He that ruleth over men

I was listening to a song this morning called, “The last words of David.” The text is from 2 Samuel 23: 3-4 in the Old Testament:

They are the words of God, spoken to David: “He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.”

When I read that I felt “bitter” as I contemplated our candidates for president.

We have Mr. Obama, who sounds more like Karl Marx all the time. Here’s what Marx wrote about religion way back in 1843: “Religion is, indeed, the self-consciousness and self-esteem of man who has either not yet won through to himself, or has already lost himself again. … This state and this society produce religion, which is an inverted consciousness of the world, because they are an inverted world. Religion is the general theory of this world, its encyclopedic compendium, its logic in popular form, its spiritual point d'honneur, its enthusiasm, its moral sanction, its solemn complement, and its universal basis of consolation and justification. It is the fantastic realization of the human essence since the human essence has not acquired any true reality. The struggle against religion is, therefore, indirectly the struggle against that world whose spiritual aroma is religion.
“Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.
”The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo. (Contribution to Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right)

Then there is Mrs. Clinton. I fear that her moral compass was sold long ago. I am not convinced that she can foster trust among the people who work for her.

As for Mr. McCain, he has worked hard to put distance between himself and the religious right. His target audience is the moderate, the independent, the slightly left. If he wins it will be a textbook case of the lesser of evils.

The scripture is right. None of these can hope to be rulers over men, only politicians. But that is apparently what America wants since the God-fearing candidates are quickly eliminated from the mix.