Sam Weaver
A few thoughts on hate...and tyranny, Part III Große Lüge
By Sam Weaver
In the fifth paragraph of Part I of this series, I made two statements and a parenthetical promise:
"The U.S. Constitution was designed and written entirely upon the Judeo-Christian ethic for a people who overwhelmingly understood this ethic and, generally, tried to live their lives according to it. Those who tell you otherwise are simply wrong. [NOTE: I have made several strong statements here and provide no evidence to support them. Stay tuned, so to speak, for my next article or two — or three.]"
I spent more than three years of my life in a very intensive study not only of America's Founders and Framers, but also of the general thoughts — beliefs and trends — of the early 19th century American people. During all of those years, I was, at least, Agnostic. Shortly before the onset of those three-plus years, I was on the verge of Atheism. My study came from a skeptical, inquiring and critical — "open-minded" and "unbiased" (perhaps even "politically 'correct'") — mind.
Many would argue that fear — rooted in the traditional, outmoded and superstitious Christian notion of a wrathful, vengeful God — biased my studies. To those people, I can say at least three things: 1) Except for the "outmoded and superstitious" part, you are correct! Please read, for example, Proverbs 1:7 & 9:10 and Psalms 111:10. 2) If you believe that God — the God of the Holy Bible; the traditional and fundamental God of the United States of America — is all wrath & vengeance and no mercy, then you do not know Him. You certainly do not know Him through His Son — His Messiah, His Redeemer; Jesus Christ. 3) You will never fully understand Liberty — true American Liberty — until you personally know Jesus Christ! Please, get to know Him!!
Upon penning the parenthetical promise in paragraph 5 of the first article of this series, my initial inclination was to provide as evidence a plethora of quotes from American Founders and Framers. This has been done countless times before. For three contemporary examples, please click here, here and here.
Quotes can be taken out of context and can be used to promote a cause or agenda. Quotes from the (religious, political, economic and/or scientific) "elite" often, if not usually do not reflect the thoughts and desires of the people. Although I am convinced that this was not true during the early years of the American Republic, you, the reader may not be so persuaded. There must be a better body of evidence, or a more persuasive argument, for me to present.
After giving this a great deal of time and thought, I have arrived at a number of conclusions. Following are three of my summary judgments:
First, no matter how convincing the evidence appears to me, no amount of evidence that I can provide in an article or two — or three — can or will assure the reader who chooses to disregard or disparage that evidence.
Second, faithful readers of this column know that I have a quite demanding day job. I also have social commitments/obligations (not just to family, friends, community and colleagues, but more and more often, to complete strangers, many if not most of whom I now count among my most beloved and trusted friends) and a voracious appetite for knowledge and information (i.e., reading, study and research). If just the length of time between this article and my last one is any indication, then only the most faithful of my readers will "'stay tuned' for the evidence." In other words, I will only be "speaking to the choir," so to speak.
Third, and most important, I am convinced that the best — if not, perhaps, the only — way to adhere to my parenthetical promise in Part I of this series is to discuss and explain how we got here from there. How did the American Ideal as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and embodied in the U.S. Constitution become so distorted and corrupt?
There will be those (see my first conclusion above) who will reject this very premise. They will say, "The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are imperfect documents written by corrupt — if not evil — men." They are actually correct at that point. However, they go farther. "The Declaration of Independence falsely assumes a mythical Creator. We, as a nation, are progressing from such superstitious myths and our Constitution must evolve with this progress."
Then there are others (see my second resolution above) — the moral, educated and informed — who perceive the United States of America as an exceptional nation: A diverse group of flawed, imperfect human beings united under a set of principles and ideas inspired by the Creator and the Author of Law. A people not restricted or burdened by a government or by the whims of man, but free to create, innovate, invent, produce, achieve and dream as long as they do not violate the Laws of Nature and Nature's God. These patriots know that things are not right in America. [Shades of 1860?!]
Overall, we are not progressing; we are regressing — morally, ethically and economically.
I am convinced that the best way for me to make my case — the best evidence that I can provide — is to expose the lies of conventional wisdom and the tactics and strategies of "progressives."
This will require a sporadic series of articles. Part I may be published in a week or two. Or, perhaps, in a month or two. Part II may not come until next year. I will try, hope and pray to be timely and consistent. However, if the ever-increasing demands of my day job continue on pace, I cannot make any promises.
My next series of articles will be designed to fulfill the parenthetical promise that I made in Part I of this series. Its title, theme and thesis will be "The Big Lie." Große Lüge
© Sam Weaver
April 9, 2011
In the fifth paragraph of Part I of this series, I made two statements and a parenthetical promise:
"The U.S. Constitution was designed and written entirely upon the Judeo-Christian ethic for a people who overwhelmingly understood this ethic and, generally, tried to live their lives according to it. Those who tell you otherwise are simply wrong. [NOTE: I have made several strong statements here and provide no evidence to support them. Stay tuned, so to speak, for my next article or two — or three.]"
I spent more than three years of my life in a very intensive study not only of America's Founders and Framers, but also of the general thoughts — beliefs and trends — of the early 19th century American people. During all of those years, I was, at least, Agnostic. Shortly before the onset of those three-plus years, I was on the verge of Atheism. My study came from a skeptical, inquiring and critical — "open-minded" and "unbiased" (perhaps even "politically 'correct'") — mind.
Many would argue that fear — rooted in the traditional, outmoded and superstitious Christian notion of a wrathful, vengeful God — biased my studies. To those people, I can say at least three things: 1) Except for the "outmoded and superstitious" part, you are correct! Please read, for example, Proverbs 1:7 & 9:10 and Psalms 111:10. 2) If you believe that God — the God of the Holy Bible; the traditional and fundamental God of the United States of America — is all wrath & vengeance and no mercy, then you do not know Him. You certainly do not know Him through His Son — His Messiah, His Redeemer; Jesus Christ. 3) You will never fully understand Liberty — true American Liberty — until you personally know Jesus Christ! Please, get to know Him!!
Upon penning the parenthetical promise in paragraph 5 of the first article of this series, my initial inclination was to provide as evidence a plethora of quotes from American Founders and Framers. This has been done countless times before. For three contemporary examples, please click here, here and here.
Quotes can be taken out of context and can be used to promote a cause or agenda. Quotes from the (religious, political, economic and/or scientific) "elite" often, if not usually do not reflect the thoughts and desires of the people. Although I am convinced that this was not true during the early years of the American Republic, you, the reader may not be so persuaded. There must be a better body of evidence, or a more persuasive argument, for me to present.
After giving this a great deal of time and thought, I have arrived at a number of conclusions. Following are three of my summary judgments:
First, no matter how convincing the evidence appears to me, no amount of evidence that I can provide in an article or two — or three — can or will assure the reader who chooses to disregard or disparage that evidence.
Second, faithful readers of this column know that I have a quite demanding day job. I also have social commitments/obligations (not just to family, friends, community and colleagues, but more and more often, to complete strangers, many if not most of whom I now count among my most beloved and trusted friends) and a voracious appetite for knowledge and information (i.e., reading, study and research). If just the length of time between this article and my last one is any indication, then only the most faithful of my readers will "'stay tuned' for the evidence." In other words, I will only be "speaking to the choir," so to speak.
Third, and most important, I am convinced that the best — if not, perhaps, the only — way to adhere to my parenthetical promise in Part I of this series is to discuss and explain how we got here from there. How did the American Ideal as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and embodied in the U.S. Constitution become so distorted and corrupt?
There will be those (see my first conclusion above) who will reject this very premise. They will say, "The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are imperfect documents written by corrupt — if not evil — men." They are actually correct at that point. However, they go farther. "The Declaration of Independence falsely assumes a mythical Creator. We, as a nation, are progressing from such superstitious myths and our Constitution must evolve with this progress."
Then there are others (see my second resolution above) — the moral, educated and informed — who perceive the United States of America as an exceptional nation: A diverse group of flawed, imperfect human beings united under a set of principles and ideas inspired by the Creator and the Author of Law. A people not restricted or burdened by a government or by the whims of man, but free to create, innovate, invent, produce, achieve and dream as long as they do not violate the Laws of Nature and Nature's God. These patriots know that things are not right in America. [Shades of 1860?!]
Overall, we are not progressing; we are regressing — morally, ethically and economically.
I am convinced that the best way for me to make my case — the best evidence that I can provide — is to expose the lies of conventional wisdom and the tactics and strategies of "progressives."
This will require a sporadic series of articles. Part I may be published in a week or two. Or, perhaps, in a month or two. Part II may not come until next year. I will try, hope and pray to be timely and consistent. However, if the ever-increasing demands of my day job continue on pace, I cannot make any promises.
My next series of articles will be designed to fulfill the parenthetical promise that I made in Part I of this series. Its title, theme and thesis will be "The Big Lie." Große Lüge
© Sam Weaver
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