Making Peace With Evil – How California Went Crazy [Op-Ed]

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By Erika Phelan –

Let me start with an all too familiar story.

“Hi Pastor, I was wondering if I could talk to you about my husband.  I think I might need some help.”  Mary sheepishly looked at the ground, then back at Pastor Tom.  “I’m just not sure what I should do.”  Pastor Tom replied “Sure, Mary.  What’s been going on?”

“My husband gets really angry.  I don’t usually mind when it’s directed at me, but when he turns on our son…” Mary began to weep.  “Angry?”, Pastor Tom asked.  “What exactly does he do when he gets ‘angry’?”  “Well, take last night for example.  We were sitting down at dinner and I said something that made him mad.  He flipped over the table, pushed our son and shoved me into the wall.  Then he grabbed the car keys and told me he was heading to the bar and not to expect him home anytime soon.”

What should Pastor Tom say to Mary?  Does she need another lesson on being gentle and quiet?  Should she work on a more submissive attitude?  Sadly, I’ve known Christians who have told women in Mary’s shoes they should “pursue peace” with an abusive man like Mary’s husband.

A strange desire for peace at all costs seems to be growing in the church today.  This trend looks very spiritual at the outset but it actually promotes evil.  These groups insist the only Christian way to handle a tyrant is to “make peace” with him.  They encourage their people not to get involved, on any level, when it comes to politics.  Their reasoning is usually something along the lines of: “We don’t want our political views to upset people.”  But is “not upsetting people” a good goal for Christians?  Should Christians shut up and silently cast their votes?  Are they allowed to have political convictions as long as they never voice them?  Should Christians refrain from conversation that could possibly be deemed politically controversial?

To a growing number in the church, the answer is yes.  That answer is terrifying and, I believe, one of the reasons my family had to uproot and leave our home State of California.  Making peace with evil might be the easier option in the short term, but it comes at a great cost in the end.  The “fact checkers” can’t seem to decide if Edmund Burke said it, but the fact remains: “Evil thrives when good men do nothing.”

To render the Christian useless in the political sphere reminds me of a gross atrocity I saw in the church growing up – the tendency of some Christians to tell abused women that the only behavior God requires of them is to be “gentle and quiet.”  Although orthodox Christianity is historically good for women, Scripture can be taken out of context to encourage women to submit to abusive men, almost like encouraging citizens of a state to submit to out of control tyrants (like Governor Gavin Newsom of California.)   Rather than encouraging women to do things like think, discern, and act, they encourage these women to shut up and sit down.

When I hear fellow Christians saying we have no place in the political sphere, I feel I am being told to shut up and sit down.  But, is that really what Christians should be doing?  Does shutting up and sitting down so a tyrant may have his way honor God?  Does making peace with evil promote a thriving, flourishing home, state and country?  No.  In fact, it makes the problem much worse.

Just as an abused woman needs to be taught to recognize abuse and to get help from her church or the proper authorities, Christians need to be taught to recognize tyranny and to learn how to fight it by studying both God’s Word and history.  Christians are not here to sit in their rooms with big theology books and feel spiritual.  We are here to be salt and light in all realms of society.  “God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbor does” said Martin Luther..and, I would add, so does the future of America.

Abused women do not need to hear: “Scripture says to be gentle and quiet.”  Likewise, Christians under the authority of tyrants do not need to hear: “Live at peace with the government.”  When we open the book of Ecclesiastes, we see there is a time for every purpose under heaven.  It’s not always a time to make peace.  It’s not always a time to embrace.  Sometimes, we have to do the opposite.  A decision to bury our heads in the sand and pretend like everything is ok when we know it is not, is a decision that only benefits abusers and tyrants.

While Scripture does indeed give women the admonition to be gentle and quiet, that passage does not negate all of the other Scripture about being wise, protecting children, discerning between good and evil, and recognizing when it is time not only to refrain from embracing, but also to fight.  

Yes, Scripture commands citizens to live peaceably with their government, but it also makes a distinction between obeying man made leaders and our God.  (Spoiler alert, we’re supposed to choose God.)

Christians need to remember there are things that should make us sad and angry. 

When I think of the devastation wrought in the homes of families with a tyrant for a leader and an overly submissive wife enabling him, it saddens and angers me, as it should.  

When I think of the devastation wrought in our country because of quiet Christians who stand back and allow policy to come in that harms children and puts people in charge of our country who seek its destruction, it saddens and angers me, as it should.

Feeling no emotion at these things is ungodly.  Doing nothing to stop them is ungodly.

“The beauty of doing nothing is that you can do it perfectly.  Only when you do something is it almost impossible to do it without mistakes.  Therefore, people who are contributing nothing to society, except their constant criticisms, can feel both intellectually and morally superior”  – Thomas Sowell.  

When Christians criticize each other for engaging in anything political, they feel morally superior to Christians who have joined in the fight for our country. 

Of the groups promoting the idea that Christians shouldn’t have a voice in the political realm, I believe there are some who are sincere.  They’ve seen the corruption on both sides of our government and, understandably, haven’t wanted to get involved.  As Christians, we are after all, aware of the deceitfulness of the human heart and the fact that it knows no political bounds.  

However, some Christians use the excuse of being gentle, quiet and “pursuing peace” to not have to use their brain, to not have to be bold and to not have to suffer loss…and that is wrong.  It’s wrong in the country.  It’s wrong in the state.  It’s wrong in the home.  

In a home governed by a tyrant, oftentimes there are children who are hurting.  If the only one who sees and who could actually do something to help believes she must remain gentle and quiet, that is the perfect recipe for more abuse.

In a state governed by tyrants, the only people who can see, say and do something to protect the most vulnerable are its citizens.  When its citizens decide they must remain “at peace” with their tyrant led government many people suffer, especially the weakest among us.

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In California, children suffered more than children living in red states.  How can I make such a bold claim?  

I will never forget the terror I felt when talking to a social worker at our church in California.  She said since the start of the pandemic, reports made to Child Protective Services were down 30%.  The forced lockdowns and the exceedingly selfish decision of the California Teachers Association to keep schools closed and abused children from being around someone who could actually see and report negligence and abuse caused an increased amount of negligence and abuse.  The extreme mask mandates promoted by almost every left leaning politician harmed children’s verbal, emotional and social development.  Children from red states were, on the whole, far better protected than children living in states run by progressives.   

If we want to keep Tennessee from the wickedness driving so many out of California and other blue states, we need to be aware of one simple truth.  Making peace with evil hurts the good guys and helps the bad guys. It really is that simple.

Just as we must stop telling the abused woman the only way she can honor God in her marriage is by remaining gentle and quiet, we must stop telling Christians the only way to honor God in a country run by tyrants is to never say anything political.  Truth must be shared and acted upon, first in our own hearts and homes and then in the world around us.   

To the Christians who say we just need to “trust the Lord” when it comes to living under the authority of a tyrant, we need to remember that trusting the Lord does not mean never taking action.  Courage has taken many forms throughout history.  Sometimes it looks like Rahab lying to the king to protect the good guys, Corrie Ten Boom hiding Jews in her home or pro life nurses nurturing babies who survived a brutal abortion.  These women did what was right.  They said “NO” to the government and pleased God while they did.  

Today, we need Christians to stand up and say “NO!” to our government and yes to that which pleases God.  It pleases God when men and women fight evil with good.  It pleases God when women turn into mama bears who say “NO!  You’re not teaching sexually explicit material to my kid!”  It pleases God when brave men leave all the comforts of home and family to defend freedom.  

If you’re a Christian, the conservative movement needs your voice.  There is simply too much at stake in our country for you to remain silent.  

Although we are the greatest nation on earth, people are terrified of saying the wrong thing for fear of being “canceled.”  Millions of people (my family included) felt so convinced we would never be free to raise our families in peace if we stayed in our blue states, we chose to uproot and replant in red.  We are the greatest nation, but we are living in strange times.  We have so much to lose, and there are enemies both inside and outside of our country who want nothing more than to see us crumble.  Christians do not help anyone by being naive.  We must understand there are many powerful, ridiculously wealthy people who believe it would be best for America to be torn down so they can usher in “utopia” –  something no true Christian believes man can ever achieve.

If you’re struggling to accept the fact that even in America hard times may come upon us, remember, Christians have always been hated.  Pick up a copy of Trial and Triumph and you’ll see what I mean.  

If you’re a Christian struggling to accept the fact that sometimes we have to fight the bad guys, remember, we wouldn’t be enjoying the freedom we stand on today were it not for the brave men and women who spent their lives fighting evil.  Tyranny happens and when it does Christians not only “get” to say and do something they must say and do something.  This is not “Christian Nationalism.”  This is called being a caring citizen.  

When I look back throughout history and think of the people I respect the most, there’s no one on my list who allowed evil to run its course.  It’s the men and women who said, “Here is where all of that evil stops.”  When threatened with death, they continued to defy the powers that be. 

Jesus made a lot of people angry.  If you’re a Christian who is afraid to defend the truth because you’re afraid of being hated by the world, you need to find another religion.  “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” II Timothy 3:12.

To the Christian desiring peace, I understand your desire for peace.  Desire God more.  Remember, He placed you at this particular time in history with purpose.  Do not shy away from the good things He has for you to think, say and do and please, whatever you do, don’t encourage others to be apathetic.  By doing so, you are helping our enemies!  There are many people who know firsthand what it is like to live with a tyrant running their home or their state or their country.  Devastating.  (If you haven’t yet read Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents by Rod Dreher, you should.  There’s a lot we can learn from Christians who survived Soviet persecution.) 

The church could use a heavy dose of common sense:  Appeasing a tyrant in the home hurts the home. Appeasing a tyrant in the country hurts the country.  

I’m not advocating for a theocracy and I’m certainly not saying we should hate peace and love war.  But, we are foolish people when we ignore the reality of war throughout history and we are exceedingly foolish people when we forget why those brave men and women fought and suffered.  They did it for their children, their homes, their country and for us.  Should we really throw all of that away?  If Christians remain apathetic, we will.

“War must be, while we defend ourselves against a destroyer who would devour all, but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness nor the warrior for his glory.  I love only that which all of these defend”, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

In light of the tyranny we’ve seen taking over our state and federal governments, whether it be through extreme overreach at the state level or leaked Supreme Court decisions at the federal level, it’s hard to imagine how we can reunify and heal.  If we can achieve peace without putting up a fight, then we are far more privileged than many who have gone before.  But if we have to suffer, whether by being ostracized or “canceled” or things far worse, may we “entrust ourselves to our faithful Creator, while doing good” 1 Peter 4:19.  

The only alternative is to allow the tyrant to have his way.  Many Californians like me can attest – that is a deadly decision. Christian, please stop looking for ways to pursue peace with evil.  Let’s get to work overcoming evil with good (Romans 12:21).  Cast your vote.  Speak up!  Be clear, be loud, be gracious, be wise and please use aptly spoken words.  Don’t tell the concerned citizens to back down from their tyrannical government and never tell someone like Mary to shut up and sit down.  Mary is worth more.  Our country is worth more. 

May we, like Martin Luther, desire “peace, if possible; truth at all costs.”

About the Author: Erika Phelan – Erika is a wife and mom.  She spends her days enjoying her family and spreading good ideas with friends who left blue states for red at www.redstateramblings.com.