The Christian Elitists

Syndicated columnist Walter Williams once made a particularly insightful observation about freedom. Williams is of African descent and a respected college professor with a keen appreciation for the free market economy. Dr. Williams observed that everybody wants to be free, a universal desire he shares with all mankind. But he said he is different from most people in that he wants “everybody” to be free.

The profundity of that statement is easy to miss. All of us want the freedom to drive the car we want, live in the best neighborhood we can afford and make decisions based on our moral conscience. It’s a universal desire for a man to make his own choices. But most people don’t extend that freedom to others within their culture or church.

Sir Thomas Moore was a great English statesman. He was also a member of the Catholic clergy during the reign of Henry VIII. When Henry rejected the Catholic yoke Moore was caught in a squeeze between loyalty to the King and loyalty to the Pope. Rather than reject the Pope he willingly lost all of his property leaving his family destitute and eventually was beheaded. There are many schools and colleges named after this man of faith.

What is not as well known is that Thomas Moore did not allow Protestants the same freedom he died to maintain for himself. In fact Moore had at least six Protestants burned at the stake for reading Luther’s books and another forty were imprisoned at his command and had their land confiscated.

Church wars are infamous for the hypocrisy of the perpetrators. I have friends in a church that is now going through a severe trial that will inevitably lead to a denominational split. At the heart of the controversy is the loss of power by men who have treated others with contempt. While they held power they showed little respect for the rights of others but now they are out of power they plan a coup that will fracture the political organization.

In a word it is elitism. There will always be those who, having obtained the high ground, deny the opportunity to others.

One such example was George Selden, a lawyer who stymied the production of cars in America for more than a decade and almost destroyed the American auto industry before it started.

Selden never made a car that ran for more than ten miles but he was able to gain a patent on the entire industry. Having done this he demanded a royalty from manufacturers who actually produced cars that worked. But that wasn’t enough. Selden’s patent allowed him to set an arbitrary price on all cars that was too high for the average person to afford. He did this because he believed the common man should not be allowed to own a car. In his mind it was a privilege reserved for the wealthy.

Every American manufacturer capitulated to Selden’s demands except one who risked everything to win a legal battle with Selden. Were it not for Henry Ford, America may never have produced a car for the average man.

There is a strange correlation between the stories of Thomas Moore and George Selden. One of the reasons Moore ordered men to be burned at the stake is that they were reading the Bible in English. In his mind only the educated, meaning those who could read Latin should have the opportunity to study the Word of God.

1,500 years before Thomas Moore Jesus Christ stood against the rule of the Pharisees. He did so by announcing, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ... to proclaim liberty to the captives and … to set at liberty those who are oppressed;” (Luke 4:18)

The goal of those who follow Jesus is the liberation of their fellow man. Walter Williams recognized a law of God through the system of economics. May all ministers learn from his example.

Until next time,