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Essays, Opinion, & Commentary |
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December 10, 2001
by Steve Montgomery & Steve Farrell
Part 1: America, Land of Divine Destiny What would be the response - today - if a public school district's director of curriculum declared it to be a common belief during America's Founding Era that the coming into existence of the United States was not an accident, not a result of economic determinism, not a mere offspring of geographical separations necessitating local self government, but as a foreordained event in a Divine plan of a Divine Being to rescue, as it were, a world thirsty for true religion and true liberty - and that this belief - in the name of historical accuracy, and in the hope of arriving at a clearer understanding of what the true foundation of the world's greatest system of government was and is, should be taught to our children? Or let's push the question a bit further. Suppose this curriculum chief lined up as sub-teachings to the above, the claim that our forefathers believed the following: 1. "[America] is a land, choice above all other lands," even "a promised land" consecrated by the God of Heaven to be a refuge for liberty, a republic without kings, a homeland for the homeless, a magnet for those whom the Lord would "lead out of other nations." 2. That among those whom the Lord "lead out of other nations" was, first of all, Christopher Columbus - a man whom "the Spirit of God . . . came down and wrought upon," inspiring him to accomplish a task that no other had the vision and fortitude to carry out. 3. That central to the mission of Columbus was: a. To serve as foreordained forerunner of the Reformation - commissioned to perform an indispensable preliminary task prior to the Reformation's onset. b. That task being to discover the aforementioned refuge for those "others" who also would "come forth out of captivity" in search of religious and political liberty once the Reformation and the Renaissance commenced. c. To open the way, also, for the preaching of the gospel of Christ by these refugees and their offspring to the indigenous peoples of the Americas who were, in Columbus's mind, part of the lost sheep of Israel. d. To eventually, under the authority of a new gospel dispensation, in the Biblically prophesied "land of the Gentiles," see this host-land become the home-base from which truth - E.G. the original teachings of Christ - would spring forth in the last days to water the whole earth. e. To have all of this lead up to the establishment of a New Jerusalem, and the building of a latter day temple in the old Jerusalem (by the Gentiles). f. All of this, to make ready for the second coming of Christ. 4. That after Columbus performed his sacred act, those who would follow and settle what would later become the United States were likewise led by the Spirit of God to cross the great waters, and were - as a group - like unto the early Christians in their devotion to God, in their adherence to moral principle, and in their humility. 5. That the American Revolution was won, in part, because "the power of the Lord" was upon this people and their Heavenly cause, whilst "the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together" to thwart and suppress that cause. 6. That prior to, during, and immediately following the American Revolution, the "Lord raised up wise men" to establish the Constitution of this land -- a constitution divine in its origins, which hoisted upon a hill, as it were, a standard of liberty fit "for all flesh," and all nations, if they so chose. 7. Finally, that America would forever remain a land of liberty, so long as she, by and large, "served the God of this land, who is Jesus Christ." Or, as John Adams put it, "Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people, it is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." If America abandoned this course, the self-government of moral pygmies would be her undoing. Again, we ask, what would be the response - today - if a public school district's director of curriculum declared all the above as the common belief of the average American Founding Father and the people they represented? Can you imagine? We can. Most would be shocked, appalled, and swift to solicit the "services" of the ACLU in order to deliver, in short order, the said administrators head on a platter. Happy to say, a smaller group, probably, mostly old-timers, self educated men and women, and a few hundred thousand home-schoolers would be shouting Hallelujah for the efforts of such a gutsy chief of curriculum - for 'At last! At last! the public school system would have an honest hour! At last! some brave soul would bid the pro-Communist historical revisionists to take a hike in the Ural Mountains, where such "intellectual" dregs ought to be hiking! At last! what was taught in the public schools, even so recently as three to four decades ago, would be taught again to our children!' These were the teachings of old, and for good reason, this was what so many of the Founders firmly believed. Though many will opine otherwise, when the record is examined, such are proved to be nothing more than the blind babblings of misinformed minds. And for the next several columns, for those of you who are tired of such atheistical babblings, and would like to once again hear the truth about America's founding, we will quote from the Founders' own mouths, backing up the Providential outlook, listed above, and we will start from the writings of Columbus. Our conviction is that America is a land of Divine Destiny. Our forefathers, such as: Columbus, the Puritans, John Adams, John Jay, Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, our first historians, first schoolmasters, and first college presidents believed, taught, and defended the same. We hope as we aid the largely discarded writings of these great men, to once again speak to us from the dust, that we will assist you and yours in finding the mark with religion in public life - for religious conviction played a vital role in American history and American law, and it's about time we rediscovered how and why.
Contact Steve & Steve at StiffRightJab@aol.com All of the essays in this section are copyrighted (c) 2001 by Steve Farrell and are published on this website with his permission. Enrich your life with a book about religion... Enrich your life with a religion magazine...
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