I’ve been re-reading a 2 volume work by Walter Chandler entitled “The Trial of Christ.” This book explains the Hebrew rules of court in great detail. It likewise explains the Roman laws, which were necessary because Judea was a nation conquered by Rome prior to the trial of Christ.

The amazing thing is it’s a wonder that anyone was ever found guilty of a crime punishable by death because the rules were so stringent about witnesses and judges (members of the Sanhedrin). But then as you read the accounts in the four Gospels of what transpired to bring Christ to the cross, you see vividly how many of the laws and rules of procedure were intentionally violated.

But the sad thing to me is to see how many of the concepts in our U.S. Constitution are likewise being ignored and cast aside. It is apparent from the remarks coming from some of our government leaders that they think the Founding Fathers were noting but a bunch of bumbling farmers and slave owners.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Founders were great men of not only learning but of wisdom. Can you imagine the great concepts that they advocated, such as three separate but equal branches of government, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and the federal concept of separate States being united in a less meddlesome national government?

They saw a nation where the PEOPLE actually govern themselves. Let the government get out of the way and act for protection only. There were originally only five national crimes mentioned in the Constitution, the rest were left to the States. But what do you know, the federal government has adopted more than 50,000 federal crimes. And all without amending the Constitution.

How does that happen. James Madison, John Adams, and George Washington all warned us that this type of government will work only for a moral and religious people. That way they govern themselves by having great character. We no longer rely on the citizens to teach, learn, or have great character, we just throw new criminal laws out there! And expect people that are not taught to have good character to abide by them.

Isn’t that a little bit backwards?

That’s exactly what the Hebrew leaders and the Roman governors did. They lost sight of how important character was. And insisted on Power. Look what happened to Rome. And what happened to the temple at Jerusalem!