Before we get to some of them, consider what was taking place about this time nearly 2000 years ago. A man named Jesus was being arrested, thanks in large part, to elders and politicians, who on more than one occasion, attempted to get Jesus to cave. Had it not been for them, Pontius Pilate would have left Him alone. Even then, Jesus could have employed the desire for 'dialogue' with Pilate and the elders. He could have caved; he did not.
And he was even free of guilt and sin.
When it comes to Jesus' tortuous death, people reflect on His willingness to die for the salvation of all who believe in Him by rising again but there is another aspect to his death that is often overlooked. Consider the tremendous courage He had, standing there in front of Pontius Pilate, who was looking for a way to avoid what was coming. All Jesus had to do was cave and agree to the terms, which likely would have involved Pilate brokering a deal between Him and the Jewish elders and politicians.
Think of it. Pilate must have been beside himself. The Roman leader thought he had all the power! Human nature dictated that Jesus cave but Jesus transcended human nature because he was God in human form. Ultimately, it was Pilate who caved when he washed his hands.
This is not to say that the world's leaders today should be expected to have the same level of courage but if they're Christians, they are supposed to be as "Christ-like" as they can. These leaders are also not standing in front of Pontius Pilate, facing floggings and crucifixion if they stand their ground. If they can't be expected to have the same level of courage that Jesus exhibited then, shouldn't they at least be expected to follow the example of Joseph of Arimathea.
Via Catholic Encyclopedia:
He was a wealthy Israelite (Matthew 27:57), "a good and a just man" (Luke 23:50), "who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God" (Mark 15:43). He is also called by St. Mark and by St. Luke a bouleutes, literally, "a senator", whereby is meant a member of the Sanhedrin or supreme council of the Jews. He was a disciple of Jesus, probably ever since Christ's first preaching in Judea (John 2:23), but he did not declare himself as such "for fear of the Jews" (John 19:38). On account of this secret allegiance to Jesus, he did not consent to His condemnation by the Sanhedrin (Luke 23:51), and was most likely absent from the meeting which sentenced Jesus to death (cf. Mark 14:64).Before one points to Joseph of Arimathea's "fear", consider that he did NOT succumb to groupthink and paid great honor to the Truth in the Flesh. Read on...
The Crucifixion of the Master quickened Joseph's faith and love, and suggested to him that he should provide for Christ's burial before the Sabbath began. Unmindful therefore of all personal danger, a danger which was indeed considerable under the circumstances, he boldly requested from Pilate the Body of Jesus, and was successful in his request (Mark 15:43-45).While we're on the subject of the Catholic Church, let us consider the caving of its newly elected Pontiff, Pope Francis I, on two very significant fronts. First, in 2007, he signed a document which stated, in part, that elected politicians who are pro-abortion "cannot" receive holy communion. Yet, at his inaugural Papal mass in Rome, perhaps the two most prominent pro-abortion politicians who claim to be Catholic - Vice President Joe Biden and Democratic Minority leader Nancy Pelosi - received communion. There are only two possible conclusions we can draw. Either Pope Francis did not mean what he said in 2007 or fear took charge in 2013.
A few days later, Pope Francis said that he wished to "intensify... dialogue with Islam". An important distinction must be made here. He didn't say that he wanted to intensify dialogue with Muslims so that they could be converted. This would be an example of what the role of the pope - any pope - is. No, he said that he wanted to intensify dialogue with Islam. In a word, he advocated caving. In essence, the pope appears to have succumbed to Chrislam.
Consider some other examples of what appears to be caving due to varying degrees of pressure...
House Speaker John Boehner: This is perhaps the most obvious example. Ever since taking control of the gavel in early 2011, Boehner has lost practically every showdown with his opposition. In several cases, he simply chose not to fight. Whether it involved not aggressively pursuing major scandals like Fast and Furious or Benghazi; expressing solidarity with Michele Bachmann over the latter's concern about Muslim Brotherhood infiltration; or choosing not to de-fund Obamacare.
Chief Justice John Roberts: When the Supreme Court handed down its ruling on Obamacare, Roberts twisted himself into knots by saying the law was unconstitutional but that it was constitutional under taxing provisions. Obama administration operatives did all it could to intimidate the court into ruling in its favor. There is no proof that Roberts was intimidated but his ruling was so bizarre that many believe he caved to relentless left-wing pressure.
Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney: Those unwilling to admit what really happened will say that Mitt Romney simply had a flawed strategy but that's not what happened. Romney took a dive at the third and final debate. He never challenged Obama on Fast and Furious, Benghazi, or on why the Obama administration labeled the Fort Hood jihad attack as 'workplace violence'. Romney refused to fight Obama. Simply looking at the third debate confirms the cave.
Secretary of the Army, Gen. George Casey: Three days after the Fort Hood jihadist Nidal Malik Hasan murdered 14 and injured 32, Case went on ABC This Week and told George Stephanoplous that the loss of "diversity" would be a "greater tragedy" than those 44 casualties. In short, Casey caved.
House Homeland Security Committee Chair, Michael McCaul: When the sale of Current TV to Al Jazeera was announced at the beginning of this year, Rep. McCaul (R-TX) had a duty to investigate it. He was sent a letter requesting that he convene hearings on this egregious act. He has chosen to ignore that letter and appears to be looking the other way, possibly because of a full-scale lobbying effort but then again, that's just another way of saying "cave".
For the most part, the Democratic Party has thrown in with wickedness; it is a party that went over the cliff years ago. At best, a controlling majority of the Republican Party has decided - consciously or otherwise - to follow the Democrats. At worst, that majority is an overwhelming majority. Nonetheless, there are individuals who are part of it.
Joseph of Arimathea is remembered today for choosing the right side at great personal risk. There are only a precious few who are willing to do so today. Unfortunately, none of them have enough power.
