The Lesser of Two Evils - It's About Choosing Sin, Not Politicians

If you've spent any time surfing the web or simply reading your Facebook posts of late, chances are you've been exposed to the meme above. It says it was penned by Charles Spurgeon. It even displays his dignified signature. The only problem is Spurgeon did not write it.

So then, since Charles Spurgeon did not inscribe these words, who did? 

Have you ever heard of Michael Marcavage? Me neither. Marcavage is an American missionary and the founder of Repent America, an evangelistic ministry based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Marcavage aside, even he did not prohibit Christians from voting their conscience for their candidate of choice. That is, since "ALL men sin and fall short of God’s glory" (RO 3:23), one would presume that ALL encompasses politicians, including those we admire as well as those who we do not. This embodies those whom we would see as a saint, as well as those whom we are absolutely sure, are the antichrist. 

After all, ALL are sinners.

The long and short of it is this meme was manufactured. It misattributes Marcavage with Spurgeon, in a not so veiled attempt to trash whichever of the current presidential candidates you believe is "the lesser of two evils." Plain and simple.

Spurgeon’s actual quote is from The Salt Cellars – Proverbs and Quaint Sayings. Its admonition offers direction when confronted with a choice of clear sin, such as if deciding between stealing and murder. To this Spurgeon applies the saying when writing:

Of two evils choose neither. Don’t choose the least, but let all evils alone.

That is, Spurgeon did not comment on voting or politics of any sort. Instead, the CONTEXT of Spurgeon's admonition addresses spirituality and illustrates the foolishness of devising false choices where both are missing God’s mark.

Spurgeon’s counsel was clearly understood in his day, and its usage has invariably been acknowledged and accepted without confusion. That is, it was clear until an American election emerged where a plan was hatched to incapacitate Christians by keeping them from voting. Powers that be are resolved to distract the salt-of-the-earth from making a wise choice between two deeply flawed people.

Interesting enough, Spurgeon knew that some would MISUSE his advice and even WARNED people of doing so. He begins his caution with the following:

There is a wicked way of using this saying…

"Of all evils choose the least,” by applying it to an undersized wife. When the Lacedaemonians fined their king for marrying a little woman, he excused himself by saying that of two evils he had chosen the less.

The old rhymster said:

“If wives are evils, as ’tis known,
 And wofully confessed,

the man who’s wise will surely own,

A little one is best."

———————

Spurgeon’s advice on voting, which he offered frequently, was that Christians must continue to be involved citizens of their own country and that they should use their vote wisely in the sight of God:

I would not, however, say to any persons here present, despise the privilege which you have as citizens. Far be it from me to do it. When we become Christians we do not leave off being Englishmen; when we become professors of religion we do not cease to have the rights and privileges which citizenship has bestowed on us. Let us, whenever we shall have the opportunity of using the right of voting, use it as in the sight of Almighty God, knowing that for everything we shall be brought into account, and for that amongst the rest, seeing that we are entrusted with it. And let us remember that we are our own governors, to a great degree, and that if at the next election we should choose wrong governors we shall have nobody to blame but ourselves, however wrongly they may afterwards act, unless we exercise all prudence and prayer to Almighty God to direct our hearts to a right choice in this matter. May God so help us, and may the result be for his glory, however unexpected that result may be to any of us!”– Charles Spurgeon, Particular Election (Sermon).

Finally, if the preceding weren't enough, Spurgeon also offered this tidbit of wisdom:

Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.” All men have at times lusted, but is a wife to be nonchalant, noncommittal, and nonresistant if her husband watches porn every night? Both are evil, but one is less odious than the other is. No, all sins do not carry the same penalty and are not rated equally offensive.

As Spurgeon suggested, discernment is required to differentiate between options – the difference between right and wrong and the difference between wrong and very wrong.

Trump vs Clinton? 

You decide.

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

CHARLIE SHEEN DEAD! And Hostess Twinkies

Consider for a moment all that was going on in the world during the now infamous blip in history when Charlie Sheen was the single most hot topic: nuclear meltdown in Japan, the aftermath of Japan's tsunami and earthquake, soaring gas prices, Israel approving West Bank settlement construction, Qaddafi forces attacking Libyan rebels, battle lines being drawn in Wisconsin, and State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley being fired for criticizing the Pentagon over WikiLeaks - just to name a few.

Charlie Sheen and Hostess Twinkies

Now then, add to this list of consequential news, the breakup of Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, as well as the rumor of Charlie's death. As inconceivable at it was, immediately following the Tsunami aftermath in Japan, the next two hottest search topics in America were Sheen and Biel... Even worse, the other substantial news items were nowhere to be found.
Listen folks, we've known for some time now that there is something profoundly troubling with the precipitous decline in American values, but after becoming somewhat blog savvy, and having the pulse of American interests at the fore, I've become increasingly more aware of the degree to which our culture is sliding downhill. When the pursuits and passions for C-list celebrity's far surpass the weighty matters of home and country, it's noteworthy.

So then, do I have any sort of antidote for what seems to be an ailment of no small proportion? Yes and no. No, in that no matter how I might craft my thoughts, the resulting remedy feels presumptuous. Much smarter minds than mine have amply approached this subject and yet the dial has yet to tick a single notch away from the trivial.

Yes, I formulated my thoughts, as I am sure you have, and I believe they are not too far afield. As one might expect, my solutions are heavily steeped in my Christian faith, as well as a genuine, intrinsic love for people (as one might expect from a 30+ year veteran of creating family portraits...). Regardless, prescriptions are only good as the perceived necessity and resolve. Subsequently, realistically speaking, were I to take the time to articulate my sense of things, my blog post would amount to nothing more than just so many words.

Who Is They?

If you're a browser having come to the Mark Jordan Photography Photosical blog looking for salacious details of Sheen's demise, you will be disappointed. I nearly said I was sorry, but that would be false. I know that all of American media was abuzz with all-things-Sheen, and it only seems natural, if not our cultural consumer obligation to click our heals in lockstep to their enticements. However, what they don't tell you is stupefying. But before we can examine the verity of this bold statement, the next question we must explore is, "Who is they"?

While it's easy to point fingers and vilify the voices of the culture as liars and promoters of shallowness, let's be honest: what they're selling can actually be of interest, albeit primarily for it's outlandish nature. Nevertheless, prurient or not, trying to tell the average viewer that tuning in to such superfluous scandals as Mel Gibson ranting about his marriage is of no value, is like trying to convince teenagers that sex and drugs are not all they are cracked up to be. It's a lie - and they know it.

It would appear then than that the pulpiteers who've told us the culture has delivered false promises, that such frivolous interests have nothing to offer us, have not been all together honest. Regardless of such moralizers telling us to "keep moving on, there's nothing to see here," Americans are not buying it - in greater numbers than ever before. We enjoy watching the drama of our social elite, and telling us to do otherwise has little to no effect.

Exclusion of Substance

So what's the big deal then? From my point of view, it's not so much that having an interest in the superficial pop-culture is corruptive, but rather the exclusion of substance. In other words, what's good for our nutritional wellbeing is also true for the culture - a Hostess Twinkie has it's place, but only when the body is healthy and nourished by what sustains it.

When a culture is already reeling from decade after decade of steep moral decline, "Charlie Sheen Dead" is analogous to mainlining - not particularly what the commonwealth needs to sustain itself. Such injections only serve to feed a corporeal component in our character which does little to strengthen our muscle of virtue and nobility.

To the point, they then, is both, those who advocate a life enmeshed in the likes of Hollywood gossip, and those who rail against it as pure garbage with no redeeming value. Both are extreem, and both miss the point.

You see, regardless of the reality that expressing an interest in the superficial is not detrimental in of itself, the other hard reality is that a life preoccupied in the affairs of anyone other than those who are directly within one's realm of influence (i.e. family and friends), is a life yet equipped with the fundamental elements that promote happiness.

In other words, for as much mindless fun it might be to tune into Access Hollywood, TMZ, et al, if such represents the bulk of one's diet, the only possible outgrowth is a life of emptiness.

This is who they are and what they don't tell you.

So then, if you've known someone who's ever wondered why their relationships are in the tank, the pocketbook is forever running low, can't quite figure out what's going on in the world, how is it they're feeling angry much of the time, they seem to prefer a doobie over resolving life's challenges, are chronically overweight, or they catch themselves whining about their lot in life, maybe, just maybe, they're expending their life majoring in the minors - they're subsistence is restricted primarily to Hostess Twinkies when it might be better off with a well-balanced regimen. 

For me, a balanced diet that seems to work well consists of a daily connection with God, family, friends, charity, fun, interests/hobbies, then more family, friends, charity, fun, interests/hobbies. And if I am really extraordinarily full, I just might make time for the likes of Charlie Sheen. However, I've got to be candid, the more I invest my time with matters of substance, my appetite for the exiguous is far and few in between.

Running on Empty

Consequently, if you're terribly disappointed this blog is a tiresome piece of moralizing and not an expose on Charlie Sheen, just possibly, I might suggest, you are running on empty. Hostess Twinkies has that sort of effect...

Mark

©Photosical - the photographic and personal observations of Orange County Photographer, Mark Jordan Photography

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Orange County Photographer, Mark Jordan Photography, an Rancho Santa Margarita Photographer, specializes in crafting stunning contemporary, traditional, classic, and storytelling family portraits (high school seniors, children portraits, babies, maternity, pregnancy), headshots and pets. Mark Jordan, a Photography Hall of Fame photographer (with a Rancho Santa Margarita portrait studio), and provides portrait photography throughout Orange County and Southern California. Mark Jordan's Orange County portrait studio also serves San Diego County and Inland Empire. Studio Photography Services are also provided in Riverside County and Los Angeles County. Local Cites where Mark Jordan photography studio services are offered are as an Aliso Viejo Photographer, Anaheim Photographer, Costa Mesa Photographer, Coto de Caza Photographer, Dana Point Photographer, Dove Canyon Photographer, Huntington Beach Photographer, Irvine Photographer, Ladera Ranch Photographer, Laguna Beach Photographer, Laguna Hills Photographer, Laguna Niguel Photographer, Lake Forest Photographer, Mission Viejo Photographer, Newport Beach Photographer, Northwood Photographer, Orange Photographer, Orange Park Acres Photographer, San Clemente Photographer, San Juan Capistrano Photographer, Santa Ana Photographer, Tustin Photographer, Villa Park Photographer, Westminster Photographer, Yorba Linda Photographer, Corona del Mar Photographer, Riverside Photographer, Temecula Photographer, Chino Hills Photographer, Loma Linda Photographer, Rancho Bernardo Photographer, Carlsbad Photographer, Coronado Photographer, Del Mar Photographer, Escondido Photographer, San Diego Photographer, San Marcos Photographer, Solana Beach Photographer, Carmel Mountain Ranch Photographer, Rancho San Diego Photographer, Rancho Santa Fe Photographer, and San Diego Country Estates Photographer, Turtle Rock Photographer, Shady Canyon Photographer. Portrait Photographers everywhere (photographers in O.C. as well) are welcome to contact our portrait studio for mentoring/guidance.