Mike Huckabee: Government ‘Should Never Become Our God’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is sharing his thoughts on the state of American politics today, including the divide between political parties.
“I’ve never seen it quite so filled with rancor and contentiousness, but part of that is because people feel very passionately about their beliefs, their country,” he told CBN News. “And we have a divided country…what we have is a divide between those who want to lean towards socialism, where the government gets stronger and bigger — where many people think the government is god.”
He continued, “And then there are still many of us who believe that the government is at best a tool of God, but it needs to be in the hands of people of integrity, people who will use it fairly and justly, but it should never become our god.”
Huckabee urged people to remember that freedom — “individually or corporately” — is one of the most important things our government is built on.
“We’re living in a time now where it’s hard to find common ground with people who believe that we’re an evil country,” he explained. “When you have that much of a fundamental difference, it’s really hard to find common ground and find that sort of center of governing.”
Huckabee is no longer a politician, but he still shares his thoughts on politics on TBN’s HUCKABEE.
“The hour-long program is a down-home slice of wholesome Americana in all of its patriotic, God-honoring, and family-friendly glory,” a description of the show reads. “Each show features national and international newsmakers, iconic celebrities and music legends, and uplifting stories highlighting the goodness, faith, and down-home heroics of everyday individuals from across the nation. Along the way Governor Mike offers his legendary take on what’s happening in Washington, DC and throughout the heart and soul of America.”
How media and movies portray government is one of Movieguide®’s discernment questions for determining the heart of Christ in movies.
As Movieguide® Founder and Publisher Dr. Ted Baehr wrote in his book, The Media-Wise Family:
Because so many movies attack Republican governments, that have checks and balances to minimize the government and to allow for more self-government, and promote socialism, communism and other leftist notions, it behooves us to pay close attention to the way a movie portrays government. Furthermore, to really analyze what worldview is being promoted by a motion picture, we should also ask in conjunction with this question, how is private enterprise portrayed in the movie?
The Lichter, Rothman and Lichter studies show[1] the vast majority of those involved in the entertainment industry politically support socialism. Socialism calls for the state, ruled by elites, to save mankind from greedy businessmen and women by eliminating the private ownership of property. Ironically, this same group is determined to guard the intellectual property rights that enable them to become wealthy making movies and entertainment.
At the very root of socialism and communism is a negation of God’s Law, the Ten Commandments, particularly the First Commandment, since the state is being elevated to a position higher than God and the Eighth Commandment, because to outlaw theft one must assume God established private property. You cannot steal something unless someone else owns it. The Tenth, is also negated because to envy or covet something requires that it belong to someone else. A movie that lifts up the state as savior and attacks the individual and their God-given rights is, in fact, promoting a very Anti-Christian worldview. …
Statism, in whatever form it takes – whether fascism, communism or national socialism – is a punishment for rejecting God and seeking salvation from men. This is the key to the impoverishment of every totalitarian state, including the former Soviet Union with all its natural wealth. Salvation can never be found in the state, but tyranny can. …
Asking how government and private enterprise are portrayed will help us to cut through the hidden political agendas that are in too many films and other entertainment.