I sometimes get the feeling that I’m watching an illusionist entertain his audience with the art of misdirection.

I admit that I’ve always been a fan of those “magicians” who amazed us with the impossible. We all went away shaking our heads, but knowing that we had been handled. We knew that somehow the illusionist had misdirected our attention enough to suggest he had done magic. What is going on in our land is not a harmless magic show. We are being handled, but not by an artist simply wanting to entertain. The spin of political strategist and fake news of biased media are designed to direct our attention away from what’s really happening.

Voting for a Person, Not a Party

For instance, it is easy to make elections simply about the candidate. Some people even pride themselves in their bipartisanship proclaiming, “I don’t vote for the party. I vote for the person.”

It’s healthy to be open minded and uncontrolled by a political party. But such a view can reduce the election to what we like or don’t like about the individual candidate and end up having a beauty contest, while the direction of the country veers toward destruction.

For the critically lazy, the candidate can become be the only issue. Political strategists aim at those who won’t take the time to examine what’s really at stake. In our world of spin, a naïve person will be a pawn.

Skepticism can be healthy — however, cynicism is deadly. While the skeptic demands evidence to make up his mind, the cynic refuses to consider evidence that might change his mind. When cynics discuss or debate there is only accusation — no genuine exchange of ideas, no greater appreciation of truth.

Sadly, we have a growing number of lazy cynics posing as spokespersons for philosophical assumptions — assumptions that need close examination. The illusionists don’t want close examination. They want to define and impose their definition of reality on us while we enjoy the show. I encourage a vibrant skepticism. Ask the hard questions and demand evidence for what is reported to you.

Looking 20 Years Down the Road

The upcoming 2020 election is immensely important. The issue is not Donald Trump and his personal legacy vs. the pool of Democrats trying to vindicate their accusations while vying to be the opposing candidate. At stake is the direction of the country morally, politically and spiritually. We must ask a directional question: Where will this path take us 10-20 years down the road?

Right now, the economy is doing well. We all know that could change because of factors outside our control. We can’t just sit back and enjoy a robust economy, expecting it to continue unabated. Socialism is being touted as the way of the future. It offers government-provided solutions to every material need. But look at the societies that have adopted socialist tendencies and see where they are 20 years later. Can you see tax rates of 70%-90% in the future? Are you sure that only the wealthy will pay while you live free?

Individual freedom and total self-autonomy is running the show now. The future for that is anarchy. We love freedom, but in the past, we knew that it came at a high price with big responsibility. We built social structures to provide healthy boundaries for our liberty. These institutions are being marginalized now, and will be eliminated in the future. What will life be like without churches that proclaim the truth that is foundational to any and all flourishing? Do we want government-controlled universities where secularism alone can be taught? Do we want to eliminate the religious influence in hospitals, and health care?

Direction Leads to Destination

Political magicians have tried to focus our eyes on women’s rights while innocent babies die. If we can legally kill a baby before and immediately after birth, shall we one day soon kill seniors immediately prior to and after economic productivity? We just won’t be able to afford those who are a drag on our progressive march.

Direction leads to destination. Where shall we be in 10-20 years on the path promoted by progressive secularism?

Direction leads to destination. Where shall we be in 10-20 years on the path promoted by progressive secularism? We will have eliminated the effects of Judeo-Christian foundations. We will have abandoned an ethic based on spiritual realities and inserted a man-centered worldview that limits our hopes to what we humans can produce. Evil will no longer be identified and resisted. It will be reclassified as an option for those who choose to express themselves in whatever manner they like.

Remember! We are not watching a magic show enjoying how skillfully we are being misdirected. This is our lives and our future. We have great responsibility. It is too important to be distracted by Trump’s tweets or Pelosi’s pouting. We must keep our eyes on the issues that are setting the direction of our future.