Rules of Regency – Part I

Posted on by charliej373

Woodburn, Oregon – (I am necessarily in a very compressed West Coast swing because I have to get back for an event at Mt. Meeker scheduled for Oct. 14 and 15. It is a nice, tight schedule, but it prevents me from getting all that I need to do finished in other areas. I am working on a big piece that I wanted to get done before I reprinted the Rules of Regency, but it requires a lot of uninterrupted work. America is in the midst of a left-wing revolution, designed to topple what the country was intended to be. I have decided to start with the “Rules” this week, then publish the complicated piece next week, which will go into depth on the growing counter-revolution against leftist authoritarianism. This piece originally was posted on July 20, 2016.  Some are so weary they despair of things ever being right again, but the tide has already started to shift. Things will be right again, but not without us making our stand. Remember, as Matthew 24:13 says. “…he who endures to the end will be saved.” Time for some endurance ahead. Some minor edits have been made to this text to take out any prophetic references, but the substance remains as it was when first written, seven years ago.-CJ)

In days gone by, when a sovereign King was either too young or too ill to carry out his duties, a Regent was often appointed to rule in his place until he was old enough or well enough to do so, himself. In the US, the people are supposed to be sovereign, acting through a representative democracy under the rule of law. That system, though not dead, is on life support. The rule of law is in tatters.

Back in 2007 I began to contemplate what a world in tatters would look like, a world where all our institutions had collapsed catastrophically – and develop a plan to get a shattered people back on its feet, filled with enough confidence and trust to confront the great challenges of the latter part of the Storm. It was to be comprehensive, covering as many eventualities as I could think of, from the philosophical and theoretical to the intensely practical. It was one of the two or three most implausible and frightening initiatives I ever mounted. I took it on as an intellectual exercise – and have worked at it almost every day since then.

This piece and the two that follow it are a sketchy overview of that contemplation. They barely skim the surface but will give you an idea of the direction of thought behind it. This is NOT from God, but the result of my contemplations. Yet I will be held accountable to God for my work on them.

I have said a few times that people of God are soon going to be called to govern, as the inanities of progressivism are blown away like so much chaff by the fury of the Storm. The duty of a Regent is to bring he who is given into his care to majority or back to health. We, the people of God, are called to be Regents of Representative Democracy. Here then is the first installment of the Rules of Regency:

Religion

America will be formally a Judeo-Christian country that is welcoming and tolerant of those of any faith who are of good will. There will be no religious test for office. No public official may interfere with a public expression of Christian or Jewish faith, whether it be at a high school graduation, a session of the legislature, or any other public display.

It may surprise you to know that what are usually called First Amendment cases regarding religion are actually not First Amendment cases at all. They are 14th Amendment cases. At the time the Constitution was adopted, eight of the original states had “official” churches. The First Amendment says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” This phrase was supported by those states which had established religions, because its meaning was that the federal government would be forever barred from interfering with religion at all: it would have no jurisdiction, whatsoever. That is the way the founders wanted it.

It was the 14th Amendment and its “equal protection” clause that enemies of religion used to assume federal jurisdiction over religious matters and regulate religious expression. The 14th Amendment was adopted, in part, after the Civil War to integrate all people, black and white, into the fullness of American citizenship. It was not until nearly a century later that those hostile to religious expression decided they could use the 14th Amendment to do what the First Amendment specifically forbade them from doing. Enough. America IS a Judeo-Christian country, the finest flower of Western Civilization. It is tolerant of dissent (or used to be) in large part because the Founder of the faith commanded that there be no coercion in the faith, even as authority was set up for the hierarchy which administers the faith – for those who embrace it.

Human Rights

He who has the power to grant a right has the power to revoke it. Our rights do not come from the government, but from God through the Natural Law.

We have completely mutilated the very concept of what a right is. A right pre-exists the government and is not dependent at all on government for it to adhere to the human person. We may, as a society, decide that everyone should have something we can give – such as health care or social security. Such ideas may be good or may be bad, but they can never be a right; only an entitlement.

The Kreutzer family of Colorado posted this sign on their van at the Jericho March around Planned Parenthood in March of 2016.

It does us great damage when we start speaking of mere entitlements as if they were rights, for it spreads the pernicious notion that government is the author of rights, rather than a useful administrative body to secure those rights.

The Declaration of Independence was a short essay on the concept of Natural Law, and the rights that inhere to all people as their birthright. The Bill of Rights specified some of those rights – rights that precede the existence of the State. In the founders’ minds, government was a necessary evil. It had some limited areas of jurisdiction, duty and authority. Its purpose was to defend its people from all assaults, external and internal – and its authority was limited to those few areas specifically granted to it by the Constitution. All other matters were to be determined by the states.

In the founders’ minds, the very legitimacy of any government was largely determined by how it protected and defended the rights of its citizens, rights granted them by God and Natural Law. I doubt there is a single founder who would consider the federal government, as it now operates, as a legitimate government. Many of them warned that the watchdog which was government would, over time, get ambitious and seek to rule rather than to serve.

In 1976, during negotiations over the Helsinki accords between the US and the Soviet Union, a Soviet spokesman said that America gave its citizens political rights while the Soviets give their people economic rights. It infuriated me that no American spokesman rose to correct that pernicious error. Someone should have risen to say, “You are mistaken, sir. In America the government gives us no rights. We are a free people who delegate some limited authority to government, which is obligated to defend the rights we are given by God.”

In America, the people are sovereign. We are a badly wounded sovereign, beset by little men with titles who have robbed us of our birthright, the rights granted to us by God Almighty. A period of regency is needed to restore things to their proper order.

Federalism

Most legitimate governmental functions were supposed to be performed by the states. The federal government was supposed to confine itself to matters of defense and diplomacy and those matters which affect the whole people and cannot be reasonably handled by the states. There were several reasons for this. One was to prevent the federal government from growing too big, too unwieldy, and too oppressive. Another was that the states might become “laboratories of democracy.” Since there were many states, and since many policies sound good in principle but work terribly in practice, it made sense that the states would learn by trial and experience and adopt policies that worked well in other states in practice. By this means, the American system would be almost self-healing in its growth.

Yet another was a check on corruption. The founders were practical men and realists. They knew that wherever money or power are involved, some men will act corruptly. If everything is centralized, corruption would be endemic once it set in. By setting up competing centers of power, it would be to the advantage of some who were ambitious to expose the corruption of others in another power center. They set up an elegantly self-policing system that would prevent a centralized, unaccountable corruption.

During the period of Regency, almost all regulatory authority will be transferred to the states. What federal agencies remained would largely be arbitration boards to oversee disputes between the states. The federal government and courts would be called in to defend individuals’ rights, if a state government started trampling on them. I read a few years back that to open a simple storefront restaurant in New York, 32 permits must be taken out. That is, purely and simply, an infringement on property rights. State governments would have to consign themselves to compelling public needs, rather than creating bureaucratic revenue streams. Failure to do so would open them to citizen suits defending those citizens’ rights.

There would be no restriction on lobbyists…but most would die on the vine anyway. The right of the people to petition their government for redress of grievances shall not be infringed. The problem is that the federal government has imposed itself in every aspect of life, picking winners and losers. So it makes sense that people would lobby Congress trying to become one of those winners. But almost all of that is none of Congress’ business. When it is stripped of the unwarranted power it has taken to itself and is confined once again to its Constitutional duties, there will be no need for most people to lobby it, seeking to be given a victorious subsidy or favorable regulation. People will become winners based on their effort and the quality of their work. When the federal government minds its own business and keeps its nose out of the legitimate business of citizens, there is little reason for lobbying – and precious little money in it as well.

*******

The next installment will discuss Accountability, Subsidiarity and the System of Justice.

If communication goes out for any length of time, meet outside your local Church at 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings. Tell friends at Church now in case you can’t then. CORAC teams will be out looking for people to gather in and work with.

Find me on Twitter at @JohnstonPilgrim

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The Corps of Renewal and Charity (CORAC)

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28 thoughts on “Rules of Regency – Part I”

  2. I am getting jaded. Jaded and lots older than when I first met Charlie in Katy; TX. Just how much of the dissolution will be peacefully enacted? I do not see anyone going peacefully into that goodnight to allow our entry.

    I got a car, finally, on Sunday. But I am now leery (afraid?) to go back into Houston to the Sidewalk. Am I prepping in my house? Praying in my house? Or just hiding? I do not know.

    It does seem as if very few folks want to hear about Corac, Charlie, or indeed, anything that is happening. My son told me to leave him out of it. He just wanted to be happy and live his life without worrying about all that stuff. If it happens, Mom, I’ll try to get home, but just stop with the sky is falling bit.

    Does anybody else find this also? Charlie, we do indeed need some heartening of the faithful.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. We must hearten each other, Nance. It’s one of the reasons why I enjoy checking into the CORAC Signal groups. Oh sure, the articles of outrage are posted there, but most comments are ones which encourage, build faith, pick up one who may be feeling down or provide valuable counsel for those going through a trial.

      My belief is that soon – and very soon – people will be looking for CORAC. In the meantime, very often it takes another voice than that of a family member to invite someone to taste and see, giving CORAC a try.

      Liked by 3 people

    2. Well Nance, your son is missing it if he doesn’t want to hear about how the sky is falling when it is visibly falling all around him and all of us. I talk about how we are going to build and survive it all despite the problems. I know people want heartening but I am not in the business of false hope. I have said since the beginning that we have huge dysfunctions coming but that out of it will come renewal. A big part of that will come when people stop blinding themselves to the reality unfolding all around us. Some will come around early, some will come around late – but all of good heart and good will WILL come around in time to help with the rebuilding. I believe that will include your son – and most of the other young people who have come to think our toxic abnormality is normal. And they will rejoice when they see what the world can be.

      Liked by 5 people

    3. Hi Nance. Most people want to remain involved in day to day things, and if you try to talk to them about what is happening they get depressed/annoyed/skeptical/etc., and suspect you of worrying too much. More people are waking up, but, it’s hard to know if it is enough people. It will be. Everybody will be fully awake at some point.
      Continue your plan, keep praying, stay faithful, and find joy where you can and when you can. I see little ones in your avatar. Children and young people need joy, they cannot sustain without it. They need confidence about the future and hope. They need to feel the grownups have things well in hand. If you’re worried, they will fret. They need to just be children. Be silly with them as often as possible. Every day, be silly. Go outside with them and play. It does them good and you good. Go for nature walks. There’s something healing about the sun and the blue sky and clouds, and children laughing is good medicine we all need. God bless you and your little crew!

      Liked by 4 people

      1. Love your advice, but that picture is of grandchildren. Wonderful grandchildren who mostly lived with us or very close when they were little. These same ones who are now scattered about, some with children of their own! It is still my favorite picture.

        Liked by 2 people

  3. Charlie, might it be time for another (or some kind) of march on Washington? But by whom? Not even sure that’s a good idea given how the last gathering in Washington went. And how the trucker’s convoy was lambasted.

    I’d like to imagine Americans banding together, removing corrupted officials from office, and setting things straight from the top down. But that seems unlikely (or is it?). And given how things are going (and your recent posts) true leadership and/or regeneration will have to come from the common people and trickle upwards.

    I feel almost guilty for going to my day job (public school teacher) and taking care of my kids when things are so out of whack. I’ve prayed and prayed about it but it seems my next right step would be encouraging those around me and being prayerfully prepared when the collapse happens (seems achingly obvious now that I’m typing it out). Part of me would like to pull a Joan of Arc and start… I don’t know…something. But that’s the vainglory in me, I suppose. As of yet I have not been divinely inspired to do any such thing.

    Anyway, have a good trip. Looking forward to your next post regarding abortion.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. I think the key for any one of us, Chase, is something you touched on: “As of yet I have not been divinely inspired…” So we continue with the little we can do and continue emulating Our Lady by pondering the things we see around us in our hearts. And for that to which you alluded, we follow Stella Maris’ sage counsel: Do whatever He tells us to do… knowing full well when we take action, it is accomplished on our part to the best of our ability to discern and act, while God makes up for our deficiencies.

      Liked by 4 people

    2. No Chase, a march on Washington now would be useless. It would give the illegitimate powers there a sense of legitimacy…and they have completely forfeited all legitimacy. Leadership will bubble up (not trickle down) from ordinary people as we go along. Remember, Joan of Arc did not start a movement; rather, she took the lead of a movement that was already in existence and had been failing for near a century.

      The old order is falling away of its own abuses. It makes a lot of noise and creates a lot of angst, but all it is is the old order falling away. We do not need to topple it when it is doing such a great job of toppling itself. We need to pave the way for the entrance of the new order – which will be built by ordinary people under God.

      I was praying the Third Luminous Mystery – Proclaim the Kingdom. At the heart of that mystery is the reality that the Kingdom was already bursting out in the midst of the misery and it was people’s duty to proclaim that reality. I see all the disasters happening around us and the old part of me is dismayed to see it die. But the biggest part of me rejoices because it is the ugly clearing of the ground that is a prerequisite for renewal. Our renewal is NOT going to be accomplished by purple-haired neurotics who want to sexualize children and whose whole identity revolves around their quest for power and sex.

      If you can, get to one of the occasional CORAC field days. They are wonderful – but they are also a foreshadowing of what will be in the renewed world.

      Liked by 4 people

      1. I will definitely try to get to a CORAC event soon. Man! Thanks for the in-depth response! Your comments are often as insightful as your articles, Charlie. As I tell my twin brother ChadPro: the early comment gets the Charlie (AND the Beckita- thank you for your response as well!).

        (Note: I am an English teacher and still kicking myself over my botched metaphor of ‘trickle down’ vs. ‘bubble up’)

        Liked by 3 people

  6. I appreciated Rules of Regency the first time around, and I appreciate them even more now.

    Thank you, Charlie.
    ~ Sister Bear

    Liked by 5 people

  7. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! … 😉 PM

    Ya the Vatican Swamp is NOT full of Re-Set Globalists!
    https://catholicvote.org/letter-on-climate-change-francis-capitalism/
    https://catholicvote.org/vatican-lambastes-dubia-cardinals/

    https://www.lifenews.com/2023/10/03/heartbeat-law-saves-thousands-of-babies-from-abortion-in-ohio/

    CDC Covered Up COVID Vaccine Myocarditis Risk
    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1709258404693504101.html

    https://www.theamericanconservative.com/saving-democracy-means-saving-the-legislature-from-itself/

    https://allenwest.substack.com/p/gop-debate-2

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/10/02/gavin-newsom-picks-black-lesbian-emilys-list-president-laphonza-butler-a-resident-of-maryland-to-fill-vacant-california-senate-seat/
    https://www.westernjournal.com/bad-news-newsom-pick-replace-feinstein-immediately-hit-scandal/

    https://reclaimthenet.org/the-cdc-awards-260-million-contract-for-disease-surveillance
    https://reclaimthenet.org/wef-digital-safety-partner-calls-for-online-crackdown-on-harmful-content

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/10/03/a-strong-possibility-twitter-will-ipo-and-go-public-again-heres-why/#more-251508

    https://thefederalist.com/
    https://patriotpost.us/digests/100976-mid-day-digest-2023-10-03

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 2 people

  8. I replied earlier, but I don’t think it went through. Just thanking you, Charlie for this post and looking forward to seeing you on the 14th! Safe travels!

    Liked by 3 people

  9. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
    “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
    Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
    (Matt 6-7).

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I really liked the explanation Xavier said about this verse on last weeks Grace Force podcast. he said the original Aramaic verse had the tensed differently than our translations. It should say he who keeps on asking. he who keeps on seeking…he who keeps on knocking. Makes so much more sense. (Won’t swear it was Xavier, maybe it was even Charlie!!!)

      Like

  10. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! … Happy St Francis Day! 😉

    https://catholicexchange.com/st-francis-of-assisi-lover-of-the-eucharist/
    …. Dear St Francis, Please Boot your Vatican namesake in the butt! Thanks 😉
    https://spiritdailyblog.com/mystics/the-great-one

    https://respectliferadio.podbean.com/e/patrick-flynn-the-best-argument-for-god

    https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/the-dubia-and-dental-discernment

    https://www.christianpost.com/voices/a-prophetic-message-concerning-the-2024-elections.html

    https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/the-new-religion-of-synodality

    https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/zen-calls-for-synod-bishops-to-petition

    YUP!!!
    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/10/03/kevin-mccarthy-tells-republican-caucus-he-will-not-seek-speakership-again-heres-my-thoughts/#more-251538

    https://www.frontpagemag.com/a-broken-congress/

    https://defendingtherepublic.substack.com/p/may-you-live-in-interesting-times-8fa

    https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/oct/3/editorial-rep-jamaal-bowmans-alarming-hypocrisy/

    https://hotair.com/headlines/2023/10/04/its-seriously-time-to-read-1984-again-n582234

    https://tldavis.substack.com/p/they-are-that-evil

    https://gellerreport.com/2023/10/american-pravda.html/

    https://internationalman.com/articles/which-new-world-order-are-we-talking-about/

    https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/planned-parenthood-is-helping-teenagers-transition-after-a-30-minute-consult-parents-and-doctors-are-sounding-the-alarm/

    Federal Court Broadens Injunction Against Biden Censorship Efforts

    https://newstarget.com/2023-10-03-vaccine-so-safe-threatened-to-take-it.html

    https://www.wnd.com/2023/10/schools-dei-officers-see-worse-black-hispanic-learning-loss/

    https://stream.org/category/us/
    https://www.zerohedge.com/
    https://links.glennbeck.com/view/55d278157d0973635efe6258jllol.1vap/7e821da5
    https://www.thedailybs.com/news

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 1 person

  11. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! … 😉 PM

    https://catholicvote.org/pope-francis-insists-synod-not-political-or-polarized-parliament/

    The more I read, see & digest, the more I come back to the realization that, NOW, ALL hope boils down to: JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!
    …. but Watchmen must still man the Walls, Raise the alarm and Defend the principles and people we hold dear.

    Of course, he perjured himself! ….. and like his Capitol Cop Buddy who Gunned Down the UNARMED Lady Jan 6 patriot he will not only avoid JUSTICE but he, undoubtedly, has been rewarded for his Felonious Acts!
    https://www.theblaze.com/columns/analysis/analysis-did-pelosis-security-chief-perjure-himself-in-oath-keepers-trial

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/10/04/dhs-designates-president-trump-supporters-as-domestic-violent-extremists/

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/10/04/beware-the-anger-manager-judiciary-chairman-jim-jordan-says-he-would-accept-house-speaker-role/#more-251574

    We Need an America First Speaker

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. I don’t know how i got it to post, because it was the 2nd try-

    It’s about an artcle by Jason Whitlock about the “Gaetzful Eight”
    Trying to “reply” is very difficult-perhaps because I started on outlook and now i’m using
    either foxfire or edge neither supported any longer by microsoft. and I think I have somehow 3 differnt word press accts.
    This new reply system also will not allow paragraphs…. 🙂

    Like

  14. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! … Happy Day! 😉

    Reflection 278: Windows to the Mysteries of God’s Mercy

    https://catholicexchange.com/st-faustina-apostle-of-divine-mercy/

    https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249183/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-st-faustina-and-her-vision-of-hell

    https://onepeterfive.com/first-friday-reminder-join-the-new-crusade/

    https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/the-magical-mystery-magisterium-and-the-hermeneutic-of-hermeneutics

    https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/st-john-henry-newman-idea-university-knowledge-viewed-in-relation-to-professional-skill/

    Confusion Worse Confounded

    https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=60106

    https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/minnesota-pastors-viral-post-people-drinking-coffee-church-ignites-fiery-debate-online

    https://highergroundtimes.com/higher-ground/2023/oct/4/black-pastors-urge-voters-save-black-lives-defeati/?utm_medium=higher-ground

    1000s of Christians take to streets for Jerusalem March
    https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/article-761748

    You Can Draft This

    https://www.steynonline.com/13809/and-then-there-were-none

    https://www.foxnews.com/media/swiss-writer-jailed-insulting-lesbian-journalist-alarms-free-speech-advocates

    THEY are pushing on ALL Fronts with ALL of THEIR godless Global Agendas seemingly without serious impediments … JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!

    Homepage


    https://www.thedailybs.com/news
    https://thefederalist.com/
    https://www.americanthinker.com/
    https://www.frontpagemag.com/
    https://www.zerohedge.com/
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/
    https://www.newsmax.com/
    https://links.glennbeck.com/view/55d278157d0973635efe6258jlv5m.1rft/6035f803

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 1 person

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Published by charliej373

Charlie Johnston is a former newspaper editor, radio talk show host and political consultant. From Feb. 11, 2011 to Aug. 21, 2012, he walked 3,200 miles across the country, sleeping in the woods, meeting people and praying as he went. He writes on cultural, global and political issues from an orthodox Catholic perspective. He emphasizes that we find God most surely through the ordinary, doing the little things we should with faith and fidelity. His constant refrain is that, to live real joy, we must acknowledge God, take the next right step, and be a sign of hope to those around us. He lives in the Archdiocese of Denver in the United States.