I wrote recently about how surprised I was that Pat Robertson had endorsed Rudy Giuliani, and how I thought that Evangelical Christians weren't going to flock to him like many people think they will simply because of one endorsement.  Several conservative bloggers disagreed with me in the comments.  The usual argument is that Ron Paul could never carry such voters because he's really a Libertarian, which means he believes in ending the War on Drugs^TM, legalized prostitution, and legalized gambling.  It makes a lot of sense.  After all, how could someone who carries those views get people who are against all those things to vote for them?  In short, I think it doesn't take a revolution in your thinking... but rather a revelation.

By Revelation, I'm actually referring to the Book of Revelation in the Bible.  Revelation is the apocryphal work of John, which if you believe in the Bible's absolute truth, predicts the end of time along with the circumstances that lead up to them.  While I don't believe that the Bible is absolute fact (but rather is allegory), many Evangelicals do.  Among the predictions which John makes leading up to the end of days, is the formation of a world government, and a mark of the beast which everyone will have to have on their forehead in order to buy or trade.  Some people have viewed Social Security numbers as this mark, while others look at the UN as a possible world government, and see the size of the United States federal government as moving in that direction as well.  While there are some out there who actually think that Evangelicals in government are currently trying to hasten these things in an effort to bring about the end of days and the return of Jesus (*cookoo*), there are many who would not want to be an instrument in the return of the anti-Christ.  For those people, the Libertarian philosophy is a powerful draw, and someone like Ron Paul would be very attractive.

But what does that mean for the rest of us, who don't believe in Revelation as an actual prediction for the end time?  Does it hold any value for us?  I think so.  Many historians have examined the symbolism of Revelation, and have hypothesized that the anti-Christ being spoken of was Nero.  Based on the timing of when it was written, this would certainly make sense.  That's not to suggest that the end of days has already occurred, but rather is meant to serve as a warning to all of us about the danger of centralized power, no matter how well intentioned.

When Revelation is examined through the magnifying glass of history, and examined in the context of Rome at the time, it's easy to see the correlations.  Likewise, you can begin to see that in many ways we're currently traveling down the same path.  Laws against vice, and regulations regarding the simple decisions that we make every day that only affect ourselves require government infrastructure and police to enforce.  While these laws, and this infrastructure is often created with the best of intentions, what Revelations warns of is the danger that it can quickly be turned against you.  When your guy is in power, it all seems good.  But as the old saying goes... power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  Not only that, but that sort of opportunity for power attracts those who we least want to be in power.  I fear the use of government to police many of those things that others view as a no-brainer, mostly because I know what it takes to enforce those laws, and fear the day when that police force will be turned on me for something else.