Rob McCoy: “Do we have a moral compass? Who are we accountable to?”

By Mike Smith

“Do we have a moral compass? Who are we accountable to?” asked Rob McCoy at a gathering of the Thousand Oaks Tea Party at Godspeak Calvary Chapel Thousand Oaks, where he is head pastor. Echoing John Adams, he clarified: “A moral government can only survive with a moral people.” This was the theme of McCoy’s timely message, given in light of America’s full potential as shown by history.

Pastor Rob McCoy

Also a Thousand Oaks city councilman, McCoy channeled his experience into a brief story of the original American social identity, how it came to be, and why it can and should be restored. It was as much a call to civic action as one to moral goodness, and he demonstrated with clarity why the two are inseparable.

McCoy opened with an update on Congressman Steve Scalise, followed by prayer for him, the other victims of Wednesday’s attack, their families, and for our nation. He then gave a little background on himself and the Calvary Chapel church movement, which set the tone. Though the Calvary Chapel movement has grown and thrived since its founding in Costa Mesa fifty years ago, California has remained in steady economic and social decline for decades.

Citing Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who gave his life resisting the Nazi regime in World War Two Germany as a pastor, McCoy didn’t mince words: “To be silent in the face of evil is to be complicit in that evil.” It was a stark reminder of how common human failings can produce societies tolerant of evil, and that America is not immune. One failing is the lack of civility in American society, which McCoy contrasted with the example of William Wilberforce: “It was said his greatest accomplishment was not abolishing slavery in Great Britain, but in bringing civility to the process. What is missing today is civility.”

McCoy explained this lack of civility in the context of how the American character has changed over time, and why. Noting John Locke’s quoting of Christian scriptures over four hundred times in his career, and Abraham Lincoln’s unmatched biblical literacy in presidential history, he also highlighted America’s once-common cultural Biblical literacy. He emphasized how America’s common vernacular has changed: “People used to say, ‘You can’t change the spots on a leopard’, which comes from the Bible. People don’t say that anymore.”

Going back further, McCoy conveyed the understanding of the ancients on freedom. While freedom is most commonly understood today as the absence of restraint, the founders of Western Civilization did not agree. “Freedom is wise restraint, not the absence of it… we apply restraints to evil in order to pursue excellence,” McCoy noted. Channeling Thomas Jefferson’s wisdom, he stressed, “Liberty is doing what’s right; freedom is having choices,” adding, “Morality is not doing what’s wrong; character is doing what’s right.” He also reminded that as in the time of Jesus, Christians and conservatives who do what is right are in the minority.

Much of McCoy’s message demonstrated the Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate, which he explained while giving universal examples emphasizing the need for the courage to intercede on behalf of those in need. From the Biblical derivation of this doctrine, to its foundation in America’s political, legal and educational framework, to ancient examples including Emperor Trajan and Publius Petronius of the Roman Empire, McCoy made the case for uncommon moral courage over popular passivity. “We interpose ourselves to protect the weaker among us,” McCoy emphasized.

He further challenged conventional thinking, noting, “The Constitution doesn’t give rights—God gives rights. We have to defend those rights.” He also introduced the lesser-known assertion that church and family are forms of government in addition to those that are well known. In the vein of standing up for those in need, McCoy presented the historically Biblical understanding on what it means for a people to submit to their government, correcting misconceptions held by Christians and non-Christians of every political persuasion. He highlighted the history of pietism, noting its foundation in the misquoting of Christian scriptures concerning the relationship of Christians to a government and explained the Noahic Covenant, in relation to the true purpose of government, which is to protect the people from harm.

What happens when society abandons the Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate was brought home in light of America’s current climate. “If the press is bought and the pulpits are silent, our freedoms to peaceably assemble and redress our grievances will eventually disappear,” McCoy noted. Deficits in U.S. Education and learning were also discussed. “We don’t know what liberty or freedom are anymore, though America was founded on the principle of liberty and freedom,” said McCoy. He also conveyed the evidence of this in the common low voter turnout stats for American Christian Evangelicals. Though they number in the range of 65-85 million, less than half vote at the federal level, and far fewer vote at the state level.

McCoy reminded that President Trump is enduring what happened in the U.S. twenty years ago due to conservatives’ political non-involvement at local and national levels. “Good government happens with good people… if we don’t stand together, we will fall apart.” This message is not survivalist, but one of the need for a higher quality of life: “We are a nation of life because life and liberty are of scarce little value unless you are alive.” McCoy also re-emphasized the need for civility in all things, citing his own position on public discourse as an example: “We can come together because we understand each other; here’s my position—let me hear yours.”

Also highlighted was the parallel between the breakdown of the family unit and that of society, adding the harms of abortion to the examples he previously discussed. McCoy’s call to civic involvement also highlighted that nothing can substitute a family, and least of all government. “The statist wants to break down the family,” he noted. In discussing the rise of Statism in America, McCoy reiterated that it is answered not with piety or passivity, but with meaningful, local action: “Federal and state [government] is downstream: if you’re not getting local officials elected, you’re not participating.”

McCoy closed with the story of his 2014 California Assembly campaign, in which the GOP did not support him due to his engagement in social issues: “I’ve been a Republican longer than I’ve been a Christian. The first true persecution I experienced was in running for office.” He spoke candidly of the opposition he faced from likely and unlikely sources. As with many others, McCoy faced persecution from two directions in his state Assembly run. It conveys the price paid by those who build bridges to intercede on behalf of the needy. But if there’s one lesson from McCoy’s presentation, it’s that it is a price worth paying.

Mike Smith is a writer, Millennial and nationalist conservative living in Camarillo. He reasons through the written word so clarity can outdo agreement. He desires a government strong enough to protect America, even from itself, so leftism fails.

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