Jonathan D. Blundell

Ok. Just so you know, I finished reading the article and I can say I agree with most of what the author said. Although I don’t think homeschooling is the only way this “bottom-up” philosophy can take place – I think “bottom-up” is the way we should be making change in our world.

Calling it dominion is a huge turn off to me, but changing the world through our own personal actions and faith and not by legislation is what I’m totally about.

It’s impossible to expect that a culture that’s been in meltdown mode for over a century can be rescued by some kind of miraculous, overnight, 51% to 49%, “top-down,” legislative acts that might hopefully force the country move “our way.”…
Our national mindset of “government as eternal safety-net” is too dead set against it. Besides, even though almost all legislation deals with matters of right and wrong, the kind of restored morality we’d like to see simply can’t be legislated. Laws alone can’t force people to “be good;” only Christ and adherence to His moral standards can do that.

AMEN! The author goes on to say that while some of these homeschooled, “Christian Soldier Repairmen” will become elected officials, they can still have an affect through their lives, regardless of what laws are in place.

…the bottom-up principle still retains a powerful place in the halls of government because the lives of young Christians seeking to become lawmakers are always under the critical magnifying glass and microscope of public opinion. So, whether in pre-candidate mode as a next door neighbor or ultimately as a respected regional representative, exemplary behavior will serve as a life-style model as to what truly good governors and governments (minimal, freedom oriented and Bible-based) are supposed to be about. This “bottom-up-ness” will be especially vivid as Christian officials make their Bible-based moral compass and biblical worldview principles explicit through the quality of their legislation and their public speeches and writings. They’ll also be making a difference by direct impact on the personal lives of their fellow office holders, and the same as it relates to ever-skeptical cynics in the humanist media.

I think he’s painting too broad of a paint stroke here with the “humanist media” but I understand his point. No matter where we are, as elected officials, as road workers, as bankers, as members of the main stream media, or even as bloggers or members of the non-so-main stream media, we should be having a positive influence on those around us.

This huge army of fully engaged adults will, daily, be influencing their fellow workers through winsome friendship evangelism as well as by bringing character, integrity, good example and product-advancing, employer-pleasing breakthroughs to their jobs.

YES! “Work not as unto man, but as unto the Lord.”

Sure, the bottom-up philosophy is a tall order, but, by thinking in terms of one voter, one new office holder, one new group of friends at work, one new child being taught at home by God’s people, it won’t be long before millions will have observed and become convinced, voluntarily, that the way of the Lord is the better way.

It takes one person standing up for Christ to make a difference. And that one person tells another one, who tells another one, who tells another one, until everyone is convinced, voluntarily, that the Lord is the better way.

And to answer my previous questions – Jesus didn’t call His disciples to take on political office, or mass protests, or fighting back against authority because His way was/is different. He called His disciples to make changes one on one and to change hearts, not laws.