Blog: Max Dawson
February 18, 2016
A giant died last Saturday.
United States Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia passed away in his sleep at age 79. I use the term giant because he was possibly the greatest constitutional scholar in existence. Unlike some others on the court, he never looked for a way to get around the constitution, but for a way to follow it.
Not only was he a great scholar and jurist, he was a champion of original intent. That is, he believed that all cases before the court should be interpreted by the original meaning that was intended by the framers of the constitution–the founding fathers. There is a large body of writings by the founders outside of the constitutional documents themselves. Determining original intent is not always that difficult.
What is difficult, however, is staying with original intent.
There are currently at least four other judges on the Supreme Court who do not believe in original intent. They would argue that the Constitution and Bill of Rights are “living documents.” That is, we can change their meaning to make them fit something we want to do. It was that kind of thinking that authorized abortion, same-sex marriage, ruled against school prayer and presented America with things that the original intent of the constitution would not authorize.
We have Justice Scalia to thank for holding the line on religious liberty with respect to health care (that is, he opposed the federal government’s attempt to force religious organizations to pay for abortion services for employees). He saw nothing in the constitution that gave any government the right to do that. We also have him to thank for rulings on public prayer and Bible reading. Being an original intent jurist, he strongly defended the first amendment (religious liberty, freedom of speech); and firmly defended the second amendment (the right of citizens to own and bear firearms). Why? Because that was the original intent of the framers.
Justice Antonin Scalia–champion of original intent! A giant. A giant hated by the those who would undermine the constitution.
There is another champion of original intent. THE FINAL WORD
Jesus Christ, champion of original intent.
I speak of Him as such in one particular area, though He was a champion of original intent regarding God’s will in every area!
In , Jesus and the Pharisees engaged in a controversy regarding divorce and remarriage. The modern thinking at that time among the Jews was that a man could divorce his wife for just about any cause and remarry. In fact, they asked Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
Jesus, champion of original intent, asked a rhetorical question, “Have you not read that he who made them at the beginning, made them male and female?”
In answer to their question(s), He kept taking them back to the beginning. He used similar language in verse eight, “…from the beginning…” To summarize Jesus’ answer in this controversy, His answer was “No, you cannot divorce and remarry for just any reason.” He allowed only the reason stated in –sexual immorality!
Liberal progressives in the body of Christ do not like what Jesus said about going back to the beginning and appealing to God’s original intent for man. The progressives (both in and out of the church) want people to “be free” to divorce and remarry for any cause. Jesus stands in the way of those persons by being a champion of original intent. To “be free” in their minds is to be free from the restraints Jesus puts on us.
There is much more that could be said about Jesus and divorce and remarriage. But for now, let’s just praise God for the following simple statement.
JESUS CHRIST, CHAMPION OF ORIGINAL INTENT
Blessings,
–Max
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