Patrick Henry's guest post...

I don't think any of us can improve on ways to say this. Please welcome Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775.

"No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The questing before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.

I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is...."

Read the rest of this amazing speech by clicking on "Patrick Henry's Famous Speech" on the left-hand side bar.

No.5

Many suggest it is the end times or that the tribulation is about to begin and the rapture is soon. This is a hasty conclusion, but if it were true, would this change what we ought to do as Christians in America? Does it mean that by resisting global government and by opposing the destruction of our nations laws, heritage, and freedom we are somehow opposing God? Does God wish for us to be passive in these times? Were we born to live our destinies in this era by being dispassionate observers?

If you are hungry for a taste of theological assumptions and are eager for debate, look elsewhere. A discussion will be welcome, but I mean merely to point out a few things here.

First, I have questioned why some among us feel compelled by God and in Scripture to defend American liberty and some feel God has led them to withdraw. Does this not mean that one is right and one is wrong? And if, on both sides, there is assurance that the Holy Spirit’s direction to them was clear, how can we keep from arguing? How can this not divide us? Is our decision to fight or to retreat made by our first reaction, or is it made with wisdom, considering the whole picture and as much information as we can glean?

Second, I recall that the devil is always plotting and scheming, and every one of his schemes has a common thread: to divide. If he divides a mind, he makes a doubter. If he divides a church, he conquers them, and the battle is his. He knows very well that he must do both to win: he must defeat faith in the individual and unity in the body.

Third, I realize that to hear from God and to receive His comfort, grace, direction, blessing…even his love, I must be surrendered totally to Him. I must be completely His, and trust myself completely to His wisdom. I am only a servant, I am not my own.

Therefore, I have come to this conclusion: That we are all servants of His, unified by His love, one in the Spirit. And each individual must obey the Master’s direction. Our goal is to obey so that he will be glorified. And following this, we realize that to accomplish His purposes-which we do not fully know because we do not know the mind of God-we must obey one step at a time. In doing this, each of us obeying his specific direction, we will all work together to accomplish His greater purpose.

I put it to you this way: When a General goes into battle, he issues every order for the goal of victory. All his men know that victory is their purpose, but he does not proclaim all that is in his mind, all his methods and plans, to every soldier. Instead, he issues orders at precise times to specific soldiers. As each one dutifully obeys the orders he was given, he is confident that his work will serve the common cause. The General does not order all the soldiers to do exactly the same thing, either.

Can you see what I’m driving at? If God has led you to withdraw, to retreat, and to back down from defending American liberty in peaceful assembly, in speech, and in conduct, then those are your orders. Obey them, and I will obey mine. Because American liberty is not my god, it is merely my heritage, which I have been led to defend. I trust that God will accomplish his greater purpose, but I do not first demand a guarantee of success before dedicating my ‘life, my fortune, and my sacred honor’ to this work. Like those others of whom we have read, I know God can preserve us. Whether he will or not, I am resolved to obey his orders, and if I perish, I perish.

No. 4

I believe Christians have not merely the option, but the duty preserve American liberty under the Constitution. I’m going to explain why I believe that.

All over the world, all across time, man has tried and failed to create the perfect society. There will never be a perfect civilization until we cross over Death and enter Heaven. America is not the Biblical Promised Land, and we are not God’s new chosen people. But as Americans by birth, we share a heritage of obedience to God’s Word. When our forefathers crossed the Atlantic, they had a chance to create whatever kind of society they wanted. Anyone could have set up a kingdom, or set up any kind of government. Instead, those who laid the foundation for this country’s character were the first in history to take God’s Word and apply it to every aspect of life. Let me make myself more clear.

God’s Word says (and if you are not sure, do not take my word for it! Read it yourself!): All men are created by God, equal in his sight and equally in his image. All men answer to God as individuals, and God judges every man according to his deeds. God gave his moral law as a safeguard against sin and injustice among ourselves. That said, it does not take an expert to see how our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution and our Bill of Rights reflect these principles in God’s Word. Our revolution would have been identical to that of France if we had not had these true, inspired, God-given principles to guide us. Remember that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And His Spirit was here then, and it is here now.

This is why we say that Americans have a Godly heritage. Because in this country, we are self-governing individuals, equal in the sight of the law, and responsible for our own individual property. Contrast this with the opposite way that we have so swiftly been forced to accept: in a socialist/communist system, we are no longer individuals before the law, but groups. We are not equal any longer. In the eyes of a corrupt government, we become Democrats and Republicans, or rich and poor, or haters or bigots or racists instead of real people with real names and real reasons for believing what they believe. Do not allow yourself to be confused. There is no way to untangle our nation from the web Socialism has weaved about it except to cut ourselves free of that web with the Truth.

The truth is, we have a Godly heritage. The truth is that we are equal under the law, and any other form of law is perverted justice and an unjust balance. What does this mean for Christians?

I cannot answer for anyone but myself. I am a Christian. I was born an American. I have a Godly heritage. Others may decide they ought to remain passive, but I am certain it is my duty to Christ to do all I can to remember my Godly heritage. I do not need justification. This is my calling in these troubled times: to stand for my heritage. I know that if I do not, then I put to scorn the abundant gifts I was born with, the gift of freedom, the gift of just laws, and the gift of individual rights.

God blessed America, but not with prosperity. His blessing is freedom, because He knows prosperity is not necessary to life, freedom is. I will gladly relinquish all my abundant wealth as citizen of a prosperous nation in exchange for my freedom! I cannot and I will not endeavor to persuade anyone else to violate their conscience by asking them to stand with me. If your conscience demands that you forego this calling, I do not judge you for it. But if you are called as I am, be courageous. I leave you with these words:

“The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.” ~Noah Webster

“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands that feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.” ~Samuel Adams

No. 3

Those age 16-29 (approximately) are the largest generation of Americans to date. We are known as ‘Generation X’. We are the first generation to be brought up in a world that depends technology. They call us ‘Generation X’ partly because our future is so uncertain. If the world has progressed this far, is it possible to progress further? The world awaits our fate, to know what will define us and whether we will bring it down or bring it onward.

This sounds a little silly at times, I admit. We look around us and we don’t feel the hand of destiny-or Providence- leading us anywhere. We just want normal lives; we want to enjoy life and have fun until it’s over. But for a long time I have sensed (and you may have as well) that the future was bringing me to a crossroads. When I look around me, I can’t fail to see how divided my generation truly is. To put it plainly, some think of life as a meaningless joke, and some are quickly willing to risk everything for an ideal. Of those dedicated to an ideal, they know instinctively that we play an important part in the battle between good and evil.

If you, like me, seem to have been hanging in the air, looking for a spot to land; waiting for a clear sign of what you were supposed to do with your life, pray. God will show you, as he has shown me, because He is faithful and good.

In the life of this Republic, many hard times have come and gone already. And God has been faithful to guide the people who would listen, and he blessed them when they obeyed. In return, time and time again, they thanked him for his kindness. There has never been a dark time in our history when God has not made the Truth known to anyone who turned to him. He has always rewarded the people who put their faith in him, and he has guarded their liberty so far.

Americans, another dark time is upon us now. A line has been drawn in the sand, and we have to choose a side. There’s no neutral-not choosing IS choosing. Generation X, this marks the spot. This time in our nation’s history is our defining moment. What happens now will reveal who we were all along. So we must have the Truth to light the way. We have to acknowledge God, and put our faith in him. We cannot blithely recite “In God We Trust” unless, somewhere deep within us, we have also vowed, “In God I Trust”. We don’t know the future. This could be the Alamo, or this could be the Fiery Furnace. But even if we are not assured victory on this earth, we know that trusting God has earned us an eternal reward. That’s what it was about all along.

No. 2

First, I will explain the purpose of journalism. Second, I will explain the definition of media. Third, I will tell you why this matters. This is the short version here. If you want more, talk to me.

Journalism exists as a watchdog, its job is to make the truth public. It is not the property of business, of government, or of any one corner of a free republic. By relaying true accounts to the public, journalism sounds the alarm against tyranny. Think of the purpose of journalism as the “Paul Revere” of a free people. Paul Revere rode to warn the Minute-men that the British were coming, and his midnight ride saved their lives. Journalism watches over the government, and warns a free people of corruption and oppression wherever it is present, allowing the citizens to take action against it by speaking out and voting etc.

The ‘media’ as we know it today is a business. It can be thought of like a huge barge that brings us information. Journalism, advertising, and entertainment all ride on the barge. It is an unfortunate necessity for journalism to use it, but do not confuse the two. Real journalism is bringing the news- true events, words, and deeds-to the people. The vehicle is inconsequential. What often happens today is that the vehicle of journalism compromises its purpose. This is why we get fed up with the media-because we don’t get journalism straight up. Because the national media ‘barge’ is such a huge business, advertising and entertainment are tangled around journalism, and this can be thought of as chaining and muzzling the watchdog. If government takes charge of the barge, journalism is thrown overboard.

Keeping this in mind, we now understand that we have to filter out advertising and entertainment ourselves in order to get a true account. We can then act on correct information. Many of us for a long time have put a bark collar on the watchdog by turning a blind eye to the news. The result will be that abuses to our liberty will come out of nowhere, and we will be defenseless. So we have to pay attention to the news. We have to listen to the warning of the watchdog.

Journalism, remember, is not the voice telling us what to think about what is happening. It is the voice telling us what is happening. We must be informed citizens who know the Truth (we have read the Bible, we know the Constitution, we know who we are and why), so that we can prepare and act upon the warnings we receive. Like the minute-men in the story of Paul Revere, we are those who wait, willing and ready to defend our liberty. We are not those who roll over and go back to sleep.

It is important to watch and read the news, especially the local news. We can content ourselves by saying we are vigilant because we watch the national news, but that is far away. Some around you need your support, for they have chosen to be informed and know the truth. They need you. You must know your community. You’ve got to know what is going on around you as well as what is going on out there. To proceed blindly on in denial is a betrayal of all those who have bled to give us what we have. Stand ready. Stand with us, and we will stand together.