Introduction
Merry 25th of December!
Happy Last Monday in May!
Happy 4th of July!
The first two don’t make sense, so why should the last one? Let me tell you…
Words Matter
From the short example above, it is hopefully abundantly clear that words matter. In America, we do not wish each other Merry 25th of December nor Happy Last Monday in May. Rather, we say “Merry Christmas” to refer to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and “Happy Memorial Day” to refer to the honoring of military personnel who died in service to the United States. If you said the former two, people would surely look at you funny because it would be as if you are celebrating the day itself devoid of any actual meaning.
The Problem
So, why do people hardly bat an eye upon hearing the phrase “Happy 4th of July”? Are we celebrating something about the seventh month of the Gregorian calendar? Of course not. Rather, it is Independence Day, a celebration of the founding of the United States. So, why do I seem to be taking exception to the colloquial use of “4th of July”? Well, because it is a microcosm of the bigger issues plaguing this great country. If we do not choose our words carefully and do not speak the truth with knowledge, we will not solve this country’s existential problems: apathy created by Godlessness.
America Has Lost it’s Way
You may have heard that there is a God sized hole in the heart of America, which is leading to its decline. Maybe you have heard it phrased slightly differently, but the overall message is the same. While others might offer doom and gloom, I would suggest a simple solution. I can offer this simple solution because I know the problem is also simple. However, while both problem and solution are simple, this does not mean both are easy.
A Simple Test
This country was built on a simple premise, government by the people and for the people. Therefore, our leaders are a representation of ourselves. It is no wonder then that this country is plagued by bad leadership. The problem with our leaders today is a lack of fidelity to our founding documents, because the citizens of this country lack that same fidelity. This country will not survive with leaders in place that take a pledge to uphold the Constitution, but do not mean it nor understand it. I offer a basic test that would serve to immediately disqualify anybody holding office: simply ask what type of national governmental system the United States abides by.
A Republic…
The answer to the above is, specifically, a Constitutional Republic. That is, a system whereby the citizens elect representatives to govern on their behalf, with the notable caveat being that there is a foundational document that reigns supreme, the Constitution. This Constitution spells out the proper roles and functions of our federal system of government, and most importantly, puts limits on the powers of our elected leaders. Our country is not a democracy, despite what you might hear politicians say, what Wikipedia says, or what you may have learned in school. Anybody who says “we are a democracy” should be immediately removed from office in a just society, because he fundamentally misunderstands the system in which he was elected to operate. In a democracy, the majority rules. The people could theoretically vote to remove any right from anybody. For example, if 51% of the population voted to remove your house from your possession, it would be so in a democracy. But this is not the country we have. We instead have God given fundamental rights as laid out in the Declaration of Independence, one of which is a right to own property under “the pursuit of happiness”. Rights, in fact truths, that our founders described as “self-evident”, meaning that to deny these rights would be to blatantly deny what is plainly in front of your nose. These rights cannot be taken away by any government, because they existed before said government.
…if You Can Keep it
The phrase “a republic, if you can keep it” is a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin. As the story goes, he was approached by a group of citizens asking what sort of government the delegates at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 had created. The second part of his answer gives us insight into the problems that this country faces today. So, what did Franklin mean by the second part of his answer? Simply put, the survival and thriving of our federal government, indeed our country, depends on its citizens. So, the next logical question is then, “how do we keep it”? The answer to this question is where things start to get hard. The short answer is that most of the founders of our country were Christians. Each of them had an understanding of the Bible. An understanding that, I would bet, was much deeper than the average citizen today. The Bible is the word of God and, even if you do not believe this or its divine inspiration, it is no doubt the best source for describing human nature ever written. The argument from Franklin is understood very simply, our country will be lost unless its citizens have an understanding of human nature. Put more broadly, a Constitutional Republic will last as long as there are moral, upstanding citizens participating as Biblical citizens. For any math people, like me, I’ll put it as follows:
Biblical Citizens + Civic Participation = Lasting Country
We will not keep this country if either of the components on the left side of the above equation are missing. Why? Well, if you understand human nature through the Bible, you know that it is the nature of man to steal, kill, and destroy. Without a grounding moral code to follow, the inevitable results will be chaos and destruction. Every society and government in history, from the mighty millennium of the Roman Empire to the few hours of the Russian Democratic Fedarative Republic, will eventually cease to exist. But, it is not enough to simply understand this moral code, one must also live it by participating actively in society. This is our God given duty.
Conclusion
All this said, you may be asking “how do I actively participate in society”? There are several multi-faceted answers to this question, and perhaps I will answer them in future posts. However, I would offer two simple solutions that I touched on at the start of this blog post.
- Know and understand America’s founding documents. Familiarize yourself with both the Declaration and the Constitution. While the latter is a very technical document, the former can be read and understood quickly and it opens with universal truths, valid at any time and in any place, upon which this country was founded.
- Start speaking the truth. Mean what you say, say what you mean, and gently correct those who do not speak the truth. At the very least, you can now properly educate anybody who says that America is a democracy. Also, if anybody wishes you a “Happy 4th”, you know to respond with “Happy Independence Day”.
Indeed, “Happy Independence Day” to you. May you share in the freedoms given to us by God and secured by the ingenious government created by our founders. So, go and barbecue while enjoying a cold one (not Bud Light). But, come tomorrow, dedicate some time to learning our founding documents so that you can start speaking the truth. The fate of this country depends on it!
Liberty Matters 