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July 4th, 2021

American-flag_1460851700601_1192238_ver1.0It’s not just brilliant statesmanship or profound philosophy that makes us who we are. It is the way we appealed to the Bible for the moral substance for our cause and the template for our approach to government. While there have been several personalities since then that have used either the Bible or the flag to advance an agenda that was genuinely evil, it was their lack of morality and not a flaw in our foundation that bears the blame for their atrocities.

It is the Ideal that is America that we celebrate today.

  • Those that would insist that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are fundamentally flawed forget that we evaluate those documents, not according to the character flaws of those that wrote them, but according to the substance of the documents themselves.
  • The individuals who see fit to burn the flag or take a knee during the National Anthem forget that they are disparaging the symbols of the government that gives them the right to protest and demonstrate – the very right that they’re exercising in that moment.
  • The persons that believe they’re entitled to destroy and steal because that they’ve been violated by a racially prejudiced system forget that it was the same system that inspired over a quarter million Caucasians to give their lives in order to ensure the death of slavery.
  • And them that want to establish a new morality based on their right to be happy neglect to acknowledge the Author of that right as cited in the Declaration of Independence.

In every instance where there’s a group of people parading their indignation around, insisting that it is not so much the individual responsible for the decisions being made that affect their lives, but it’s the “system” within which these characters operate that needs to be overhauled – there’s a contradiction and a hypocrisy embedded in their cries for equality that doesn’t condemn the system they supposedly oppose as much as it validates it.

It’s because of the way the Constitution can be amended that the injustices which were part of the social fabric of the world in the eighteenth century could later be addressed and resolved. It’s because of the rights guaranteed by the system they’re so eager to destroy that their voices are heard and their freedoms are protected and it’s because of the way an individual is created in the image of God that their happiness can be realized and not because it depends on a favorable ruling from a human court.

This is why we can celebrate and know that our confidence in who and what we are is well placed. It’s not only because of the noble sounding aspects of our philosophical paradigm, but it’s because the Ultimate Source of those Truths come from God Himself. Not only is He the Author, He is also the Standard that we can appeal to in order to properly discern the difference between what’s True and what is accurate.  And He’s also the Provision we require in order to defend the Truths that ensure a healthy government and a strong society.

Any other foundation is going to be championed by someone who sneers at any authority save themselves. However they want to justify their sovereignty over all that dictates the difference between right and wrong by claiming that their priority is the common good is revealed as a hollow statement the moment their community pursues a moral direction that runs contrary to their preferences.

And those who either sneer at Scripture or advocate the “separation of church and state,” forget that from a purely philosophical point of view, “religion” is nothing more than the way you answer those questions pertaining to your origin, life after death, moral absolutes and the purpose of your existence. Whether you answer those questions according to a humanistic mindset or a faith based perspective, both are “religious” from that standpoint. Given that reality, the efforts being directed towards the removal of any Christian icon from the marketplace is not so much about eliminating religion from the public square as much as it’s establishing the “faith” of the atheist as the only religion that will be tolerated.

Politics has never been a spiritually neutral arena. And that’s a good thing! If He’s Lord at all, He’s Lord of all and that includes the way in which men govern themselves. It’s the premise upon which our Founding Fathers based their letter to King George. It’s the common thread that can be seen in our National Archives and throughout our capital’s architecture. It’s the Logic that can be perceived when evaluating any one piece of legislation that that gives moral credence to behaviors and practices that are addressed specifically in Scripture as being toxic.

And this is why we can celebrate the Fourth!

We’re not merely the product of clever thinking or corrupted schemes. We are founded on Divine Absolutes. He is the Source of Freedom, He’s the Strength that has sustained us and He’s the Wisdom that will ensure our endurance.

However different factions seem to rule the day or varying perspectives seem to dominate the public domain, He is the bottom line. When we pledge allegiance to the flag, we are forming the words on our lips, “…one nation, under God.” That is more than just a token acknowledgement of a profound idea. It’s a mental rehearsal of Who is it that gave us the freedoms we enjoy along with the Strength and the Wisdom we need to maintain them.

Happy Fourth!

Because of the Constitution, Not in Spite of It

immigrant

Ain’t it amazing when you hear people talk about the US as those who have something real to compare it to? Whether by default or design, they are embracing all the freedoms that go along with our spiritual / moral heritage. This is the very thing that the Left wants to retool, believing it to be antiquated and even sinister.

I’m working on a project right now based on an article in the New York Times written by an African American who believes the Constitution to be toxic in that it was written and ratified by a group of men, many of whom were slave owners. What I find ironic about his platform is that he’s demonizing the very paradigm that gives him the right to be critical. The Bill of Rights was written by James Madison. On June 8, 1789, he addressed the Congress and insisted that the Constitution would not be complete unless amendments were added that explicitly protected individual rights. These would be the first ten amendments made to the Constitution and among them were the Freedom of Speech and the Freedom of the Press.

James Madison was a slave owner.

Granted, the irony is obvious. How can a man who views an entire race of human beings as nothing more than pieces of property to be bought and sold not recognize how that view compromises the declared scope of the Constitution as well as the Declaration of Independence? But in the end, the quality and durability of the Constitution is not measure by the moral flaws of the men that wrote it. Rather, it’s gauged according to the substance of the document itself.

In this journalist’s case, it’s not just the Bill of Rights he should be considering. It’s also the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments that were made by the Republican party1 in the aftermath of the Civil War – the only war that was fought in the history of our planet that was waged for the sake of eliminating the sin of slavery. The 13th amendment banned slavery, the 14th amendment defined a citizen as anyone born in the US which overturned an earlier ruling that prohibited Black people from voting, and the 15th amendment was an expansion of the 14th amendment. It prohibited governments from denying US citizens the right to vote based on race, color or past servitude.

Like so many on the Left who labor to promote convictions based on a very judiciously selected collection of facts in a way to muffle the truth, is not only flawed, it’s downright belligerent. 360,000 Caucasians died to ensure the end of slavery as well as create the political environment that would allow for the aforementioned amendments. By condemning the Constitution, you sneer at the very laws that give you the right to mock your government without fear of punishment. It’s this same legal foundation that provides you the opportunity to live in a land that affords you the opportunity to succeed and grow. And none of this came about without the blood and sacrifice of millions of people in the context of wars that were fought to protect those freedoms.

In short, the Oath of Allegiance that an immigrant has to state in order to become a citizen is something they embrace as a privilege. It includes supporting and defending the Constitution. They joyfully swear their allegiance to our country and its laws because they appreciate the profound rights guaranteed by the philosophical and legislative foundation crafted by flawed men, no doubt, but based on Divine Absolutes that prevent the corruption of power from restricting an individual’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The video clip featured on the right is more than just an inspiring scene of individuals realizing their dream of citizenship in the US. It’s a reminder that we are still a beacon of hope and opportunity for much of the civilized world. And we are that because of the Constitution, not in spite of it.

 

1. 13th Amendment – James Mitchell Ashley of Ohio (Republican), 14th Amendment – John A Bingham of Ohio (Republican), 15th Amendment – John A Bingham of Ohio (Republican)