Once upon a time, long ago, there existed a people conceived in liberty. They believed their freedom came from natural rights gifted by nature's God. They understood the natural order of the world—an order so complete and self-sustaining that it could not have been random or meaningless, an order governed by the laws of nature. Because they believed in the laws of nature, they also believed in a lawmaker beyond the natural world—God.
These people were diligent in their attempts to honor their Creator by creating a government worthy of the self-evident truths stamped into the souls of an otherwise weak and fallible creature called man. But strict compliance with God's law was diluted by the necessity of uniting the colonies for the common cause of a war for independence and, later, the tedious job of forming a workable federal government acceptable to all the newly established states. One of their most ingenious acts was the amendment process, with its first ten proclamations, the Bill of Rights, which laid the foundation of liberty for all Americans. The process ensured the Constitution would not be changed for the fads of the day or the factious machinations of those seeking to fundamentally alter our form of government. The Founders were well aware of the fickle nature of men.
In January 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense, a pamphlet that became a catalyst for the American Revolution. Its clear, relatable language rallied commoners to the cause of liberty, framing the Revolution as the beginning of a global struggle for the rights of the common man. Within months, copies were widely distributed, igniting popular support.
Later, as a staff officer in the Continental Army, Paine witnessed the demoralization of a rag-tag army plagued by desertions and losses. Inspired by their plight, he penned The American Crisis No. 1, which was published in Philadelphia on December 19, 1776, with the following words: "THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country, but he that stands by it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods, and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated."
Less than a week later, on the eve of the Battle of Trenton, General Washington ordered Paine's words read to the entire army to remind them of the momentousness of their task. The following lines are from Paine's passionate speech: "I call not upon a few, but upon all: not on this state or that state, but on every state: up and help us; lay your shoulders to the wheel; better to have too much force than too little, when so great an object is at stake. Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and to repulse it." Those inspiring words fueled the victories at Trenton and Princeton, thus changing the course of the Revolutionary War.
Of course, individual liberty does not mean a license to engage in any behavior one chooses. Societies adopt laws reflecting their morals and traditional wisdom, such as public obscenity and indecency laws, to maintain decorum and modesty in diverse populations. Our Founders understood the value of Judeo-Christian morality, Greek philosophy, and reason. Tradition, culture, and their consequent mores should not be lightly discarded. Critically thinking citizens know the difference between liberty and license. Tyranny tolerates and gives license to immoral behavior to pacify its subjects, as seen in the "bread and circuses" of ancient Rome and the anything-goes lifestyles of modern Western culture. This is often facilitated by political corruption in the form of an unlimited welfare state and open borders that threatens to bankrupt us, both fiscally and morally.
The Declaration of Independence affirms that mankind is more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable than to abolish the forms of government to which they are accustomed. History took a different turn when upstart British colonists introduced the concept of individual liberty answerable only to Almighty God, rejecting the divine right of kings and priestly domination.
In Common Sense, Paine declared: "These portions of scripture are direct and positive. They admit of no equivocal construction. That the Almighty hath here entered his protest against monarchical government is true, or the scripture is false. And a man hath good reason to believe that there is as much of kingcraft as priestcraft in withholding the scripture from the public in popish countries. For monarchy in every instance is the popery of government." Inspired by such rhetoric, American patriots, with Bibles and guns in hand, won a revolution that changed the world.
Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves in a new revolution. It is not a war of bullets, but it is a spiritual war against a demonic political agenda seeking to destroy common decency and common sense. The Founders agreed that the Constitution was written for a moral and religious people—it could serve no other. Yet, since our founding, we have drifted far from our religious roots, and in the process, we have lost our moral North Star. Laws based on eternal truths are either tethered or set adrift by the strength or weakness of our political will.
In this age of modernity, many of our formerly great cities are being consumed by what is touted as progressive democratic socialism, something that is more akin to communism than democracy, much less a Constitutional Republic like ours. The city of New York, a city that endured the worst terrorist attack in the history of our nation, is on the verge of electing a literal communist and Islamist appeaser as its mayor. Look at the city of Los Angeles and several others, now boiling over with illegal aliens rioting in the streets, refusing to leave, and advocating for the takeover of California! All this must surely be causing our Founders to "roll over in their graves!"
America has been dragged through hell on earth the last five years. It began with the unleashing of what amounted to biological warfare by an out-of-control pharmaceutical industry, followed by the sheep-like behavior of millions of people who allowed a demented puppet to be "elected" President of the United States. Let's face it, we are in the midst of a second civil war—a war for the soul of America. However, now that we have a competent Commander-in-Chief at the helm of our government, we have a second chance to "Make America Great Again!"
In the spirit of righteous obedience to God's law, I ask all my friends and neighbors, regardless of party affiliation, to rise up against the progressive communistic evil that has infiltrated our government. Vote for a new wave of politicians who will purge the perverse anti-God, anti-family, anti-America agenda destroying our way of life. Past patriots sacrificed their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to give us the freedom we enjoy today. The very least we can do is support leaders who are willing to do the same.
In the beginning, our Creator made us in His image, granting us self-awareness and free will. Christ gave us a choice. Will we choose Him, or will we follow the father of all lies, choosing tyranny over liberty? On this Fourth of July weekend, let us honor the sacrifices of our forebears by recommitting to the principles of faith, liberty, and moral courage that made this nation great.
