It seems that over the years more and more U.S. citizens, Christians included, have become unfamiliar with our form of government as laid out in the U.S. Constitution. AND because of this, many are missing the vital aspects of what makes our form Biblical and places us in the role of an authority, and thus are not clear on their own role and duty as a U.S. citizen.
So let me begin by explaining that a centralized government is one in which the authority/leadership is in the hands of a few, or even one, like in a monarchy. Our Founders not only knew their Bible, but also knew history well enough to know that men were corrupt and sinful in nature and therefore this top down type of government was dangerous (remember also that God warned against this when Israel asked for an earthly king). History has proven this well and again, God warned against it. History and the Bible have shown that anarchy is not the answer either (consider how often the Israelites did what was “right in their own eyes“). So our Founders set up a Christian Constitutional Republic which was a decentralized bottom up government, based on Biblical principles of government and the Mosaic Law, that relied heavily upon the citizens ability to self-govern according to the Bible. The Constitution became the set standard by which all would govern themselves according to (this is why we are NOT a democracy contrary to what most believe - there is a set standard of right and wrong - not a majority rule), and the most responsibility was placed in the hands of each individual citizen. We the people are the boss, so to speak, and do the hiring every election. Those elected used to be called ‘public servants’ because we used to understand that they were working for us; under us, not over us. We used to understand that our role did not end in the election booth but, as the boss, we are responsible to be vigilant over every move made by the elected. We are to hold them accountable to follow the Constitution. When Benjamin Franklin was leaving the Constitutional Convention he was asked by a reporter what type of government had been established. His answer was “A republic if you can keep it.” He said this because he knew the work, time, care and vigilance it would take the citizens of our country to keep the republic free. Just like the Israelites discovered when they were finally free from the yoke of Egypt - liberty takes work to maintain.
One of the most vital aspects of keeping our new republic was the education of each new generation. Our Founders knew this well. They knew it would take godly character and a Biblical worldview to maintain. They also knew that every child would need to learn our history and how our government works and why.
Consider the following quotes:
"A patriot without religion in my estimation is as great a paradox as an honest Man without the fear of God. Is it possible that he whom no moral obligations bind, can have any real Good Will towards Men? Can he be a patriot who, by an openly vicious conduct, is undermining the very bonds of Society?....The Scriptures tell us "righteousness exalteth a Nation." -Abigail Adams
"Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country." - Noah Webster, On the Education of Youth in America, 1788
“ Let divines and philosophers, statesmen and patriots, unite their endeavors to renovate the age by impressing the minds of men with the importance of educating THEIR little boys and girls, inculcating in the minds of youth the fear and love of the Deity… and leading them in the study and practice of the exalted virtues of the Christian system.” -Samuel Adams
“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” -James Madison
“I lament that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes and take so little pains to prevent them…we neglect the only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican forms of government; that is, the universal education of our youth in the principles of Christianity by means of the Bible; for this Divine Book, above all others, constitutes the soul of republicanism.” -Benjamin Rush
“By withholding the knowledge of [the Scriptures] from children, we deprive ourselves of the best means of awakening moral sensibility in their minds.” -Benjamin Rush
And Thomas Paine took this even farther and warned against trying to remove God from any and all of the subjects in a child’s education:
“ It has been the error of the schools to teach astronomy, and all the other sciences, and subjects of natural philosophy, as accomplishments only; whereas they should be taught theologically, or with reference to the Being who is the author of them: for all the principles of science are of divine origin. Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles: he can only discover them; and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author.”
And he also said:
“ The evil that has resulted from the error of the schools, in teaching natural philosophy as an accomplishment only, has been that of generating in the pupils a species of atheism. Instead of looking through the works of creation to the Creator himself, they stop short, and employ the knowledge they acquire to create doubts of his existence. They labour with studied ingenuity to ascribe every thing they behold to innate properties of matter, and jump over all the rest by saying, that matter is eternal.”
So what is the role and duty of a Patriot? It is our duty to be watchful over our government (we are the authority) and to train our children from the Bible - not only did our Founders warn us, BUT much more importantly it is all clearly laid out in Scripture as well:
"All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. " - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." - Deut. 6:7
So let me begin by explaining that a centralized government is one in which the authority/leadership is in the hands of a few, or even one, like in a monarchy. Our Founders not only knew their Bible, but also knew history well enough to know that men were corrupt and sinful in nature and therefore this top down type of government was dangerous (remember also that God warned against this when Israel asked for an earthly king). History has proven this well and again, God warned against it. History and the Bible have shown that anarchy is not the answer either (consider how often the Israelites did what was “right in their own eyes“). So our Founders set up a Christian Constitutional Republic which was a decentralized bottom up government, based on Biblical principles of government and the Mosaic Law, that relied heavily upon the citizens ability to self-govern according to the Bible. The Constitution became the set standard by which all would govern themselves according to (this is why we are NOT a democracy contrary to what most believe - there is a set standard of right and wrong - not a majority rule), and the most responsibility was placed in the hands of each individual citizen. We the people are the boss, so to speak, and do the hiring every election. Those elected used to be called ‘public servants’ because we used to understand that they were working for us; under us, not over us. We used to understand that our role did not end in the election booth but, as the boss, we are responsible to be vigilant over every move made by the elected. We are to hold them accountable to follow the Constitution. When Benjamin Franklin was leaving the Constitutional Convention he was asked by a reporter what type of government had been established. His answer was “A republic if you can keep it.” He said this because he knew the work, time, care and vigilance it would take the citizens of our country to keep the republic free. Just like the Israelites discovered when they were finally free from the yoke of Egypt - liberty takes work to maintain.
One of the most vital aspects of keeping our new republic was the education of each new generation. Our Founders knew this well. They knew it would take godly character and a Biblical worldview to maintain. They also knew that every child would need to learn our history and how our government works and why.
Consider the following quotes:
"A patriot without religion in my estimation is as great a paradox as an honest Man without the fear of God. Is it possible that he whom no moral obligations bind, can have any real Good Will towards Men? Can he be a patriot who, by an openly vicious conduct, is undermining the very bonds of Society?....The Scriptures tell us "righteousness exalteth a Nation." -Abigail Adams
"Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country." - Noah Webster, On the Education of Youth in America, 1788
“ Let divines and philosophers, statesmen and patriots, unite their endeavors to renovate the age by impressing the minds of men with the importance of educating THEIR little boys and girls, inculcating in the minds of youth the fear and love of the Deity… and leading them in the study and practice of the exalted virtues of the Christian system.” -Samuel Adams
“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” -James Madison
“I lament that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes and take so little pains to prevent them…we neglect the only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican forms of government; that is, the universal education of our youth in the principles of Christianity by means of the Bible; for this Divine Book, above all others, constitutes the soul of republicanism.” -Benjamin Rush
“By withholding the knowledge of [the Scriptures] from children, we deprive ourselves of the best means of awakening moral sensibility in their minds.” -Benjamin Rush
And Thomas Paine took this even farther and warned against trying to remove God from any and all of the subjects in a child’s education:
“ It has been the error of the schools to teach astronomy, and all the other sciences, and subjects of natural philosophy, as accomplishments only; whereas they should be taught theologically, or with reference to the Being who is the author of them: for all the principles of science are of divine origin. Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles: he can only discover them; and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author.”
And he also said:
“ The evil that has resulted from the error of the schools, in teaching natural philosophy as an accomplishment only, has been that of generating in the pupils a species of atheism. Instead of looking through the works of creation to the Creator himself, they stop short, and employ the knowledge they acquire to create doubts of his existence. They labour with studied ingenuity to ascribe every thing they behold to innate properties of matter, and jump over all the rest by saying, that matter is eternal.”
So what is the role and duty of a Patriot? It is our duty to be watchful over our government (we are the authority) and to train our children from the Bible - not only did our Founders warn us, BUT much more importantly it is all clearly laid out in Scripture as well:
"All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. " - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." - Deut. 6:7
No comments:
Post a Comment