232

Happy Birthday, America!

The extraordinary experiment that began 232 years ago continues to this day. No other constitutional form of government has lasted a fraction as long as what was birthed in 1776.

Why have we lasted so long, why have we been so blessed? I would contend that if we started from scratch today to create a form of government to rule our land, that new constitution would not get us to 2050 much less 2076. Our nation was founded upon bedrock by men who understood how critical a firm foundation was.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, we are not a democracy (I commend an early blog post to see quotes on the founders about Republic or Democracy). Note here a quote from our second president, John Adams, and contrast it with what is happening today (italics, etc., mine):

[D]emocracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy; such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes and no man's life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure, and every one of these will soon mould itself into a system of subordination of all the moral virtues and intellectual abilities, all the powers of wealth, beauty, wit, and science, to the wanton pleasures, the capricious will, and the execrable [abominable] cruelty of one or a very few.

The rebellion of the '60's has become the leadership of our statehouses in 2008. Will we continue to turn from the rule of law to the rule of whim or will we resist this tide of personal irresponsibility? As we cede our personal responsibility to an obese government, so, too, we cede our liberty and property.

We have succeeded because that bedrock is the only firm foundation that exists, the Bible. Understand, this was not pure pragmatism. The Founding Fathers had a breadth and depth of study that far surpasses that of those in leadership today and could have selected any other form if they felt it would bring about success. Not only did they understand that a government founded upon godly principles would be the very best, but they knew that it could only flourish if lived by a people who had first submitted themselves to God.

As we the people move further from God, the more we chafe under the Constitution that brought about our freedoms.

I offer this link on Independence Day to stir your soul.

Happy birthday to you! Praise God and savor the day.

(David Barton, the author of the article, is the founder of Wall Builders, an organization which searches the original documents and writings of our nation's first leaders to discern their intent in regarding the issues of our nation. He also has arguably the largest personal collection of writings of our Founders. On the left side of the Wall Builder's page, you'll find a link titled Issues/Articles. It is a GREAT resource for understanding the historic and biblical roots behind what's happening in our nation.)