of life, regardless of our theological, philosophical, traditional, or cultural beliefs. We can be wrong even when we think that we are right. There is but One who is always right and is never wrong, regardless of the subject or issue. I deem it very appropriate to conclude with a very relevant paraphrase of which He asserted about the issues we are considering: “You shall not follow a majority to do evil…” (Exodus 23:2).
