Saturday, July 4

True Liberty

We just finished watching the John Adams 7-part movie series on 3 DVDs. It's an excellent portrayal of everything 'revolutionary' in America's break with England and endeavor to govern through the chaos of the early years. Pretty factual from what I've read, except they don't emphasize the fact that Adams (and many others) believed the truth that, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." Great acting, location shooting, character depth, family/personal perspectives, and history.

In spite of the Brave New Worlders who want to throw God out of the American equation and deny the historical fact that these United States were first and fundamentally born and nurtured in the family of Christian beliefs, the truth remains: True liberty demands true religion.

"Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand." John Adams, letter to Zabdiel Adams, June 21, 1776

"Religion and virtue are the only foundations, not of republicanism and of all free governments [alone], but of social felicity under all government and in all the combinations of human society." John Adams, letter to Benjamin Rush, August 28, 1811

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion, avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the stongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams, Address to the Military, October 11, 1798

"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism who should labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness - these firmest props of the duties of Men and citizens . . . And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle." George Washington, Farewell Address, September 19, 1796


"The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments." Benjamin Rush, On the Mode of Education Proper in a Republic, 1806

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