The American Soul
The American Soul
Are We Building on Sand? The Forgotten Foundation of America
America stands at a spiritual crossroads, and our national future hangs in the balance. This powerful episode of the American Soul Podcast challenges listeners to confront an uncomfortable truth: we have become a people with dull hearts and closed eyes when it comes to acknowledging our relationship with God.
Drawing from Jesus's Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13, Jesse Coe examines how Americans have allowed their spiritual foundation to erode through neglect, distraction, and willful ignorance. While we obsess over politicians, celebrities, and social media, we've forgotten the divine principles that made our nation great in the first place. As President Eisenhower once declared, "Our civilization is built upon the Bible's words" - yet we seem determined to undermine this foundation at every turn.
The podcast introduces a profound concept that should concern every patriotic American: "Christless conservatism." This dangerous ideology manifests either through those who embrace conservative politics while rejecting faith, or those who claim religious devotion while following denominational doctrines rather than Christ's teachings. Both paths lead to the same destination - a hollowed-out version of America detached from its spiritual moorings.
Through historical examples, personal reflections, and biblical wisdom, this episode demonstrates how our national crises mirror our spiritual ones. From the breakdown of marriages to the corruption of education, from challenges to property rights to the tragedy of abortion, our problems stem from the same source: abandoning our relationship with God.
Ready for spiritual renewal in your life and our nation? Listen now and rediscover the foundation that made America great. Then share this message with someone who needs to hear it - because our future depends on returning to the divine principles that shaped our beginning.
The American Soul Podcast
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Hey folks, this is Jesse Coe, back with another episode of the American Soul Podcast. Hope y'all are doing well, wherever y'all are, whatever part of the day you're in. I do appreciate y'all joining me and giving me a little bit of your time and attention, a little piece of your day. I will try and use it wisely. Hopefully it helps all of us move a little bit closer to God and Jesus Christ, as individuals and as a nation, here in America and whatever nation you're in around the world listening. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast with others and tell others about it, thank you Very, very grateful for that. For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast most grateful for that, those of y'all that continue to come back time after time. I'm glad you're enjoying it. And for those of y'all that are new here, I hope you enjoy it. Hope you come back.
Speaker 1:Father, thank you for today. Thank you for you, father, and your Son, jesus Christ and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your love and your mercy, your grace and your forgiveness. Thank you for your timing. Father. Even when we don't understand it, even when we think that you've forgotten about us, help us to remember that you haven't. Father. Help us to remember that your thoughts are not our thoughts, that your timing is not our timing, and to trust you and trust you with our own souls, trust you with the souls of those we love, trust you with the soul of our nation and our future, knowing that one day because we know, believe that you raised your son Jesus Christ from the dead, that he died for our sins, that we will get to spend eternity with you in heaven, where there will be no more sorrow and no more tears and no more sadness. Thank you so much for that, father. Be with those who are hurting, those who have lost loved ones, those who are watching loved ones sick and suffering. Comfort them, father. Please. Give them your peace. Be with those around the world who are suffering for the name of your Son Jesus Christ. Comfort them, give them wisdom and courage and perseverance, and peace and joy and hope. Help us to do your will each day, father, to follow the commands of your Son, jesus Christ, to love you with all that we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves and God. My words here Father, please, in your Son's name, we pray Amen.
Speaker 1:Have you made time for God today? Have you made time for God today? Have you made time to read His Word? Have you made time to pray? Is he at the top of your list or the bottom? Is he even on the list of priorities? If you're married, same thing. Have you made time for your spouse? Do they know that they are your second priority every day, behind only God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit? You don't have anything more important to do each day, folks, than serve God and love your spouse.
Speaker 1:Are you acting like it and that's not an opinion, I'm not suggesting something out of my own wisdom or knowledge right, you go and you look at Scripture. Greatest two commandments from Jesus Christ love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. Who's your closest neighbor? Your spouse? First two commandments soul, mind and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. Who's your closest neighbor? Your spouse? First two commandments, one, two Every day, right there.
Speaker 1:Are you acting like that? If you're not, you're not following the commands of Jesus Christ. You can take that however you want. You can say, well, I really don't care that much, or you can change the way you're acting, but you can't say that you care a lot and not change the way that you're acting right. It's like Lincoln talked about in the Civil War. Both sides could be wrong in the Civil War. One side had to be, but they both couldn't be right. They both couldn't be doing what God wanted.
Speaker 1:Alright, where are we going today? I think I think I think Matthew chapter 13. I hope. I think I think Matthew chapter 13. I hope We'll find out If I can get there. I feel like I do this every day. I get caught off guard. There we go, jesus teaches in parables.
Speaker 1:That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea and large crowds gathered to him. So he got into a boat and sat down and the whole crowd was standing on the beach and he spoke many things to them in parables, saying Behold, the sower went out to sow and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen they were scorched and because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among the thorns and the thorns came up and choked them out, and others fell on the good soil and gilded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty.
Speaker 1:He who has ears, let him hear An Explanation. And the disciples came and said to him why do you speak to them in parables? Jesus answered them. To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has to him, more shall be given and he will have an abundance, but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because while seeing they do not see and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In their case, the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says you will keep on hearing but will not understand. You will keep on seeing but will not perceive. For the heart of this people has become dull. With their ears they scarcely hear and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them. But bluster your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it. The sower explained Hear then the parable of the sower explained. Hear then the parable of the sower.
Speaker 1:When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what seed was sown on the rocky places. This is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no firm root in himself but is only temporary. And when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unfruitful. And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and brings forth some a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty Heirs among wheat.
Speaker 1:Jesus presented another parable to them, saying the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. The slaves of the landowner came and said to him Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares? And he said to them, an enemy has done this. The slaves said to him Do you want us then to go and gather them up? But he said no, for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest. And in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers First, gather up the tares and bind them in bundles and burn them up, but gather the wheat into my barn.
Speaker 1:The mustard seed he presented another parable to them, saying the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field, and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown. The leaven he spoke another parable to them the kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened. All these things, jesus spoke to the crowds in parables and he did not speak to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken to the prophet. I will open my mouth in parables. I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world, the terrors explained.
Speaker 1:Then he left the crowds and went into the house and his disciples came to him and said Explain to us the parable of the terrors of the field. And he said the one who sows the good seed is the son of man and the field is the world. And as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom and the tares are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age and the reapers are angels. So, just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of man will send forth his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who commit lawlessness and will throw them into the furnace of fire. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. He who has ears, let him hear Hidden Treasure. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field which a man found and hid again, and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. A Costly Pearl Again. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it A Dragnet Again. The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet, cast into the sea and gathering fish of every kind, and when it was filled they drew it up on the beach and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous and will throw them into the furnace of fire. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all these things? They said to him, yes, and Jesus said to them. Therefore, every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household who brings out of his treasure things new and old.
Speaker 1:Jesus revisits Nazareth. When Jesus had finished these parables, he departed from there. He came to his hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said when did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his, his brothers, james and Joseph, and Simon and Judas, and his sisters? Are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things? And they took offense at him, but Jesus said to him A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household, and he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
Speaker 1:Verse 55 and 56, when somebody tells you that Mary was a perpetual virgin or that Mary and Joseph didn't consummate their marriage, just ask them about Matthew 55 and 56. And one of the arguments that I've just heard recently from people that claim that is that these were kids of a previous marriage by Joseph. But we don't see that anywhere in Scripture. So that would be assuming things that aren't in Scripture. So again, mary and Joseph, right. James, joseph, simon and Judas those were all Jesus' brothers and her sisters, right. So verse 58, and he did not do many miracles because of their unbelief Kind of ties in I wanted to go back all the way, I know this was a long chapter.
Speaker 1:A lot there, definitely more than we can cover today on the podcast. But verse 15, for the heart of this people has become dull With their ears, they scarcely hear and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their heart and return and I would heal them. I'm sure that I've felt this way in the past, before too, but today for sure, reading that, to me that just smacks of America. How many of us refuse to open our eyes and our hearts and our minds and listen to God and Jesus Christ? And one of the ways I think you can see this pretty easily is how many of us refuse to look at the history of our nation and see that relationship with God and Jesus Christ, that dependency upon God and Jesus Christ, the guidance that we've gotten from Providence via the Holy Spirit that so many of our founders and great leaders talked about in their writings and commentaries. You kind of have to want to not open your eyes and not hear and have a dull heart. You don't go back and look.
Speaker 1:You know we talk about it on the podcast a lot, but why is that not front page news? Why are we not talking and writing about that constantly, as opposed to a particular politician or policy? Or definitely as opposed to sports, athletes, entertainers, singers, actors, actresses, social media, right Workouts, the latest and greatest diets, whatever? Why are we not talking about the history of our nation? Why are we not talking, more importantly, about Scripture constantly? And some people are there's some out there. I just ran across an acquaintance of mine from years ago and he was talking about a gentleman that lives out in California that goes around to college campuses and talks to people about Jesus Christ and he made the comment of how hard that is for him personally to talk to people about Christ and that's something that he's trying to work on. But just all of these things together, for whatever reason, those verses kind of struck me.
Speaker 1:We've got a lot of problems in America, but a lot of them are. We seem to want them. We don't really want to. It's like the ostrich sticking their head in the sand, right? We don't really want to see the truth and change. We don't really want to hear what God has to say. You can see another. I always go back to this because marriage is supposed to represent the relationship between Christ and the church. But you look at how many marriages that you know in your life, look around you and think about them that are dysfunctional or broken, guaranteed at least one, if not both of the spouses in that marriage. They don't really want to change, they don't want to follow scripture, they don't want to open their eyes and ears and hear and really change, because if they did did, they would change right. A pretty good warning for us to following christ history.
Speaker 1:So let me find this quote. I think I've got it. Yeah, a couple quotes today from Eisenhower General and then President Dwight D Eisenhower. Though force can protect in an emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace. Interesting quote by President Eisenhower. Where do you get those things? Obviously God and Jesus Christ. A couple others. 1954, president Eisenhower.
Speaker 1:The purpose of a devout and united people was set forth in the pages of the Bible One to live in freedom, two, to work in a prosperous land and three to obey the commandments of God. This biblical story of the promised land inspired the founders of America. It continues to inspire us Folks. I was just talking to the same gentleman that I mentioned earlier this acquaintance of mine from years ago. We were talking about this. We seem so set against acknowledging the truth that our founders, that what really made America great, was the relationship with God and Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:That's why I say that the most dangerous threat, even more than leftism, socialism, communism, nazism, islam, the greatest threat to our country is Christless conservatism. And that can look a couple different ways. It can be people that are just politically, they want to be conservative, but they don't want anything to do with God, jesus Christ. Or it can be people that claim to follow Christ right, but what they really are doing is they're following denominational doctrine more than Jesus Christ. And either way, you end up with a person that's claiming to be conservative but they're not really following the principles of Christ, of Christ, and that's so deadly to our Republic, because the only way that we're going to fix this nation is to truly follow the general principles of Christ.
Speaker 1:As John Adams said, that was the only way that this country got off the ground. That was the only thing that could have united all of those different gentlemen. It's great that we understand. Like President Eisenhower said, if we acknowledge that that inspired our founders, it doesn't do a whit of good if we don't act on it. Inaugural Address, january 21, 1957, president Eisenhower. Before all else, we seek upon our common labor as a nation. The blessings of Almighty God and the hopes in our hearts fashion the deepest prayers of our whole people.
Speaker 1:If we want the blessings of God, folks, we have to turn back to God. You can't expect the blessings of God when we don't turn to him as a people. That is the height of illogical. The spirit of man is more important than mere physical strength, and the spiritual fiber of a nation than its wealth. Are we following God and Jesus Christ? Are we following scripture? As citizens of our nation, as spouses, as parents, as members of our church? Are we following the Holy Spirit? Because that's way more important than anything else that you do, folks. It's more important than being an expert in martial arts or shooting or cooking or baking or baking. It's more important than anything else you do is whether you're following the principles of Jesus Christ, following the guidance of the Holy Spirit each day. That trumps everything. One more the Bible is endorsed by the ages.
Speaker 1:Our civilization is built upon its words. In no other book is there such a collection of inspired wisdom, reality and hope. Our civilization is built upon its words. What happens, folks? It's not a trick question. What happens if you take away the foundation of anything Business, organization, marriage, right. Why are so many marriages crumbling today? Because who ordained marriage? God. So if you take away that foundation, if you refuse to follow your specific God-given roles and responsibilities as either a husband or a wife, that marriage is going to crumble. The United States was founded upon the general principles of Jesus Christ. So if we refuse to acknowledge those general principles of Christ in our institutions, our courts, institutions, education, military politics, those institutions are going to crumble and they are. If you work for a particular company that makes widget A and you destroy the ability to make that widget, then the company fails. If you take away the foundation, the house falls, and that's what's happening today. All right, medal of honor. Where, oh where, did we leave off Edwin M or A Anderson? I think that was yes. So we're going to go to Crosby's Creek.
Speaker 1:Everett W Anderson Sergeant, highest rank was 2nd Lieutenant. Us Civil War Mike Company, 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry, january 14, 1864, crosby's Creek, tennessee, captured single-handedly Confederate Brigadier General Robert B Vance during a charge upon the enemy. That's the citation, that's the whole thing. Accredited to Philadelphia, philadelphia County, pennsylvania, not awarded. Posthumously Awarded December 3, 1894. He was born July 12, 1839 near Phoenixville, chester County, pennsylvania. Died February 4, 1917. Morris Cemetery MHH-51, phoenixville, pennsylvania, united States. That's pretty widespread folks Born in 1939. Survived the Civil War, died as we were going into World War. I Definitely more worthy Everett W Anderson of remembering that name than the singers, songwriters, actors, actresses and athletes that we give so much time and attention to.
Speaker 1:Frederick C Anderson. Frederick Charles Anderson, ranked private US. Charles Anderson. Ranked Private US Civil War Alpha Company, 18th Massachusetts Infantry, us Army. Medal of Honor Date August 21st 1864. Weldon Railroad, virginia, usa. Capture of Battle Flag of 27th South Carolina and the Color Bearer Accredited to Dedham, norfolk County, massachusetts, not awarded.
Speaker 1:Posthumously Presented December 3, 1894. Born March 24, 1842, boston, suffolk County, massachusetts. Died October 6, 1882, providence, rhode Island, united States. Buried Unitarian Church Cemetery. Dighton, bristol County, massachusetts, united States. Metal is located in the town of Dighton, massachusetts, at the police station Dighton Massachusetts. At the police station Dighton Massachusetts. Frederick Charles Anderson Maybe one more James Anderson Jr, also known as James Smythe, private, highest rank was sergeant.
Speaker 1:Conflict was the Indian campaigns. Mike Company, 6th US Cavalry, us Army. October 5th 1870, wichita River, texas, usa, gallantry, during the pursuit and fight with Indians. That's the entire citation. Accredited to St Louis, st Louis County, missouri, not awarded. Posthumously. Presented November 19, 1870. Born Canada, may 28, 1849. Died May 31, 1918. Buried St Peter and Paul Cemetery PM 37, tac 1397, st Louis, missouri, united States.
Speaker 1:James Anderson Jr That'll work Boxes. Book of the Martyrs. Where did we leave off Simon? There we go. So this is 16,.
Speaker 1:John the beloved disciple was brother to James the Great. The churches of Smyrna, hergamos, sardis, philadelphia, laodicea and Thyatira were founded by him. From Ephesus he was ordered to be sent to Rome where, it is affirmed, he was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. He escaped by miracle without injury. Domitian afterwards banished him to the Isle of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation. Nerva, the successor of Domitian, recalled him. He was the only apostle who escaped a violent death. I gave a track record, folks. Barnabas 17, was of Cyprus but of Jewish descent. His death is supposed to have taken place about AD 73.
Speaker 1:Chapter 2 the Ten Primitive Persecutions.
Speaker 1:The First Persecution under Nero, ad 67. The first persecution of the church took place in the year 67, under Nero, the sixth emperor of Rome. This monarch reigned for a space of five years with tolerable credit to himself, but then gave way to the greatest extravagancy of temper and to the most atrocious barbarities. Extravagancy of temper and to the most atrocious barbarities. Among other diabolical whims, he ordered that the city of Rome should be set on fire, which order was executed by his officials, guards and servants. While the imperial city was in flames, he went up to the tower of Machinus, played upon his harp, sung the song of the burning of Troy and openly declared that he wished the ruin of all things before his death. Besides the noble pile called the circus, many of their palaces and homes, houses were consumed, several thousands perished in the flames, were smothered in the smoke or buried beneath the ruins.
Speaker 1:This dreadful conflagration continued nine days and Nero, finding that his conduct was greatly blamed and a severe odium cast upon him, determined to lay the whole upon the Christians at once, to excuse himself and have an opportunity of glutting his sight with new cruelties. This was the occasion of the first persecution, and the barbarities exercised on the Christians were such as even excited the commiseration of the Romans themselves. Nero even refined upon cruelty and contrived all manner of punishments for the Christians that the most infernal imagination could design. In particular, he had some sewed up in the skins of wild beasts and then worried by dogs till they expired, and others dressed in shirts made stiff with wax, fixed to axle trees and set on fire in his gardens in order to illuminate them. This persecution was general throughout the whole Roman Empire, but it rather increased than diminished the spirit of Christianity. In the course of it, st Paul and St Peter were martyred. Their names may be added Erastus, chamberlain of Corinth, aristarchus, the Macedonian, and Prophemus, an Ephesian, converted by St Paul and fellow laborer with him. Laborer with him, joseph, commonly called Barsabbas, and Ananias, bishop of Damascus, each of the 70. It's pretty horrific folks.
Speaker 1:The second persecution under Domitian, ad 81. The emperor Domitian, who was naturally inclined to cruelty, first slew his brother and then raised the second persecution against the Christians. In his rage, he put to death some of the Roman senators, some through malice and others to confiscate their estates. He then commanded all the lineage of David to be put to death, of David to be put to death. Among the numerous martyrs that suffered during this persecution was Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, who was crucified, and St John, who was boiled in oil and afterwards banished to Patmos. Flavia, the daughter of a Roman senator, was banished to Pontus and a law was made that no Christian, once brought before the tribunal, could be exempted from punishment without renouncing his religion. So you knew, going in, that you were either going to be punished or you were going to renounce Christ. Those were your options, regardless of whether you had done anything wrong or not.
Speaker 1:A variety of fabricated tales were during this reign, composed in order to injure the Christians. Composed in order to injure the Christians. Such was the infatuation of the pagans that if famine, pestilence or earthquakes afflicted any of the Roman provinces, it was laid upon the Christians. These persecutions among the Christians increased the number of informers and many, for the sake of gain, swore away the lives of the innocent. Another hardship was that when any Christians were brought before the magistrates, a test oath was proposed when, if they refused to take it, death was pronounced against them, and if they confessed themselves Christians, the sentence was the same. So whether you admitted to being a Christian was the same. So whether you admitted to being a Christian, or whether you took this oath or didn't, you were going to be killed as a Christian. And then there were so many people eager to make a buck, more or less to gain favor that they would inform on you regardless of whether you had done anything or not.
Speaker 1:The following were the most remarkable among the numerous martyrs who suffered during this persecution. Dionysus the Areopagite was an Athenian by birth and educated in all the useful and ornamental literature of Greece. He then traveled to Egypt to study astronomy and made very particular observations on the great and supernatural eclipse which happened at the time of our Savior's crucifixion. Crucifixion, the sanctity of his conversion, no conversation and the purity of his manners recommended him so strongly to the Christians in general that he was appointed Bishop of Athens. Nicodemus, a benevolent Christian of some distinction, suffered at Rome during the Prodicists, and Jervicists were martyred at Milan. Timothy was the celebrated disciple of St Paul and Bishop of Ephesus, where he zealously governed the church till AD 97.
Speaker 1:At this period, as the pagans were about to celebrate a feast called Categogeon, timothy, meeting the procession, severely reproved them for their ridiculous idolatry, which so exasperated the people that they fell upon him with their clubs and beat him in so dreadful a manner that he expired of the bruises two days after. We are willing to confront idolatry, and really perhaps the better question is not just outside the church, but inside the people that claim to follow Christ but worship others besides Christ, whether it's objects or people. If you know of the denomination, if you know of people that venerate an individual above Jesus Christ, that venerate an individual above Jesus Christ, wouldn't we stop that? Wouldn't we stand up to that, even more than the pagans outside right, the people that reject Christ. They're pretty open about it. Typically they openly reject Christ. But to have somebody that claims to follow Christ but then openly worships another individual, I would think that that would be our priority. It's kind of like, politically, the left openly rejects liberty in America and Jesus Christ. The real concern is that people that claim to follow Christ, claim to be conservative, but then don't act like it. Those are really the ones that we ought to be calling to account. Same thing before I move on. Same thing with marriage folks inside the church, people outside the church. They don't claim to follow Scripture and their roles and responsibilities for men and women, which are vastly different but clearly identified in Scripture 1 Corinthians 7, hebrews 13, 4, titus 2, 1 Peter 3, song of Solomon, proverbs 5, 19. Right, but inside the church, to have people that claim to follow Christ, but as a husband or a wife don't follow Scripture Again. It seems like that's really where our effort ought to be All right. Again, it seems like that's really where our effort ought to be alright.
Speaker 1:History of the rise, progress and termination of the American Revolution. Mercy Otis Warren. When did we stop? I can't remember. Well, you may be in trouble here, folks, I'm not sure that I marked where we stuffed last time. I will just start here again and we'll see.
Speaker 1:It may be a mistake that man, in a state of nature, is more disposed to cruelty than courtesy. Many instances might be adduced to prove the contrary. But when, once awakened to suspicion that either his life or his interest is in danger, all the black passions of the mind, with revenge in their rear, rise up in array. A celebrated writer has observed that moral evil is foreign to man as well as physical evil, that both the one and the other spring up out of deviations from the law of nature. It is an undoubted truth that both the rude savage and the polished citizen are equally tenacious of their pecuniary acquisitions. And however mankind may have trifled away liberty, virtue, religion or life, yet when the first rudiments of society have been established, the right of private property has been held sacred.
Speaker 1:Again, talking to this gentleman that I stumbled across recently, we were talking about property tax in America. You don't really own anything if you don't know that. By the way, if you live in America, it doesn't matter how rich or poor you are. You don't own anything, you just rent it from the government. That ought to really bother you folks. That's not in line with our founding and the principles that formed our nation. As an American citizen, you ought to own your property. The government doesn't own it. We're not just renters for the government. The government is here to protect our rights external defense, internal justice but they don't own the property. It's not like we're just holding it instead for them.
Speaker 1:There's no justification that falls in line with our founding for property tax and forcing American citizens to rent their own home and land from the government. And you can work it however you want, but an American citizen I'm not talking about their second or third or fourth home folks but on your primary residence and your primary land associated with that residence, you should never be paying property taxes, even if you pay for the first couple years, maybe After that, after you've lived somewhere, say five years, seven years at the most, there should never be property taxes, and maybe before that, however, mankind may have trifled away liberty, virtue, religion or life. Yet when the first rudiments of society have been established, the right of private property has been held sacred. For an attempt to invade the possessions each one denominates his own, whether it is made by the rude hand of the savage or by the refinements of ancient or modern policy, little short of the blood of the aggressor has been thought a sufficient atonement. Thus, the purchase of their commodities, the furs of the forest and the alienation of their lands for trivial considerations, the assumed superiority of the Europeans, their knowledge of arts and war, and perhaps their supercilious deportment towards the Aborigines might awaken in them just fears of extermination.
Speaker 1:Nor is it strange that the natural principle of self-defense operated strongly in their minds and urged them to hostilities that often reduced the young colonies to the utmost danger and distress. But the innumerable swarms of the wilderness who were not driven back to the vast interior region were soon swept off by the sword or by sickness, which remarkably raged among them about the time of the arrival of the English. The Plymouth settlers landed the 22nd of December, but saw not an Indian until the 31st of January. This was afterwards accounted for by the information of Semoset, an Indian chief who visited them and told them the natives on the borders had been all swept away by a pestilence that raged among them three or four years before the few who remained were quieted by treaty or by conquest, after which the inhabitants of the American colonies lived many years, perhaps as near the point of felicity, as the temporary ferments it had occasioned subsided and a spirit of candor and forbearance everywhere took place.
Speaker 1:They seemed, previous to the rupture with Britain, to have acquired that just and happy medium between the ferocity of the state of nature and those high stages of civilization and refinement that at once corrupt the heart and sap the foundation of happiness. The sobriety of their manners and the purity of their morals were exemplary, their piety and hospitality engaging, and the equal and lenient administration of their government secured authority, subordination, justice, regularity and peace. You go back up here this previous sentence. And those high stages of civilization and refinement that at once corrupt the heart and sap the foundations of happiness. How many of us folks in America today, how much of our nation is in the state that it's in because of those supposed high stages of civilization and refinement, the opulence. It's almost like we have it so good that we're looking for problems to cause.
Speaker 1:A well-informed yeomanry and an enlightened peasantry evinced the early attention of the first settlers to domestic education. Public schools were established in every town, particularly in the eastern provinces, and as early as 1638, harvard College was founded at Cambridge. The elegant Saint Pierre has observed that there are three periods through which most nations passed the first, below nature, in the second they come up to her and in the third come up to her and in the third go beyond her. I'd say we're past the third. But the education thing. Public schools were established in every town, particularly in the eastern provinces.
Speaker 1:The people that tell you today that public education is the problem, as in just having public education as the problem, that's not true. We've had public education. The problem is the foundation of it. The problem is when you put public education before God and before the family. Put public education before God and before the family, and really there's just so much that we could talk about with education folks. But the problem is we don't have God at the center and the family isn't the priority. The school has become the priority and we've kicked God out and everything else stems from that. The over-testing, the hypocritical standards, the egregiously too long school year and school day, everything discipline problems. All of it goes back to we kicked God out and we made the school life more important than family life.
Speaker 1:In the southern colonies, it is true that there was not general attention to early instruction. The children of the opulent planters only were educated in England, while the less affluent were neglected and the common class of whites had little education above their slaves. Both knowledge and property were more equally divided in the colder regions of the north. Consequently, a spirit of more equal liberty was diffused, while the almost spontaneous harvests of the warmer latitudes the great number of slaves thought necessary to secure their produce and the easy acquisition of fortune nourished more aristocratic principles. Perhaps it may be true that wherever slavery is encouraged there are among the free inhabitants very high ideals of liberty, though not so much from a sense of the common rights of man as from their own feelings of superiority.
Speaker 1:Folks, slavery makes people worse. It makes us worse. It makes us less. Abortion is the same way. Abortion makes us worse. It makes us less. Abortion is the same way Abortion makes us worse. It makes us less as citizens. And you forget if you take liberty away, life and liberty in the case of abortion, right? It's one of the reasons it's worse than slavery ever thought about being not just in scope or size, but also in scope right. In an abortion, you're automatically taking both liberty and life away away. How do you expect it to be preserved for you when you do that? It makes no sense. If you're going to take liberty and life away from children, then you have no right to assume that your own is secure. God bless y'all. God bless your families. God bless your marriages. God bless America. God bless your marriages. God bless America. God bless your nation, wherever you are around the world. Listen, we'll talk to y'all again real soon. Folks looking forward to it.